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connections. Look for patterns in the data, don’t just collect it. Put it in categories that make sense to
you and your colleagues.

4. Have difficulty finding the answer? Ask more questions. Get curious and explore all angles of the
challenge. What are the must-have criteria that need to be met? What would be nice to have but not
essential? What solutions have already been tried and what were the results? What are the forces
that perpetuate the problem? What’s the ideal time line for a solution to be in place? What will happen
if no action is taken? What resources exist for finding, testing, and implementing a solution? What
constraints? What’s the full scope of the issue? Is the entire process broken or just one part? What is
the least likely thing it could be? What’s related to it and what’s not? How will you know if a solution
does or doesn’t work? Create a checklist of questions that will be useful when solving a myriad of
problems. Add to it with each new case to build in-demand, problem-solving expertise.

5. Prefer solving it on your own? Consult diverse resources. Many try to do too much by
themselves. Even if you think you have a decent solution, ask other people for input just to make
sure. Tackle sticky problems with a diverse task force—people with different experiences and
perspectives. Access networks across the organization and beyond so you have the right information
to begin with and a steady stream flowing in. A key way to ensure that others share information with
you is to make it a habit to share yours with them. Tap into experts and novices. Ask experts how
they approach new, complex problems. What golden nuggets might work with your current issue?
Ask new team members to share ideas. They may bring a fresh perspective to tough issues you and
your colleagues have tried to untangle for years. Get diverse input through internal or external
crowdsourcing. Make it a competition to see who provides the best solution to your problem. You may
find that it’s the people who aren’t direct experts in the topic that offer the most innovative solution.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Baer, D. (2013, March 26). Einstein’s problem-solving formula, and why you’re doing it all wrong.
Fast Company.
Dann, J. (2009, July 14). Darden prof: Tap outside resources to rev your innovation engine. CBS
News.
Llopis, G. (2013, November 4). The 4 most effective ways leaders solve problems. Forbes.

6. Stuck in default solution mode? Don’t rush to judgment. When it comes to tackling complex
problems, people sometimes move to solutioning at breakneck speed. Some are action-oriented, fire-
ready-aim types. A lot of mistakes would be prevented just by taking more time to think things
through. Then there are chronically impatient people who give answers too soon as a way of being.
Gather data? Who has time. Try out a new solution? Why bother when there’s a tried-and-true
solution that worked in the past. Favoring historical solutions is tempting but risky. Instead of giving
new options your full attention, you may be looking for corroborating evidence that supports the
solution you’ve already decided to take. Make use of the pause button for better problem solving. Go
through a mental checklist to see if you’ve considered how all the possible outcomes of the current
challenge might play out. Study the relevant information with fresh eyes. Research has shown that
the first solution you think of is seldom the best choice. Keep digging to come up with more, and
probably better, alternatives.
© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

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