How to Problem Solve

By Avil M. Beckford
 Table of Contents

Legal Notices …………………………………………….. 3

Introduction ……………………………………………….. 4
Characteristics of Great Problem Solvers……………… 5
4 Types of Problem Solvers …………………………….. 6
Problem Solving Process ……………………………….. 8
4 Step Problem Solving Process ……………………….. 9
What Great Thinkers & Innovators Have in Common …11
Things to do to Become a Better Problem Solver ……..13
Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process ………………..14
Reverse Problem Solving ………………………………. 21
Conclusion …………………………………………………23
About the Author …………………………………………..24
Websites/Resources ………………………………………25

2
 Legal Notices

Please feel free to distribute the presentation in its entirety with attribution to the
author.

Disclaimer And/Or Legal Notices:

The information presented herein represents the view of the author at the time
of publication. Due to the rate at which conditions change, the right to update
this publication is reserved based on new conditions. This toolkit is for
informational purposes only, in regard to the subject matter, and not intended
as professional advice. While every attempt has been made to verify the
information provided in this work, the author does not assume any responsibility
for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. You should be aware of any laws which
govern business transactions or other business practices in your country,
province and state.

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 Introduction

 Any successful business or life activity demands

the ability to problem solve

 Employees who boldly face daily problems and

challenges are worth more to an organization than
those who passively rely on their supervisors

 Moving up the corporate ladder depends on the

number and complexity of problems solved

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 Characteristics of Great Problem Solvers

 Observe
 Listen and hear
 Get along with others
 Secure reliable information
 Look at what’s been done before
 Pay attention to detail
 Take a break
 Reflect on options
 Trust their instincts
 Adapt
 Take decisive actions
 Persistent

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4 Types of Problem Solvers
After distilling 60 interview responses to the
question, “Describe a business challenge you
had and how you resolved it” four types of
problem solvers emerged.

 Inspirers
 Reflectors
 Innovators
 Influencers

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4 Types of Problem Solvers
 Inspirers: They nurture people and relationships and have the
ability to inspire confidence. Whenever they face a challenge or
problem, people rally around them offering their assistance.

 Reflectors: These problem solvers do not rush when making

decisions, instead they take their time, mull things over for a
while, step back from the situation to get a new perspective
and then act.

 Innovators: These individuals have the unique ability to come

up with creative solutions to any challenge or problem that
they might encounter. It could be an entirely new solution or
the blending of two known solutions into something fresh and
exciting.

 Influencers: These problem solvers are expert at getting

others to support their cause, and they excel at finding
solutions to “people” problems that involve change. Influencers
are great at getting people to “buy in.”

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 Problem Solving Process

 In his 1926 book The Art of Thought, Graham

Wallas, the English political scientist and
psychologist, adopted and expanded Hermann von
Helmholtz’s process to idea development.

 Wallas describes a four-stage creativity process for

generating great ideas — preparation, incubation,
illumination and implementation.

 This process is ideal for problem solving because it

taps into the idea of creative solutions rather than
a one-size fits all template.

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 4-Step Problem Solving Process
 Preparation: A period of study and fact-finding,
which includes conducting research to identify
what has been done before, interviewing subject
experts and participating in any other activity of
collecting opinions or ideas on the subject. It is
time to take a break when you become stressed,
bored, overwhelmed, or distracted, or feel that
it’s futile to gather more information.

  Incubation: Stop thinking about the problem and

sleep on it. Though not consciously working on
your issues, challenges or problems, your
subconscious mind is busy working at connecting
the different pieces of information to form ideas,
and so creating something different and new.

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 4-Step Problem Solving Process

 Illumination: When you least expect it, a sudden

flash of insight, an “aha” moment where the new
idea(s) to resolve your issues, challenges or
problems will surface to your conscious mind and
you see the light.

  Implementation: The great idea(s) or solution

that surfaces could be implemented the way you
conceived it, or you may have elements of a great
idea that you have to refine before you can
implement.

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 What Great Thinkers & Innovators
Have In Common

 Ability to reflect  Childlike sense of play

 Observation skills  Curious
 Openness to  Voracious reader
experiment  Read/study broadly
 Keep record of  Observe and collect
research facts
 Impossible was not an  Independent thinking
answer  Take breaks to
 Open minded reenergize

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 What Great Thinkers & Innovators
Have In Common

 Total absorption in  Have vision

subject
 Look at the limitations
of old inventions and
devise a solution
 Modify present
technologies for other
uses
 Ability to make
connections between
two different things
 Have imagination
 Didn’t reinvent the
wheel - built on
present knowledge
 Ability to combine
theoretical knowledge
with practical skills
 Paid attention to
detail
 Give vital ideas the
opportunity to take
root and grow

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 Things You Can do to
Become a Better Problem Solver
 Each day spend some time reflecting on life

 Travel to places that you have never been before

 Eat different foods, interact with nature

 Take time to learn about another culture

 Read diverse books and other materials and think

about what you’ve read

 Consider problems that you know need solving and

work on ways to solve them

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 Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process

Stage I: Preparation (Research/Gather ideas)

3. Describe a challenge or problem that you’re having.

Writing down the problem makes it more concrete for you.
Make sure that your problem statement is not too broadly
or narrowly defined

5. Develop a set of decision criteria to judge the quality of

the solutions

7. Describe the root causes (not symptoms) of the problem

or challenge. Uncover the facts surrounding the problem

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 Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process
Stage I: Preparation (Research/Gather ideas)

3. Who do you know that has experienced a similar

problem? If you know someone:
a. How did they resolve the problem?
b. Would that solution work for you?

5. Collect all the information that you can find

relating to possible solutions
a) Look for case studies in your industry and
unrelated industries
b) Conduct research on the internet
c) Interview subject matter experts
d) Brainstorm with colleagues
e) Conduct focus group interviews

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 Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process

Stage I: Preparation (Research/Gather ideas)

4.Read all the information gathered and synthesize

them

6.Extractall the relevant information by distilling the

facts pertinent to your problem

8.Formulate options and test alternatives

This is the most critical stage for Inspirers,

Influencers & Innovators

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 Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process

Stage II: Incubation (Lay the issue aside for a

period of time)

3.Take a break, or work on another project

4.Let all the information sit for a while

This is an important stage for Reflectors.

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 Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process

Stage III: Illumination (The moment when the

new solution (idea) emerges)

3. You have an aha moment

4. You see the problem in a completely different
light
5. Or a solution (s) comes to you
6. You now have an opening to develop a strategy
to resolve your problem

This is another important stage for Reflectors &

Innovators.

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 Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process

Stage IV: Verification/Implementation (Test out the

idea then apply it)

4. Test the idea to see if it’s a workable solution to

your problem

6. Use the criteria you developed in Stage I to

judge the quality of the solution

8. Refine the idea if you have to

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 Anatomy of a Problem Solving Process

2. Implement the solution

4. Evaluate the solution

6. If you find that the solution doesn’t work, go

through the process again
 
This is an important step for all types of problems
solvers, but more so for Influencers who have to get
“buy in” and Innovators who take pride in doing
what’s never been done.

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 Reverse Problem Solving

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,

Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in
mind.”

There are times when you have a specific

outcome for a problem. In such instances, you
have to reverse the problem solving process,
that is, work backwards methodically and fill in
the missing information.

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 Reverse Problem Solving
To reverse problem solve:

 Define the problem

 What are the knowns?

 What are the unknowns?

 What is the end result (goal)?

 Why is it important to achieve this goal?
 Develop a strategy to achieve the goal (solve the
problem), working from the end result
 What are the necessary steps to achieve the goal?
 Solve the problem using the steps identified to achieve
the goals
 Does the solution make sense? Is it the best solution?
Check the solution by working forwards

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 Conclusion

 The type of problem solver you are informs how

you approach the challenges, problems and
issues that you will inevitably face in your work
and life.

 The problem solving process outlined above is

solid and has been used successfully for
decades.

 The entire process can take hours or it can take

months depending on the complexity of the
problem.

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 About The Author
Avil Beckford President of Ambeck Enterprise and Chief Invisible
Mentor, is an accomplished writer, researcher, and analyst with over
15 years of experience. Her strong service orientation, dedication to
learning and exploring new ways of improving her own life as well as
the many she touches, has underpinned her success to date.

A published author, her new book, Tales of People Who Get It is the
culmination of her life experiences. It has often been said of Avil that
her life informs her work. She has also created a companion
workbook Journey to Getting It.

Avil’s many readers look forward to Ambeck Edge, her company’s

regular e-Newsletter that is a rich resource those interested in self-
improvement, as well as those professionals who struggle with life
balance issues. More recently, she created The Invisible Mentor Blog
to use books, articles and interviews by and about successful people
to mentor her readers.

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 Websites/Resources

Websites

Ambeck Enterprise http://www.ambeck.com

The Invisible Mentor Blog http://theinvisiblementor.com

Resources

Website Resources: http://www.ambeck.com/resources.html

Blog Resources: http://theinvisiblementor.com/resources/

Books: Tales of People Who Get It, Journey to Getting It, The
Invisible Mentor Tool Kit, The Problem Solver Tool Kit, Work-
Life Balance Self Discovery Worksheet , Regret
Disengagement Worksheet http://stores.lulu.com/avilbeckford

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