The Power of Problem Solving

Problem Solving defined

Problem solving is understanding how emotions impact decision making and our ability to find solutions when emotions are involved. Our process to solve issues, what resources we use, and the decision we make are impacted by our emotional state. To assess and understand Problem Solving in emotional intelligence we look at one’s ability to make decisions and whether they are conscientious, disciplined, methodical, and systematic.

These skills are also linked to whether someone will confront problems and take on the challenge willingly, or avoid the problem, procrastinate and struggle to reach conclusions. When solving problems, we have two main capacities for the process, intuition and innovation.

In intuitive mode for decision making, people follow impressions, hunches, and warning signals, using these to identify problems that might be in the peripheral or evolve from the current challenge. Innovation is having the creativity to come up with fresh new ways of viewing an issue, reaching to see from different vantages and brainstorming alternate solutions according to these different perspectives.

High functioning Problem Solving involves tempering both intuition and innovation with a clear head so one can calculate the risks and strategically map out the best course of action. People with high Problem Solving are likely to engage data, evidence, their gut, to make decisive actions that yield the best possible outcomes.

People with lower Problem Solving might struggle to make choices and take action, potentially yielding poorer outcomes. They may not leverage all resources possible to support a more effective decision-making process.

How Problem Solving is an important part of emotional intelligence

Problem Solving determines the effects of our outcomes. If we are making good choices in challenging circumstances, we are likely to minimise negative impacts on relationships, deliverables and stress. Below are three subscales that are correlated with Problem Solving, and when in balance, help you to be more effective.

Flexibility

This is the ability to adapt mind, emotions, and behaviours to dynamic or changing circumstances. When deciding on solutions we want a level of flexibility that enables us to adapt, think outside the box and consider other people’s opinions.

Too much flexibility with lower problem solving and we risk being indecisive or constantly flipping from one idea to the next, unable to identify or commit to the best option. Insufficient flexibility and we risk not being able to adapt to evolving situations as more information comes to light. We may prefer turning to tried-and-true solutions.

Flexibility and Problem Solving in balance help us to adapt to challenges, take on new ideas, and still be decisive and commit to solutions that yield effective outcomes.

Reality Testing

This is the ability to be objective and see things beyond the scope of our perspective, allowing us to grasp what the shared experience of the problem might be. When deciding on solutions, Reality Testing is recognising our biases and their influence on ‘how’ we do things or ‘think’ they should be done. When reality testing is high, we see things as they really are and use data and evidence to assist with our decision making. If it is too high and out of balance, we may perceive things to be black and white and are overly focussed on categorising and labelling. When Reality testing is low, we could fail to see perspectives beyond our direct experience or expertise. We might not leverage resources or data in our decision making and may become influenced by our biases. When Reality Testing and Problem Solving are in balance, we are able to see the forest from the trees. In other words, we are more able to consider others' perspectives, together with our own, as well as the facts and potential solutions, before making a final decision.

Emotional Self-Awareness (ESA)

This is our ability to understand how our emotions determine our behaviours and impact others. When reviewing a problem, our emotional state can influence responses such as practicality, avoidance or overwhelm. If our Emotional Self-Awareness is high, we might over analyse and block action. We might walk away after delivering our decisions and criticise our choices. When ESA is low, we might not consider our emotions and observe their impact on others. When ESA is in balance with Problem Solving, our decision-making will be practical, and enable us to face problems without getting reactive or overwhelmed by the challenge. We use emotions as information, not action. Good decision making is a combination of leveraging the information of our emotions, data and other evidence to make well rounded choices.

Five key signs to cultivate more Problem Solving

1. Procrastination or Avoidance when facing a problem:  We have all had moments where we have avoided or procrastinated when it comes to solving a problem or making a decision. If you find that you often procrastinate or avoid decision making it could be worthwhile taking a moment to reflect on what might be hindering you.
2. Feeling Overwhelmed: If you feel overwhelmed when you need to make a decision, this is a sign that you might want to cultivate greater problem solving capability. Often it is the way we think about a problem that is the issue, rather than the problem itself. Chunking the problem into smaller components can often reduce the sense of overwhelm.
3. Reliance on other’s opinions: Consistently seeking out other’s opinions can suggest underdeveloped problem-solving and difficulty in navigating emotional responses to problems. Being able to trust and think for oneself and gather resources and ideas autonomously will instil a greater sense of independence and confidence in decision making.
4. Repetition of the same mistakes: If we keep repeating the same mistakes, especially in challenging circumstances, it can indicate that we are failing to learn a lesson from experience. We might not be tapping into emotional information to understand our patterns. Understanding and breaking down where things went wrong, what we felt and how we reacted can help us learn how to make better choices or engage better strategies in the future.
5. Poor Outcome Evaluation: Not evaluating the effectiveness of solutions after implementation can suggest Problem Solving capabilities need development. Reviewing the solutions that were engaged, especially when facing tough decisions, high risk problems, or time sensitive curve balls, can help us understand whether the solution was effective or if something else might have been better. Assessing our solutions and why we chose them can help us become more aware of what part our emotions played. This understanding can help us engage more adaptive internal responses and external strategies so we can come up with better solutions in the future.

Exploring your Problem Solving

1. Can you describe a time when you found a creative solution to a problem? What prompted your creativity?
2. What are your typical reactions and process when you encounter a problem that seems unsolvable at first?
3. What is your problem-solving process? What resources, strategies, tools or internal mechanism do you leverage to support this process?
4. What steps do you take to identify the root cause of a problem?
5. How do you assess the impact of the problem before starting to solve it?
6. Reflect on how you handled a situation at work where your first attempt at solving a problem failed.
   • What was your response?
   • What was the response of others?
   • What could you do differently to improve the process in the future?
7. Reflect on an example of when you needed to adjust your solution strategy in response to new information or feedback?
8. What do you do and how do you stay motivated if solutions are not immediately apparent or successful?
9. How do you ensure your solutions are sustainable and prevent future related problems?
10. What are your strategies to deal with stress and external pressures when solving complex problems?

Developing your Problem Solving

Define a Problem

By keeping your focus entirely on the definition of the problem, you can eliminate the tendency to worry about everything extraneous to the issue (e.g., the problem’s history).

• Write down a precise and objective definition for a problem you need to solve (i.e., just like it would appear in a dictionary without including your subjective thoughts/language).
• Keep this definition in a place where you can be reminded of it daily. Without any emotional terms, this problem is now simply a task like any other on your to-do list and should be tackled in small steps.

Watch Your Limit

Our brains typically handle seven chunks of information. Whether we are memorising or deciding between many options, research tells us that this is the limit of information we can effectively manage.

• The next time you are stuck in solving a problem, ensure you are dealing with no more than seven pieces of information (or deciding among fewer than seven choices). Too much information paralyses you, while too little leaves you uninformed.
• Also, if your decision is stressful, your mental and emotional resources will be even fewer, so you may want to limit yourself to three options.

Build your Emotional Self Awareness

By curating a greater capability in emotional self-awareness you can use your emotions as information not action. When it comes to Problem Solving there can be many emotions involved such as stress, anxiety, overwhelm, feeling rushed, feeling the weight of responsibility, or fear of making a bad decision.

• Working through emotions verbally with someone you trust as you are arriving at a decision can be helpful in integrating emotional information into the decision-making process.
• Being mindful of what you are feeling, and how those particular emotions impact your performance enables you to move into a space of observation rather than inaction.

Conclusion 

Problem solving is a vital component of emotional intelligence, intricately linked to our ability to navigate decisions under the influence of emotions. Effective problem solving requires a balance of intuition and innovation, tempered with clear-headed analysis to strategically map out the best course of action.

By understanding and leveraging our emotional states, we can enhance our decision-making processes, leading to more effective and desirable outcomes. Cultivating problem-solving skills involves not only addressing procrastination and overwhelm but also fostering independence in decision-making, learning from past mistakes, and continually evaluating the effectiveness of our solutions.

Ultimately, by honing our emotional self-awareness and integrating flexibility and reality testing, we can better adapt to challenges, make well-rounded choices, and maintain resilience in the face of complex problems.

How Neural Networks can help you develop your Problem Solving

Since 2000, Neural Networks has been helping individuals and organisations build their emotional intelligence skills. As one of Australia’s leading professional development providers, we deliver innovative learning development programs in emotional intelligence,  leadership, sales, customer service and culture change.