Zgjidhja e

Problemit

Përmbajtja
Hyrje . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HYRJE
Mënyra më e mirë për t’iu shmangur një problemi, është që ta zgjidhim atë.
—Alan Saporta

Nj ë gjë është e caktuar në botën që gjithnjë ndryshon: Gjithnjë do të ketë probleme

që duhen zgjidhur.
Ju I zgjidhni You solve problems every day of your life. Without realizing it, you’ve
probably developed quite a few problem-solving skills.
For example, say you plan to take the bus to school, but you miss it. You know you’re in
trouble. And that’s one problem-solving skill—the ability to identify the problem.
Immediately you consider your options. You could walk the five miles to school. You
could ride your bicycle or use in-line skates. Your friend might pick you up, you could
ask your mom or dad for a ride, or you could skip school. Coming up with lots of possible
a solution is another problem-solving skill. Maybe you decide the best solution is to use
your mom’s car. But you run into another problem. Your brother has asked for the car
first. You strike a deal with him. You agree to help him practice his tennis serve on
Saturday. He agrees to let you drive to school this morning. You’ve used another
problem-solving skill— negotiation.
You dash to the car (you can still make it to school on time), jump in, and turn the key in
the ignition. Nothing happens. The car won’t start. You consider the possibilities and
form a theory that the problem may be caused by a weak battery. Mom is famous for
leaving the inside car light on. Sure enough, you check it out and find the light still
turned on. You’ve successfully researched, formed a hypothesis, and confirmed your
theory—all problem-solving skills.
Now you can fix the problem with another problem solving skill—an action plan. You pull
out the jumper cables and jump start the car. In minutes you’re on your way, thanks to
problem-solving skills you didn’t even know you possessed.
FACT
On many employee evaluation forms, the category “Problem-Solving Abilities” takes up
more room than any other evaluated trait. Employers seek people who can handle the
minor irritations and the major problems that are a part of every business. What do you
do when a customer comes to you with a problem? Can you help when your work team
runs into production problems? Could

TEN PROBLEMS YOU MAY HAVE HAD BEFORE

YOU LEFT HOME TODAY
1. Alarm didn’t go off
2. Fell back to sleep
3. Sister hogged the bathroom
4. No milk or cereal in the house
5. Nothing for lunch (and school lunch sounds horrible)
6. Brother tells you that he won’t take you to school
7. Storm knocked out power (no lights, hair dryers, curling
irons, etc.)
8. Favorite shirt is too wrinkled to wear
9. Shoelace breaks
10. Forgot to do your homework

you help save your company from losing its competitive edge? No matter where your
career leads you, you’ll move faster and higher up the ladder of success if you’re
perceived as an effective problem solver. This book covers the following valuable
problem-solving skills:

• Building a reputation as a problem solver, using skills that you already have, as
well as
learning to avoid negative problem-solving behaviors

• Using analytical and critical thinking (left-brain activities) to analyze and solve
problems scientifically
• Solving problems creatively by brainstorming, asking questions, approaching
problems from odd angles, note-taking, and visualizing—all right brain activities
• Avoiding problem-solving potholes and pitfalls such as logical fallacies, which are
errors in rational thought
• Solving problems with the Problem-Solving
Process, which involves the following steps:
1. Identifying and defining problems as people, organizational, mechanical,
or many-sided in nature
2. Defining goals and objectives
3. Generating solutions by using brainstorming techniques such as word
association, clustering, and free-writing
4. Developing a plan of action
 5. Following through on a problem-solving plan by planning for
contingencies, troubleshooting, learning from mistakes, and maintaining flexibility
as you are solving the problem
• Applying problem-solving skills to the decision-making process

No matter where your career leads you, you’ll move faster and higher up the ladder of success if
you’re perceived as an effective problem solver.

PART I
Problem-Solving
Tools