At the World Economic Conference held in 2016, many of those responsible for recruiting in large companies expected a change in the skills most in demand within 5 years of the date of the conference, as recommendations were collected from them about the 10 most important skills they believe are important to the labor market, so we decided to present the series “Skills Future “to talk about each skill and how you can develop it to prepare for the job market in the best way for the future.

In 2015, solving complex problems came first in the list of the most important skills, and the matter did not change in the new recommendations, as this skill maintained its position in the forefront, which prompts us to think and question its importance to the labor market.

But it is not surprising for those who follow the business situation in our world today to realize the value of solving complex problems. Even before the Corona crisis, there were many challenges at work, which must be solved so that companies can continue to perform to the same extent, which made the person who Has the ability to solve any problem he has priority in companies.

What is the problem basically?

The director says: “We are facing a problem, and we must reach a solution to it quickly” so that everyone begins working on collecting proposals and introducing them into implementation quickly, but in reality, it requires an answer to an important question: What is the problem? And why did we judge it really as a problem?

Despite the simplicity of the question, it is often answered in a superficial, non-in-depth manner, so we discover that even with the implementation of a strong solution, it does not address the actual error because it does not focus on the main cause of the problem, but rather focuses on the first explanation that came to mind.

Therefore, the problem must first be defined, and it can be summarized as a gap between the current situation and the truly desired situation. For example, in Company “X” and “Company Y,” 200 units are sold per month in each company separately. Despite this, the “S” manager is not satisfied because the current situation does not agree with what is desired. He aims to sell 300 units per month, while Company “S” is rewarding its employees to increase the required targets.

The definition of the gap makes it easier for us to realize if the current situation is a problem or is it a wrong perception. We can then define the reasons for this gap: Is the cause a failure in the performance of workers? Is the reason for insufficient resources? Did the company face certain circumstances that prevented it from achieving its goals?

After asking all the questions related to this gap, we can develop an idea about the real causes. Instead of assuming that the reason is a failure in workers' performance and treating that by providing training or even a discount, there may not be any problem in this regard, and the reason is the lack of resources that The company needs to produce units.

Dealing with the problem in this way takes us out of the framework of theoretical assumptions, into the realm of abstract facts that are based on reports and figures, so working with facts makes it much easier to take practical steps towards solutions. Therefore the main part of mastering complex problems is defining the problem and its causes as clearly as possible. This requires effective research and listening skill.

Practical steps to solve!

Photo by fauxels from Pexels

1- List of alternative solutions:

After breaking down the problem into small parts using the skills of analysis, you can work on the next step, which is to think of all alternative solutions that fit this problem, and here it is not necessary to think of new solutions, it is possible to review previous solutions that were applied to benefit from them.

At this stage, do not focus on choosing a specific solution because thinking about alternatives gives you many perceptions of problem-solving that you can mix between them in the future instead of quickly implementing one idea. Brainstorming techniques can be relied upon at this stage or other group thinking tools.

2- Evaluating alternatives:

After completing the collection of alternatives, you should not only think about choosing the best alternative because it seems acceptable as a solution to the problem but rather it is important to evaluate it within the framework of a set of criteria:

This alternative will solve the problem without creating any other problems. For example, using new equipment at work will not lead to a doubling of production costs so that we will enter into a crisis because of that.

The solution will be accepted and understood by all individuals responsible for its implementation.

C- It can be implemented according to the current capabilities, whether personal capabilities or the company's resources, and it does not conflict with any of the policies followed, either within the company or in the environment in which it operates.

3- Converting the ideal alternative into a plan and following it up:

Choosing the ideal alternative is not sufficient for success, but it requires converting it into an action plan with deliberate steps and a suitable timetable for its implementation and then following up on its progress as necessary to evaluate its effectiveness and the extent of its ability to solve the problem at hand.

Mostly, the skill of solving complex problems will remain among the most important skills in the labor market no matter how much time progresses because it contains the thing that can never be compensated, which is the thought that can define crises and get out of them with powerful solutions that help turn adversity into a grant.

Thanks for reading

Header photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

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