Problem-solving’s Necessity in Business and Life
If there's an attitude in business that you need to possess (whether you are a new executive, just promoted to middle management, or a senior leader in your company) it is the ability to solve problems. Problem-solving is not merely an inborn trait, but it is more of an acquired skill. So, while some problem solving skills can be latent with individuals, which can then be brought out with education, most of the ability is acquired only through a reiterative process-the hard way.
Most trained professionals in business would have taken the GMAT prep course. One of the salient features of this examination is to test the individual's ability of analytical thinking by testing how he or she can come up with solutions to apparent problems. Questions relating to fundamentals of mathematics-arithmetic, algebra, and geometry-challenge the mind to apply itself hard and come up with solutions.
Business conditions always pose problems. It is up to individuals whether to look at these problems as "problems," i.e., something which is a hurdle; or to look at them as challenges or adventure, i.e., it is still a hurdle but can definitely be overcome by thinking hard and working smart.
The attitude of problem-solving is required even more in individuals in these times of economic slowdown when business conditions cannot be taken for granted. Companies are forced to look for individuals who add more value to the business, who push themselves hard, and who help the company conserve finances. Businesses require people who can do more for less. It is less about what specific professional skills individuals are endowed with; it is more about how they can survive in a crunching situation and how they can help their firm wriggle out of any problem. These are times when basics learned in business schools come in handy.
Information about | Angela Harlan | 30 September 2010 |
