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Read time: 3.5 mins
Want to get your new job?
Want to make more money?
Here's the problem (no pun intended): most people solve problems based on intuition and experience.
If you solely rely on this, it's much harder to get that raise, that promotion, or that interview for your dream job.
To get ahead, structured problem-solving is a required skill set, and we want to show you how it can benefit your career today.
Let's get into it:
Structured problem-solving means breaking a problem into its component parts.
When things seem complicated, it is much easier to have multiple smaller problems to resolve than a large, complex one.
Businesses pay consultants billions of dollars every year to implement structured problem-solving.
The global management consulting services market was valued at $316.5 billion US in 2021, and is projected to reach $811.3 billion by 2031*.
They spend this kind of money because it works.
Here are some examples:
- Improving profitability by reducing the highest cost drivers
- Improving customer service by only enhancing features customers care about
- Reducing injuries by controlling for the top 3 safety risks
Notice the focus on the outcome and the prioritisation of the most impactful solution.
Let's relate this to you.
Being able to do this can have extremely effective outcomes in your career.
3 WAYS TO APPLY STRUCTURED PROBLEM SOLVING TO ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER
1. Use it to determine your next career move
Your next career move should not be ambiguous.
- Take a structured approach to clarify your goal, develop a plan, and ensure you have the ability to execute it.
- Break down your career opportunities, considering the pros and cons of each.
- When you do this, ensure your options are Mutually Exclusive (i.e. there's no overlap between options) and Collectively Exhaustive (i.e. encompassing of all possible options).
2. Use it to construct a development plan that suits you
Have you ever noticed that your development plan (if you have one) is usually what your boss wants you to improve?
Or have you been pigeonholed in a job that suits the company's goals, but isn't aligned with what you want?
Don't let your employer push you down a path you don't want to go down.
Instead, use structured problem-solving to:
- Make sure your development plan is based on your short and long-term goals.
- Include the skills that yield the most benefit to you (e.g. those that are aligned with your career objectives).
- Break down the skills into timeframes, transferability, difficulty, etc., and prioritise your development in a way that suits you.
3. Use it to negotiate your salary:
Take the emotion out of negotiating, and use a structured approach to best position your salary outcomes:
- Ensure you have an understanding of your goals and how they align with the job on offer.
- Prioritise your approach based on what the employer cares about (market rates, scarcity of skills, the value you bring, their budget, etc.)
- Understand all the component parts that you value (money, benefits, flexibility, development, etc.) and look for opportunities to make trade-offs that suit you.
Key message: Don't wing it.
Don't solve problems only based on your experience or intuition.
If you want to learn how to do this, we've developed a 6-step process that allows you to solve problems quickly and effectively.
Your free problem-solving framework - along with our library of other free resources - is available for you here: https://www.impactedcareers.com/FreeResources.
For the action takers:
- Let us help you out! Contact us today [email protected] on what problem you need to support solve.
- Download the free problem-solving process to assist you in working through complex problems.
We'd love to know what you're going to try, please reach out if you get stuck.
Thanks so much for reading!
Happy problem-solving, and Happy Easter to all those who are celebrating and eating chocolate this weekend.
Speak soon,
Lynne and Steve
TLDR
- Don’t solve problems by only using intuition or experience.
- Make sure problem-solving is part of your career tool kit.
- Use a structured problem-solving process to accelerate your career objectives. You can download our free 6-step problem-solving framework to learn more.
*Source: Management Consulting Services Market by Type (Strategy Consulting, Operations Consulting, Financial Advisory, Technology Consulting, Human Resources Consulting), by Organization Size (Large Enterprises, Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises), by Industry Vertical (BFSI, IT and Telecom, Manufacturing, Retail and E-Commerce, Public Sector, Healthcare, Others) : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031
When you're ready to accelerate your career, here's how to ask about working with us:
We offer career coaching & mentoring to support leaders to build confidence and achieve their goals, and are developing career-building courses coming soon.