problem solving training goals

12 SMART Goals Examples for Problem Solving

Everyone should aim to develop their problem-solving skills in life. It’s critical for career growth and personal development. That’s why establishing SMART goals is a valuable tool for achieving success and reaching desired outcomes.

This article will provide SMART goals examples for effective problem solving. Gaining inspiration to pursue these goals can help you become more organized and effective in problem-solving situations.

Table of Contents

What is a SMART Goal?

The SMART framework is an amazing way to establish practical goals . For those unaware, SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based.

Still confused? SMART goals are:

• Specific: Accomplishing goals starts with defining them and how they will be achieved. The more detailed your goals for problem solving, the greater the likelihood you have of meeting them.
• Measurable: Having a quantifiable goal is a crucial SMART component. Tracking your progress makes modifying or adjusting the path forward easier if needed. You’ll also have a tangible way to determine whether or not your objectives have been met.
• Attainable: Try to decide on what is realistically possible before pursuing goals. If possible, break down your overarching goal into smaller objectives that fall within your current capabilities. Setting too high or unrealistic expectations cause you frustration and even giving up on your aspirations altogether.
• Relevant: You must align your actions with your core values . Hence, take some time to reflect on how you want your goals to reflect your interests and values.
• Time-based: Success doesn’t come without hard work and dedication, so you should have a specific timeline when working toward your dreams. You will stay organized and motivated throughout the journey when you set a deadline.

In today’s world, being able to identify and solve problems using analytical skills can’t be undervalued. Following the 5 SMART criteria above will allow you to achieve better results with fewer resources.

Here are 12 examples of SMART goals for better problem solving:

1. Define the Problem

“I’ll create a plan to define and describe the problem I’m trying to solve by the end of two weeks. This will allow me to identify the exact issue that needs to be addressed and develop an effective solution promptly.”

Specific: The goal outlines the task of defining and describing a problem.

Measurable: You can measure your progress by creating a plan after two weeks.

Attainable: The statement is within reach because it requires critical thinking and planning.

Relevant: Defining an issue is required for enhanced problem solving.

Time-based: There is a two-week timeline for accomplishing this goal.

2. Analyze Root Cause

“I will take the time to thoroughly analyze the root cause of a problem before I attempt to come up with a solution. Before jumping into a solution, I’ll consider the possible causes and try to figure out how they interact with each other.”

Specific: The SMART goal outlines what will be done to analyze the root cause of a problem.

Measurable: You could measure how often you take the time for analysis.

Attainable: This is realistic because taking the time to do a thorough analysis is possible.

Relevant: Gaining a better understanding of the root causes of a problem can lead to more effective solutions.

Time-based: You’ll follow this process every time you solve a problem, so this goal is ongoing.

3. Be Willing to Collaborate With Others

“For the duration of 10 months, my goal is to be willing to collaborate with others to find the best solution for any problem at hand. I want to be open to exchanging ideas and listening to the opinions of others so that we can solve our problems efficiently.”

Specific: The person must proactively strive to collaborate with others.

Measurable: You can keep track of how often you collaborate monthly.

Attainable: This is feasible because it requires only the willingness to collaborate and exchange ideas.

Relevant: Collaboration allows you to find better solutions and grow your network.

Time-based: You have 10 months to pursue this particular target.

4. Evaluate Alternatives

“I will review and evaluate at least three alternative solutions to the problem by the end of this month. I’ll evaluate the costs and benefits of each solution, prioritize them based on their potential effectiveness and make my recommendation.”

Specific: You will need to review and evaluate three alternative solutions.

Measurable: Count how many alternative solutions you listed.

Attainable: With enough time and effort, anybody can review and evaluate multiple solutions.

Relevant: This is related to problem solving, which can advance your professional career .

Time-based: You have one month for goal achievement.

5. Implement Action Plan

“To ensure that my action plans are implemented effectively, I will create a timeline with concrete steps and review it every two weeks for the 6 months ahead. I want all aspects of my plan to take place as scheduled and the process is running smoothly.”

Specific: The aim is to create a timeline and review it every two weeks for 6 months.

Measurable: The person can compare their timeline to the actual results and ensure that every aspect of the plan takes place as scheduled.

Attainable: This goal is achievable if the individual has the time, resources, and support.

Relevant: Realize that implementing an action plan applies to problem solving.

Time-based: Success will be reached after 6 whole months.

6. Ask the Right Questions

“I’ll learn to ask the right questions by reading two books on effective questioning strategies and attending a workshop on the same topic within the next quarter. This will allow me to get to the root of any problem more quickly.”

Specific: The goal states what to do (read two books and attend a workshop) to learn how to ask the right questions.

Measurable: You can check your progress by reading the books and attending the workshop.

Attainable: This is a reasonable goal and can be met within the given time frame.

Relevant: Asking the right questions is key to solving any problem quickly.

Time-based: Goal completion should be accomplished within a quarter.

7. Be More Flexible

“I will seek opportunities to be more flexible when problem solving for the following 8 months. This could include offering creative solutions to issues, brainstorming ideas with colleagues, and encouraging feedback from others.”

Specific: This SMART goal is explicit because the person wants to become more flexible when problem solving.

Measurable: Check how often and effectively you follow the three action items.

Attainable : This goal is achievable if you dedicate time to being more open-minded.

Relevant: Flexibility is integral to problem solving, so this goal is highly relevant.

Time-based: Eight months is the allotted time to reach the desired result.

8. Brainstorm Solutions

“I want to develop a list of 5 potential solutions by the end of this month for any problem that arises. I’ll brainstorm with my team and research to develop the options. We’ll use these options to evaluate the most feasible solution for a specific issue.”

Specific: You should come up with a list of 5 potential solutions with your team.

Measurable: Actively count how many potential solutions you come up with.

Attainable: This goal can be achieved with research and collaboration.

Relevant: Brainstorming solutions help you evaluate the best option for a certain issue.

Time-based: You should strive to meet this goal by the end of the month.

9. Keep a Cool Head

“When encountering a difficult problem, I will strive to remain calm and not rush into any decisions. For three months, I’ll take a few moments to pause, gather my thoughts and assess the situation with a clear head before taking action.”

Specific: The person identifies the goal of remaining calm when encountering complex problems.

Measurable: It is possible to measure success in terms of how long it takes to pause and assess the situation.

Attainable: Taking a few moments before taking action is realistic for most people.

Relevant: Keeping a cool head in difficult situations is beneficial for problem solving.

Time-based: This SMART statement has an end date of three months.

10. Don’t Make Rash Assumptions

“I will no longer make assumptions or jump to conclusions without gathering facts. I’ll strive to be more open-minded when finding solutions to problems and take the time to consider all perspectives before making a decision.”

Specific: The goal is explicit in that individuals aim to be open-minded.

Measurable: You can evaluate how often assumptions are made without gathering facts or considering all perspectives.

Attainable: Anyone can take the time to consider different perspectives before making a decision.

Relevant: This is suitable for those who want to be more mindful and make better decisions.

Time-based: Since the goal is ongoing, you will pursue it on a daily basis.

11. Take Responsibility

“I will take responsibility for all my mistakes and be open to constructive criticism to improve as a professional by the end of the next quarter. I’ll also learn from my mistakes and take steps to ensure they’re not repeated.”

Specific: The statement is evident in that you will take responsibility for all mistakes.

Measurable: Progress towards this goal can be measured by how well you respond to constructive criticism.

Attainable: This is possible since the person is willing to learn and improve with constructive criticism.

Relevant: Taking responsibility for your mistakes is an important skill, making this an appropriate goal.

Time-based: You have one quarter to complete the SMART goal.

12. Let Your Creativity Flow

“I want to explore the range of my creative problem-solving abilities and come up with solutions for difficult situations. To do this, I’ll take a course in creative problem solving and apply the principles I learn to practical scenarios within two months.”

Specific: You will take a course in creative problem solving and apply the principles learned to practical scenarios.

Measurable: By enrolling in the course, you can monitor your learning progress over time.

Attainable: The goal should be realistic concerning time and resources.

Relevant: Recognize that creativity is vital in many industries.

Time-based: You should ideally reach this goal after two months.

Final Thoughts

Setting SMART goals is a fantastic approach to solving any problem. They provide a clear structure for breaking down complex tasks into manageable chunks and encourage goal-oriented thinking.

While SMART goals may not work for every situation, they can offer a valuable framework for solving complex issues. Thus, it’s beneficial to experiment with this tool to develop problem-solving strategies tailored to individual needs.

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10 Problem-solving strategies to turn challenges on their head

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What is an example of problem-solving?

What are the 5 steps to problem-solving, 10 effective problem-solving strategies, what skills do efficient problem solvers have, how to improve your problem-solving skills.

Problems come in all shapes and sizes — from workplace conflict to budget cuts.

Creative problem-solving is one of the most in-demand skills in all roles and industries. It can boost an organization’s human capital and give it a competitive edge. 

Problem-solving strategies are ways of approaching problems that can help you look beyond the obvious answers and find the best solution to your problem . 

Let’s take a look at a five-step problem-solving process and how to combine it with proven problem-solving strategies. This will give you the tools and skills to solve even your most complex problems.

Good problem-solving is an essential part of the decision-making process . To see what a problem-solving process might look like in real life, let’s take a common problem for SaaS brands — decreasing customer churn rates.

To solve this problem, the company must first identify it. In this case, the problem is that the churn rate is too high. 

Next, they need to identify the root causes of the problem. This could be anything from their customer service experience to their email marketing campaigns. If there are several problems, they will need a separate problem-solving process for each one. 

Let’s say the problem is with email marketing — they’re not nurturing existing customers. Now that they’ve identified the problem, they can start using problem-solving strategies to look for solutions. 

This might look like coming up with special offers, discounts, or bonuses for existing customers. They need to find ways to remind them to use their products and services while providing added value. This will encourage customers to keep paying their monthly subscriptions.

They might also want to add incentives, such as access to a premium service at no extra cost after 12 months of membership. They could publish blog posts that help their customers solve common problems and share them as an email newsletter.

The company should set targets and a time frame in which to achieve them. This will allow leaders to measure progress and identify which actions yield the best results.

Perhaps you’ve got a problem you need to tackle. Or maybe you want to be prepared the next time one arises. Either way, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the five steps of problem-solving. 

Use this step-by-step problem-solving method with the strategies in the following section to find possible solutions to your problem.

1. Identify the problem

The first step is to know which problem you need to solve. Then, you need to find the root cause of the problem. 

The best course of action is to gather as much data as possible, speak to the people involved, and separate facts from opinions. 

Once this is done, formulate a statement that describes the problem. Use rational persuasion to make sure your team agrees .

2. Break the problem down 

Identifying the problem allows you to see which steps need to be taken to solve it. 

First, break the problem down into achievable blocks. Then, use strategic planning to set a time frame in which to solve the problem and establish a timeline for the completion of each stage.

3. Generate potential solutions

At this stage, the aim isn’t to evaluate possible solutions but to generate as many ideas as possible. 

Encourage your team to use creative thinking and be patient — the best solution may not be the first or most obvious one.

Use one or more of the different strategies in the following section to help come up with solutions — the more creative, the better.

4. Evaluate the possible solutions

Once you’ve generated potential solutions, narrow them down to a shortlist. Then, evaluate the options on your shortlist. 

There are usually many factors to consider. So when evaluating a solution, ask yourself the following questions:

• Will my team be on board with the proposition?
• Does the solution align with organizational goals ?
• Is the solution likely to achieve the desired outcomes?
• Is the solution realistic and possible with current resources and constraints?
• Will the solution solve the problem without causing additional unintended problems?

5. Implement and monitor the solutions

Once you’ve identified your solution and got buy-in from your team, it’s time to implement it. 

But the work doesn’t stop there. You need to monitor your solution to see whether it actually solves your problem. 

Request regular feedback from the team members involved and have a monitoring and evaluation plan in place to measure progress.

If the solution doesn’t achieve your desired results, start this step-by-step process again.

There are many different ways to approach problem-solving. Each is suitable for different types of problems. 

The most appropriate problem-solving techniques will depend on your specific problem. You may need to experiment with several strategies before you find a workable solution.

Here are 10 effective problem-solving strategies for you to try:

• Use a solution that worked before
• Brainstorming
• Work backward
• Use the Kipling method
• Draw the problem
• Use trial and error
• Sleep on it
• Get advice from your peers
• Use the Pareto principle
• Add successful solutions to your toolkit

Let’s break each of these down.

1. Use a solution that worked before

It might seem obvious, but if you’ve faced similar problems in the past, look back to what worked then. See if any of the solutions could apply to your current situation and, if so, replicate them.

2. Brainstorming

The more people you enlist to help solve the problem, the more potential solutions you can come up with.

Use different brainstorming techniques to workshop potential solutions with your team. They’ll likely bring something you haven’t thought of to the table.

3. Work backward

Working backward is a way to reverse engineer your problem. Imagine your problem has been solved, and make that the starting point.

Then, retrace your steps back to where you are now. This can help you see which course of action may be most effective.

4. Use the Kipling method

This is a method that poses six questions based on Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “ I Keep Six Honest Serving Men .” 

• What is the problem?
• Why is the problem important?
• When did the problem arise, and when does it need to be solved?
• How did the problem happen?
• Where is the problem occurring?
• Who does the problem affect?

Answering these questions can help you identify possible solutions.

5. Draw the problem

Sometimes it can be difficult to visualize all the components and moving parts of a problem and its solution. Drawing a diagram can help.

This technique is particularly helpful for solving process-related problems. For example, a product development team might want to decrease the time they take to fix bugs and create new iterations. Drawing the processes involved can help you see where improvements can be made.

6. Use trial-and-error

A trial-and-error approach can be useful when you have several possible solutions and want to test them to see which one works best.

7. Sleep on it

Finding the best solution to a problem is a process. Remember to take breaks and get enough rest . Sometimes, a walk around the block can bring inspiration, but you should sleep on it if possible.

A good night’s sleep helps us find creative solutions to problems. This is because when you sleep, your brain sorts through the day’s events and stores them as memories. This enables you to process your ideas at a subconscious level. 

If possible, give yourself a few days to develop and analyze possible solutions. You may find you have greater clarity after sleeping on it. Your mind will also be fresh, so you’ll be able to make better decisions.

8. Get advice from your peers

Getting input from a group of people can help you find solutions you may not have thought of on your own. 

For solo entrepreneurs or freelancers, this might look like hiring a coach or mentor or joining a mastermind group. 

For leaders , it might be consulting other members of the leadership team or working with a business coach .

It’s important to recognize you might not have all the skills, experience, or knowledge necessary to find a solution alone. 

9. Use the Pareto principle

The Pareto principle — also known as the 80/20 rule — can help you identify possible root causes and potential solutions for your problems.

Although it’s not a mathematical law, it’s a principle found throughout many aspects of business and life. For example, 20% of the sales reps in a company might close 80% of the sales. 

You may be able to narrow down the causes of your problem by applying the Pareto principle. This can also help you identify the most appropriate solutions.

10. Add successful solutions to your toolkit

Every situation is different, and the same solutions might not always work. But by keeping a record of successful problem-solving strategies, you can build up a solutions toolkit. 

These solutions may be applicable to future problems. Even if not, they may save you some of the time and work needed to come up with a new solution.

Improving problem-solving skills is essential for professional development — both yours and your team’s. Here are some of the key skills of effective problem solvers:

• Critical thinking and analytical skills
• Communication skills , including active listening
• Decision-making
• Planning and prioritization
• Emotional intelligence , including empathy and emotional regulation
• Time management
• Data analysis
• Research skills
• Project management

And they see problems as opportunities. Everyone is born with problem-solving skills. But accessing these abilities depends on how we view problems. Effective problem-solvers see problems as opportunities to learn and improve.

Ready to work on your problem-solving abilities? Get started with these seven tips.

1. Build your problem-solving skills

One of the best ways to improve your problem-solving skills is to learn from experts. Consider enrolling in organizational training , shadowing a mentor , or working with a coach .

2. Practice

Practice using your new problem-solving skills by applying them to smaller problems you might encounter in your daily life. 

Alternatively, imagine problematic scenarios that might arise at work and use problem-solving strategies to find hypothetical solutions.

3. Don’t try to find a solution right away

Often, the first solution you think of to solve a problem isn’t the most appropriate or effective.

Instead of thinking on the spot, give yourself time and use one or more of the problem-solving strategies above to activate your creative thinking. 

4. Ask for feedback

Receiving feedback is always important for learning and growth. Your perception of your problem-solving skills may be different from that of your colleagues. They can provide insights that help you improve. 

5. Learn new approaches and methodologies

There are entire books written about problem-solving methodologies if you want to take a deep dive into the subject. 

We recommend starting with “ Fixed — How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving ” by Amy E. Herman. 

6. Experiment

Tried-and-tested problem-solving techniques can be useful. However, they don’t teach you how to innovate and develop your own problem-solving approaches. 

Sometimes, an unconventional approach can lead to the development of a brilliant new idea or strategy. So don’t be afraid to suggest your most “out there” ideas.

7. Analyze the success of your competitors

Do you have competitors who have already solved the problem you’re facing? Look at what they did, and work backward to solve your own problem. 

For example, Netflix started in the 1990s as a DVD mail-rental company. Its main competitor at the time was Blockbuster. 

But when streaming became the norm in the early 2000s, both companies faced a crisis. Netflix innovated, unveiling its streaming service in 2007. 

If Blockbuster had followed Netflix’s example, it might have survived. Instead, it declared bankruptcy in 2010.

Use problem-solving strategies to uplevel your business

When facing a problem, it’s worth taking the time to find the right solution. 

Otherwise, we risk either running away from our problems or headlong into solutions. When we do this, we might miss out on other, better options.

Use the problem-solving strategies outlined above to find innovative solutions to your business’ most perplexing problems.

If you’re ready to take problem-solving to the next level, request a demo with BetterUp . Our expert coaches specialize in helping teams develop and implement strategies that work.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

8 creative solutions to your most challenging problems

5 problem-solving questions to prepare you for your next interview, what are metacognitive skills examples in everyday life, 31 examples of problem solving performance review phrases, what is lateral thinking 7 techniques to encourage creative ideas, leadership activities that encourage employee engagement, learn what process mapping is and how to create one (+ examples), how much do distractions cost 8 effects of lack of focus, can dreams help you solve problems 6 ways to try, similar articles, the pareto principle: how the 80/20 rule can help you do more with less, thinking outside the box: 8 ways to become a creative problem solver, 3 problem statement examples and steps to write your own, contingency planning: 4 steps to prepare for the unexpected, adaptability in the workplace: defining and improving this key skill, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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The Lean Post / Articles / The Deeper Purpose of Problem-Solving

Problem Solving

The Deeper Purpose of Problem-Solving

By Régis Medina

October 27, 2020

Why problem-solving in a lean setting is a unique opportunity to think about how we think and develop expertise where it counts.

Let’s face it: we live in an illusion. That is to say, modern theories of cognition demonstrate that we do not really see what is around us. Instead, our eyes dart from one detail to the next to construct a convincing model of the world. Then we base our decisions on this model. Moreover, we are oblivious to the basic brain mechanisms that govern our actions, a phenomenon that you may have noticed when emerging from your thoughts and finding yourself in a place without remembering how you got there.

While this marvel of biology lets us accomplish great things, it also proves unreliable on many occasions. The mental structure of a mistake is “I thought that … but …,” and we make lots of them. For example, “I thought the department store was open on Sundays, but it was closed when I arrived,” or “I thought that batteries were included when I bought a clock, but they were not, and I was not able to use it when I got home.”

Mistakes are not restricted to our personal lives, of course. A typical workday is littered with errors, small and large. And this is why lean is so brilliant: It is a complete business strategy based on rooting out and fixing our misconceptions. But what does that mean in practice?

Most people interested in lean are familiar with the plan-do-check-act ( PDCA ) cycle. However, a common misconception about this method is that its main purpose is to improve processes. The logic goes like this: You find a problem, discover a missing standard, fix it, and then train everybody to use it. While this understanding is not wrong per se, it can lead to an environment where people are expected to follow too many processes without understanding why they are doing it — a dangerous situation if the company operates in a changing environment.

A better way to understand PDCA is to look at it as a means to root out misconceptions and fix the glitches in our thinking.

Let’s take an example. Users of a web application are complaining that pages are taking too long to load. By responding to a few “why’s,” one can easily get closer to the root of the technical problem:

While we should certainly delve deeper into the technical details to find the specific point of change to fix the issue, let’s remain at this level for the sake of argument — because we can already infer that we will end up with two kinds of countermeasures:

• Fix the build script so that CSS and HTML files are compressed and load faster.
• Add a check or warning to prevent users from uploading images larger than 1Mo, or better yet, transform the uploaded files automatically without burdening users with extra work .

The problem would probably be fixed either way, but we wouldn’t have actually learned much. We can expect the same people, and the same company, to repeat the same kind of mistakes in the future.

A better way to guide our search for root causes consists in trying to answer the question:

What is the mistake we keep repeating that creates this problem?

In our example, this could look like this:

By using this approach, learning can occur because it makes us aware of the shortcomings of our mental models. However, this is only the beginning.

By solving problems repeatedly in a given area, we can explore the factors that influence performance and progressively build a model of these factors. In our example, this approach would look like this:

This model can then be taught, discussed, and extended because it’s a standard: a collection of knowledge points that serve as a basis for training and reflection.

Ultimately, the goal of problem-solving is not just to fix tools and processes.

By creating standards, a company can deliberately build expertise in any domain. When done on topics that directly relate to customer preferences, and when performed by everybody every day, this creates a dynamic in which people are always building knowledge and changing to adapt to customer needs, which is the essence of the lean strategy.

Ultimately, the goal of problem-solving is not just to fix tools and processes. Instead, it is a unique opportunity to think about how we think and develop expertise where it counts. In addition, it is a robust, hands-on formula to create a company that keeps adapting to changing market conditions and creates value for society over decades.

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About Régis Medina

Régis Medina was one of the early pioneers of Agile software development methodologies in the late 90s. In 2009, he embarked on a journey to explore the practices of Toyota, eventually making several trips to Japan, while working with dozens of teams in a variety of IT activities. He now works with prominent entrepreneurs of the French Tech community to build fast and resilient scale-ups. He is the author of  Learning to Scale: The Secret to Growing a Fast and Resilient Company .

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Problem Solving Skills and Objectives

Regardless of what they do for a living or where they live, most people spend most of their waking hours, at work or at home, solving problems. Most problems we face are small, some are large and complex, but they all need to be solved in a satisfactory way. (Robert Harris, 1998)

Having the support of others in solving problems is important. Diversity of thought and of problem solving style can result in better solutions.

The objectives for this module are:

• Identify different problem solving styles
• Identify methods appropriate for solving problems
• Apply methods to specific problems
• Apply problem solving skills when working with children.

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License

Brought to you by CReducation.org .

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Problem Solving: 15 Examples for Setting Performance Goals

Problem Solving: Use these examples for setting employee performance goals. Help your employees master this skill with 5 fresh ideas that drive change.

Problem Solving is the skill of defining a problem to determine its cause, identify it, prioritize and select alternative solutions to implement in solving the problems and reviving relationships.

Problem Solving: Set Goals for your Employees. Here are some examples:

• To be accommodative of other people's ideas and views and to be willing to take them on board.
• Research well enough to gather factual information before setting out to solve a problem.
• Look at things in different perspectives and angles and to develop alternative options.
• Be willing enough to collaborate with other when it comes to problem-solving issues.
• Learn to articulate or communicate in a proper manner that can be well understood by people.
• Get first to understand what the problem really is before starting to solve it.
• Show great confidence and poise when making decisions and not afraid to make mistakes and learn from them.
• Keep a cool head when dealing with more pressing and exhausting issues.
• Try to ask the right questions that will act as a guide to coming up with proper solutions.
• Be more flexible to change and adapt to new tact and ways of finding new solutions.

Problem Solving: Improve and master this core skill with these ideas

• Identify the problem. determine the nature of the problem, break it down and come up with a useful set of actions to address the challenges that are related to it.
• Concentrate on the solution, not the problem. Looking for solutions will not happen if you focus on the problem all the time. Concentrating on finding the answer is a move that brings about new opportunities and ideas that can be lucrative.
• Write down as many solutions as possible. Listing down various solutions is important to help you keep an open mind and boost creative thinking that can trigger potential solutions. This list will also act as your reminder.
• Think laterally. Thinking laterally means changing the approach and looking at things differently as well as making different choices.
• Use positive language that creates possibilities. Using words that are active to speak to others, and yourself build a mind that thinks creatively encouraging new ideas and solutions to be set.

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How to improve your problem solving skills and build effective problem solving strategies

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Effective problem solving is all about using the right process and following a plan tailored to the issue at hand. Recognizing your team or organization has an issue isn’t enough to come up with effective problem solving strategies. 

To truly understand a problem and develop appropriate solutions, you will want to follow a solid process, follow the necessary problem solving steps, and bring all of your problem solving skills to the table.  

We’ll first guide you through the seven step problem solving process you and your team can use to effectively solve complex business challenges. We’ll also look at what problem solving strategies you can employ with your team when looking for a way to approach the process. We’ll then discuss the problem solving skills you need to be more effective at solving problems, complete with an activity from the SessionLab library you can use to develop that skill in your team.

Let’s get to it! 

What is a problem solving process?

• What are the problem solving steps I need to follow?

Problem solving strategies

What skills do i need to be an effective problem solver, how can i improve my problem solving skills.

Solving problems is like baking a cake. You can go straight into the kitchen without a recipe or the right ingredients and do your best, but the end result is unlikely to be very tasty!

Using a process to bake a cake allows you to use the best ingredients without waste, collect the right tools, account for allergies, decide whether it is a birthday or wedding cake, and then bake efficiently and on time. The result is a better cake that is fit for purpose, tastes better and has created less mess in the kitchen. Also, it should have chocolate sprinkles. Having a step by step process to solve organizational problems allows you to go through each stage methodically and ensure you are trying to solve the right problems and select the most appropriate, effective solutions.

What are the problem solving steps I need to follow? 

All problem solving processes go through a number of steps in order to move from identifying a problem to resolving it.

Depending on your problem solving model and who you ask, there can be anything between four and nine problem solving steps you should follow in order to find the right solution. Whatever framework you and your group use, there are some key items that should be addressed in order to have an effective process.

We’ve looked at problem solving processes from sources such as the American Society for Quality and their four step approach , and Mediate ‘s six step process. By reflecting on those and our own problem solving processes, we’ve come up with a sequence of seven problem solving steps we feel best covers everything you need in order to effectively solve problems.

1. Problem identification 

The first stage of any problem solving process is to identify the problem or problems you might want to solve. Effective problem solving strategies always begin by allowing a group scope to articulate what they believe the problem to be and then coming to some consensus over which problem they approach first. Problem solving activities used at this stage often have a focus on creating frank, open discussion so that potential problems can be brought to the surface.

2. Problem analysis 

Though this step is not a million miles from problem identification, problem analysis deserves to be considered separately. It can often be an overlooked part of the process and is instrumental when it comes to developing effective solutions.

The process of problem analysis means ensuring that the problem you are seeking to solve is the right problem . As part of this stage, you may look deeper and try to find the root cause of a specific problem at a team or organizational level.

Remember that problem solving strategies should not only be focused on putting out fires in the short term but developing long term solutions that deal with the root cause of organizational challenges. 

Whatever your approach, analyzing a problem is crucial in being able to select an appropriate solution and the problem solving skills deployed in this stage are beneficial for the rest of the process and ensuring the solutions you create are fit for purpose.

3. Solution generation

Once your group has nailed down the particulars of the problem you wish to solve, you want to encourage a free flow of ideas connecting to solving that problem. This can take the form of problem solving games that encourage creative thinking or problem solving activities designed to produce working prototypes of possible solutions. 

The key to ensuring the success of this stage of the problem solving process is to encourage quick, creative thinking and create an open space where all ideas are considered. The best solutions can come from unlikely places and by using problem solving techniques that celebrate invention, you might come up with solution gold. 

4. Solution development

No solution is likely to be perfect right out of the gate. It’s important to discuss and develop the solutions your group has come up with over the course of following the previous problem solving steps in order to arrive at the best possible solution. Problem solving games used in this stage involve lots of critical thinking, measuring potential effort and impact, and looking at possible solutions analytically. 

During this stage, you will often ask your team to iterate and improve upon your frontrunning solutions and develop them further. Remember that problem solving strategies always benefit from a multitude of voices and opinions, and not to let ego get involved when it comes to choosing which solutions to develop and take further.

Finding the best solution is the goal of all problem solving workshops and here is the place to ensure that your solution is well thought out, sufficiently robust and fit for purpose. 

5. Decision making 

Nearly there! Once your group has reached consensus and selected a solution that applies to the problem at hand you have some decisions to make. You will want to work on allocating ownership of the project, figure out who will do what, how the success of the solution will be measured and decide the next course of action.

The decision making stage is a part of the problem solving process that can get missed or taken as for granted. Fail to properly allocate roles and plan out how a solution will actually be implemented and it less likely to be successful in solving the problem.

Have clear accountabilities, actions, timeframes, and follow-ups. Make these decisions and set clear next-steps in the problem solving workshop so that everyone is aligned and you can move forward effectively as a group. 

Ensuring that you plan for the roll-out of a solution is one of the most important problem solving steps. Without adequate planning or oversight, it can prove impossible to measure success or iterate further if the problem was not solved. 

6. Solution implementation 

This is what we were waiting for! All problem solving strategies have the end goal of implementing a solution and solving a problem in mind. 

Remember that in order for any solution to be successful, you need to help your group through all of the previous problem solving steps thoughtfully. Only then can you ensure that you are solving the right problem but also that you have developed the correct solution and can then successfully implement and measure the impact of that solution.

Project management and communication skills are key here – your solution may need to adjust when out in the wild or you might discover new challenges along the way.

7. Solution evaluation 

So you and your team developed a great solution to a problem and have a gut feeling its been solved. Work done, right? Wrong. All problem solving strategies benefit from evaluation, consideration, and feedback. You might find that the solution does not work for everyone, might create new problems, or is potentially so successful that you will want to roll it out to larger teams or as part of other initiatives. 

None of that is possible without taking the time to evaluate the success of the solution you developed in your problem solving model and adjust if necessary.

Remember that the problem solving process is often iterative and it can be common to not solve complex issues on the first try. Even when this is the case, you and your team will have generated learning that will be important for future problem solving workshops or in other parts of the organization. 

It’s worth underlining how important record keeping is throughout the problem solving process. If a solution didn’t work, you need to have the data and records to see why that was the case. If you go back to the drawing board, notes from the previous workshop can help save time. Data and insight is invaluable at every stage of the problem solving process and this one is no different.

Problem solving workshops made easy

Problem solving strategies are methods of approaching and facilitating the process of problem-solving with a set of techniques , actions, and processes. Different strategies are more effective if you are trying to solve broad problems such as achieving higher growth versus more focused problems like, how do we improve our customer onboarding process?

Broadly, the problem solving steps outlined above should be included in any problem solving strategy though choosing where to focus your time and what approaches should be taken is where they begin to differ. You might find that some strategies ask for the problem identification to be done prior to the session or that everything happens in the course of a one day workshop.

The key similarity is that all good problem solving strategies are structured and designed. Four hours of open discussion is never going to be as productive as a four-hour workshop designed to lead a group through a problem solving process.

Good problem solving strategies are tailored to the team, organization and problem you will be attempting to solve. Here are some example problem solving strategies you can learn from or use to get started.

Use a workshop to lead a team through a group process

Often, the first step to solving problems or organizational challenges is bringing a group together effectively. Most teams have the tools, knowledge, and expertise necessary to solve their challenges – they just need some guidance in how to use leverage those skills and a structure and format that allows people to focus their energies.

Facilitated workshops are one of the most effective ways of solving problems of any scale. By designing and planning your workshop carefully, you can tailor the approach and scope to best fit the needs of your team and organization. 

Problem solving workshop

• Creating a bespoke, tailored process
• Tackling problems of any size
• Building in-house workshop ability and encouraging their use

Workshops are an effective strategy for solving problems. By using tried and test facilitation techniques and methods, you can design and deliver a workshop that is perfectly suited to the unique variables of your organization. You may only have the capacity for a half-day workshop and so need a problem solving process to match. 

By using our session planner tool and importing methods from our library of 700+ facilitation techniques, you can create the right problem solving workshop for your team. It might be that you want to encourage creative thinking or look at things from a new angle to unblock your groups approach to problem solving. By tailoring your workshop design to the purpose, you can help ensure great results.

One of the main benefits of a workshop is the structured approach to problem solving. Not only does this mean that the workshop itself will be successful, but many of the methods and techniques will help your team improve their working processes outside of the workshop. 

We believe that workshops are one of the best tools you can use to improve the way your team works together. Start with a problem solving workshop and then see what team building, culture or design workshops can do for your organization!

Run a design sprint

Great for: 

• aligning large, multi-discipline teams
• quickly designing and testing solutions
• tackling large, complex organizational challenges and breaking them down into smaller tasks

By using design thinking principles and methods, a design sprint is a great way of identifying, prioritizing and prototyping solutions to long term challenges that can help solve major organizational problems with quick action and measurable results.

Some familiarity with design thinking is useful, though not integral, and this strategy can really help a team align if there is some discussion around which problems should be approached first. 

The stage-based structure of the design sprint is also very useful for teams new to design thinking.  The inspiration phase, where you look to competitors that have solved your problem, and the rapid prototyping and testing phases are great for introducing new concepts that will benefit a team in all their future work. 

It can be common for teams to look inward for solutions and so looking to the market for solutions you can iterate on can be very productive. Instilling an agile prototyping and testing mindset can also be great when helping teams move forwards – generating and testing solutions quickly can help save time in the long run and is also pretty exciting!

Break problems down into smaller issues

Organizational challenges and problems are often complicated and large scale in nature. Sometimes, trying to resolve such an issue in one swoop is simply unachievable or overwhelming. Try breaking down such problems into smaller issues that you can work on step by step. You may not be able to solve the problem of churning customers off the bat, but you can work with your team to identify smaller effort but high impact elements and work on those first.

This problem solving strategy can help a team generate momentum, prioritize and get some easy wins. It’s also a great strategy to employ with teams who are just beginning to learn how to approach the problem solving process. If you want some insight into a way to employ this strategy, we recommend looking at our design sprint template below!

Use guiding frameworks or try new methodologies

Some problems are best solved by introducing a major shift in perspective or by using new methodologies that encourage your team to think differently.

Props and tools such as Methodkit , which uses a card-based toolkit for facilitation, or Lego Serious Play can be great ways to engage your team and find an inclusive, democratic problem solving strategy. Remember that play and creativity are great tools for achieving change and whatever the challenge, engaging your participants can be very effective where other strategies may have failed.

LEGO Serious Play

• Improving core problem solving skills
• Thinking outside of the box
• Encouraging creative solutions

LEGO Serious Play is a problem solving methodology designed to get participants thinking differently by using 3D models and kinesthetic learning styles. By physically building LEGO models based on questions and exercises, participants are encouraged to think outside of the box and create their own responses. 

Collaborate LEGO Serious Play exercises are also used to encourage communication and build problem solving skills in a group. By using this problem solving process, you can often help different kinds of learners and personality types contribute and unblock organizational problems with creative thinking. 

Problem solving strategies like LEGO Serious Play are super effective at helping a team solve more skills-based problems such as communication between teams or a lack of creative thinking. Some problems are not suited to LEGO Serious Play and require a different problem solving strategy.

Card Decks and Method Kits

• New facilitators or non-facilitators 
• Approaching difficult subjects with a simple, creative framework
• Engaging those with varied learning styles

Card decks and method kids are great tools for those new to facilitation or for whom facilitation is not the primary role. Card decks such as the emotional culture deck can be used for complete workshops and in many cases, can be used right out of the box. Methodkit has a variety of kits designed for scenarios ranging from personal development through to personas and global challenges so you can find the right deck for your particular needs.

Having an easy to use framework that encourages creativity or a new approach can take some of the friction or planning difficulties out of the workshop process and energize a team in any setting. Simplicity is the key with these methods. By ensuring everyone on your team can get involved and engage with the process as quickly as possible can really contribute to the success of your problem solving strategy.

Source external advice

Looking to peers, experts and external facilitators can be a great way of approaching the problem solving process. Your team may not have the necessary expertise, insights of experience to tackle some issues, or you might simply benefit from a fresh perspective. Some problems may require bringing together an entire team, and coaching managers or team members individually might be the right approach. Remember that not all problems are best resolved in the same manner.

If you’re a solo entrepreneur, peer groups, coaches and mentors can also be invaluable at not only solving specific business problems, but in providing a support network for resolving future challenges. One great approach is to join a Mastermind Group and link up with like-minded individuals and all grow together. Remember that however you approach the sourcing of external advice, do so thoughtfully, respectfully and honestly. Reciprocate where you can and prepare to be surprised by just how kind and helpful your peers can be!

Mastermind Group

• Solo entrepreneurs or small teams with low capacity
• Peer learning and gaining outside expertise
• Getting multiple external points of view quickly

Problem solving in large organizations with lots of skilled team members is one thing, but how about if you work for yourself or in a very small team without the capacity to get the most from a design sprint or LEGO Serious Play session? 

A mastermind group – sometimes known as a peer advisory board – is where a group of people come together to support one another in their own goals, challenges, and businesses. Each participant comes to the group with their own purpose and the other members of the group will help them create solutions, brainstorm ideas, and support one another. 

Mastermind groups are very effective in creating an energized, supportive atmosphere that can deliver meaningful results. Learning from peers from outside of your organization or industry can really help unlock new ways of thinking and drive growth. Access to the experience and skills of your peers can be invaluable in helping fill the gaps in your own ability, particularly in young companies.

A mastermind group is a great solution for solo entrepreneurs, small teams, or for organizations that feel that external expertise or fresh perspectives will be beneficial for them. It is worth noting that Mastermind groups are often only as good as the participants and what they can bring to the group. Participants need to be committed, engaged and understand how to work in this context. 

Coaching and mentoring

• Focused learning and development
• Filling skills gaps
• Working on a range of challenges over time

Receiving advice from a business coach or building a mentor/mentee relationship can be an effective way of resolving certain challenges. The one-to-one format of most coaching and mentor relationships can really help solve the challenges those individuals are having and benefit the organization as a result.

A great mentor can be invaluable when it comes to spotting potential problems before they arise and coming to understand a mentee very well has a host of other business benefits. You might run an internal mentorship program to help develop your team’s problem solving skills and strategies or as part of a large learning and development program. External coaches can also be an important part of your problem solving strategy, filling skills gaps for your management team or helping with specific business issues. 

Now we’ve explored the problem solving process and the steps you will want to go through in order to have an effective session, let’s look at the skills you and your team need to be more effective problem solvers.

Problem solving skills are highly sought after, whatever industry or team you work in. Organizations are keen to employ people who are able to approach problems thoughtfully and find strong, realistic solutions. Whether you are a facilitator , a team leader or a developer, being an effective problem solver is a skill you’ll want to develop.

Problem solving skills form a whole suite of techniques and approaches that an individual uses to not only identify problems but to discuss them productively before then developing appropriate solutions.

Here are some of the most important problem solving skills everyone from executives to junior staff members should learn. We’ve also included an activity or exercise from the SessionLab library that can help you and your team develop that skill. 

If you’re running a workshop or training session to try and improve problem solving skills in your team, try using these methods to supercharge your process!

Active listening

Active listening is one of the most important skills anyone who works with people can possess. In short, active listening is a technique used to not only better understand what is being said by an individual, but also to be more aware of the underlying message the speaker is trying to convey. When it comes to problem solving, active listening is integral for understanding the position of every participant and to clarify the challenges, ideas and solutions they bring to the table.

Some active listening skills include:

• Paying complete attention to the speaker.
• Removing distractions.
• Avoid interruption.
• Taking the time to fully understand before preparing a rebuttal.
• Responding respectfully and appropriately.
• Demonstrate attentiveness and positivity with an open posture, making eye contact with the speaker, smiling and nodding if appropriate. Show that you are listening and encourage them to continue.
• Be aware of and respectful of feelings. Judge the situation and respond appropriately. You can disagree without being disrespectful.   
• Observe body language. 
• Paraphrase what was said in your own words, either mentally or verbally.
• Remain neutral. 
• Reflect and take a moment before responding.
• Ask deeper questions based on what is said and clarify points where necessary.   

Active Listening   #hyperisland   #skills   #active listening   #remote-friendly   This activity supports participants to reflect on a question and generate their own solutions using simple principles of active listening and peer coaching. It’s an excellent introduction to active listening but can also be used with groups that are already familiar with it. Participants work in groups of three and take turns being: “the subject”, the listener, and the observer.

Analytical skills

All problem solving models require strong analytical skills, particularly during the beginning of the process and when it comes to analyzing how solutions have performed.

Analytical skills are primarily focused on performing an effective analysis by collecting, studying and parsing data related to a problem or opportunity. 

It often involves spotting patterns, being able to see things from different perspectives and using observable facts and data to make suggestions or produce insight. 

Analytical skills are also important at every stage of the problem solving process and by having these skills, you can ensure that any ideas or solutions you create or backed up analytically and have been sufficiently thought out.

Nine Whys   #innovation   #issue analysis   #liberating structures   With breathtaking simplicity, you can rapidly clarify for individuals and a group what is essentially important in their work. You can quickly reveal when a compelling purpose is missing in a gathering and avoid moving forward without clarity. When a group discovers an unambiguous shared purpose, more freedom and more responsibility are unleashed. You have laid the foundation for spreading and scaling innovations with fidelity.

Collaboration

Trying to solve problems on your own is difficult. Being able to collaborate effectively, with a free exchange of ideas, to delegate and be a productive member of a team is hugely important to all problem solving strategies.

Remember that whatever your role, collaboration is integral, and in a problem solving process, you are all working together to find the best solution for everyone. 

Marshmallow challenge with debriefing   #teamwork   #team   #leadership   #collaboration   In eighteen minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow needs to be on top. The Marshmallow Challenge was developed by Tom Wujec, who has done the activity with hundreds of groups around the world. Visit the Marshmallow Challenge website for more information. This version has an extra debriefing question added with sample questions focusing on roles within the team.

Communication  

Being an effective communicator means being empathetic, clear and succinct, asking the right questions, and demonstrating active listening skills throughout any discussion or meeting. 

In a problem solving setting, you need to communicate well in order to progress through each stage of the process effectively. As a team leader, it may also fall to you to facilitate communication between parties who may not see eye to eye. Effective communication also means helping others to express themselves and be heard in a group.

Bus Trip   #feedback   #communication   #appreciation   #closing   #thiagi   #team   This is one of my favourite feedback games. I use Bus Trip at the end of a training session or a meeting, and I use it all the time. The game creates a massive amount of energy with lots of smiles, laughs, and sometimes even a teardrop or two.

Creative problem solving skills can be some of the best tools in your arsenal. Thinking creatively, being able to generate lots of ideas and come up with out of the box solutions is useful at every step of the process. 

The kinds of problems you will likely discuss in a problem solving workshop are often difficult to solve, and by approaching things in a fresh, creative manner, you can often create more innovative solutions.

Having practical creative skills is also a boon when it comes to problem solving. If you can help create quality design sketches and prototypes in record time, it can help bring a team to alignment more quickly or provide a base for further iteration.

The paper clip method   #sharing   #creativity   #warm up   #idea generation   #brainstorming   The power of brainstorming. A training for project leaders, creativity training, and to catalyse getting new solutions.

Critical thinking

Critical thinking is one of the fundamental problem solving skills you’ll want to develop when working on developing solutions. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, rationalize and evaluate while being aware of personal bias, outlying factors and remaining open-minded.

Defining and analyzing problems without deploying critical thinking skills can mean you and your team go down the wrong path. Developing solutions to complex issues requires critical thinking too – ensuring your team considers all possibilities and rationally evaluating them. 

Agreement-Certainty Matrix   #issue analysis   #liberating structures   #problem solving   You can help individuals or groups avoid the frequent mistake of trying to solve a problem with methods that are not adapted to the nature of their challenge. The combination of two questions makes it possible to easily sort challenges into four categories: simple, complicated, complex , and chaotic .  A problem is simple when it can be solved reliably with practices that are easy to duplicate.  It is complicated when experts are required to devise a sophisticated solution that will yield the desired results predictably.  A problem is complex when there are several valid ways to proceed but outcomes are not predictable in detail.  Chaotic is when the context is too turbulent to identify a path forward.  A loose analogy may be used to describe these differences: simple is like following a recipe, complicated like sending a rocket to the moon, complex like raising a child, and chaotic is like the game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.”  The Liberating Structures Matching Matrix in Chapter 5 can be used as the first step to clarify the nature of a challenge and avoid the mismatches between problems and solutions that are frequently at the root of chronic, recurring problems.

Data analysis 

Though it shares lots of space with general analytical skills, data analysis skills are something you want to cultivate in their own right in order to be an effective problem solver.

Being good at data analysis doesn’t just mean being able to find insights from data, but also selecting the appropriate data for a given issue, interpreting it effectively and knowing how to model and present that data. Depending on the problem at hand, it might also include a working knowledge of specific data analysis tools and procedures. 

Having a solid grasp of data analysis techniques is useful if you’re leading a problem solving workshop but if you’re not an expert, don’t worry. Bring people into the group who has this skill set and help your team be more effective as a result.

Decision making

All problems need a solution and all solutions require that someone make the decision to implement them. Without strong decision making skills, teams can become bogged down in discussion and less effective as a result. 

Making decisions is a key part of the problem solving process. It’s important to remember that decision making is not restricted to the leadership team. Every staff member makes decisions every day and developing these skills ensures that your team is able to solve problems at any scale. Remember that making decisions does not mean leaping to the first solution but weighing up the options and coming to an informed, well thought out solution to any given problem that works for the whole team.

Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ)   #action   #decision making   #problem solving   #issue analysis   #innovation   #design   #remote-friendly   The problem with anything that requires creative thinking is that it’s easy to get lost—lose focus and fall into the trap of having useless, open-ended, unstructured discussions. Here’s the most effective solution I’ve found: Replace all open, unstructured discussion with a clear process. What to use this exercise for: Anything which requires a group of people to make decisions, solve problems or discuss challenges. It’s always good to frame an LDJ session with a broad topic, here are some examples: The conversion flow of our checkout Our internal design process How we organise events Keeping up with our competition Improving sales flow

Dependability

Most complex organizational problems require multiple people to be involved in delivering the solution. Ensuring that the team and organization can depend on you to take the necessary actions and communicate where necessary is key to ensuring problems are solved effectively.

Being dependable also means working to deadlines and to brief. It is often a matter of creating trust in a team so that everyone can depend on one another to complete the agreed actions in the agreed time frame so that the team can move forward together. Being undependable can create problems of friction and can limit the effectiveness of your solutions so be sure to bear this in mind throughout a project. 

Team Purpose & Culture   #team   #hyperisland   #culture   #remote-friendly   This is an essential process designed to help teams define their purpose (why they exist) and their culture (how they work together to achieve that purpose). Defining these two things will help any team to be more focused and aligned. With support of tangible examples from other companies, the team members work as individuals and a group to codify the way they work together. The goal is a visual manifestation of both the purpose and culture that can be put up in the team’s work space.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is an important skill for any successful team member, whether communicating internally or with clients or users. In the problem solving process, emotional intelligence means being attuned to how people are feeling and thinking, communicating effectively and being self-aware of what you bring to a room. 

There are often differences of opinion when working through problem solving processes, and it can be easy to let things become impassioned or combative. Developing your emotional intelligence means being empathetic to your colleagues and managing your own emotions throughout the problem and solution process. Be kind, be thoughtful and put your points across care and attention. 

Being emotionally intelligent is a skill for life and by deploying it at work, you can not only work efficiently but empathetically. Check out the emotional culture workshop template for more!

Facilitation

As we’ve clarified in our facilitation skills post, facilitation is the art of leading people through processes towards agreed-upon objectives in a manner that encourages participation, ownership, and creativity by all those involved. While facilitation is a set of interrelated skills in itself, the broad definition of facilitation can be invaluable when it comes to problem solving. Leading a team through a problem solving process is made more effective if you improve and utilize facilitation skills – whether you’re a manager, team leader or external stakeholder.

The Six Thinking Hats   #creative thinking   #meeting facilitation   #problem solving   #issue resolution   #idea generation   #conflict resolution   The Six Thinking Hats are used by individuals and groups to separate out conflicting styles of thinking. They enable and encourage a group of people to think constructively together in exploring and implementing change, rather than using argument to fight over who is right and who is wrong.

Flexibility 

Being flexible is a vital skill when it comes to problem solving. This does not mean immediately bowing to pressure or changing your opinion quickly: instead, being flexible is all about seeing things from new perspectives, receiving new information and factoring it into your thought process.

Flexibility is also important when it comes to rolling out solutions. It might be that other organizational projects have greater priority or require the same resources as your chosen solution. Being flexible means understanding needs and challenges across the team and being open to shifting or arranging your own schedule as necessary. Again, this does not mean immediately making way for other projects. It’s about articulating your own needs, understanding the needs of others and being able to come to a meaningful compromise.

The Creativity Dice   #creativity   #problem solving   #thiagi   #issue analysis   Too much linear thinking is hazardous to creative problem solving. To be creative, you should approach the problem (or the opportunity) from different points of view. You should leave a thought hanging in mid-air and move to another. This skipping around prevents premature closure and lets your brain incubate one line of thought while you consciously pursue another.

Working in any group can lead to unconscious elements of groupthink or situations in which you may not wish to be entirely honest. Disagreeing with the opinions of the executive team or wishing to save the feelings of a coworker can be tricky to navigate, but being honest is absolutely vital when to comes to developing effective solutions and ensuring your voice is heard. 

Remember that being honest does not mean being brutally candid. You can deliver your honest feedback and opinions thoughtfully and without creating friction by using other skills such as emotional intelligence. 

Explore your Values   #hyperisland   #skills   #values   #remote-friendly   Your Values is an exercise for participants to explore what their most important values are. It’s done in an intuitive and rapid way to encourage participants to follow their intuitive feeling rather than over-thinking and finding the “correct” values. It is a good exercise to use to initiate reflection and dialogue around personal values.

Initiative 

The problem solving process is multi-faceted and requires different approaches at certain points of the process. Taking initiative to bring problems to the attention of the team, collect data or lead the solution creating process is always valuable. You might even roadtest your own small scale solutions or brainstorm before a session. Taking initiative is particularly effective if you have good deal of knowledge in that area or have ownership of a particular project and want to get things kickstarted.

That said, be sure to remember to honor the process and work in service of the team. If you are asked to own one part of the problem solving process and you don’t complete that task because your initiative leads you to work on something else, that’s not an effective method of solving business challenges.

15% Solutions   #action   #liberating structures   #remote-friendly   You can reveal the actions, however small, that everyone can do immediately. At a minimum, these will create momentum, and that may make a BIG difference.  15% Solutions show that there is no reason to wait around, feel powerless, or fearful. They help people pick it up a level. They get individuals and the group to focus on what is within their discretion instead of what they cannot change.  With a very simple question, you can flip the conversation to what can be done and find solutions to big problems that are often distributed widely in places not known in advance. Shifting a few grains of sand may trigger a landslide and change the whole landscape.

Impartiality

A particularly useful problem solving skill for product owners or managers is the ability to remain impartial throughout much of the process. In practice, this means treating all points of view and ideas brought forward in a meeting equally and ensuring that your own areas of interest or ownership are not favored over others. 

There may be a stage in the process where a decision maker has to weigh the cost and ROI of possible solutions against the company roadmap though even then, ensuring that the decision made is based on merit and not personal opinion. 

Empathy map   #frame insights   #create   #design   #issue analysis   An empathy map is a tool to help a design team to empathize with the people they are designing for. You can make an empathy map for a group of people or for a persona. To be used after doing personas when more insights are needed.

Being a good leader means getting a team aligned, energized and focused around a common goal. In the problem solving process, strong leadership helps ensure that the process is efficient, that any conflicts are resolved and that a team is managed in the direction of success.

It’s common for managers or executives to assume this role in a problem solving workshop, though it’s important that the leader maintains impartiality and does not bulldoze the group in a particular direction. Remember that good leadership means working in service of the purpose and team and ensuring the workshop is a safe space for employees of any level to contribute. Take a look at our leadership games and activities post for more exercises and methods to help improve leadership in your organization.

Leadership Pizza   #leadership   #team   #remote-friendly   This leadership development activity offers a self-assessment framework for people to first identify what skills, attributes and attitudes they find important for effective leadership, and then assess their own development and initiate goal setting.

In the context of problem solving, mediation is important in keeping a team engaged, happy and free of conflict. When leading or facilitating a problem solving workshop, you are likely to run into differences of opinion. Depending on the nature of the problem, certain issues may be brought up that are emotive in nature. 

Being an effective mediator means helping those people on either side of such a divide are heard, listen to one another and encouraged to find common ground and a resolution. Mediating skills are useful for leaders and managers in many situations and the problem solving process is no different.

Conflict Responses   #hyperisland   #team   #issue resolution   A workshop for a team to reflect on past conflicts, and use them to generate guidelines for effective conflict handling. The workshop uses the Thomas-Killman model of conflict responses to frame a reflective discussion. Use it to open up a discussion around conflict with a team.

Planning 

Solving organizational problems is much more effective when following a process or problem solving model. Planning skills are vital in order to structure, deliver and follow-through on a problem solving workshop and ensure your solutions are intelligently deployed.

Planning skills include the ability to organize tasks and a team, plan and design the process and take into account any potential challenges. Taking the time to plan carefully can save time and frustration later in the process and is valuable for ensuring a team is positioned for success.

3 Action Steps   #hyperisland   #action   #remote-friendly   This is a small-scale strategic planning session that helps groups and individuals to take action toward a desired change. It is often used at the end of a workshop or programme. The group discusses and agrees on a vision, then creates some action steps that will lead them towards that vision. The scope of the challenge is also defined, through discussion of the helpful and harmful factors influencing the group.

Prioritization

As organisations grow, the scale and variation of problems they face multiplies. Your team or is likely to face numerous challenges in different areas and so having the skills to analyze and prioritize becomes very important, particularly for those in leadership roles.

A thorough problem solving process is likely to deliver multiple solutions and you may have several different problems you wish to solve simultaneously. Prioritization is the ability to measure the importance, value, and effectiveness of those possible solutions and choose which to enact and in what order. The process of prioritization is integral in ensuring the biggest challenges are addressed with the most impactful solutions.

Impact and Effort Matrix   #gamestorming   #decision making   #action   #remote-friendly   In this decision-making exercise, possible actions are mapped based on two factors: effort required to implement and potential impact. Categorizing ideas along these lines is a useful technique in decision making, as it obliges contributors to balance and evaluate suggested actions before committing to them.

Project management

Some problem solving skills are utilized in a workshop or ideation phases, while others come in useful when it comes to decision making. Overseeing an entire problem solving process and ensuring its success requires strong project management skills. 

While project management incorporates many of the other skills listed here, it is important to note the distinction of considering all of the factors of a project and managing them successfully. Being able to negotiate with stakeholders, manage tasks, time and people, consider costs and ROI, and tie everything together is massively helpful when going through the problem solving process. 

Record keeping

Working out meaningful solutions to organizational challenges is only one part of the process.  Thoughtfully documenting and keeping records of each problem solving step for future consultation is important in ensuring efficiency and meaningful change. 

For example, some problems may be lower priority than others but can be revisited in the future. If the team has ideated on solutions and found some are not up to the task, record those so you can rule them out and avoiding repeating work. Keeping records of the process also helps you improve and refine your problem solving model next time around!

Personal Kanban   #gamestorming   #action   #agile   #project planning   Personal Kanban is a tool for organizing your work to be more efficient and productive. It is based on agile methods and principles.

Research skills

Conducting research to support both the identification of problems and the development of appropriate solutions is important for an effective process. Knowing where to go to collect research, how to conduct research efficiently, and identifying pieces of research are relevant are all things a good researcher can do well. 

In larger groups, not everyone has to demonstrate this ability in order for a problem solving workshop to be effective. That said, having people with research skills involved in the process, particularly if they have existing area knowledge, can help ensure the solutions that are developed with data that supports their intention. Remember that being able to deliver the results of research efficiently and in a way the team can easily understand is also important. The best data in the world is only as effective as how it is delivered and interpreted.

Customer experience map   #ideation   #concepts   #research   #design   #issue analysis   #remote-friendly   Customer experience mapping is a method of documenting and visualizing the experience a customer has as they use the product or service. It also maps out their responses to their experiences. To be used when there is a solution (even in a conceptual stage) that can be analyzed.

Risk management

Managing risk is an often overlooked part of the problem solving process. Solutions are often developed with the intention of reducing exposure to risk or solving issues that create risk but sometimes, great solutions are more experimental in nature and as such, deploying them needs to be carefully considered. 

Managing risk means acknowledging that there may be risks associated with more out of the box solutions or trying new things, but that this must be measured against the possible benefits and other organizational factors. 

Be informed, get the right data and stakeholders in the room and you can appropriately factor risk into your decision making process. 

Decisions, Decisions…   #communication   #decision making   #thiagi   #action   #issue analysis   When it comes to decision-making, why are some of us more prone to take risks while others are risk-averse? One explanation might be the way the decision and options were presented.  This exercise, based on Kahneman and Tversky’s classic study , illustrates how the framing effect influences our judgement and our ability to make decisions . The participants are divided into two groups. Both groups are presented with the same problem and two alternative programs for solving them. The two programs both have the same consequences but are presented differently. The debriefing discussion examines how the framing of the program impacted the participant’s decision.

Team-building 

No single person is as good at problem solving as a team. Building an effective team and helping them come together around a common purpose is one of the most important problem solving skills, doubly so for leaders. By bringing a team together and helping them work efficiently, you pave the way for team ownership of a problem and the development of effective solutions. 

In a problem solving workshop, it can be tempting to jump right into the deep end, though taking the time to break the ice, energize the team and align them with a game or exercise will pay off over the course of the day.

Remember that you will likely go through the problem solving process multiple times over an organization’s lifespan and building a strong team culture will make future problem solving more effective. It’s also great to work with people you know, trust and have fun with. Working on team building in and out of the problem solving process is a hallmark of successful teams that can work together to solve business problems.

9 Dimensions Team Building Activity   #ice breaker   #teambuilding   #team   #remote-friendly   9 Dimensions is a powerful activity designed to build relationships and trust among team members. There are 2 variations of this icebreaker. The first version is for teams who want to get to know each other better. The second version is for teams who want to explore how they are working together as a team.

Time management 

The problem solving process is designed to lead a team from identifying a problem through to delivering a solution and evaluating its effectiveness. Without effective time management skills or timeboxing of tasks, it can be easy for a team to get bogged down or be inefficient.

By using a problem solving model and carefully designing your workshop, you can allocate time efficiently and trust that the process will deliver the results you need in a good timeframe.

Time management also comes into play when it comes to rolling out solutions, particularly those that are experimental in nature. Having a clear timeframe for implementing and evaluating solutions is vital for ensuring their success and being able to pivot if necessary.

Improving your skills at problem solving is often a career-long pursuit though there are methods you can use to make the learning process more efficient and to supercharge your problem solving skillset.

Remember that the skills you need to be a great problem solver have a large overlap with those skills you need to be effective in any role. Investing time and effort to develop your active listening or critical thinking skills is valuable in any context. Here are 7 ways to improve your problem solving skills.

Share best practices

Remember that your team is an excellent source of skills, wisdom, and techniques and that you should all take advantage of one another where possible. Best practices that one team has for solving problems, conducting research or making decisions should be shared across the organization. If you have in-house staff that have done active listening training or are data analysis pros, have them lead a training session. 

Your team is one of your best resources. Create space and internal processes for the sharing of skills so that you can all grow together. 

Ask for help and attend training

Once you’ve figured out you have a skills gap, the next step is to take action to fill that skills gap. That might be by asking your superior for training or coaching, or liaising with team members with that skill set. You might even attend specialized training for certain skills – active listening or critical thinking, for example, are business-critical skills that are regularly offered as part of a training scheme.

Whatever method you choose, remember that taking action of some description is necessary for growth. Whether that means practicing, getting help, attending training or doing some background reading, taking active steps to improve your skills is the way to go.

Learn a process 

Problem solving can be complicated, particularly when attempting to solve large problems for the first time. Using a problem solving process helps give structure to your problem solving efforts and focus on creating outcomes, rather than worrying about the format. 

Tools such as the seven-step problem solving process above are effective because not only do they feature steps that will help a team solve problems, they also develop skills along the way. Each step asks for people to engage with the process using different skills and in doing so, helps the team learn and grow together. Group processes of varying complexity and purpose can also be found in the SessionLab library of facilitation techniques . Using a tried and tested process and really help ease the learning curve for both those leading such a process, as well as those undergoing the purpose.

Effective teams make decisions about where they should and shouldn’t expend additional effort. By using a problem solving process, you can focus on the things that matter, rather than stumbling towards a solution haphazardly. 

Create a feedback loop

Some skills gaps are more obvious than others. It’s possible that your perception of your active listening skills differs from those of your colleagues. 

It’s valuable to create a system where team members can provide feedback in an ordered and friendly manner so they can all learn from one another. Only by identifying areas of improvement can you then work to improve them. 

Remember that feedback systems require oversight and consideration so that they don’t turn into a place to complain about colleagues. Design the system intelligently so that you encourage the creation of learning opportunities, rather than encouraging people to list their pet peeves.

While practice might not make perfect, it does make the problem solving process easier. If you are having trouble with critical thinking, don’t shy away from doing it. Get involved where you can and stretch those muscles as regularly as possible. 

Problem solving skills come more naturally to some than to others and that’s okay. Take opportunities to get involved and see where you can practice your skills in situations outside of a workshop context. Try collaborating in other circumstances at work or conduct data analysis on your own projects. You can often develop those skills you need for problem solving simply by doing them. Get involved!

Use expert exercises and methods

Learn from the best. Our library of 700+ facilitation techniques is full of activities and methods that help develop the skills you need to be an effective problem solver. Check out our templates to see how to approach problem solving and other organizational challenges in a structured and intelligent manner.

There is no single approach to improving problem solving skills, but by using the techniques employed by others you can learn from their example and develop processes that have seen proven results. 

Try new ways of thinking and change your mindset

Using tried and tested exercises that you know well can help deliver results, but you do run the risk of missing out on the learning opportunities offered by new approaches. As with the problem solving process, changing your mindset can remove blockages and be used to develop your problem solving skills.

Most teams have members with mixed skill sets and specialties. Mix people from different teams and share skills and different points of view. Teach your customer support team how to use design thinking methods or help your developers with conflict resolution techniques. Try switching perspectives with facilitation techniques like Flip It! or by using new problem solving methodologies or models. Give design thinking, liberating structures or lego serious play a try if you want to try a new approach. You will find that framing problems in new ways and using existing skills in new contexts can be hugely useful for personal development and improving your skillset. It’s also a lot of fun to try new things. Give it a go!

Encountering business challenges and needing to find appropriate solutions is not unique to your organization. Lots of very smart people have developed methods, theories and approaches to help develop problem solving skills and create effective solutions. Learn from them!

Books like The Art of Thinking Clearly , Think Smarter, or Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow are great places to start, though it’s also worth looking at blogs related to organizations facing similar problems to yours, or browsing for success stories. Seeing how Dropbox massively increased growth and working backward can help you see the skills or approach you might be lacking to solve that same problem. Learning from others by reading their stories or approaches can be time-consuming but ultimately rewarding.

A tired, distracted mind is not in the best position to learn new skills. It can be tempted to burn the candle at both ends and develop problem solving skills outside of work. Absolutely use your time effectively and take opportunities for self-improvement, though remember that rest is hugely important and that without letting your brain rest, you cannot be at your most effective. 

Creating distance between yourself and the problem you might be facing can also be useful. By letting an idea sit, you can find that a better one presents itself or you can develop it further. Take regular breaks when working and create a space for downtime. Remember that working smarter is preferable to working harder and that self-care is important for any effective learning or improvement process.

Want to design better group processes?

Over to you

Now we’ve explored some of the key problem solving skills and the problem solving steps necessary for an effective process, you’re ready to begin developing more effective solutions and leading problem solving workshops.

Need more inspiration? Check out our post on problem solving activities you can use when guiding a group towards a great solution in your next workshop or meeting. Have questions? Did you have a great problem solving technique you use with your team? Get in touch in the comments below. We’d love to chat!

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Problem Solving Treatment (PST) Training

Course outline.

We offer two tiers of PST training for licensed clinicians: a shorter Course in PST (Tier 1) and full PST certification (Tier 2). We encourage clinicians to pursue Tier 2: PST Certification, as skill-based practice and expert feedback are important to meeting fidelity standards. Notably, the evidence base for the effectiveness of PST has been demonstrated using clinicians at this level of clinical skill. For more information on the courses (including pricing and eligibility) click the links below, or download a detailed overview covering both PST training tiers.

A Course in PST consists of a series of online modules introducing PST principles, followed by 6 monthly group case presentation calls.

PST Certification involves online modules followed by individual simulated virtual visits, 6 monthly group case presentation calls, and in-depth expert feedback on application of clinical skills based on session audio recording review.

Become an Expert PST Trainer

Get certified as a PST Trainer, in these group training sessions participants will learn the skills needed to train others in PST.

Problem-Solving Treatment (PST) is a brief, evidence-based approach effective with most patient populations, including patients from various cultural backgrounds. The goal of PST is to teach patients problem-solving techniques that empower them to solve problems that arise from life stressors and contribute to their depression. PST is not intended to provide open-ended, ongoing therapy but aims to help patients learn skills they can use independently to reduce their psychological distress.

PST typically involves six to ten sessions as part of a treatment plan. The first appointment is approximately one hour long (this can be split into two ½ hour sessions if scheduling an hour is difficult) because it includes psychoeducation and an introduction to the PST model. Subsequent appointments are 30 minutes long.

Psychotherapy plays an important part in a patient's treatment plan, given patient preferences and the limitations of antidepressant medications. Organizations implementing an integrated care program should have the capacity to offer evidence-based psychotherapy such as PST. PST sessions can be billed by licensed providers using psychotherapy or CoCM CPT codes.

PST is the most widely used intervention to treat depression and anxiety in a primary care environment. Research shows it significantly improves patient outcomes in a wide range of settings and patient populations. PST is effective for depression among all adult populations (aged 18-100), including older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

The document below contains selected references demonstrating the efficacy of PST in primary care.

• Problem Solving Treatment: Selected References

The University of Washington AIMS Center is approved by the  American Psychological Association  (APA) to sponsor continuing education (CE) for psychologists. The AIMS Center maintains responsibility for this program and its content. APA CE credits can be used by most licensed mental health providers, including psychologists, clinical social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists. Clinicians should check their specific state requirements to confirm that credits awarded by the APA apply to them.

Participants are eligible for up to 10 CE credits (PST Tier 1) or up to 13 CE credits (PST Tier 2). To receive credits participants must attend the entire course and pass a learning evaluation.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE INFORMATION

There are no relevant financial relationships to disclose for authors or planners of this content.

  Goals of this Lesson

Welcome to the second lesson in the Mentor Leadership Training Course. In this lesson, you will learn how to encourage your partner to use an effective strategy to set goals and solve problems.

Dan's mentor does NOT just give advice and tell Dan what to do. Dan's mentor knows that it is important for Dan to learn a strategy to solve his own problems. So Dan's mentor does NOT tell Dan what to do. Instead he asks questions to encourage Dan to use the DO IT! strategy to solve his problem.

• Click here to check your answers.

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10 Problem Solving IEP Goals for Real Life

Written by:

  Rebekah Pierce

Filed under: IEPs , Executive Functioning , Problem Solving

Published:  April 2, 2022

Last Reviewed: April 11, 2024

READING TIME:  ~ minutes

This article is designed to be utilized with the utmost professional integrity and ethical consideration. It is imperative to acknowledge that directly copying and pasting example goals into student’s IEPs from any external source, including ours, undermines the individualized nature of IEP planning and does not serve the best interests of students.

This resource aims to inspire the development of IEP goals that address executive functioning needs, not a substitute for the detailed, student-centered IEP goal setting process. Educators and IEP teams are urged to use this as a tool for ideation, basing final goals on student assessments and collaborative IEP team insights.

We all have problems – but when it comes to solving problems, how good is your child at solving them?

For many parents and teachers who work with children with executive functioning issues, it quickly becomes clear that problem-solving is essential for succeeding in school and the workplace.

Problem-solving not only requires being able to identify when a problem exists, but also being able to come up with reasonable solutions to fix them.

If you’re planning on writing IEP goals that address problem-solving skills, this post should serve as a helpful starting place.

What is Problem Solving?

Problem-solving is simply our ability to identify and describe a problem and then come up with solutions to resolve it.

What exactly defines “a problem”?” It’s any time you want something and there is something that stands in the way, in essence. When you have good problem-solving skills, you are able to evaluate this problem and figure out possible steps forward.

As is the case with all other executive functioning skills, including task initiation and organization, a child’s ability to problem solve relates closely to other executive functioning skills.

Ask yourself the following questions to figure out whether problem-solving is an area that needs some work in your child:

• Can he or she complete games and puzzles to accomplish a goal?
• Is he or she able to identify all parts of a problem, including where it originated and why?
• Can your child break apart a larger problem into smaller parts? Can the student identify problems in many different contexts, like work versus school versus social contexts?
• Will your child seek guidance from others when looking for help in solving a problem?
• Does the child persist in coming up with new strategies when the original ones are not successful?

Being a good problem solver doesn’t just come down to being able to “figure things out” in real life. A child who struggles with problem-solving skills may also develop problem behaviors. They might talk back, demonstrate aggression, or engage in other self-destructive behaviors when frustrated with a challenging task.

Therefore, coming up with IEP goals that address this “problem” of not being able to solve problems head-on is essential.

Sample IEP Goals for Problem Solving

Here are a few sample IEP goals for problem-solving to give you some inspiration.

Adaptive Goals

• By the end of the school year, when given a written scenario in which a problem needs to be solved, the student will provide two appropriate solutions with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities, according to teacher observation.
• By the end of the school year, the student will practice problem-solving techniques when dealing with personal or school experiences 100% of the time, according to teacher observation.

Social Goals

• By the end of the IEP term, when given pre-taught behavioral strategies to decrease or avoid escalating behaviors, the students will complete at least one activity with positive behavioral results, according to teacher observation.
• By the end of the school year, the student will solve problems by apologizing in conflict situations 90% of the time, based on teacher observation.

Reading Goals

• By the end of the IEP term, when presented with text at his instructional level, the student will use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words with 80% accuracy, as measured by written work samples.
• By the end of the school year, the students will read a short story and answer who, what, where, why, and how questions with 90% accuracy in four out of five recorded opportunities, based on teacher observation.
• By the end of the IEP term, when given a word problem, the student will independently determine which operation is to be used with 100% accuracy on 4 out of 5 trials, measured quarterly by teacher observation.
• By the end of the school year, the student will independently solve two-step word problems (mixed addition and subtraction) with 100% accuracy on 4 out of 5 trials based on teacher observation.

Writing Goals

• By the end of the school year, when given a writing assignment, the student will independently create a keyword outline that includes the main topic and three supporting points as a basis for the essay, based on a rubric, 90% of the time.
• By the end of the IEP term, the student will create five-paragraph essays with proper essay structure that clearly address a question in an assignment, based on a rubric, 100% of the time.

Tips on Setting Goals for Problem Solving

Here are a few tips to help you come up with effective goals that work toward better problem-solving skills.

Do a Behavioral Observation

Behavioral observations can be useful for identifying all kinds of skills deficits, but particularly in the area of problem-solving. Take the time to sit down and observe the child at work.

What do they do when they encounter a problem? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are they able to solve independently – and in what areas do they consistently require support?

A skills assessment can also be helpful. The Real Life Executive Functioning Skills Assessment is a great place to start, since it will help you see where your child is struggling in particular.

Get the Whole Team Involved

Writing problem-solving goals should not be an independent process. It should involve all members of your child’s care team, including family members, coaches, teachers, and other professionals. You’ll need their input to see if the child is struggling with problem-solving across the board, or just in one or two isolated areas.

Play to Their Interests

Motivation plays a major role in teaching new executive functioning skills so do your best to make sure your student stays motivated! Incorporate their favorite activities into learning and have conversations about your child’s favorite movie character, sports figure, or other celebrities. What sorts of problems have they encountered? How did the person solve these problems successfully?

Try Role Playing

Give your child the opportunity to practice his new problem-solving skills in every walk of life. Using role-play cards that prompt your child to solve problems in certain situations (like when you have a large homework assignment due tomorrow or even something as simple as you don’t know what to eat) is highly effective. You can find templates and helpful examples for how to get started with these scenarios in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off at checkout).

Try the IDEAL Method

The IDEAL Method is one strategy you can use to help your child become a better problem solver. This method can be used while you are working toward any of the sample goals listed above (or any that you come up with on your own). You can learn more about it here and in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook .

Know When to Ask For Help

None of us is an island. We all need help from time to time. Knowing when – and who – to ask for help is essential. Encourage your child to brainstorm a list of people who can help in a pinch and be sure to try the Phone a Friend exercise in the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook.

How to Address Each Goal

When working on problem-solving skills, the most important thing to remember is that you need to be focused on other areas in which your child struggles, too.

Problem-solving is often viewed as a collection of executive functioning skills rather than one individual skill. To help your child become better at solving problems, he needs to develop other executive functioning skills as well.

Problem-solving requires the ability to evaluate and outline different strategies – aka, planning. They need to be able to take action – task initiation. They might also need to use attentional control, organization, and time management skills. A holistic approach to addressing these problem-solving goals is essential.

Our Executive Functioning Assessment is a great place to start. It will show you where your child is at and what they need in order to improve. This assessment isn’t just for teachers – it’s also a helpful resource for parents, administrators, and even the student himself or herself.

Problem Solved! Here’s How to Write the Best Problem-Solving IEP Goals

If you find the process of writing IEP goals for problem-solving to be…well, a major problem, then you need to consider these tips. If you aren’t sure where to start, get organized! Start by giving your student the Executive Functioning Assessment and use the Real Life Executive Functioning Workbook as a guide to help point you in the direction of what skills to target.

Start by writing down what you want them to be able to do. Be as specific as possible, and use terms that your student can understand.

Once you have a good list of goals, work on breaking them down into smaller steps that will help your student reach their ultimate goal.

Remember to make sure these steps are achievable, measurable, and time-based so you can track your student’s progress and give them the support they need along the way.

Problem solved!

Looking For More Executive Functioning IEP Goal Ideas?

Visit our EF IEP Goal Resource Hub or check out our other skill-specific IEP goal articles:

• 8 Impulse Control IEP Goals
• 8 Attentional Control IEP Goals
• 8 Self-Monitoring IEP Goals
• 10 Problem Solving IEP Goals
• 10 Working Memory IEP Goals
• 9 Emotional Control IEP Goals
• 7 Cognitive Flexibility IEP Goals
• 10 Organization IEP Goals
• 12 Task Initiation IEP Goals
• 10 Time Management IEP Goals
• 15 Planning IEP Goals

Further Reading

• Amy Sippl: Executive Functioning Skills 101: Problem-Solving
• Amy Sippl: Teaching the IDEAL Problem-Solving Method to Diverse Learners
• Amy Sippl: Problem-Solving: Long-Term Strategies & Supports For Diverse Learners

About The Author

Rebekah pierce.

Rebekah is a New York writer and teacher who specializes in writing in the education, gardening, health, and natural food niches. In addition to teaching and writing, she also owns a farm and is the author of the blog J&R Pierce Family Farm .

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Hello SLP’s! It’s a good week to keep plugging along with the Functional Treatment for Everyday Cognition Series! Who has had a chance to use the newly-released   Book 1: Goal Management Training?   As always, thank you for your support which allows me to create these materials .  I would love to hear your stories of how this evidence-based treatment is helping you meet functional goals!

Speaking of goals, today I wanted to share Goal Makeovers so you can see just how Goal Management Training might help you adjust goals and treatment in the setting you are, for a person-centered approach.

Psst: In case you are just tuning in, this post is part of the  Functional Treatment for Everyday Cognition Series:  If you have that deep-down knowledge/feeling that games and worksheets aren’t really cutting it for our neuro patients…. but aren’t sure what else to pass the time with in therapy, then this series if for you! Evidence tells us there are TONS of treatment methods we can apply to make a functional difference in our patients’ lives!

As a refresher, Book 1:  Goal Management Training specifically uses the Goal-Plan-Do-Review process, which is a type of Metacognitive Strategy Instruction. This process has been shown to improve problem-solving, strategy use, self-regulation, organization, and life participation.

This book specifically includes functional need ideas organized by activity category and setting– once you have that need, you simply apply the Goal Management Training process to this need, and you choose what you are monitoring for improvement within that functional context (Problem-solving, strategy use, organization, life participation, or self-regulation!)

Let’s look at 1 example (There are 35 others in Book 1 across treatment settings!).

Case Example: The patient has moderate cognitive-communication challenges after right hemisphere aneurysm burst and clipping brain surgery repair. SLP is treating the patient within 14 days in a facility setting (hospital, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing, etc). Basic daily problem-solving is poor; the patient needs frequent cues to function safely within the facility and is a fall risk. Highly frustrated with lack of independence, but poor ability to reflect on cognitive deficits or attempt to use a strategy to improve performance. Score on Montreal Cognitive Assessment is 16/30, with problem-solving, organization, and attention challenges noted.

Non-Functional Goal for Problem Solving: The patient will complete simple dedication puzzle with 80% acc.

**  MAKEOVER to Functional Problem-Solving Goal: The patient will improve problem-solving for ordering meals by completing Goal-Plan-Do-Review process and following 3/4 steps with no verbal cues.

Non-Functional Goal for Organization: The patient will sequence 3 items with 90% acc.

** MAKEOVER to Functional Organization Goal: The patient will improve thought organization for managing follow-up phone calls for bill pay through Goal-Plan-Do-Review process,  marked  by patient generating 2+ steps independently (compared to baseline of 0).

Non-Functional Goal for Strategy Use: The patient will use strategy of checking work on worksheet on 2/3 attempts.

** MAKEOVER to Functional Strategy Use Goal:  The Person will improve his/her ability to independently use a strategy to correctly use a phone in facility setting, using Goal-Plan-Do-Review process, marked by increase from baseline strategy use of 0.

Non-Functional Goal for Life Participation: ??? Is there such a thing? If it’s truly life participation, it should be functional.

** MAKEOVER to Functional Life Participation Goal: The  patient  will increase life participation in social engagement by using Goal-Plan-Do-Review process to plan goal, steps, and strategies that will be used to know and attend facility’s social calendar events at least 1x/week (baseline 2/month).

Purchase Book 1: Goal Management Training in my store, and stay tuned for multiple other parts to this series!

Blog posts in this series:

Why Functional Treatment for Everyday Cognition Matters

More About Book 1: Goal Management Training

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• J Neurotrauma

Training in Goal-Oriented Attention Self-Regulation Improves Executive Functioning in Veterans with Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury

Tatjana novakovic-agopian.

1 Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California.

2 University of California, San Francisco, California.

3 Veterans Administration Northern California Health Care System, Martinez, California.

Erica Kornblith

Gary abrams, joaquin burciaga-rosales, mark d'esposito.

4 University of California, Berkeley, California.

Anthony J.W. Chen

Associated data.

Deficits in executive control functions are some of the most common and disabling consequences of both military and civilian brain injury. However, effective interventions are scant. The goal of this study was to assess whether cognitive rehabilitation training that was successfully applied in chronic civilian brain injury would be effective for military veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI). In a prior study, participants with chronic acquired brain injury significantly improved after training in Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation (GOALS) on measures of attention/executive function, functional task performance, and goal-directed control over neural processing on functional magnetic resonance imaging. The objective of this study was to assess effects of GOALS training in veterans with chronic TBI. A total of 33 veterans with chronic TBI and executive difficulties in their daily life completed either 5 weeks of manualized GOALS training or Brain-Health Education (BHE) matched by time and intensity. Evaluator-blinded assessments at baseline and post-training included neuropsychological and complex functional task performance and self-report measures of emotional regulation. After GOALS, but not BHE training, participants significantly improved from baseline on primary outcome measures of Overall Complex Attention/Executive Function composite neuropsychological performance score (F = 7.10, p  = 0.01; partial η 2  = 0.19), and on overall complex functional task performance (Goal Processing Scale Overall Performance; F = 6.92, p  = 0.01, partial η 2  = 0.20). Additionally, post-GOALS participants indicated significant improvement on emotional regulation self-report measures (Profile of Mood States Confusion Score; F = 6.05, p  = 0.02, partial η 2  = 0.20). Training in attentional self-regulation applied to participant-defined goals may improve cognitive functioning in veterans with chronic TBI. Attention regulation training may not only impact executive control functioning in real-world complex tasks, but also may improve emotional regulation and functioning. Implications for treatment of veterans with TBI are discussed.

Introduction

T raumatic brain injury (TBI) and co-morbid conditions are prevalent in veterans from the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn conflicts, 1–4 with the reported rates ranging from 14–22%. 1 , 2 TBI and associated conditions also are common among veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf War eras. 5–7 Chronic sequela of TBI, including deficits in attention, executive functions, and memory, can be highly debilitating. 8 , 9 Deficits in these cognitive control functions have been linked with difficulties in community reintegration and educational and occupational functioning, and are some of the leading causes of long-term disability among veterans. 1–4 , 10 Reintegration difficulties are a common problem among returning veterans with mild TBI: A recent study reported that 1 year post-deployment, 65% of returning veterans with history of mild TBI (mTBI) sought treatment for concerns related to reintegration. 11 Similarly, a study by Mac Donald and colleagues 12 found that 5 years post-deployment, veterans with history of combat-related blast mTBI had significantly worse neurobehavioral and psychiatric symptom severity, global disability, and sleep impairment, compared with combat veterans without history of TBI.

Recovery from military-related TBI may be complicated by several factors that differentiate it from civilian TBI, 13 including the emotionally and physically traumatic circumstances in which injuries are sustained and high incidence of comorbid mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Military-related TBI, PTSD, and depression may have both independent and additive roles in impacting cognition and daily functioning. 14 Features of each may interact at multiple levels to reduce functioning and/or interfere with treatment effectiveness, including at the genesis of injury, the maintenance of symptoms, different aspects of cognitive-emotional functioning, and at the level of neural mechanisms. 15 , 16 Sequela of military TBI and comorbid conditions such as PTSD can include disruption of core cognitive and emotional regulation mechanisms that are essential for goal-directed functioning in daily life.

Emotional regulation is also known to be negatively impacted by TBI. 17 , 18 PTSD and depression are highly comorbid with TBI, especially in a veteran population. 19 Problems with planning and response inhibition, aspects of cognitive function, contribute to emotional regulation difficulties, as well. 20 There is a great deal of overlap between executive control functions and emotional regulation. In fact, the modulation of emotional responses is considered an aspect of executive function, an area of cognition disproportionately affected by TBI. Therefore, it follows logically that treatments targeted at executive control functions also may have a positive impact on emotional regulation for TBI patients.

Interventions that target cognitive and emotional self-regulatory functions may be particularly valuable in treating combat-related TBI. 15 In particular, interventions that strengthen goal-directed cognitive control functions, such as the selection of goal-relevant information, along with inhibition of distracting information, may be helpful for improving those functionally important and integrated aspects of self-regulation that contribute to goal attainment. Training in mindfulness is one such promising approach. A recent study illustrated that a modified mindfulness-based stress reduction training program, Mindfulness-Based Mind Fitness Training, may help healthy military reservists preparing for deployment to regulate their emotions by improving self-regulation. 21 Although this general approach holds promise, there has been little research and development of applied interventions that target executive control functioning for military-related TBI.

The overall objective of this study was to determine whether a training intervention for goal-oriented attentional self-regulation that has been successfully applied in individuals with chronic civilian brain injury 22 , 32 would be effective for military veterans with history of chronic TBI. Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation (GOALS) is a cognitive rehabilitation training that targets executive control functions by training participants in applied mindfulness-based attention regulation and goal management strategies. 22 , 23 In contrast to training via practice on isolated tasks, this training protocol involves application of attention regulation skills and strategies to participant-defined goals in their own lives and community in ecologically valid settings. One of the main training aims is to improve self-regulatory control mechanisms as they contribute to goal attainment.

Two lines of theory and research converged to identify target processes for this intervention. (For a more detailed review, see Novakovic-Agopian and colleagues. 22 ) First, information processing from perception to action requires mechanisms for selecting goal-relevant information, as well as maintenance and protection of this information from disruption during working memory, learning, decision-making, and/or problem-solving. 24 If one cannot hold key information active in mind or protect it from distractions, then subsequent actions are less likely to be effectively guided towards goal attainment. Second, many individuals with executive control difficulties show an overall “life disorganization” or “goal neglect,” with poor ability to manage and attain goals, even when they may be able to describe their intentions at the outset. 25 , 26 Selective maintenance of goal-related information and protection from both internal (e.g., feeling anxious) and external disruptions are important for establishing and following sequences of steps (sub-goals) required to accomplish the goal. Therefore, intervening in these processes may help to ameliorate symptoms of goal neglect.

The GOALS protocol was based on training interventions that have been applied to patients with brain injury, 27 , 28 and includes meta-cognitive goal management strategies outlined in Goal Management Training, with special emphasis on mindfulness-based attention regulation strategies applied to progressively more challenging daily life situations and goals. Cognitive and emotional issues are addressed as they become important in achieving personal goals. An overarching hypothesis is that improving attention regulation while engaging in goal-directed behavior will help establish more efficient and better integrated functional networks for the performance of goal-relevant tasks, and ultimately, goal attainment in real life contexts.

In our prior study, predominantly civilian patients with chronic acquired brain injury significantly improved after GOALS, but not after a brief control intervention, on neurocognitive measures of attention/executive function and memory, complex functional task performance, and goal-directed control over neural processing on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). 22 , 32 One limitation of our previous study was that the brief control intervention was not matched to GOALS with respect to time. For the current study, we have developed a new time- and intensity-matched active comparison training. Brain Health Education (BHE) includes education about brain anatomy and functioning and effects of brain injury, as per current Veterans Affairs (VA) practice recommendations for mTBI treatment. However, BHE does not include the training in attention regulation and problem solving or the assistance in linking the information provided to participants' daily lives that is integral to GOALS training.

The objective of the current study was to assess the effects of GOALS training versus an active time-matched BHE intervention in military veterans with history of chronic TBI and difficulties in executive function in their daily lives. We tested whether GOALS training would lead to greater improvements on the multiple levels of executive functioning it is hypothesized to target—specifically, performance on neurocognitive measures of attention and executive function and on complex functional tasks. We aimed to compare the effects of two trainings (Aim A), as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of each training in improving neurocognitive and complex functional task performance (Aim B). Given the prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidity in this population, secondary objectives included comparison of the effects of the two trainings (Aim C), and assessment of the impact of each training on emotional adjustment (Aim D). fMRI measures were also collected and will be reported in a separate manuscript.

Design and participants

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at participating institutions including University of California San Francisco, San Francisco VA Medical Center, and VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHS) Martinez. All participants provided informed consent prior to any of the study procedures taking place. Behavioral assessments and interventions took place at VA medical centers in San Francisco and Martinez.

A total of 33 veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and OEF/OIF eras with history of chronic TBI completed the study. Participants were primarily recruited from San Francisco VA and VANCHS-Martinez TBI Clinics. Inclusion criteria included history of chronic TBI (> 6 months post-injury) sustained either in combat or as a civilian; stable psychoactive medication regimen; self-reported cognitive difficulties in areas of concentration, planning, multitasking and memory that interfere with daily function; and interest/availability to participate in cognitive training. Exclusion criteria included: unstable medical, neurologic, or psychiatric conditions; psychosis, severe depression, anxiety, or PTSD precluding participation in research activities; ongoing illicit drug or alcohol abuse; or poor English comprehension. TBI diagnosis and severity was established using VA/Department of Defense TBI classification criteria, via review of participant medical records as well as detailed interview conducted by a clinician (neurologist or neuropsychologist) experienced in the diagnosis of brain injury.

Participants' average age was 43.3 years (standard deviation [SD] 11.57; range 25–66 years); 85% of participants were male, 67% of participants were white, and participants had an average of 14.45 years of education (SD, 1.82). A majority of participants ( n  = 19) sustained mTBI, with the remainder experiencing moderate ( n  = 7) or severe ( n  = 7) injury. The injuries sustained were from mixed causes including blunt injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and blasts. Eighteen participants reported experiencing multiple (i.e., more than one) TBIs. The injuries occurred at least 1 year prior to study participation (median time since injury = 6 years). All participants were independent in basic activities of daily living but reported continuing to experience mild to moderate difficulties on tasks involving organization, problem solving, multitasking, and distractibility. A majority of participants ( n  = 20) were not working or going to school. Seven participants were gainfully employed and six were students, but indicated having difficulties completing work and/or school tasks.

As shown in Figure 1 , ten participants discontinued the study after either consent or baseline evaluations due to scheduling difficulties, change in medication, and/or family circumstances, and an additional two discontinued after starting the interventions due to illness and to a severe stressor (one after starting GOALS and one after starting BHE), leaving a total of 33 participants who completed the study.

Enrollment information.

Consecutively recruited participants were placed in small groups following completion of baseline evaluation (average group size: three participants), and the entire group was then randomized to receive either GOALS ( n  = 20) or an active comparison BHE training intervention ( n  = 13). BHE and GOALS were closely matched for therapist time and training intensity. Participants in the two intervention groups did not differ based on age (t = −1.59, df = 31, p  = 0.12), education (t = −1.20, df = 31, p  = 0.24), time since injury (t = −0.05, df = 31, p  = 0.96), gender (χ 2  = 0.93, df = 1, p  = 0.34), ethnicity (χ 2  = 1.59, df = 1, p  = 0.21), or TBI severity (χ 2  = 2.39, df = 2, p  = 0.30).

Pre-and post-training, participants were evaluated with a multilevel battery consisting of neuropsychological and complex functional performance assessment and self-report measures of daily and emotional functioning. The assessments were administered by the same evaluator at both time-points, and every attempt was made to administer them at the same time of the day. Evaluators were blinded to participants' treatment conditions, and evaluators and therapists were separate individuals.

Interventions

GOALS training involved ten 2-h sessions of group-based training, three individual 1-h training sessions, and approximately 20 h of home practice over 5 weeks. It was conducted in a small group format with two to five participants and two therapists per group. For a detailed review of GOALS training, see Novakovic-Agopian and colleagues. 22

The GOALS intervention emphasizes two key components. First, regulation of distractibility (i.e., redirection of attention to goal-relevant processes and the filtering of non-relevant “noise,” especially in the context of distractions) is addressed with attention regulation training. This aspect of the training emphasizes principles of applied mindfulness-based attention regulation to redirect cognitive processes towards task-relevant activities even when distracted. This requires identifying the current primary task, separating information into relevant and non-relevant categories, and working to selectively maintain relevant information while letting go of non-relevant information. Participants are trained in applying a meta-cognitive strategy (“Stop-Relax-Refocus”) to stop activity when distracted, anxious, and/or overwhelmed; relax; and then re-focus attention on the current primary goal. They are taught to actively apply goal-directed attention regulation skills to a range of situations, from simple information processing tasks to complex multi-step problems and challenging low-structure situations occurring in their own lives. Training via in-class exercises and homework is applied to progressively more challenging situations, including holding increasing amounts of information in mind, culminating with maintaining information while exposed to distractors. Homework includes practice in maintaining goal-direction during challenging real-life situations identified by participants. At the beginning of each session, participants discuss their experiences completing the homework with the rest of the group.

The second major component of GOALS training involves the active application of these goal-oriented attentional self-regulation skills to the identification, selection, and execution of self-generated complex goals. Participants are asked to identify personally relevant and feasible functional goals (e.g., finding an apartment, looking for a job, writing a school term paper, planning a vacation) as individual and group projects. They are then trained in applying the goal management strategies on the functional task(s) of their choice. The step-wise meta-cognitive goal management strategies trained were modified from the Goal Management Training 28 , 30 and Problem Solving Therapy 26 , 27 , 29 , 31 protocols. The main objective is to allow extensive practice and application of skills, thereby linking the attentional regulation directly to goal attainment efforts.

Three individual sessions are distributed at the beginning, middle, and towards the end of the training. Individual Session 1 occurs after Group Session 1 or 2. It covers orientation to the training program, including orientation to and clarification of the Participant Handbook and discussion of the following: a) brainstorming feasible individual goals; b) common internal and external distractions encountered and potential solutions; and c) homework implementation (e.g., noticing absentminded slips in daily life). Individual Session 2 occurs after Group Session 4 or 5 and involves review and implementation of training strategies. This includes discussion of plans for individual and group projects, identification of challenges to project completion (e.g. anxiety provoking situations, procrastination), and discussion of successes and failures in homework implementation (e.g., use of Stop-Relax-Refocus in daily life). Individual Session 3 occurs after Group Session 6 or 7 and covers review and implementation of training strategies in daily life, and review of execution, obstacles, and adjustments required for individual and group projects.

To ensure consistency of administration, intervention manuals were written for instructors and participants (Instructor and Participant Manuals of Goal-Orientated Attentional Self-Regulation –GOALS). 23 If a session is missed, every effort is made for the participant to complete a make-up session.

BHE training is an active comparison matched with GOALS for therapist time, homework load, and participation in a group. It involved ten 2-h sessions of group-based training, three individual 1-h training sessions, and approximately 20 h of home practice over 5 weeks. It is conducted in a small group format with two to five participants and two therapists per group. The BHE training was designed to be engaging and provide information about brain functioning and brain health. Although session materials include information about sleep, diet, and effects of stress, they are educational in nature, emphasizing knowledge and not skills. Group leaders do not assist participants with making connections between the material presented and possible positive effects on their own daily functioning, or how to integrate into their daily lives. Further, the presumed active ingredients of GOALS training, which include applied problem-solving and attention regulation, are not part of the BHE intervention.

Intervention manuals were written for instructors and participants. 33 Participants were provided with a make-up session if a session was missed. Participants also were given up to 30–60 min of daily homework between sessions (approximately 4 h per week). Homework consisted of reading articles related to session content and watching DVDs about brain functions and health.

Participants were evaluated with a multi-level battery consisting of neuropsychological and ecologically valid functional performance measures of complex attention and executive function, and self-report measures of daily functioning at pre- and post-GOALS or BHE group intervention. Additionally, they completed self-report measures of emotional functioning. These measures were administered by the same evaluator at both time-points and every attempt was made to administer them at the same time of the day. Evaluators were blinded to participants' treatment conditions, and evaluators and therapists were separate individuals.

Neuropsychological assessments

Similar to our previous studies, 22 , 32 the current study used a neuropsychological battery specifically designed to assess performance in cognitive domains of complex attention and executive function that are commonly affected by TBI and targeted by GOALS training. Working Memory was assessed with 1) Auditory Consonant Trigrams, 34 requiring recall of three consonants after counting backward by threes (e.g., 100, 97, 94, etc.) from a specified number for a variable amount of time, and 2) the Letter Number Sequencing subtest from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Third Edition, 35 requiring mental reordering of scrambled letter-number series of increasing lengths.

Inhibition of automatic responding was assessed with the Stroop Inhibition task (time and errors) from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS), 36 in which words are printed in dissonant ink color and participants are instructed to name the color of the ink instead of providing the more automatic response of reading the word. Mental Flexibility was assessed with 1) Trail Making Test-Part B, 37 requiring rapid alternation between letters and numbers to connect them in order; 2) Design Fluency-Switching (DKEFS), 36 requiring alternating between empty and filled dots while generating different designs using four lines; 3) Verbal Fluency Switching (DKEFS), 36 requiring the generation of words that belong to two specified categories and alternating between them; and 4) Stroop Inhibition-Switching (time and errors; DKEFS), 36 during which the participant is presented with words printed in dissonant ink color, some of which are contained in boxes, and the participant is instructed to name the color of the ink unless the word is inside the box, in which case they are to read the word. Sustained Attention was assessed using the Digit Vigilance Test 37 time and error scores. A composite Overall Attention and Executive Function domain (primary neurocognitive outcome measure) was constructed using Z scores on measures from the Inhibition, Working Memory, Sustained Attention, and Mental Flexibility domains.

Participants' performance in cognitive domains commonly affected by TBI, but not targeted by the intervention, also was assessed as a marker of potential nonspecific changes. To this end, the neuropsychological battery also contained measures of verbal and visual learning and memory, performance on which may be indirectly affected by changes in attention and executive functioning. Immediate Recall was assessed with Hopkins Verbal Learning Test–Revised (HVLT-R), 38 requiring participants to learn 12 words presented over three learning trials, and with Brief Visual Memory Test–Revised (BVMT-R), 39 requiring participants to learn and reproduce six abstract designs over three learning trials. Delayed Recall was assessed with HVLT-R and BVMT-R Delayed Recall trails, requiring participants to recall the word list or figures after a 20–25 min delay. A Memory composite score was created using the Total Recall and Delayed Recall scores. It is important to note that Overall Attention and Executive Function and Memory composite domain scores were not based on factor structure, but were constructed based on theory and authors' previous work.

To minimize practice effects, alternative test forms (DKEFS, HVLT-R, BVMT-R) and/or norms for repeated testing (Auditory Consonant Trigrams) were used for repeated administrations whenever feasible.

Functional assessment

It may be argued that the accurate measurement of executive control functioning requires observation and quantification of performance with real-life functional tasks that require planning, multitasking, and goal management in a low structure environment. To address the functional and ecological limitations of conventional clinical neuropsychological tests in characterizing executive dysfunction, we included a complex functional task assessment in the neurobehavioral test battery. (For further discussions, see Burgess and colleagues 40 and Novakovic-Agopian and colleagues 41 ). The Goal Processing Scale (GPS) 41 involves the observation and rating of a participant completing a challenging task that engages executive control using a scoring system to quantify observations. Participants are instructed to plan and execute a task requiring them to gather and compare information about three different activities (or products/services, as designated on alternate forms) of their choice, using the available means while following specified rules in a limited time (30 min). Participants work in an office equipped with a computer with Internet access, a telephone, yellow pages telephone book, blank paper, pen, calculator, and clock. They are given a task instructions page, which contains the key requirements of the task and the task rules.

The subdomains of executive function evaluated during the Planning stage include the ability to comprehend task instructions and ask for clarifications when needed, to decide on and identify realistic goal(s), and to organize and prioritize steps involved in actual task execution. After the task goals and plan are decided upon, the participants are told to execute the task on the basis of their identified plan and task rules. The domains assessed during the task execution stage include the ability to initiate task-directed activities; Maintain Attention on a task both in a non-distracting environment and during the built-in task distractions; Self-Monitoring of performance (including inhibiting task activities to stop at specified times, review performance, notice, and correct errors); Sequence and Switch attention between and among the identified task subcomponents; and demonstrate Flexibility in approaching alternate solutions when the situation changes (e.g., the ability to continue with specified task goals when the preferred means of obtaining information such as the Internet or phone becomes unavailable). Memory, including both the ability to recall strategies when needed and the ability to correct previously noted errors, also was assessed. The Execution score reflects the accuracy of completion of identified task goals and effectiveness of time management while executing steps relevant to the identified plan and goals. Functional performance in these domains is rated on a scale ranging from 0 (not able) to 10 (absolutely not a problem). The GPS Overall Performance Score (primary functional performance outcome measure) is the average of the seven subdomain scores.

To assist in rating of performance on the subdomains and to ensure rating consistency, the GPS Rating Instruction Manual operationally defines and calibrates the following: 1) the cognitive domains evaluated; 2) the task-based context; 3) the rating scale; and 4) the objective criterion-based scoring used for evaluation. For further information about the development and validation of this measure, see Novakovic-Agopian and colleagues. 41

Measures of daily and emotional functioning

Participants also completed self-report measures of daily and emotional functioning. Participants completed the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 (MPAI-4), 42 a measure of common sequelae of TBI including impact on activities of daily living, emotional adjustment, and community integration. The Goal Processing Questionnaire (GPQ), 22 a self-report measure of post-training improvement in ability to plan and execute aspects of complex goal-directed behavior in daily life, also was completed (available online at www.liebertpub.com/neu ).

Level of psychological distress was assessed using the Profile of Mood States (POMS). 43 Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). 44 Symptoms of PTSD were evaluated with the PTSD Checklist, Military Version (PCL-M). 45

Primary outcome measures

Based on theory and previous research, primary outcome measures were selected for each level of functioning assessed. Attention and Executive Function Domain Score was the primary outcome measure for neurocognitive functioning. The primary complex functional task performance measure was GPS Overall Performance Score. POMS Total Mood Disturbance was the primary outcome for self-report of emotional functioning, and MPAI-4 Total Score was the primary outcome for self-report of daily functioning.

Statistical analysis

Descriptive statistics were calculated for the neuropsychological, functional, and self-report variables for the whole sample and both intervention groups separately (GOALS and BHE). All analyses were conducted using SPSS Version 23. 46

All neuropsychological test data were scored based on standardized age and when available, educational and repeated administration norms, and transformed into z scores for consistency. To assess the impact of training on targeted cognitive domains and reduce the variability and number of multiple comparisons, z scores for individual neuropsychological tests were averaged into the overall Attention and Executive Function Domain Score, as well as the following Memory Domain scores:

• Attention and Executive Function Domain Score primary neurocognitive outcome measure (average of z scores): Letter Number Sequencing; Auditory Consonant Trigrams 9, 18, and 36 sec; Digit Vigilance Test–Time and Errors; Design Fluency Switching; Verbal Fluency Switching; Trails B; Stroop Inhibition/Switching- Time and Errors; Stroop Inhibition–Time and Errors;
• Working Memory Sub-Domain Score (average of z scores): Letter Number Sequencing; Auditory Consonant Trigrams 9, 18, and 36 sec;
• Mental Flexibility Sub-Domain Score (average of z scores): Design Fluency Switching; Verbal Fluency Switching; Trails B; Stroop Inhibition/Switching– Time and Errors;
• Sustained Attention Sub-Domain Score (average of z scores): Digit Vigilance Test–Time and Digit Vigilance Test-Errors;
• Inhibition Sub-Domain Score (average of z scores): Stroop Inhibition–Time and Stroop Inhibition Errors;
• Memory Domain Score (average of z scores): HVLT-R Total Recall; BVMT-R Total Recall; HVLT-R Delayed Recall; and BVMT-R Delayed Recall.
• Immediate Recall Sub-Domain Score (average of z scores): HVLT-R Total Recall and BVMT-R Total Recall;
• Delayed Recall Sub-Domain Score (average of z scores): HVLT-R Delayed Recall and BVMT-R Delayed Recall.

Scores on GPS, BDI-II, GPQ, and PCL-M were analyzed in their original scales; POMS and MPAI-4 raw scores were converted to z scores.

A 2 × 2 repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to compare group performances on neurocognitive domain scores at pre- and post-intervention, and to compare within-group changes over time on neurocognitive domain scores (Attention and Executive Function, and Memory) for GOALS versus BHE (Aim A). Additional repeated measures MANOVAs examining changes pre- to post-training also were conducted for each group (GOALS and BHE) separately (Aim B).

Similarly, a repeated measures MANOVA was used to compare group performance on GPS functional task domain scores at pre- and post-intervention, and to compare changes over time for GOALS versus BHE (Aim A). Additional repeated measures MANOVAs were then conducted for each group separately (Aim B).

Separate repeated measures MANOVAs were conducted to compare changes in scores on measures of everyday and emotional functioning (raw-score measures BDI-II and PCL; z-score measures POMS and MPAI-4) for the whole sample (Aim C) and each group separately (Aim D). Finally, post-training GPQ scores were compared for the two groups using a single MANOVA.

Although we have examined a number of cognitive domains and sub-domains, we report nominal p values, without adjustment for multiple testing, consistent with our previous work. 22 Such adjustments are focused on avoidance of one or more results with p  < 0.05 in the case where all differences are truly zero, 47–49 which is an unrealistic hypothesis about the state of nature in this context. In addition, adjustment would require that each result detract from the others, but there are clear relationships between the domains under study as they represent different levels of the same hypothesized constructs, and these permit coherent sets of findings to reinforce each other rather than detract from one another.

In order to demonstrate the strength and relative significance of our results, we report partial η 2 , which is a standardized estimate of effect size equivalent to the partial proportion of the variance in the dependent variable explained uniquely by the predictor divided by the proportion of variance explained by the other variables. 50 Values of around 0.01 are considered small, 0.09 is considered medium, and values of 0.25 and above are considered large. 51 , 52

Neuropsychological measures

A repeated measures MANOVA was used to compare the impact of GOALS training versus the BHE training on neurocognitive performance ( Table 1 ).

Effects of Training (GOALS vs. BHE) on Neurocognitive Outcomes

GOALS, Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation; BHE, Brain-Health Education; M, mean; SD, standard deviation; EF, executive function.

Significant group by time interactions effects were identified for primary neurocognitive outcome score Overall Attention/Executive Function composite and Working Memory, such that individuals who received GOALS demonstrated more improvement on tasks of Overall Attention/Executive Function [ F (1,30) = 7.10, p  = 0.01; partial η 2  = 0.19] and Working Memory [ F (1,30) = 6.12, p  = 0.02; partial η 2  = 0.17], compared with those individuals who participated in the BHE intervention. See Table 1 for results of within-subjects analysis of effect of time (pre- vs. post-training) on neurocognitive performance.

When the groups were analyzed separately, significant improvement post-training was found for the GOALS group, but not the BHE group, in primary neurocognitive outcome measure Overall Attention/Executive Function [ F (1,18) = 17.68, p  = 0.001, partial η 2  = 0.50], Working Memory [ F (1,18) = 4.65, p  = 0.045, partial η 2  = 0.21], Mental Flexibility[ F (1,18) = 11.327, p  = 0.003, partial η 2  = 0.39], Inhibition [ F (1,18) = 7.29, p  = 0.02, partial η 2  = 0.29], as well as Delayed Recall [ F (1,18) = 8.13, p  = 0.01, partial η 2  = 0.31] and Memory Composite [ F (1,18) = 5.01, p  = 0.04, partial η 2  = 0.22; Table 2 ]. No statistically significant changes were observed for the BHE group on neurocognitive outcomes when analyzed separately. (See Supplementary Table 1 at www.liebertpub.com/neu for impact of training [GOALS vs. BHE] on individual neuropsychological measures.)

Effects of GOALS Training on Neurocognitive Outcomes

GOALS, Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation; M, mean; SD, standard deviation; EF, executive function.

Functional measure of executive function

A repeated measures MANOVA was used to compare the impact of GOALS training versus the BHE training on functional task performance ( Table 3 ).

Effects of Training (GOALS vs. BHE) on GPS Functional Performance

GOALS, Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation; BHE, Brain-Health Education; GPS, Goal Processing Scale; M, mean; SD, standard deviation.

Significant group by time interactions were observed for primary functional outcome measure GPS Overall Performance [F(1,28) = 6.92, p  = 0.01, partial η 2  = 0.20] and Sequencing/Switching of Attention [F(1,28) = 4.28, p  = 0.048, partial η 2  = 0.13] such that GOALS participants improved more after training, compared with BHE participants ( Table 3 ). See Table 3 for results of within-subjects analysis of effect of time (pre- vs. post-training) on functional task performance.

When the groups were analyzed separately, significant improvement post-GOALS training was observed for primary functional outcome measure GPS Overall Performance [F(1,17) = 15.18, p  = 0.0001, partial η 2  = 0.47], Planning [F(1,17) = 14.19, p  = 0.002, partial η 2  = 0.46], Self-monitoring [F(1,17) = 8.77, p  = 0.009, partial η 2  = 0.34], Maintenance of Attention [F(1,17) = 6.01, p  = 0.03, partial η 2  = 0.26], Sequencing/Switching of Attention [F(1,17) = 9.90, p  = 0.006, partial η 2  = 0.37], Execution [F(1,17) = 6.93, p  = 0.02, partial η 2  = 0.29], and Learning and Memory [F(1,17) = 8.88, p  = 0.008, partial η 2  = 0.34; Table 4 ]. There were no significant improvements detected for BHE participants in the separate by-group analysis.

Effects of GOALS Training on GPS Functional Performance

GOALS, Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation; GPS, Goal Processing Scale; M, mean; SD, standard deviation.

Measures of daily functioning

Repeated measures MANOVAs ( Table 5A and ​ and5B) 5B ) and an analysis of variance ( Table 6 ) were used to compare the impact of GOALS training versus the BHE training on self-report measures of daily functioning. No significant interaction effects between time and type of training were observed on primary daily functioning outcome measure MPAI-4. When groups were analyzed separately, improvement was observed for GOALS participants on MPAI-4 Total Score [F(1,16) = 4.61, p  = 0.048, partial η 2  = 0.22] and Adjustment [F(1,16) = 5.47, p  = 0.03, partial η 2  = 0.26; Table 5B ]. No significant improvements were observed for the BHE group when analyzed separately (data not shown). See Table 5A for within-subjects analysis of effect of time (pre- vs. post-training) and between-subjects effect of group (GOALS vs. BHE) on MPAI-4 outcomes.

Effects of GOALS vs BHE Training on Daily Functioning Outcomes

Table 5B. Effects of GOALS Training on Daily Functioning Outcomes

GOALS, Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation; BHE, Brain-Health Education; M, mean; SD, standard deviation.

Effects of Training (GOALS vs BHE) on GPQ Change (Baseline-Week 5) Outcomes

Results of the post-treatment between-group Goal Processing Questionnaire analysis ( Table 6 ) revealed that GOALS participants, compared with BHE participants, indicated significantly more post-training improvement in their daily lives in the areas of Self-Monitoring [F(1,22) = 6.37, p  = 0.02, partial η 2  = 0.22], Working Memory[F(1,22) = 5.27, p  = 0.03, partial η 2  = 0.19], Sequencing [F(1,22) = 6.53, p  = 0.02, partial η 2  = 0.23], Execution [F(1,22) = 5.47, p  = 0.03, partial η 2  = 0.20], and Learning from Past Experience [F(1,22) = 6.19, p  = 0.02, partial η 2  = 0.22].

Measures of emotional functioning

Repeated measures MANOVAs were used to compare the impact of GOALS training versus the BHE training on emotional functioning outcomes ( Table 7 ). There was a significant interaction effect of intervention group and time on POMS Confusion, such that GOALS participants improved more than BHE participants after training [F(1,25) = 6.05, p  = 0.02, partial η 2  = 0.20]. See Table 7 for within-subjects analyses of effect of time (pre- vs. post-training) and group (GOALS vs. BHE) on POMS scale outcomes.

Effects of Training (GOALS vs BHE) on Emotional Functioning Outcomes

GOALS, Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation; BHE, Brain-Health Education; M, mean; SD, standard deviation; BDI-II, Beck Depression Inventory-II; PCL-M, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, Military Version,

In addition, when the groups were analyzed separately, improvements were noted for GOALS participants in POMS Total Mood Disturbance [F(1,16) = 8.33, p  = 0.01, partial η 2  = 0.34], Tension [F(1,16) = 12.16, p  = 0.003, partial η 2  = 0.43], Depression [F(1,16) = 8.77, p  = 0.009, partial η 2  = 0.35], Anger [F(1,16) = 7.56, p  = 0.01, partial η 2  = 0.32], and Confusion [F(1,16) = 8.41, p  = 0.01, partial η 2  = 0.35; Table 8 ]. No significant improvements were observed for the BHE group in a separate analysis. For the PCL-M and BDI-II analysis, there were no significant interaction effects ( Table 7 ). See Table 7 for effect of time (pre- vs. post-training) and group (GOALS vs. BHE) on BDI-II and PCL-M outcomes.

Effects of GOALS Training on Emotional Functioning Outcomes

GOALS, Goal-Oriented Attentional Self-Regulation; BHE, Brain-Health Education; M, mean; SD, standard deviation; BDI-II, Beck Depression Inventory-II; PCL-M, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, Military Version; POMS, Profile of Mood States.

When the groups were analyzed separately, GOALS participants improved post-training on BDI-II Total Score [F(1,15) = 5.69, p  = 0.03, partial η 2  = 0.28] and PCL Re-experiencing [F(1,15) = 4.72, p  = 0.046, partial η 2  = 0.24; Table 8] , whereas BHE participants did not improve significantly on BDI-II or any of the PCL-M scales post-training.

This study examined the effects of a cognitive rehabilitation intervention targeting attentional control and executive function for veterans with a history of chronic TBI and complaints of executive difficulties in their daily lives. Our results show that participants who completed GOALS training showed greater improvement than those who completed a time-matched psycho-educational training on measures of neurocognitive, daily, and emotional functioning, particularly in the domains of attention/executive function, complex functional task performance, and emotional regulation.

Similar to results of our previous smaller study with civilians with chronic acquired brain injury, 22 the results of the current study showed that veterans with chronic TBI improved more after GOALS training than time-matched psycho-educational training on neuropsychological measures of overall complex attention and executive functions composite score and working memory. These findings are consistent with the hypothesized cognitive targets of the training, indicating transfer of skills to improvements in non-trained tasks. We theorized that the essential ingredients of this intervention included mindfulness-based attention regulation techniques that were introduced during the initial training sessions and applied throughout classroom and home practice, including activities requiring complex goal management in participants' daily lives. Relevant to questions of generalization of training gains among cognitive domains, within-group analyses show participants' improvements on memory measures occurred despite the use of alternative test forms to minimize practice effects and the absence of direct memory training. This suggests that improvements in the memory domain could have been related to improvements in attention and executive functions for those who completed GOALS training. In particular, decreased distractibility and improved ability to select and hold goal-relevant information in mind are likely to optimize one's ability to learn new information, and improve efficiency in retrieving it later.

Ecologically valid measurement of executive control functioning requires observation and quantification of performance on functional tasks performed in a low-structure real-world environment. Following GOALS, significant interaction effects show that participants showed more improvement in performance on the GPS complex functional task than participants who completed BHE in domains of overall performance and sequencing/switching of attention. These findings suggest generalization of training effects to functional performance in complex, unstructured ecologically valid settings.

To assess the subjective changes in strategy use applicable to everyday life, participant self-reports on the Goal Processing Questionnaire post-GOALS or BHE training were collected. A post-training between-group comparison showed that after GOALS but not BHE training, participants reported successfully applying strategies resulting in significant improvements in several areas of their daily lives including self-monitoring, working memory, task execution, and learning from past experiences.

Given the high prevalence of co-morbid depression and PTSD in veterans with history of TBI, we also assessed effects of training on self-report measures of emotional functioning. An interaction effect showed that participants report more improvement after GOALS than after BHE on POMS Confusion subscale. Further, within-group analysis showed that after GOALS, participants indicated improvement on a range of self-report measures of emotional regulation and functioning, including the POMS Total Mood Disturbance Score, and POMS Tension, Depression, Anger, and Confusion domain scores; the Beck Depression Inventory II; and on the PCL-M Re-Experiencing sub-score. Participants did not endorse similar improvement based on within-group analysis of the BHE group separately. These findings suggest that improving cognitive control, and attentional self-regulation in particular, also may improve functioning in other domains. For example, as discussed earlier, improvements in the memory domain may be related to improved ability to select and hold goal-relevant information in mind. Similarly, improved ability to maintain goal-related information and protect it from internal disruptions (e.g., feeling anxious) may play a role in improving emotional regulation. An additional factor worth exploring is the possibility of improved self-efficacy, with the experience of goal attainment associated with completion of personally relevant functional goals.

The findings from this study add support to previous predominantly civilian studies demonstrating the efficacy of problem solving and meta-cognitive strategies also included in a number of other interventions such as problem-solving and goal-management protocols developed by D'Zurilla and Goldfried, 26 Von Cramon and colleagues, 27 Rath and colleagues., 29 Levine and colleagues, 28 Evans, 53 and Miotto and colleagues. 54 The current intervention extends these findings by placing greater emphasis on applied mindfulness-based attention regulation, with the hypothesis that improving goal-directed attention regulation would benefit all subsequent stages of goal management.

Connection between in-group training and the real-life situations and goals identified by participants, in which attention regulation and problem solving play an important functional role, is a crucial aspect of training, and helps with both training adherence and maintenance. Nearly all participants (94%) from the previous GOALS study with predominantly civilian participants with acquired brain injury spontaneously reported continued use of at least one trained strategy in their daily lives up to 2 years post-training. 55 Preliminary results of a recently completed long-term follow-up study suggest that the majority of veterans with chronic TBI who underwent GOALS training were able to retain post-training benefits in cognitive, functional, and emotional regulation domains for as long as 2 years post-intervention. 56

Strengths of this study include the randomized design, blinded evaluators, multi-level assessment, and the use of a control intervention matched for time and intensity. One important limitation of this study is a relatively small sample size, and replication of this research with larger samples is needed. This also may have resulted in our interaction analyses being underpowered, possibly leading to failure to detect true effects of group on outcomes from pre- to post-training.

Future Directions

The findings of the current study suggest GOALS training may be a promising intervention for individuals with chronic TBI. Improving cognitive control functioning also may improve functioning in other domains such as emotional regulation and functional performance, potentially making it relevant for veterans with history of TBI and co-morbid PTSD and/or depressive symptoms. Our ongoing study with veterans with current diagnosis of PTSD and history of mild TBI seeks to address this question in more detail. Ongoing and future work will also examine the impact of baseline cognitive status, injury severity, and mood dysfunction on outcomes of GOALS training.

Supplementary Material

Acknowledgments.

This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Merit Review Awards (VANCHS Project # B7467I and VA 1IO1RX001111-01A1).

We wish to thank participating veterans and a number of individuals who made this study possible, in particular: Deborah Binder, MS, for helping with development of Brain Health Education training protocol, and Gerald Carlin, OTR/L, Brian Curran, MS, Michelle Madore, PhD, Jim Muir, PhD, Michelle Murphy, PhD, Annemarie Rossi, OTR/L, and Nick Rodriguez for their exceptional work with participant training and evaluations. We are grateful to Brian Levine PhD, Ian Robertson PhD and Tom Manly PhD for providing us with the Goal Management Training material to review during the development of the GOALS training manuals.

Author Disclosure Statement

No competing financial interests exist.

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Problem-Solving Strategies and Obstacles

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Sean is a fact-checker and researcher with experience in sociology, field research, and data analytics.

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• Application
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From deciding what to eat for dinner to considering whether it's the right time to buy a house, problem-solving is a large part of our daily lives. Learn some of the problem-solving strategies that exist and how to use them in real life, along with ways to overcome obstacles that are making it harder to resolve the issues you face.

What Is Problem-Solving?

In cognitive psychology , the term 'problem-solving' refers to the mental process that people go through to discover, analyze, and solve problems.

A problem exists when there is a goal that we want to achieve but the process by which we will achieve it is not obvious to us. Put another way, there is something that we want to occur in our life, yet we are not immediately certain how to make it happen.

Maybe you want a better relationship with your spouse or another family member but you're not sure how to improve it. Or you want to start a business but are unsure what steps to take. Problem-solving helps you figure out how to achieve these desires.

The problem-solving process involves:

• Discovery of the problem
• Deciding to tackle the issue
• Seeking to understand the problem more fully
• Researching available options or solutions
• Taking action to resolve the issue

Before problem-solving can occur, it is important to first understand the exact nature of the problem itself. If your understanding of the issue is faulty, your attempts to resolve it will also be incorrect or flawed.

Problem-Solving Mental Processes

Several mental processes are at work during problem-solving. Among them are:

• Perceptually recognizing the problem
• Representing the problem in memory
• Considering relevant information that applies to the problem
• Identifying different aspects of the problem
• Labeling and describing the problem

Problem-Solving Strategies

There are many ways to go about solving a problem. Some of these strategies might be used on their own, or you may decide to employ multiple approaches when working to figure out and fix a problem.

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure that, by following certain "rules" produces a solution. Algorithms are commonly used in mathematics to solve division or multiplication problems. But they can be used in other fields as well.

In psychology, algorithms can be used to help identify individuals with a greater risk of mental health issues. For instance, research suggests that certain algorithms might help us recognize children with an elevated risk of suicide or self-harm.

One benefit of algorithms is that they guarantee an accurate answer. However, they aren't always the best approach to problem-solving, in part because detecting patterns can be incredibly time-consuming.

There are also concerns when machine learning is involved—also known as artificial intelligence (AI)—such as whether they can accurately predict human behaviors.

Heuristics are shortcut strategies that people can use to solve a problem at hand. These "rule of thumb" approaches allow you to simplify complex problems, reducing the total number of possible solutions to a more manageable set.

If you find yourself sitting in a traffic jam, for example, you may quickly consider other routes, taking one to get moving once again. When shopping for a new car, you might think back to a prior experience when negotiating got you a lower price, then employ the same tactics.

While heuristics may be helpful when facing smaller issues, major decisions shouldn't necessarily be made using a shortcut approach. Heuristics also don't guarantee an effective solution, such as when trying to drive around a traffic jam only to find yourself on an equally crowded route.

Trial and Error

A trial-and-error approach to problem-solving involves trying a number of potential solutions to a particular issue, then ruling out those that do not work. If you're not sure whether to buy a shirt in blue or green, for instance, you may try on each before deciding which one to purchase.

This can be a good strategy to use if you have a limited number of solutions available. But if there are many different choices available, narrowing down the possible options using another problem-solving technique can be helpful before attempting trial and error.

In some cases, the solution to a problem can appear as a sudden insight. You are facing an issue in a relationship or your career when, out of nowhere, the solution appears in your mind and you know exactly what to do.

Insight can occur when the problem in front of you is similar to an issue that you've dealt with in the past. Although, you may not recognize what is occurring since the underlying mental processes that lead to insight often happen outside of conscious awareness .

Research indicates that insight is most likely to occur during times when you are alone—such as when going on a walk by yourself, when you're in the shower, or when lying in bed after waking up.

How to Apply Problem-Solving Strategies in Real Life

If you're facing a problem, you can implement one or more of these strategies to find a potential solution. Here's how to use them in real life:

• Create a flow chart . If you have time, you can take advantage of the algorithm approach to problem-solving by sitting down and making a flow chart of each potential solution, its consequences, and what happens next.
• Recall your past experiences . When a problem needs to be solved fairly quickly, heuristics may be a better approach. Think back to when you faced a similar issue, then use your knowledge and experience to choose the best option possible.
• Start trying potential solutions . If your options are limited, start trying them one by one to see which solution is best for achieving your desired goal. If a particular solution doesn't work, move on to the next.
• Take some time alone . Since insight is often achieved when you're alone, carve out time to be by yourself for a while. The answer to your problem may come to you, seemingly out of the blue, if you spend some time away from others.

Obstacles to Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is not a flawless process as there are a number of obstacles that can interfere with our ability to solve a problem quickly and efficiently. These obstacles include:

• Assumptions: When dealing with a problem, people can make assumptions about the constraints and obstacles that prevent certain solutions. Thus, they may not even try some potential options.
• Functional fixedness : This term refers to the tendency to view problems only in their customary manner. Functional fixedness prevents people from fully seeing all of the different options that might be available to find a solution.
• Irrelevant or misleading information: When trying to solve a problem, it's important to distinguish between information that is relevant to the issue and irrelevant data that can lead to faulty solutions. The more complex the problem, the easier it is to focus on misleading or irrelevant information.
• Mental set: A mental set is a tendency to only use solutions that have worked in the past rather than looking for alternative ideas. A mental set can work as a heuristic, making it a useful problem-solving tool. However, mental sets can also lead to inflexibility, making it more difficult to find effective solutions.

How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

In the end, if your goal is to become a better problem-solver, it's helpful to remember that this is a process. Thus, if you want to improve your problem-solving skills, following these steps can help lead you to your solution:

• Recognize that a problem exists . If you are facing a problem, there are generally signs. For instance, if you have a mental illness , you may experience excessive fear or sadness, mood changes, and changes in sleeping or eating habits. Recognizing these signs can help you realize that an issue exists.
• Decide to solve the problem . Make a conscious decision to solve the issue at hand. Commit to yourself that you will go through the steps necessary to find a solution.
• Seek to fully understand the issue . Analyze the problem you face, looking at it from all sides. If your problem is relationship-related, for instance, ask yourself how the other person may be interpreting the issue. You might also consider how your actions might be contributing to the situation.
• Research potential options . Using the problem-solving strategies mentioned, research potential solutions. Make a list of options, then consider each one individually. What are some pros and cons of taking the available routes? What would you need to do to make them happen?
• Take action . Select the best solution possible and take action. Action is one of the steps required for change . So, go through the motions needed to resolve the issue.
• Try another option, if needed . If the solution you chose didn't work, don't give up. Either go through the problem-solving process again or simply try another option.

You can find a way to solve your problems as long as you keep working toward this goal—even if the best solution is simply to let go because no other good solution exists.

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By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."