We face problems every day of our lives. Some may be small and others can have an effect on us after encountering them. While some problems are easy to solve, others leave us in a confused and challenged state of mind, in the end, we might be able to solve it or we’ll have to continue trying.
Such problems occur in business almost daily, regardless of what your business is or who you are. While some of us just try to solve the problem, entrepreneurs try to prevent it from happening again, by turning ideas into a reality where that problem won’t occur as much.
Entrepreneurs are important individuals in our society, they work hard to help us step into the future by turning simple ideas into something that benefits the people around them; a startup that helps reduce pollution in the city and reduce traffic can benefit almost everyone who is either living in the city or spends most of their day in traffic.
As entrepreneurs, problem-solving skills are a must-have. And with each time being different, it’s important to know how to approach a certain problem. You would have to analyze the problem carefully, evaluate its possible outcomes, and think about how the possible solution can affect the environment and the people in it.
By applying the following skills, you can experience less trouble solving an issue in your business.
1. Being pensive
Thinking. When there is a problem, most of us try to solve it in a hurry to get it out of the way. While this may be impressive or it might save you time, it might get back at you because you didn’t think of the outcome or the effects of your solution.
You need to think of everything and take your time while doing so. Entrepreneurs are constantly thinking and it might even take days to come up with a solution, the difference is that they not only have a solution but also all the possible outcomes and how we can prevent the negative ones.
It’s about taking time to digest all the information you know about the problem, taking time to research every element of it, and analyzing all of the factors that can contribute to the problem before making a valid conclusion.
2. Thinking outside the box
There are always the innovators and the imitators, the difference is that the innovator can grow and expand their ideas in new possible ways while the imitator keeps themself within a box to be on the safe side.
Creativity allows you to dive deep, take risks, explore, and learn. Going beyond the boundaries that are set, is what makes you an innovator rather than an imitator. How is your solution different? How is it unique to the environment?
3. Taking action
We can all talk for days about what could have been better and what should’ve been done, but are we willing to take action to make it happen? Not everyone will be ready to.
You need to take action and have a part in the solution. Take the lead in making it happen and show that you’re not just talking. This shows that you’re passionate and confident about what you do.
Taking action could mean getting to know the staff and gathering them to discuss your solution, researching within the company to learn more about what is at hand, and of course, getting back to trying once you’ve failed by believing in what you do.
4. Determination and discipline
Sometimes a problem can be big and it might take you even more than you thought to solve it. But if you’re doing the same thing over and over just to get it done, you’re not really being smart. You’re not always going to be successful, you might even cause damage to yourself and the company, but what sets you aside after that? Determination.
Determination is key here, giving it your all to solve this issue knowing that you might fail but also that you’ll keep trying. You have to put time for it, be wise in your decisions, focus, and try your hardest to achieve what you want to.
Self-Discipline contributes to determination. To be able to do all of the things that an entrepreneur is said to do, you need to be disciplined. That means being on the right path, keeping focus, being committed, and avoiding distractions.
5. Being able to adapt to the situation
Situations change constantly and things are not going to always be the way you want them to. So you need to be able to adapt to it at the right time.
There is another problem on top of the previous one, you need to adapt to the addition and work to solve them both. This creates an opportunity for a wider solution because it can be applied to more than one problem.
Maybe someone disagrees with your solution, hear them out and digest what they have to say, and adapt to the new standards. Just like in nature, we need to adapt to our environment in order to survive.
We face problems every day, big and small, but what matters is that we solve them and the way we solve them. Next time you come across a problem, try applying the skills listed above.
