Problem Solving

Problems, academic or social, may be challenging. You can have problems at home, problems at work and problems at school. You may have problems assigned to you as a project. The process for solving these problems applies to every scenario.

In order to solve a problem, it helps to keep your mind flexible and open. It may be necessary to step back and look at the problem from a different angle to understand it and to get the best solution.
The most important step is defining the problem. If you don't understand the problem, it will be next to impossible to solve it. Try to isolate the problem. Don't let other factors that are not pertinent to the problem enter into the definition. Sometimes you may not have enough information to define the problem. If this is the case, then you need to gather all the information that you need regarding the problem.
Make sure that you get all the pertinent information you can. Even if you don't use it, the information may be helpful with another problem later. You need to do research, check studies, and see experts. Look at past and present events that may affect the problems. Remember to isolate true evidence - facts - from personal opinion and bias.
The next step to solving the problem is to look at different solutions. See which ones are feasible and which are not. Try to look at the problem from several different angles. Then you need to decide which solutions have the most value. It helps to rank the values.
From the list of ranked solutions, choose the best solution that you can see. Be prepared for success, but be ready with another option if the solution doesn't work. You should always have a "Plan B" waiting.
Remember that as long as you have tried your hardest to come up with a good solution, then you have succeeded. The process involved in problem solving is as important as the outcome.