So, this is where we go with this. I have found that people who understand the difference between being a problem solver and simply being a problem identifier can make a huge difference in the success of an organization. There are many distinctions between successful and unsuccessful people. For the purposes of the topic of this discussion, we will focus on one. Successful people solve problems. Unsuccessful people identify problems without careful follow-up or suggestions for solving the problem.

You will find that problem-oriented people tend to criticize and find fault, but can never offer suggestions and solutions with follow-up. Even when a suggestion is offered, it is almost always about what someone else can do versus what they can do or what we can do as a team. So if you’re quick to find fault or criticize without any follow-up on your part, you might want to ask yourself: am I problem-oriented or solution-oriented? We must also be careful about the language we use. If the language is “you should do this” or “they should do this” and this is never what we can do, we have to carefully analyze where we are on the problem-solving continuum.

Employers and leaders of all types of organizations are looking for problem solvers. Even personality, leadership assessments, and interview questions are geared toward discovering if you are a problem solver. Interviewers will ask behavioral and “what if” questions to assess your problem solving skills.

Basically, there are four basic steps to solving a problem:

Defining the problem

Defining the problem is different from identifying it. Many people tend to identify rather than define.

Identifying is defined as recognizing or bringing awareness of something or person or thing to the fore. It is to make something known. For example, a problem in Organization A might be a lack of productivity in the workplace. Not meeting the sales quota, poor customer service, etc.

When we define the problem we get to the root or cause of the problem. To define is to explain or clarify the nature of something. When we define the problem, we identify the cause of the problem. Therefore, the cause of low productivity or poor customer service in organization A could be low morale among the organization’s team members.

Generating alternative solutions

Once the problem is defined, we must generate alternative solutions to solve the problem. A good problem solver will brainstorm and come up with various solutions to the problem. With the understanding that there must always be a plan A, B and C. Since people are different and motivated differently, it is important to be multidimensional in problem solving. Gone are the days of one-way problem solving. The workplace and organizations in general have become too diverse to think that one way works for all people or all situations. Therefore, alternative solutions must be generated.

The low morale problem in Organization A has a cause, which should have been identified in the defining stages. So depending on the cause, some workarounds could be better pay, more recognition or effective leadership, more or better resources, flexible hours, etc. These solutions depend on the definition of the problem in step one.

Select a solution

Now that we have alternative solutions to Organization A’s low productivity problem. The problem solver must now select the solution (s). It can be one change that needs to be made, or it can be a combination of several changes that need to be made. So in this scenario there could be a slight increase in salary, if budget is an issue, in addition to changing the way leaders interact with followers, to become more effective leaders. Perhaps, more leadership training is needed and / or the organization needs to hold a general meeting to allow employees to share their frustrations or find other ways to get employee feedback. Regardless of what is decided, a plan must be put in place to make these changes.

Implement the determined solution

Now that there is a plan, we must begin to implement the changes. We must set action targets with deadline reviews. Along with implementation comes evaluation and control / monitoring to measure the effectiveness of the changes.

Here’s the bottom line: If you’re only good at the first step, identifying or defining the problem, you haven’t made any headway in orienting yourself to the solution yet. It is still in the problem orientation stage. Never worry! You are not alone. Many of us find ourselves stuck in the first step as a problem identifier until we understand the steps or stages of problem solving. As we become more consistent in problem solving than problem identification, we become more well-rounded and more active individuals for the organization.