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Why Problem-Solving Skills Are Essential for Leaders in Any Industry

• 17 Jan 2023

Any organization offering a product or service is in the business of solving problems.

Whether providing medical care to address health issues or quick convenience to those hungry for dinner, a business’s purpose is to satisfy customer needs .

In addition to solving customers’ problems, you’ll undoubtedly encounter challenges within your organization as it evolves to meet customer needs. You’re likely to experience growing pains in the form of missed targets, unattained goals, and team disagreements.

Yet, the ubiquity of problems doesn’t have to be discouraging; with the right frameworks and tools, you can build the skills to solve consumers' and your organization’s most challenging issues.

Here’s a primer on problem-solving in business, why it’s important, the skills you need, and how to build them.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is Problem-Solving in Business?

Problem-solving is the process of systematically removing barriers that prevent you or others from reaching goals.

Your business removes obstacles in customers’ lives through its products or services, just as you can remove obstacles that keep your team from achieving business goals.

Design Thinking

Design thinking , as described by Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar in the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , is a human-centered , solutions-based approach to problem-solving and innovation. Originally created for product design, design thinking’s use case has evolved . It’s now used to solve internal business problems, too.

The design thinking process has four stages :

• Clarify: Clarify a problem through research and feedback from those impacted.
• Ideate: Armed with new insights, generate as many solutions as possible.
• Develop: Combine and cull your ideas into a short list of viable, feasible, and desirable options before building prototypes (if making physical products) and creating a plan of action (if solving an intangible problem).
• Implement: Execute the strongest idea, ensuring clear communication with all stakeholders about its potential value and deliberate reasoning.

Using this framework, you can generate innovative ideas that wouldn’t have surfaced otherwise.

Creative Problem-Solving

Another, less structured approach to challenges is creative problem-solving , which employs a series of exercises to explore open-ended solutions and develop new perspectives. This is especially useful when a problem’s root cause has yet to be defined.

You can use creative problem-solving tools in design thinking’s “ideate” stage, which include:

• Brainstorming: Instruct everyone to develop as many ideas as possible in an allotted time frame without passing judgment.
• Divergent thinking exercises: Rather than arriving at the same conclusion (convergent thinking), instruct everyone to come up with a unique idea for a given prompt (divergent thinking). This type of exercise helps avoid the tendency to agree with others’ ideas without considering alternatives.
• Alternate worlds: Ask your team to consider how various personas would manage the problem. For instance, how would a pilot approach it? What about a young child? What about a seasoned engineer?

It can be tempting to fall back on how problems have been solved before, especially if they worked well. However, if you’re striving for innovation, relying on existing systems can stunt your company’s growth.

Related: How to Be a More Creative Problem-Solver at Work: 8 Tips

Why Is Problem-Solving Important for Leaders?

While obstacles’ specifics vary between industries, strong problem-solving skills are crucial for leaders in any field.

Whether building a new product or dealing with internal issues, you’re bound to come up against challenges. Having frameworks and tools at your disposal when they arise can turn issues into opportunities.

As a leader, it’s rarely your responsibility to solve a problem single-handedly, so it’s crucial to know how to empower employees to work together to find the best solution.

Your job is to guide them through each step of the framework and set the parameters and prompts within which they can be creative. Then, you can develop a list of ideas together, test the best ones, and implement the chosen solution.

Related: 5 Design Thinking Skills for Business Professionals

4 Problem-Solving Skills All Leaders Need

1. problem framing.

One key skill for any leader is framing problems in a way that makes sense for their organization. Problem framing is defined in Design Thinking and Innovation as determining the scope, context, and perspective of the problem you’re trying to solve.

“Before you begin to generate solutions for your problem, you must always think hard about how you’re going to frame that problem,” Datar says in the course.

For instance, imagine you work for a company that sells children’s sneakers, and sales have plummeted. When framing the problem, consider:

• What is the children’s sneaker market like right now?
• Should we improve the quality of our sneakers?
• Should we assess all children’s footwear?
• Is this a marketing issue for children’s sneakers specifically?
• Is this a bigger issue that impacts how we should market or produce all footwear?

While there’s no one right way to frame a problem, how you do can impact the solutions you generate. It’s imperative to accurately frame problems to align with organizational priorities and ensure your team generates useful ideas for your firm.

To solve a problem, you need to empathize with those impacted by it. Empathy is the ability to understand others’ emotions and experiences. While many believe empathy is a fixed trait, it’s a skill you can strengthen through practice.

When confronted with a problem, consider whom it impacts. Returning to the children’s sneaker example, think of who’s affected:

• Your organization’s employees, because sales are down
• The customers who typically buy your sneakers
• The children who typically wear your sneakers

Empathy is required to get to the problem’s root and consider each group’s perspective. Assuming someone’s perspective often isn’t accurate, so the best way to get that information is by collecting user feedback.

For instance, if you asked customers who typically buy your children’s sneakers why they’ve stopped, they could say, “A new brand of children’s sneakers came onto the market that have soles with more traction. I want my child to be as safe as possible, so I bought those instead.”

When someone shares their feelings and experiences, you have an opportunity to empathize with them. This can yield solutions to their problem that directly address its root and shows you care. In this case, you may design a new line of children’s sneakers with extremely grippy soles for added safety, knowing that’s what your customers care most about.

Related: 3 Effective Methods for Assessing Customer Needs

3. Breaking Cognitive Fixedness

Cognitive fixedness is a state of mind in which you examine situations through the lens of past experiences. This locks you into one mindset rather than allowing you to consider alternative possibilities.

For instance, your cognitive fixedness may make you think rubber is the only material for sneaker treads. What else could you use? Is there a grippier alternative you haven’t considered?

Problem-solving is all about overcoming cognitive fixedness. You not only need to foster this skill in yourself but among your team.

4. Creating a Psychologically Safe Environment

As a leader, it’s your job to create an environment conducive to problem-solving. In a psychologically safe environment, all team members feel comfortable bringing ideas to the table, which are likely influenced by their personal opinions and experiences.

If employees are penalized for “bad” ideas or chastised for questioning long-held procedures and systems, innovation has no place to take root.

By employing the design thinking framework and creative problem-solving exercises, you can foster a setting in which your team feels comfortable sharing ideas and new, innovative solutions can grow.

How to Build Problem-Solving Skills

The most obvious answer to how to build your problem-solving skills is perhaps the most intimidating: You must practice.

Again and again, you’ll encounter challenges, use creative problem-solving tools and design thinking frameworks, and assess results to learn what to do differently next time.

While most of your practice will occur within your organization, you can learn in a lower-stakes setting by taking an online course, such as Design Thinking and Innovation . Datar guides you through each tool and framework, presenting real-world business examples to help you envision how you would approach the same types of problems in your organization.

Are you interested in uncovering innovative solutions for your organization’s business problems? Explore Design Thinking and Innovation —one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses —to learn how to leverage proven frameworks and tools to solve challenges. Not sure which course is right for you? Download our free flowchart .

About the Author

What is problem solving and why is it important

By Wayne Stottler , Kepner-Tregoe

• Problem Solving & Decision Making Over time, developing and refining problem solving skills provides the ability to solve increasingly complex problems Learn More

For over 60 years, Kepner-Tregoe has been helping companies across industries and geographies to develop and mature their problem-solving capabilities through KT’s industry leading approach to training and the implementation of best practice processes. Considering that problem solving is a part of almost every person’s daily life (both at home and in the workplace), it is surprising how often we are asked to explain what problem solving is and why it is important.

Problem solving is at the core of human evolution. It is the methods we use to understand what is happening in our environment, identify things we want to change and then figure out the things that need to be done to create the desired outcome. Problem solving is the source of all new inventions, social and cultural evolution, and the basis for market based economies. It is the basis for continuous improvement, communication and learning.

If this problem-solving thing is so important to daily life, what is it?

Problem-solving is the process of observing what is going on in your environment; identifying things that could be changed or improved; diagnosing why the current state is the way it is and the factors and forces that influence it; developing approaches and alternatives to influence change; making decisions about which alternative to select; taking action to implement the changes; and observing impact of those actions in the environment.

Each step in the problem-solving process employs skills and methods that contribute to the overall effectiveness of influencing change and determine the level of problem complexity that can be addressed. Humans learn how to solve simple problems from a very early age (learning to eat, make coordinated movements and communicate) – and as a person goes through life problem-solving skills are refined, matured and become more sophisticated (enabling them to solve more difficult problems).

Problem-solving is important both to individuals and organizations because it enables us to exert control over our environment.

Fixing things that are broken

Some things wear out and break over time, others are flawed from day-1. Personal and business environments are full of things, activities, interactions and processes that are broken or not operating in the way they are desired to work. Problem-solving gives us a mechanism for identifying these things, figuring out why they are broken and determining a course of action to fix them.

Addressing risk

Humans have learned to identify trends and developed an awareness of cause-and-effect relationships in their environment. These skills not only enable us to fix things when they break but also anticipate what may happen in the future (based on past-experience and current events). Problem-solving can be applied to the anticipated future events and used to enable action in the present to influence the likelihood of the event occurring and/or alter the impact if the event does occur.

Improving performance

Individuals and organizations do not exist in isolation in the environment. There is a complex and ever-changing web of relationships that exist and as a result, the actions of one person will often have either a direct impact on others or an indirect impact by changing the environment dynamics. These interdependencies enable humans to work together to solve more complex problems but they also create a force that requires everyone to continuously improve performance to adapt to improvements by others. Problem-solving helps us understand relationships and implement the changes and improvements needed to compete and survive in a continually changing environment.

Seizing opportunity

Problem solving isn’t just about responding to (and fixing) the environment that exists today. It is also about innovating, creating new things and changing the environment to be more desirable. Problem-solving enables us to identify and exploit opportunities in the environment and exert (some level of) control over the future.

Problem solving skills and the problem-solving process are a critical part of daily life both as individuals and organizations. Developing and refining these skills through training, practice and learning can provide the ability to solve problems more effectively and over time address problems with a greater degree of complexity and difficulty. View KT’s Problem Solving workshop known to be the gold standard for over 60 years.

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Overview of the Problem-Solving Mental Process

• Identify the Problem
• Define the Problem
• Form a Strategy
• Organize Information
• Allocate Resources
• Monitor Progress
• Evaluate the Results

Frequently Asked Questions

Problem-solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing, and solving problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that best resolves the issue.

The best strategy for solving a problem depends largely on the unique situation. In some cases, people are better off learning everything they can about the issue and then using factual knowledge to come up with a solution. In other instances, creativity and insight are the best options.

It is not necessary to follow problem-solving steps sequentially, It is common to skip steps or even go back through steps multiple times until the desired solution is reached.

In order to correctly solve a problem, it is often important to follow a series of steps. Researchers sometimes refer to this as the problem-solving cycle. While this cycle is portrayed sequentially, people rarely follow a rigid series of steps to find a solution.

The following steps include developing strategies and organizing knowledge.

1. Identifying the Problem

While it may seem like an obvious step, identifying the problem is not always as simple as it sounds. In some cases, people might mistakenly identify the wrong source of a problem, which will make attempts to solve it inefficient or even useless.

Some strategies that you might use to figure out the source of a problem include :

• Asking questions about the problem
• Breaking the problem down into smaller pieces
• Looking at the problem from different perspectives
• Conducting research to figure out what relationships exist between different variables

2. Defining the Problem

After the problem has been identified, it is important to fully define the problem so that it can be solved. You can define a problem by operationally defining each aspect of the problem and setting goals for what aspects of the problem you will address

At this point, you should focus on figuring out which aspects of the problems are facts and which are opinions. State the problem clearly and identify the scope of the solution.

3. Forming a Strategy

After the problem has been identified, it is time to start brainstorming potential solutions. This step usually involves generating as many ideas as possible without judging their quality. Once several possibilities have been generated, they can be evaluated and narrowed down.

The next step is to develop a strategy to solve the problem. The approach used will vary depending upon the situation and the individual's unique preferences. Common problem-solving strategies include heuristics and algorithms.

• Heuristics are mental shortcuts that are often based on solutions that have worked in the past. They can work well if the problem is similar to something you have encountered before and are often the best choice if you need a fast solution.
• Algorithms are step-by-step strategies that are guaranteed to produce a correct result. While this approach is great for accuracy, it can also consume time and resources.

Heuristics are often best used when time is of the essence, while algorithms are a better choice when a decision needs to be as accurate as possible.

4. Organizing Information

Before coming up with a solution, you need to first organize the available information. What do you know about the problem? What do you not know? The more information that is available the better prepared you will be to come up with an accurate solution.

When approaching a problem, it is important to make sure that you have all the data you need. Making a decision without adequate information can lead to biased or inaccurate results.

5. Allocating Resources

Of course, we don't always have unlimited money, time, and other resources to solve a problem. Before you begin to solve a problem, you need to determine how high priority it is.

If it is an important problem, it is probably worth allocating more resources to solving it. If, however, it is a fairly unimportant problem, then you do not want to spend too much of your available resources on coming up with a solution.

At this stage, it is important to consider all of the factors that might affect the problem at hand. This includes looking at the available resources, deadlines that need to be met, and any possible risks involved in each solution. After careful evaluation, a decision can be made about which solution to pursue.

6. Monitoring Progress

After selecting a problem-solving strategy, it is time to put the plan into action and see if it works. This step might involve trying out different solutions to see which one is the most effective.

It is also important to monitor the situation after implementing a solution to ensure that the problem has been solved and that no new problems have arisen as a result of the proposed solution.

Effective problem-solvers tend to monitor their progress as they work towards a solution. If they are not making good progress toward reaching their goal, they will reevaluate their approach or look for new strategies .

7. Evaluating the Results

After a solution has been reached, it is important to evaluate the results to determine if it is the best possible solution to the problem. This evaluation might be immediate, such as checking the results of a math problem to ensure the answer is correct, or it can be delayed, such as evaluating the success of a therapy program after several months of treatment.

Once a problem has been solved, it is important to take some time to reflect on the process that was used and evaluate the results. This will help you to improve your problem-solving skills and become more efficient at solving future problems.

A Word From Verywell​

It is important to remember that there are many different problem-solving processes with different steps, and this is just one example. Problem-solving in real-world situations requires a great deal of resourcefulness, flexibility, resilience, and continuous interaction with the environment.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how you can stop dwelling in a negative mindset.

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

You can become a better problem solving by:

• Practicing brainstorming and coming up with multiple potential solutions to problems
• Being open-minded and considering all possible options before making a decision
• Breaking down problems into smaller, more manageable pieces
• Asking for help when needed
• Researching different problem-solving techniques and trying out new ones
• Learning from mistakes and using them as opportunities to grow

It's important to communicate openly and honestly with your partner about what's going on. Try to see things from their perspective as well as your own. Work together to find a resolution that works for both of you. Be willing to compromise and accept that there may not be a perfect solution.

Take breaks if things are getting too heated, and come back to the problem when you feel calm and collected. Don't try to fix every problem on your own—consider asking a therapist or counselor for help and insight.

If you've tried everything and there doesn't seem to be a way to fix the problem, you may have to learn to accept it. This can be difficult, but try to focus on the positive aspects of your life and remember that every situation is temporary. Don't dwell on what's going wrong—instead, think about what's going right. Find support by talking to friends or family. Seek professional help if you're having trouble coping.

Davidson JE, Sternberg RJ, editors.  The Psychology of Problem Solving .  Cambridge University Press; 2003. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511615771

Sarathy V. Real world problem-solving .  Front Hum Neurosci . 2018;12:261. Published 2018 Jun 26. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00261

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

The Importance of Problem-Solving Skills in the Workplace

The ability to solve problems, both simple and complex, is valuable in all workplaces. More than 60% of employers look for evidence of problem-solving ability when evaluating candidates for roles in their organization. Problem-solving in the workplace draws on many different skills, often in collaboration, from analytical thinking and creativity to confident decision-making in critical situations. Modern employees who know how to problem solve and don’t panic when a problem arises can be trusted to work independently and contribute towards an organization’s success.

Some people are natural problem solvers - they see a challenge and they start to suggest solutions without even blinking. For others, problem-solving in the workplace doesn’t come as naturally, but they can develop skills and strategies to help them in the long term.

The role of problem-solving in the workplace 

Let’s take a more specific look at problem-solving in the workplace and start to understand just why it’s such a valuable trait.

To begin with, good problem solvers tend to be good decision-makers. When solving a problem, people may be required to make several smaller decisions to reach a complete solution so an ability to quickly make decisions is essential for fast and effective outcomes. If your team lacks this capability, then any challenges thrown their way will cause them to stall and fall behind. They may even make poor decisions if their ability to problem solve isn’t well-rounded and well-informed.

Strong problem-solving skills also contribute to innovation. This is useful for providing our organizations with a competitive edge but also for finding creative solutions to obstacles. Good problem-solving relies upon the ability to find a solution to the issue as it exists here and now, and not rely on using an approach that worked previously. This is why innovation as a facet of problem-solving in the workplace is key.

Problem-solving in the workplace often involves a lot of teamwork. Collaborating on a problem is a great way for a team to bond and learn more about each other’s strengths. In this way, problem-solving contributes towards team unity and purpose. There are even games you can present to your team to have fun and bond while improving their ability to problem solve.

Identifying problem-solving skills in employees

Many people may answer yes when asked if they’re good problem solvers, but we don’t have to rely on self-reporting (although it’s a useful measure). Instead, we can look out for certain behaviors and traits that indicate someone is good at solving problems. Key indicators of problem-solving capability include taking a proactive approach to challenges and asking insightful questions, as this shows both an understanding of a situation and the ability to think further outside it.

Hiring Managers often need to assess an applicant’s problem-solving abilities during the recruitment process. They can do this by asking situational questions about hypothetical problems and scenarios, and assessing how they would draw upon their skills and experience to tackle a problem. Recruiters can also use abstract reasoning tests to get an understanding of someone’s problem-solving abilities, seeing how they combine logic, fluid intelligence, and lateral thinking to find solutions.

HR teams and managers may also want to assess the problem-solving skills of their existing team members. They can do this with performance reviews, discussing examples that have occurred in the workplace and how the individual tackled an issue, and with feedback sessions utilizing 360-degree feedback from fellow employees. Managers can also consciously observe how their employees solve problems on a day-to-day basis, reviewing whether someone attempts to take on challenges independently or turns to others for help.

Developing problem-solving skills in your team 

Just because someone struggles to solve problems now doesn’t mean they can’t be coached to take a more confident approach in the future. Training and development programs focused on critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and decision-making strategies provide people with the skills and confidence to take on problems by giving them practice scenarios and examples to work from. This can be done at an individual and team level - it’s useful for a team that works closely together to understand how they can divide tasks and decision-making when it comes to problem-solving, and team bonding games provide a light-hearted way to learn this.

It’s easier to suggest solutions to problems in the workplace when you know it’s ok to experiment and make mistakes. If they want to benefit from problem-solving employees, leadership teams and managers should foster a supportive work environment where employees are encouraged to propose and test new ideas without fear of failure. They can do this through their approach to problem-solving in the workplace, and by being empathetic should errors occur in attempts to tackle problems.

Team leaders should also recognize the value of diverse perspectives when it comes to problem-solving. They shouldn’t always turn to the same people when a new problem presents itself but should encourage input from all parties. Varied viewpoints can lead to more innovative solutions or improvements on pre-existing solutions.

Leveraging Thomas’ expertise

For extra support in understanding your employees’ problem-solving abilities, you can turn to Thomas. Our assessments can help identify individuals with strong problem-solving capabilities or areas where employees need development. We can also provide tailored development solutions based on your assessment results with workshops designed to enhance problem-solving skills at a leadership and employee level.

The impact of strong problem-solving skills on business success 

Businesses made up of individuals with strong problem-solving skills set themselves up for success. When we recruit problem solvers and develop the problem-solving skills of our existing employees, we contribute to organizational growth by fostering innovation and improving how our teams collaborate.

There’s a very real return on investment to be made when companies spend time and effort on developing these skills. They create more agile, innovative individuals who give their organizations a competitive advantage versus organizations who overlook this crucial area.

Problem-solving in the workplace shouldn't be overlooked. Speak to an expert at Thomas today and see how we can enhance the problem-solving capabilities of your teams and set them up for success.

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Why are problem solving skills in the workplace so important? Subskills, benefits, scenarios

Test your candidates' problem-solving skills with testgorilla.

The importance of problem-solving skills in the workplace can’t be overstated. Every business and job role has its problems. From entry-level hires to senior staffers, every one of your employees will face challenges that don’t can’t be answered by doing a quick Google search – or asking ChatGPT to come up with solutions.

That’s why employers must hire people with excellent problem-solving skills, especially for roles that require dealing with complex business challenges, tight deadlines, and changing variables – for example, when recruiting leaders .

But what are problem-solving skills? What role do they play in the workplace? 

And, most importantly, how can you evaluate candidates’ skills before you hire them?

Table of contents

What are problem solving skills, the benefits of problem solving skills: why are problem solving skills important , examples of problems at the workplace – and how problem solving skills can help, how to assess problem solving skills, evaluate problem solving skills and hire candidates who can think for themselves.

To fully understand the importance of problem-solving skills in the workplace, it’s important first to understand the broad skill set that we commonly refer to as “problem solving skills”. 

Generally, problem-solving refers to a person’s ability to successfully manage and find solutions for complex and unexpected situations. 

Candidates with great problem-solving skills have a combination of analytical and creative thinking. They’re comfortable with making decisions and confident enough to rise to challenges in the workplace.

These candidates possess a combination of analytical, creative, and critical-thinking skills – and a high level of attention to detail . As a result, they will quickly identify problems when they arise and identify the most effective solutions. 

They’ll also identify the factors and forces that might have caused the problem and instigate changes to mitigate future challenges.

There are six key problem-solving skills that you should look for when assessing job candidates: 

1. Listening skills

Active listeners are generally great problem solvers. 

They can listen to those around them to gather the information needed to solve the problem at hand. They also recognize the importance of valuing others’ opinions and experiences to help understand why the problem occurred and define the best course of action to remedy it. 

2. Analytical thinking skills 

Analytical thinkers can identify the logical reasons why a problem occurred, what the long-term effects of the issue could be, and identify how effective different solutions might be to select the most practical one. 

That’s why it’s essential to assess analytical thinking skills during recruitment.

3. Creative thinking skills

Creative thinkers can balance their analytical skills with creative approaches to challenges. Creative thinking skills enable individuals to uncover innovative and progressive solutions to problems. 

In this way, they’re able to provide new perspectives and provide imaginative and experimental solutions to all kinds of problems. 

4. Communication skills 

Problem solvers should also possess great communication skills . The ability to effectively relay complex information thoroughly yet succinctly is a huge benefit for employers working in fast-paced environments. 

5. Decision-making skills 

Those with problem-solving skills will also possess the ability to make decisions and be confident in them. This is important, because most problem-solving involves making firm decisions to reach a successful outcome. 

6. Teamwork

Although problem-solvers need to be independent thinkers, it’s also vital for them to work well as part of a team . 

Determining the best solution often requires collaboration, so it’s important that candidates can demonstrate how they can motivate others to come up with the best solutions and work with them to help develop and implement solutions. 

Problem-solving skills enable you to find candidates who are cognitively equipped to handle anything their jobs throw at them.

Problem solvers can observe, judge, and act quickly when difficulties arise when they inevitably do. Moreover, they are not afraid of the unknown, which is invaluable to employers who rely on their employees to identify and solve problems. 

There are several important benefits of problem-solving skills in the workplace. Below, we’ll go through five of the most significant ones that all problem solvers can bring to their roles and workplaces: 

1. Ability to organize their time intelligently 

Time management skills can often be underlooked as one of the benefits of problem-solving skills in the workplace. 

However, those with problem-solving abilities also typically possess stellar time-management skills. The ability to manage their time wisely and laser-focus on what’s important to the business will lead to better decision-making and business impact. 

2. Ability to prioritize, plan, and execute strategies

Problem solvers have no issue with carefully assessing customer and business needs and deciding how to prioritize, plan, and execute strategies to meet them. They can manage all moving parts and strategize to meet multiple unique demands.

3. Ability to think outside the box

Problem solvers can often identify hidden opportunities in problems. Thinking outside of the box is an important problem-solving skill in the workplace, because it can often lead to better outcomes than the originally expected ones. 

4. Ability to work under pressure

This is often one of the most important benefits of problem-solving skills in the workplace. Problem solvers often work well under pressure, for example when dealing with short deadlines and changing project requirements.

Depending on your workplace culture, you might prefer someone who can deliver quick solutions or someone who takes their time to identify the next steps. Both are valid and important problem solving qualities. 

5. Ability to address risk

Planning is an important problem-solving skill. Problem solvers are not just equipped to deal with the problem at hand but are also able to anticipate problems that will arise in the future based on trends, patterns, experience, and current events.

Let’s now look at some specific examples of problems that could arise at the workplace – at any workplace, really – and how employees’ problem solving skills can help address each issue. 

Below, you’ll find five typical scenarios where problem solving skills are essential.

Conflict between team members

Poor team dynamics or lack of a collaborative spirit might result in frequent workplace conflicts – especially within larger teams.

For example, members of cross-functional teams might disagree on the way they should address a particular issue or even on the priority they should give to it. 

How problem solving skills can help: 

Teamwork is essential when solving conflict – and a cornerstone of effective cross-functional team leadership .

For this, coworkers need to share a common understanding of the team’s goals and also be willing to work towards achieving them, even when they disagree on the specific approaches to each goal.  The ability to understand others’ perspectives, analyze information critically, and come up with a few different solutions is key to finding a common ground and making progress on the team’s objectives.

Inefficient processes

Outdated, inefficient processes can reduce productivity and frustrate employees.

Multi-step approval processes are a typical example of this. Having multiple layers of approval for routine decisions can significantly slow down team progress and lead to missed opportunities.

Analytical thinking skills are key in identifying inefficiencies and building better procedures. Employees or team leads can build flowcharts that speed up decision making without having to ask a supervisor’s permission at every step of the process. 

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Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and lack of clarity and direction – which, in turn, can be detrimental to team performance. 

For example, if you’re a remote-first company, maintaining clear and effective remote communication can be challenging. 

The over-reliance on emails and messaging apps might make it feel like teams are communicating effectively and are always connected. However, the lack of non-verbal cues and face-to-face interactions might make it more difficult to build rapport and a positive workplace culture .

Listening skills are essential to solving communication issues – and good listeners are often excellent at solving problems by recognizing, understanding, and acknowledging others’ points of view. 

One-on-one meetings enable people to communicate more freely and effectively and solve challenges together, so consider encouraging team members to hop on a call each time they encounter a difficult challenge.

Additionally, you can help employees bond with each other with some remote team building activities to improve team cohesion. Plus, problem solving challenges can be excellent team building exercises.

Technological disruptions 

New technologies often disrupt the usual ways of doing things – and sometimes, this can be disruptive for entire teams’ work. 

For example, generative AI and automation technologies have revolutionized numerous types of work, including data analysis, marketing, customer service, and even content creation.

Creative thinking and cognitive flexibility are among the top 10 most important skills of the future , according to the World Economic Forum. Both are essential for adopting new technologies successfully – and finding ways to make the most out of each new tool to improve productivity. 

Insufficient onboarding resources 

Team members may struggle to do their best work if they haven't received proper training or resources.

For example, start-ups that experience rapid growth might hire a few employees at once – or even entire teams. 

If they fail to allocate sufficient time and resources to onboarding new hires, this might lead to lost productivity, a lacking sense of belonging, or increased turnover. That’s true not only for junior employees but also for newly hired senior leaders , as the Harvard Business Review points out.

Your leadership team’s analytical and decision-making skills are crucial in enabling them to distribute limited resources in a way that would give their teams the best chances of success. 

To build a solid onboarding process , you need leaders who are able to take ownership of it – and who have the right problem-solving skills.

Many organizations use problem-solving interview questions to identify the right candidates for their job openings. However, the most effective way to assess problem-solving skills is with pre-employment skills assessments . 

That’s because skills tests provide an objective way to quantify a candidate’s problem-solving skills in a way that isn’t possible during an interview.

How problem solving skills tests work

Tests like TestGorilla’s problem-solving skills test assist organizations in finding candidates who are able to quickly identify the key elements of the problem and work through the problem at speed without making mistakes. 

By presenting candidates with a wide range of questions related to typical problem-solving scenarios, hiring teams can rank their candidates based on an intensive assessment of each candidate’s skill level.

The test specifically evaluates whether a candidate can perform problem-solving tasks like:

Creating and adjust schedules

Prioritizing items based on a given set of rules

Interpreting data and applying logic to make decisions

Analyzing textual and numerical information to draw conclusions

As you can see, even the best interviewer would have trouble assessing each of these skill areas while still covering all the other questions that they need to ask. 

If you’re convinced of the importance of problem-solving skills in the workplace and want to build a team of employees that can think independently and solve their own problems without constant supervision, assess problem-solving skills during the hiring process. 

Problem-solving skills tests like ours are an excellent way to achieve this – especially if you combine them with other skills tests. Check out our extensive test library for other tests you can use in your talent assessment process to hire the best talent. 

Sign up for our free plan to start building your first assessment – or schedule a demo with one of our experts to see how to evaluate applicants’ problem solving skills quickly, efficiently, and without bias. 

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What Are Problem-Solving Skills? Definition and Examples

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Forage puts students first. Our blog articles are written independently by our editorial team. They have not been paid for or sponsored by our partners. See our full  editorial guidelines .

Why do employers hire employees? To help them solve problems. Whether you’re a financial analyst deciding where to invest your firm’s money, or a marketer trying to figure out which channel to direct your efforts, companies hire people to help them find solutions. Problem-solving is an essential and marketable soft skill in the workplace. 

So, how can you improve your problem-solving and show employers you have this valuable skill? In this guide, we’ll cover:

Problem-Solving Skills Definition

Why are problem-solving skills important, problem-solving skills examples, how to include problem-solving skills in a job application, how to improve problem-solving skills, problem-solving: the bottom line.

Problem-solving skills are the ability to identify problems, brainstorm and analyze answers, and implement the best solutions. An employee with good problem-solving skills is both a self-starter and a collaborative teammate; they are proactive in understanding the root of a problem and work with others to consider a wide range of solutions before deciding how to move forward. 

Examples of using problem-solving skills in the workplace include:

• Researching patterns to understand why revenue decreased last quarter
• Experimenting with a new marketing channel to increase website sign-ups
• Brainstorming content types to share with potential customers
• Testing calls to action to see which ones drive the most product sales
• Implementing a new workflow to automate a team process and increase productivity

Problem-solving skills are the most sought-after soft skill of 2022. In fact, 86% of employers look for problem-solving skills on student resumes, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2022 survey . 

It’s unsurprising why employers are looking for this skill: companies will always need people to help them find solutions to their problems. Someone proactive and successful at problem-solving is valuable to any team.

“Employers are looking for employees who can make decisions independently, especially with the prevalence of remote/hybrid work and the need to communicate asynchronously,” Eric Mochnacz, senior HR consultant at Red Clover, says. “Employers want to see individuals who can make well-informed decisions that mitigate risk, and they can do so without suffering from analysis paralysis.”

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Problem-solving includes three main parts: identifying the problem, analyzing possible solutions, and deciding on the best course of action.

>>MORE: Discover the right career for you based on your skills with a career aptitude test .

Research is the first step of problem-solving because it helps you understand the context of a problem. Researching a problem enables you to learn why the problem is happening. For example, is revenue down because of a new sales tactic? Or because of seasonality? Is there a problem with who the sales team is reaching out to? 

Research broadens your scope to all possible reasons why the problem could be happening. Then once you figure it out, it helps you narrow your scope to start solving it. 

Analysis is the next step of problem-solving. Now that you’ve identified the problem, analytical skills help you look at what potential solutions there might be.

“The goal of analysis isn’t to solve a problem, actually — it’s to better understand it because that’s where the real solution will be found,” Gretchen Skalka, owner of Career Insights Consulting, says. “Looking at a problem through the lens of impartiality is the only way to get a true understanding of it from all angles.”

Decision-Making

Once you’ve figured out where the problem is coming from and what solutions are, it’s time to decide on the best way to go forth. Decision-making skills help you determine what resources are available, what a feasible action plan entails, and what solution is likely to lead to success.

On a Resume

Employers looking for problem-solving skills might include the word “problem-solving” or other synonyms like “ critical thinking ” or “analytical skills” in the job description.

“I would add ‘buzzwords’ you can find from the job descriptions or LinkedIn endorsements section to filter into your resume to comply with the ATS,” Matthew Warzel, CPRW resume writer, advises. Warzel recommends including these skills on your resume but warns to “leave the soft skills as adjectives in the summary section. That is the only place soft skills should be mentioned.”

On the other hand, you can list hard skills separately in a skills section on your resume .

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In a Cover Letter or an Interview

Explaining your problem-solving skills in an interview can seem daunting. You’re required to expand on your process — how you identified a problem, analyzed potential solutions, and made a choice. As long as you can explain your approach, it’s okay if that solution didn’t come from a professional work experience.

“Young professionals shortchange themselves by thinking only paid-for solutions matter to employers,” Skalka says. “People at the genesis of their careers don’t have a wealth of professional experience to pull from, but they do have relevant experience to share.”

Aaron Case, career counselor and CPRW at Resume Genius, agrees and encourages early professionals to share this skill. “If you don’t have any relevant work experience yet, you can still highlight your problem-solving skills in your cover letter,” he says. “Just showcase examples of problems you solved while completing your degree, working at internships, or volunteering. You can even pull examples from completely unrelated part-time jobs, as long as you make it clear how your problem-solving ability transfers to your new line of work.”

Learn How to Identify Problems

Problem-solving doesn’t just require finding solutions to problems that are already there. It’s also about being proactive when something isn’t working as you hoped it would. Practice questioning and getting curious about processes and activities in your everyday life. What could you improve? What would you do if you had more resources for this process? If you had fewer? Challenge yourself to challenge the world around you.

Think Digitally

“Employers in the modern workplace value digital problem-solving skills, like being able to find a technology solution to a traditional issue,” Case says. “For example, when I first started working as a marketing writer, my department didn’t have the budget to hire a professional voice actor for marketing video voiceovers. But I found a perfect solution to the problem with an AI voiceover service that cost a fraction of the price of an actor.”

Being comfortable with new technology — even ones you haven’t used before — is a valuable skill in an increasingly hybrid and remote world. Don’t be afraid to research new and innovative technologies to help automate processes or find a more efficient technological solution.

Collaborate

Problem-solving isn’t done in a silo, and it shouldn’t be. Use your collaboration skills to gather multiple perspectives, help eliminate bias, and listen to alternative solutions. Ask others where they think the problem is coming from and what solutions would help them with your workflow. From there, try to compromise on a solution that can benefit everyone.

If we’ve learned anything from the past few years, it’s that the world of work is constantly changing — which means it’s crucial to know how to adapt . Be comfortable narrowing down a solution, then changing your direction when a colleague provides a new piece of information. Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone, whether with your personal routine or trying a new system at work.

Put Yourself in the Middle of Tough Moments

Just like adapting requires you to challenge your routine and tradition, good problem-solving requires you to put yourself in challenging situations — especially ones where you don’t have relevant experience or expertise to find a solution. Because you won’t know how to tackle the problem, you’ll learn new problem-solving skills and how to navigate new challenges. Ask your manager or a peer if you can help them work on a complicated problem, and be proactive about asking them questions along the way.

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Step 1 of 3

Companies always need people to help them find solutions — especially proactive employees who have practical analytical skills and can collaborate to decide the best way to move forward. Whether or not you have experience solving problems in a professional workplace, illustrate your problem-solving skills by describing your research, analysis, and decision-making process — and make it clear that you’re the solution to the employer’s current problems. 

Image Credit: Christina Morillo / Pexels 

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POWERING WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE

20 december, 2022, why problem solving skills matter in the workplace.

Whether you’re an artist, a software developer or a CEO of a multinational conglomerate, problem solving skills are a critical asset in any professional setting.

Closely linked to other cognitive competencies including self-management and critical thinking, problem solving is a key workplace skill that empowers employees to manage change, communicate effectively and bring a fresh perspective to old problems. But to harness the benefits of logical and adaptive thinking in the workplace, organisations must take concerted action to foster problem solving skills in their employees.

What do problem solving skills in the workplace look like?

Workplace problem solving has several prominent distinctions when compared to problem solving in other contexts. This includes the formal and goal-oriented structure of the problem, as well as the critical role of teamwork in reaching a solution. An individual who shows competence in problem solving outside the workplace may not necessarily thrive when confronting a workplace issue.

A lack of problem solving skills in the workplace can be detrimental to businesses. Problem solving skills enable employees to evaluate and effectively resolve daily challenges.  Every job role within a business will face challenges and unexpected situations. Problem solving skills provide employees with the ability to recognise and analyse problems, identify and evaluate a range of potential solutions and then decide on and implement the most effective solution.

A workforce equipped with problem solving skills will be adaptive and ready to face the challenges of the constantly evolving modern workplace. Its employees will demonstrate an ability to:

• Listen actively
• Think analytically and creatively
• Come up with innovative solutions
• Communicate effectively
• Make decisions confidently based on evidence
• Work together as a team

The importance of problem solving skills in the workplace

Problem solving is a vital skill in the workplace. The ability to think logically and creatively empowers individuals to tackle challenges and seize opportunities in all levels of business. This in turn helps to achieve the following benefits of problem solving skills in the workplace:

Time and resources are used efficiently

All businesses have limited time and resources. This means that when a problem arises, it must be resolved as quickly as possible leveraging available resources. One of the major benefits of problem solving skills in the workplace is that employees can utilise their innovative thinking to prioritise tasks and focus on pressing challenges facing the business. This will result in them providing effective solutions that utilise available resources within the time frame available.

Improved problem solving skills also lead to improved time management as employees learn to make quick and effective decisions. Problem solving skills become even more critical where employees are expected to  provide solutions to complex or urgent problems.

The business can better respond to changing client needs

One of the primary purposes of a business is to deliver reliable and excellent service to their clients. Satisfied clients buy more goods or services, create positive advertising by word-of-mouth and generate referrals. But businesses operate in a changing world, which leads to changing client needs that must be anticipated as early as possible.

Employees must be able to take the initiative to respond to those changing needs. A workforce equipped with problem solving skills can quickly reposition itself to better meet shifts in client needs and developments in the environment in which those clients operate.

The business stays ahead of the curve

To stay ahead of the curve, a business must be proactive across all levels. Change in the modern workplace is constant and businesses must come up with fast solutions to problems and be prepared to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise.  Employees must be confident to continually challenge the norm and swiftly adapt to changes in the business and the market.

A team that can confidently solve problems will see problems as an opportunity to initiate change and growth, which will help to keep the business ahead of competitors.

The business can anticipate risk

Employees equipped with problem solving skills can handle difficult situations that arise in the workplace. They can expertly deal with challenges that create risk for the business.

A successful business must be able to assess the probability of something going wrong and be able to anticipate the negative consequences if it does. Problem solving skills assist employees to foresee the likely sources of risk to the business and to make considered decisions as to the best way to manage those risks. These skills also play a key role in refining an organisation’s internal talent pipeline.

Strategies for developing problem solving in employees

When developing problem solving in the workplace, it is critical to take a flexible approach that addresses the needs of both current and future employees.

Emphasise problem solving in recruitment and assessment

Whether they are entry level, managers or senior executives, problem solving is a crucial skill for all your employees. Skills that indicate a strong problem solving ability are listening skills, analytical thinking skills, creative thinking skills and communication skills. These skills should be sought out and encouraged in both recruitment and assessment.

One way to identify problem solving skills in interviews is by giving candidates problems that they must solve on the spot within a limited time frame. Interviewers can then assess both the solution that the candidate came up with as well as how they responded to the unexpected challenge.

Self management, not micromanagement

Micromanagement can impede a business’ ability to reach its goals. Instead of raising productivity, micromanagement is more likely to lower the morale of your employees, stifle creativity and damage trust. Employees must have the ability and be given the opportunity to manage their own workflow and productivity without constantly relying on a supervisor.

Problem solving skills will help equip your employees with the ability to self manage their tasks and projects. Through purposeful self management , they will be able to take initiative to solve both the straightforward and complex problems faced in their role.

Give employees goals rather than instructions

Giving employees step-by-step instructions as to how to complete each aspect of their job will not result in an agile and innovative workforce. Rather, it will restrict their ability to seek out new methods and evaluate current contexts.

By providing employees with goals rather than limiting instructions, businesses can increase employee engagement and productivity. This in turn can help empower employees to contribute meaningfully to larger business objectives.

Promote a culture of innovation and collaboration

A successful and resilient business supports its employees with a culture that promotes innovation and collaboration. Problem solving skills will allow your employees to build relationships and excel at daily decision making processes.

Good problem solvers possess good communication skills and can collaborate effectively with their team. They can also think laterally and creatively to find innovative solutions to problems and find opportunities for business development.

Ensure employees have the resources to solve problems

In order to identify issues and discover impactful solutions, employees must have access to relevant tools that provide them with in-depth insights into internal and external contexts. Even the most innovative thinker will struggle to fully capitalise on their problem solving skills without the right resources to support them.

Of course, the nature of these resources will depend on the employee’s role and the context in which they work. Resources may include software, subscriptions, technological equipment and specific communication channels. For all of their differences, these resources will ideally assist the employee to integrate root cause analysis into day-to-day processes.

Provide training

Despite common misconception, problem solving skills are not necessarily innate. Rather, analytical and creative thinking skills can be fostered through purposeful training that provides individuals with a toolkit of problem solving techniques. It also offers an open space for employees to build on existing skill sets through hypothetical scenarios that will test their ability to extempromise, communicate proactively and think creatively.

Start building problem solving skills today

All businesses have the power to create proficient problem solvers within their existing and future workforce. Contact our team today to find out how a bespoke DeakinCo. learning solution could help your employees build on their problem solving skill sets through purposeful, relevant training.

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Why Problem Solving is Important in the Workplace

Ben is responsible for talent analytics at Test Partnership and is often who you will speak to if you book a demo .

What is problem solving?

What is an example of problem solving, why problem solving is important, how to improve problem solving, how to assess candidates on their problem solving, our recommended test partnership assessments for measuring problem solving.

Problem solving in the workplace refers to a person’s ability to handle difficult or unexpected situations and find solutions to complex business challenges. Employees with exceptional problem solving ability will carefully analyse the problem, identify a range of potential solutions, and correctly identify the most effective of the available solutions to remedy the situation. This ensures that employees in complex work who are relied upon to find effective solutions to key business issues are maximally equipped to deal with modern problems that face 21st century businesses.

Those with good problem solving ability will move the business forward more effectively.

Those lacking problem solving ability will inevitably recommend ineffective solutions to key business issues, solutions which will either fail to resolve the underlying issue or indeed exasperate it. For example, they may misinterpret the information presented to them, fail to identify effective solutions to problems, or provide solutions which are unsuitable or indeed counterproductive. Employees with poor problem solving ability cannot be relied upon when the unexpected happens, shifting the burden on other staff. As a result, problem solving ability is a common core competency when hiring professional, managerial, or technical roles, and highly prized by HR professionals and hiring managers.

Problem-solving refers to the ability to identify and resolve problems in an effective and efficient manner. An example of problem-solving can be seen in the role of a customer service representative. A customer service representative is responsible for handling customer complaints and issues, and finding a solution that will satisfy the customer.

Problem solving ability is essential to performance in any role where issues need to be dealt with quickly, or where the issues that employees face are particularly complex. Employees skilled in problem solving contribute to a more adaptable and productive work environment. It promotes teamwork, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making, leading to improved outcomes and organisational success.

Watch a video instead?

If you would prefer to watch a video, here Ben outlines why problem solving is important in the workplace:

For example, management consultants are expected to solve particularly complex issues that their clients may be facing, and within very specific time-frames. Should a consultant fail to provide a solution within the specified timeframe, this will inevitably look bad in the eyes of the client, sullying the relationship and potentially negatively impacting the consultancy’s reputation. However, a consultant with exceptional problem solving ability will most likely provide effective solutions to the client’s problems and provide them within the requisite time period.

"As a competency, problem solving is a common performance criterion for roles that require staff to solve urgent or complex problems." Ben Schwencke Consultant

As a competency, problem solving is a common performance criterion for roles that require staff to solve urgent or complex problems. These include, but are not limited to: management consultants, IT professionals, finance professionals, legal professionals, data scientists, managers, and executives. As a general rule, the more the role involves employees providing solutions to complex or urgent problems, the more important problem solving ability will be, and the more damage employees could potential cause if they lack those essential problem solving abilities in the workplace.

When a customer contacts a company with a problem, the customer service representative must first listen carefully to the customer's complaint and understand the issue. They then need to gather information and assess the situation to determine the cause of the problem.

They must evaluate different options and choose the best course of action to resolve the problem.

Next, they must evaluate different options and choose the best course of action to resolve the problem. Finally, they must implement the chosen solution and follow up to ensure that the problem has been fully resolved.

Problem solving as a psychological construct is underpinned predominantly by specific cognitive abilities. The ability to solve quantitative problems for example, is underpinned by a person’s level of numerical reasoning , and their ability to solve qualitative problems is underpinned by their verbal reasoning . Indeed, the academic research in this field suggests that the predictive validity of ability tests is largely attributable to problem solving abilities. Aptitude test questions are essentially just cognitive problems, and a candidate’s ability to solve them serves as a very useful proxy for their overall problem solving ability.

Other assessments may also measure problem solving to some degree, particularly certain assessment centre exercises, such as case study exercises. Here, candidates will be presented with a particular workplace relevant problem and told to generate solutions to that problem. Although this can be an effective method of assessing problem solving ability, assessment centre exercises are quite resource intensive, and are thus only suitable for the later stages of the recruitment process. Ability tests, however, can be used early in the recruitment process, ensuring that all subsequent candidate hold the requisite level of problem solving ability.

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Why Problem Solving Skills are Important in the Workplace

Posted 26/10/2021 by Vicki Mann

You can read this in 8 minutes.

In the modern workplace, problem solving skills are no less than essential. Needless to say, the world of work is not always plain sailing. No matter what role or industry you find yourself in, challenging situations are not just likely, but to be very much expected. Every role imaginable will come with its own unique set of problems that need to be solved, but what ties these situations together is their spontaneity and their need to be met with problem-solving and creative thinking. Unforeseen circumstances that will continuously arise can only be approached with practicality, common sense and personal skill. Problem solving techniques are at the heart of these abilities, and they can be applied to just about every work-related task, from organisation to communication and collaboration, managing deadlines to maintaining interpersonal relationships with colleagues. Due to the necessity of problem-solving techniques in every workplace, it could not be more important that employers use cognitive ability tests when sifting through applications to optimise recruitment selection.  

What are problem solving skills?

So, what are problem-solving skills? Problem-solving in the workplace entails a range of techniques: working around unexpected new issues, managing changing variables, the confidence to approach a new task and the knowledge of how to solve interpersonal problems. It also includes certain intrinsic qualities, such as practicality and confidence: that is, the capacity to spot when something is going wrong and raise questions which might help to solve it in the workplace. A problem solver can confidently find and manage solutions for complex and unexpected situations. Problem-solving skills involve a balance of analytical thinking, creative thinking, and critical thinking skills. Analytical thinking skills are crucial when it comes to identifying a problem, and creativity is key in finding methods to solve it. Critical thinking enables somebody to see which solution might be the most effective. Problem-solving skills are useful both in the short-term and the long-term. A candidate with good problem-solving skills will ensure that obstacles are surmounted in the moment, and the best solution is found, but they will also be able to identify the variables that gave rise to the problem in the first place, and make changes to prevent similar issues occurring in the future. In this sense, problem-solving skills are the key to approaching most complex issues and finding more enduring solutions. A good problem-solver is an asset to any organisation, and is likely to perform their job more successfully. In order to make objective hiring decisions and select the candidates with the best problem-solving capacities, your organisation will need to test for specific skills. These skills involve the ways in which a person deals with real life situations, and may not be apparent from conventional techniques such as interview questions, which do not necessarily indicate how a candidate would solve a problem in the workplace. Pre-employment skills tests, on the other hand, are a bias-free solution, ensuring that your organisation hires the applicants best suited to their roles. When assessing an applicant's capacity for problem-solving, there are six key skills which are tested.  

1. Collaboration Skills

Although problem-solving is something which exists within each individual to a greater or lesser degree, it also determines how an individual is able to interact with a group and complete a task collaboratively. Reaching a good solution and setting it in motion often requires collaboration. A problem solver knows that working with others successfully (regardless of their  personality type ) is the best route to solve most of the challenges that crop up both in the workplace and in everyday life.  

2. Communication Skills

When problems arise in any organisation, it is important that employees can approach them calmly, communicate the situation to others in clear and succinct terms and work together to solve it. Complex problems require good communicators, those who can simplify the situation and express the main issues in order to come to an efficient solution.  

3. Decision-Making Skills

The capacity and confidence to make a quick decision and stick to it is a crucial problem-solving technique. In a complicated situation, coming to a level-headed decision quickly and committing to it is crucial to solving the issue.  

4. Analytical Thinking Skills

The analytical mindset is necessary in confronting any problem or task and reaching a solution. It is imperative that a candidate, when faced with an issue, is able to analyse the situation and identify what has gone wrong. Analytical thinking skills are also key in the ability to select the best out of a range of possible solutions.  

5. Creative Thinking Skills

Creative thinking is an important capacity when it comes to coming up with methods to solve a problem in the workplace. The potential to approach a complicated issue from a variety of angles, and to apply the imagination to overcoming a task makes it easier to solve a problem in an efficient way.  

6. Listening Skills

Problem-solving skills rely on the fundamental faculty of listening. Listening is the surest method to collect information about an issue, weigh up different perspectives and opinions, and begin to understand a problem in order to solve it. The facility to listen to coworkers in the workplace is also a way to prevent complicated and problematic situations from occurring in the first place! Needless to say, in the world of work today, these techniques are invaluable, and it is essential that employers use psychometric measures to test for problem-solving skills in order to improve recruitment. Knowing a candidate's ability in these key areas is important, and can prevent the risk of a bad hire. Recruitment tests are very important, as getting the hire wrong does not just cost money, it also results in a loss of time and loss of productivity. Pre-employment testing, particularly tests which measure an applicant's capacity to solve a problem, and decide on the best solution, are a cost-efficient means to improve the recruitment process and ensure your company's success and growth.  

How to assess candidates' problem-solving skills

We offer different pre-employment tests which accurately assess an applicant's strength in key areas and their technique in identifying good solutions to problems in the workplace.

Situational Judgement Tests

The  Situational Judgement Test  is a kind of psychometric test that measures soft skills such as common sense, non-academic behaviours, technique in identifying solutions and practical intelligence. The tests work in a realistic and practical way, presenting applicants with a variety of different workplace situations which they might encounter when performing the functions that the job requires. Undoubtedly, the capacity to see which course of action a prospective employee would take or which solution they would choose in a given situation gives the employer a valuable insight into their specific skill set, and how they might respond to the demands of the job.

Logic-Based Aptitude Tests

Our  logical reasoning tests  measure a candidate's non-verbal intelligence - their capacity to analyse situations, extract rules, and find the right solution using logical and abstract reasoning. This is an in-depth cognitive test and so it provides an accurate indication of how successful a candidate will be when faced with workplace problems which they have to solve. Unlike most aptitude tests, logical reasoning tests do not measure knowledge in a particular subject area, simply their thought problem-solving process. This means that it is a useful tool in the recruitment process for any employer to evaluate applicants in any field.

Bespoke Tests

The option to  create your own tests  tailored to the demands of your organisation is a successful means of guaranteeing the right hires and ensuring good job performance. At Skillsarena, we have the expertise to create a quiz or any other testing experience that will assess the problem-solving skills that are most necessary to your particular company.   The importance of problem-solving skills in the modern workplace cannot be overstated. In order to make sure that your company grows, it is imperative that employees have the analytical and creative skills necessary to solve any problems they might face in their jobs. Our  Situational Judgement Tests ,  Logical Reasoning Tests , and  Bespoke Tests  are the best method of guaranteeing a good hire, testing an applicant's capacity to solve a real problem in ways that can't be measured by interview questions alone. As an employer, you know which skills and problem-solving techniques are most important for your particular company. At Skillsarena, we help you evaluate these abilities in applicants, and in doing so we make sure that your organisation is productive and successful. Get started with Skillsarena today to bring out the best in your candidates. After taking a look through our test offerings,  create an account with our self-service system . This way, we can get you started with your Skillsarena profile as soon as possible. If you require any assistance, give us a call on 0203 693 2201 or send an email to [email protected] . We look forward to hearing from you!

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Back in the early 20 th Century the American journalist and satirist HL Mencken quipped ‘That for every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple…and wrong’. What was true then remains true now.  When it comes to problem-solving humans often seek speed and simplicity ahead of evidence and accuracy. 

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In 2015, almost a hundred years after Mencken’s famous quote, the World Economic Forum embarked on one of their most comprehensive workplace surveys, culminating in their 2016 Future of Jobs Report.

The report ranked the essential skills that the workforce will need in order to thrive throughout the 4 th Industrial Revolution.  In this report, the CEOs and CTOs of the world’s 200 leading firms revealed a lot about how they see the workplace developing in the coming decades. Skills like critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence all made the top 10, but sitting at the top of the list was something they described as ‘complex problem solving’.  Interestingly their focus on problem-solving did not stop there. 

The same CEO’s were also asked ‘what skills do you think will be most in demand in the 2020s’? And although their wider responses changed, complex problem solving remained as their priority skill.

Three primary motivations

Why then, is complex problem solving viewed with such importance by the leaders of the world’s largest and most successful businesses? As a Root Cause Analysis professional who has worked with hundreds of organisations, spread over almost every sector, I believe that there are three primary motivations for successful leaders.

Realisation

The first is the realisation that what many of us think of as ‘problem-solving’ is often no more than ad-hoc ‘symptom solving’, better known to most of us in the workplace as ‘fire-fighting’. When something goes wrong people usually think the issue they need to solve is obvious. But, similar to a Russian Doll, every big problem is full of smaller ones.In practice, most of us view any issue personally, influenced by how it affected us directly or impacted on our team. From here we often work towards different, sometimes conflicting solutions.

Dealing with all these downstream issues is exhausting and relentless, and although we all want to solve these immediate and obvious problems it comes at the cost of never having the resources to address the root causes. So the problems keep on coming. 

Over time this is a major contributor to stress, anxiety and ultimately absenteeism in the workplace. Often afflicting our most valued problem solvers first. If we can move our problem-solvers upstream to the root causes we are immediately able to add genuine value and move from corrective to preventative problem-solving. For many organisations, this is the biggest single step they can make towards sustainable and substantial growth.

Evidence-based problem solving

Secondly, when an organisation embeds a genuine, evidence-based problem-solving process it reduces the likelihood of a blame culture taking hold and personal recriminations leading to toxic workplace culture. 

Let’s face it, when it comes to problems, there is nearly always a human involved somewhere.  But were they really the cause or just the final part of an inevitable chain of events? Many managers often stop at the human, leading to a blame culture. This negative culture not only distracts from the bigger picture, but it also causes people to close ranks. This, like solving symptoms rather than the root causes also stores up the risk for the future. Good problem-solving culture helps us to look beyond the actions of people and focus on the systemic pressures that were placed upon them.

Be prepared for the unknown

Finally, effective problem solving enables us to better prepare for the unknown. The military term VUCA is sometimes used to describe the modern business environment. The abbreviation stands for Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex and Ambiguous. And who would challenge that description of 2020? Being able to forecast risk and prepare for it is a central benefit of a strong problem-solving culture.

Almost 20 years ago, in early 2002, the then US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld made a statement on the impending Iraq War which confused and intrigued the world’s onlookers in equal amounts.

“Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me because as we know, there are known knowns; these are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns —the ones we don’t know we don’t know…it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult ones.”

With this short statement, Rumsfeld brought public attention to the concept of ‘unknown unknowns’.  Somewhat ridiculed at the time, the concept which he had in all likelihood picked up from his recent visits to NASA , is now central to thinking in project management, strategic planning, decision making and risk.

Problem-solving is essential because while ‘known unknowns’ result from situations which are recognised by our teams but are poorly understood, ‘unknown unknowns’ are different. 

These are defined as circumstances, events, or outcomes that are impossible to predict, plan for, or even know where or when to look for them because there had been absolutely no prior experience, or theoretical basis, for expecting that particular outcome. Something that writer Nassim Nicholas Taleb described as ‘black swan events’ – a metaphor for events that come as a complete surprise with severe consequences, often rationalised only with the benefit of hindsight.  A scenario that would almost certainly sound familiar to any business leader in 2020.

A strong problem-solving culture helps turn the abstract into the actual and brings the concealed into the open – making the search for unidentified failings or hidden risk considerably simpler.  And we can also see how they interact and impact on each other.  If that wouldn’t help us tackle vulnerability, it’s hard to see what would.

Effective problem solving is fundamental to organisational success

In conclusion, effective problem solving can provide us with the fundamental stability that underpins all great companies.  With these much firmer foundations, our organisations can become genuinely lean and agile and can achieve the incremental improvements and marginal gains that, in aggregation, result in remarkable business improvement. 

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Periodic Table of Structured Problem-Solving Methodologies

With the latest developments in technology, collecting ideas has become easier than ever. Contrary to popular belief, innovation is not just about ideas. While it is true that you cannot get started without an idea, generating one is only the beginning. Without execution of ideas into actual breakthrough products, services, or improvements, there is no innovation.

Depending on the idea, execution can occur in many different forms. If an idea is implemented properly, it can lead to positive outcomes that transform the entire organization. However, if it’s executed poorly, it can lead to a negative “reaction” for the entire organization.

That is why innovation, at its core, is about problem-solving. When it comes to innovation, solving problems, improving processes, and bringing innovation to market requires planning and structure. Fortunately, there are many structured problem-solving methodologies and tools to get you well on your way to innovating, executing, and improving.

Why is Structured Problem-Solving Important for Innovation?

By implementing a disciplined process, an organization can expedite innovation, avoid common pitfalls of failed experiments, and focus on activities that deliver results. For example, by taking a structured approach of defining a problem, and identifying ways to measure success, a team can assess whether the goal is attainable. By focusing their efforts, innovation teams can solve specific problems and get results quicker. Without focus, teams are likely to find themselves striving to accomplish large, abstract, evolving goals, with “moving targets” that prevent them from ever delivering concrete improvements for their organization.

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Replication Crisis

The importance of research to the practice of counseling, why is research literacy important for mental health counseling.

Posted July 30, 2024 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• The replication crisis challenges reliability—many landmark studies fail to replicate.
• Publication bias distorts findings—positive results are more likely to be published than null ones.
• Careerism impacts quality—the pressure to publish frequently can prioritize quantity over quality.

In the field of social science, particularly within psychology and counseling, several critical issues have emerged that undermine the scientific rigor of research and practice. One of the most significant challenges is the replication crisis , where many studies, including landmark research, fail to reproduce consistent results when tested in subsequent experiments. And we're not talking about little-known, oddball studies. This problem covers the whole gamut of social science research, from the seminal studies that change the field, to lesser-known research. This crisis casts doubt on the reliability of established findings and calls into question the foundations upon which many clinical practices are built.

Another pervasive issue is publication bias , where studies with significant or positive results are more likely to be published than those with null or negative findings. This skews the body of available literature, leading to an overestimation of the effectiveness of certain interventions and underrepresentation of alternative or null outcomes. Closely related is the phenomenon of idea laundering , where weak or untested theories are presented as established facts through a cycle of citations and publications, further muddying the waters of scientific clarity.

Careerism or "publish or perish" also poses a significant obstacle, as the pressure to publish frequently and in high-impact journals can lead researchers to prioritize quantity over quality. This environment can foster a focus on novel, eye-catching results rather than thorough, rigorous investigations. Moreover, inadequate graduate training in research methodology and critical thinking exacerbates these issues, leaving emerging counselors ill-prepared to both conduct and critically assess research.

These challenges collectively diminish the quality and credibility of research in social science, which is particularly concerning given the direct impact these studies have on clinical practice. For counselors, a deep understanding of research methods and critical evaluation is essential. It not only equips them to produce meaningful, replicable studies but also empowers them to discern the reliability of existing research, ensuring they base their clinical decisions on solid evidence. However, if counselors in training are not aware of the importance of research, how to conduct research, how to read research, how to integrate the findings of research, AND how to digest research critically given the problems present in research mentioned above, then it will directly affect clinical work, client outcomes and welfare. This is simply not okay since counselors have an ethical duty to provide best practices and safeguard client welfare. But, if you need some convincing, below are some of the reasons I see literacy in research as essential for competent clinical practice.

Research Guides Practice and Limits of Intuition

As clinicians, we often rely on our training, experience, and intuition to make decisions. However, it's essential to recognize that our perceptions are inherently limited and can be biased. Human reasoning, while valuable, is not infallible and can lead us astray. For instance, confirmation bias , the tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms our preconceptions, can significantly impact clinical judgments. Therefore, it's crucial to complement our intuition with empirical evidence from social science research. This reliance on research helps to ground our decisions in verified data, ensuring that our interventions are based on more than just subjective judgment.

The Counterintuitive Nature of Research

One of the most valuable aspects of research is its ability to challenge our assumptions. What may seem obvious or intuitive to a seasoned counselor might not hold true for every client. For example, while it may seem intuitive that talking about suicidal thoughts could increase the likelihood of a client acting on them, research indicates that discussing these thoughts in a supportive environment can actually reduce the risk. This highlights the importance of adhering to evidence-based practices, which often provide insights that run counter to common beliefs or intuitive thinking.

Universals and Particulars in Counseling

In the realm of clinical practice, it is crucial to distinguish between universal principles and individual variations. Research can provide us with general trends and effective interventions for broad populations, but every client is unique. What works broadly might not be effective for a specific individual due to various factors such as cultural background, personal history, and psychological makeup. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is widely recognized as an effective treatment for depression , but its applicability may vary based on a client's readiness, cultural context, and specific needs. Thus, while research provides a foundation, clinicians must remain flexible and responsive to the particulars of each client's situation.

Harm Prevention and Ethical Responsibility

Ethical practice in counseling involves a commitment to "do no harm." This principle necessitates that we have a reasonable expectation of the outcomes of our interventions before implementing them. Without a solid research foundation, we risk applying treatments that may be ineffective or even harmful. For example, some outdated or unsupported therapeutic practices, such as "conversion therapy" for sexual orientation , have been shown to cause significant harm. Therefore, staying informed about current research is not only a best practice but an ethical obligation to ensure we are providing safe and effective care.

Harm Detection and Differentiating Counseling Models

Not all therapeutic models are equally beneficial, and some may even be detrimental if applied inappropriately. It's vital for clinicians to discern which models are supported by robust evidence and which are not. For instance, while mindfulness -based therapies have proven effective in managing anxiety and depression, they may not be suitable for individuals with certain types of trauma -related disorders, where grounding techniques might be more appropriate. Understanding these nuances allows clinicians to tailor their approaches to better meet the needs of their clients, thereby optimizing the therapeutic outcomes.

In conclusion, the integration of research into clinical practice serves as a critical tool for enhancing the quality of care provided to clients. By recognizing the limitations of intuition, valuing counterintuitive insights from research, distinguishing between universal principles and individual differences, and adhering to ethical standards of harm prevention, clinicians can ensure that their practice is both scientifically grounded and ethically sound. This commitment to evidence-based practice ultimately fosters a more effective and compassionate therapeutic environment, better serving the diverse needs of clients.

Dan Bates is a clinical mental health counselor, licensed in the state of Washington and certified nationally.

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Employers in various sectors and positions value strategic thinking as a critical ability. It entails analyzing complicated conditions, spotting emerging patterns, and creating workable plans to accomplish long-term objectives. Moreover, they frequently use a series of thought-provoking interview questions to gauge a candidate’s analytical brilliance, problem-solving skills, and decision-making ability when assessing prospects for strategic thinking. 

This blog will cover the top Strategic Thinking Interview Questions frequently asked during job interviews and the interviewer’s viewpoint.

Commonly Asked Strategic Thinking Questions Interview Questions and Answers

1. how do you define strategic thinking, and why is it essential in your role .

The ability to evaluate difficult circumstances, foresee emerging trends, and create workable plans to accomplish long-term objectives is known as strategic thinking. It is essential since it helps you overcome obstacles, make wise decisions, and support the expansion and success of the company.  

2. How do you handle uncertainty when making strategic decisions?

Uncertainty is a necessary part of making strategic decisions. I deal with it by compiling much information, speaking with specialists, and analyzing different possibilities. When we decided to enter a new market, there were many unknowns. 

I devised several business scenarios, conducted in-depth market research, and created backup plans. Despite the initial uncertainty, this strategy allowed us to make an informed decision and enter the market successfully.

3. Can you provide an example of a situation where you applied strategic thinking to solve a complex problem?

Sure! The new entrant to the previous role presented the organization with fierce competition. To tackle this challenge, pinpoint its distinct value propositions, and create a strategy plan that sets it apart from its rivals, a thorough market landscape analysis was conducted. 

The company recaptured market share and outperformed its competitors by utilizing customer information, optimizing pricing methods, and improving marketing efforts.

4. How do you measure a strategy’s effectiveness?

I use qualitative input from teams and customers and quantitative measures like market share or revenue growth. Frequent evaluations guarantee that our goals are being met.

5. What are the key factors you consider when building an action plan? (e.g., to increase sales)

Corporate abilities, competitive analysis, market trends, and client input are vital factors. I also ensure that precise KPIs measure our success.

6. How do you gather and analyze information to identify potential opportunities or challenges? 

One way to respond to this issue is to say that primary and secondary research methods are combined when acquiring information. Following that, you examine market trends, study competitors, get client input, and work with cross-functional teams to acquire a variety of viewpoints. 

This methodology facilitates the identification of developing prospects, plausible hazards, and domains wherein tactical maneuvers might have substantial impacts.

7. What are the key factors to determine when developing a successful long-term strategy? 

A thorough understanding of both the market and customer needs, alignment with organizational goals and values, flexibility in responding to shifting market conditions, utilizing emerging technologies, encouraging innovation, and having a solid execution plan with quantifiable milestones are all essential to a successful long-term strategy. Over time, sustaining the strategy’s efficacy and relevance requires excellent communication, teamwork, ongoing assessment, and modification.

In a strategic thinking leadership interview, being ready for questions involving strategic thinking might help you stand out from the competition. By learning what strategic thinking entails and honing your responses to five critical questions, you may demonstrate your ability to plan, make wise judgments, and guide your team to success. Don’t forget to illustrate your decision-making process, give concrete instances, and show the results of your strategic objectives. I wish you well as you get ready for the interview!

1. What is strategic thinking in the context of leadership?

Strategic thinking entails analysis and preparation to secure long-term success. To accomplish the organization’s aims, leaders must clearly define their objectives, foresee potential obstacles, and devise creative solutions.

2. What should be avoided when answering strategic thinking questions?

Avoid unclear responses, the absence of specific examples, placing too much focus on individual work while undervaluing team efforts, and neglecting to link your tactics to quantifiable results.

3. What qualities do interviewers look for in responses to strategic thinking questions?

Interviewers look for:

• Clear and logical thinking
• Ability to foresee and mitigate risks
• Innovative and creative problem-solving
• Effective communication and implementation of strategies
• Evidence of successful outcomes from past strategies

4. Why is strategic thinking important for leadership roles?

Leadership requires strategic thinking to make well-informed decisions, provide team members with a clear path forward, and ensure the company’s ability to evolve with the times and remain competitive in the market.

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What Really Happened Between 'Castle's Stars on the Hit ABC Drama?

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The Big Picture

• Castle was a popular procedural mystery show with a unique premise, starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic as the crime-solving duo Richard Castle and Kate Beckett.
• Despite their on-screen chemistry, Fillion and Katic reportedly had a hostile relationship off-screen.
• The show was ultimately canceled after eight seasons, leaving unresolved storylines and a strange series finale that didn't provide a satisfying conclusion.

Castle was among the most popular and creative procedural mystery shows of its time. While there are more than a few ongoing series about detectives, cops, and lawyers that solve crimes, the premise of Castle was a unique one. The series starred Firefly actor Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, a famous author known for his iconic mystery novels that revolve around the fictional hero Derrick Storm. Castle begins solving crimes alongside the New York City homicide detective Kate Beckett ( Stana Katic ); while initially, the duo’s relationship was purely professional, it became clear early on that the two characters were smitten with each other. Even though Fillion and Katic had excellent chemistry when they were on-screen together, the filming process for the show was far more hostile.

A suave, best-selling author teams up with a strait-laced detective to solve crimes in New York City.

The ‘Castle’ Set Reportedly Wasn’t Pleasant

One of the joys of Castle was seeing how Castle and Beckett learn by listening to one another. Castle is a mystery novelist with expert knowledge of how popular culture inspires real-life crimes; he can recognize familiar patterns within criminals’ activities, as they’re the sort of cliches that he would put into one of his novels. However, he also has no knowledge of how police procedures work, and is helpless in any situation that seriously puts his life in danger; this is where Beckett comes in to help. She may not have his level of creativity and imagination, but she’s more than experienced in detective work and can defend herself capably. The joy of the series was seeing how magnetic they were together, and how their skills complemented each other. To say that Fillion and Katic weren’t exactly “complimentary” towards each other in real life would be an understatement.

According to an insider speaking to US Magazine , Fillion had “been nasty to Stana for a long time,” and the two were very cold together while filming and doing scene preparations. While Katic’s representatives officially reported that there was no on-set tension, another source stated that the tension had gotten “so out of hand they made Stana and Nathan go to couples counseling together.” US Weekly’s source also claimed that the two hated each other and would not speak to one another anytime they weren’t filming, that tension had increased over the course of several seasons, and that Katic could be overheard crying in her dressing room. Sources claim that the tension had gotten so extreme that there were concerns by the producers that it would affect the quality of the show , and that the two had to be sent to shared counseling to portray a romantic couple on screen together. While actors don't actually have to be best friends in real life to feasibly appear cordial together on screen, it can become challenging for those completely opposed to each other's presence to be forced to spend time with each other on a consistent basis. Shooting a television show is very different from being on a film set; while a movie only requires a few months of shooting, developing the chemistry for an extended show (especially one like Castle that typically featured 22 episodes a season) requires a massive time commitment.

While the show was able to surprisingly keep going for eight seasons without the tension becoming evident to fans, the situation on set had escalated rapidly. Castle had been renewed for a ninth season and continued to be a hit for ABC, but Katic chose to exit the show, and would later describe it as “a harsh ending.” As a result, the show was cancelled at the end of its eighth season, even though Fillion had already renewed his contract to appear in Season 9. Even though the final episode “Crossfire” was intended to be a normal season episode, it became the series finale when it became apparent that it would be the last time the characters Castle and Beckett would appear on-screen together. It was a disappointing situation, as the cast and crew involved certainly could have delivered a more compelling send off to the characters that fans had fallen in love with for years if they had the benefit of hindsight. "Crossfire" ends on a rather morose, awkward note that didn't do anyone any favors.

It was an unfortunate conclusion to a show that possibly could have kept on going for much longer. While the eighth season took the show in a darker direction that didn’t necessarily reflect the same creativity and humor of the prior installments, it didn’t make any huge creative blunders that would have prevented the show from continuing. Fans truly wanted to see a finale that actually gave a definitive conclusion to the characters’ journey, and didn’t feel like another random episode. The only thing that differentiates “Crossfire” from a standard installment in the series is an off-putting final scene set seven years later with a married Castle and Beckett raising their children was just baffling, as it had nothing to do with the plot of the episode itself. “Crossfire” isn’t bad on its own, but as the conclusion of an eight-season arc, it just feels strange.

‘Castle’s Premature Cancellation Led to Unresolved Storylines

Castle had a premise that made it more sustainable than a majority of crime procedurals . While shows like NCIS, FBI, and Blue Bloods have started to feel stale after dozens of familiar cases, Castle had both the mysteries and Castle’s writing career to focus on. As a result, some seasons focused more on his creative endeavors, and others were centered around a pivotal case. This allowed the show to still retain the "case of the week" style mysteries that made it great casual viewing for fans on an inconsistent basis, yet still retained its overlapping narrative arcs that would entice those that had been watching since the beginning. Castle and Beckett had only just become a married couple at the beginning of the sixth season, so the show hadn’t had the time to explore what balancing their professional and personal lives looked like. How would having children impact Beckett’s ability to perform her duty? Would Richard's ability to take on serious cases with violent crimes be affected if he was trying to take care of his children?

Some of the best shows of all time changed their initial premises for the better , and Castle certainly had the potential to offer something new to fans by decentralizing its focus on Richard's publishing endeavors in subsequent seasons. While he had begun the show as a quick-witted, occasionally obnoxious celebrity with no tangible grasp on reality, Richard grew significantly more mature as the series moved along, thanks in no small part to Fillion's sensitive performance. It was evident that by the time that the final season aired, Richard had gained so much experience from his time working with the police that he was equally skilled at solving crimes as he was at creating them in his fanciful books. Perhaps a more serious tone would have contrasted with the "buddy cop" formula that the series began with, but a show that ran for as long as Castle had been on the air had already earned the trust of its audience to take narrative risks.

While the abrupt conclusion halted what could have been an interesting new direction, fans of Castle were spared a downward spiral in quality that could have eroded the enjoyment that they had gained from the initial seasons. It's a sad fact that many of the shows once considered to be among the greatest drama programs of all time have been negatively affected because of how disappointing their series finales were; it is much harder now to recommend shows like Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Killing Eve, and Battlestar Galactica because they ended on such inconclusive notes. Castle 's final set of episodes may have been fairly disappointing when compared to its first few seasons, but the show's legacy remains intact because, for the most part, the good outweighs the bad. Considering how hit-and-miss procedural shows can be in terms of quality, it is actually rather impressive that Castle didn't suffer any major blunders until the behind-the-scenes drama reached its breaking point.

‘Castle’ Wasn’t Just About Kate and Richard

Castle also had more than a few great recurring characters whose arcs felt unresolved. Castle’s daughter, Alexis ( Molly Quinn ), had grown up over the course of eight years; Quinn was a child actress at the beginning of the show, but by the end, she had grown into a capable young woman who was an awful lot more responsible than her father. Quinn become a very capable actress, appearing in the Guardians of the Galaxy films among others, and it would have been interesting to see how Alexis’ career evolved and adjusted to her father’s marriage.

Additionally, the detectives Javier Esposito ( Jon Huertas ) and Kevin Ryan ( Seamus Dever ) were always a pleasure to watch and could have easily led the show. Ryan and Esposito had arguably the best dynamic on Castle , and quickly transcended their supporting roles to become interesting characters in their own right. Similar to Richard and Kate, Ryan and Esposito float in and out of each other's lives as they cope with additional responsibilities, including advancement in the workplace and raising their respective families. It would have been easy to paint them as broad caricatures of New York cops, but both Huertas and Dever managed to add sensitive, charismatic performances that fleshed out the show's ensemble . If there were ever two characters best suited to star in their own spinoff series, it was Huertas and Esposito; it very easily could have done for Castle what Angel did for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

It’s unfortunate that the experience filming Castle was less than ideal for Katic, as none of that was visible onscreen. The potential was there for more Castle adventures, and although the series inspired several novels and comics about the fictional character of Derrick Storm , it wasn’t the same as seeing the beloved duo together solving crimes. However, there’s nothing more important than an actor’s personal health, and if Katic didn’t feel comfortable with Fillion , then her decision should be respected. She can be proud of the legacy the show leaves behind, as Beckett is still one of the most popular characters in recent television history. Considering that Castle is still relatively popular thanks to both streaming and syndication, it's possible that a new generation of fans may be able to watch the show for the first time and enjoy it without ever hearing a word about the chaotic behind-the-scenes drama that made the production such a miserable experience for the two leads.

All seasons of Castle can be streamed on Hulu in the U.S.

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What's Saharan dust? Here's why it's important in the forecast

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- This week, southeast Texas could be impacted by a thick plume of Saharan dust. In addition to the hazy skyline, Saharan dust can reduce air quality, affecting those with existing respiratory problems.

Dr. Jennifer Ukwu is a primary care physician with Memorial Hermann. In a conversation with ABC13 Meteorologist Elyse Smith, Ukwu confirmed that Saharan dust doesn't necessarily lead to new health problems.

However, it could further agitate the symptoms of those with existing health concerns such as asthma, allergies, or underlying lung conditions.

"Keep an eye on the air quality levels to exercise additional precautions to kind of minimize their triggers for worsening coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and things of that nature," Ukwu said.

The Saharan dust expected this week could be one of the denser clouds southeast Texas has seen this year. It is a scientific feat, considering that this dust began halfway across the globe in Africa.

This dust cloud traveled over 7,000 miles through the trade winds to reach Houston. The dust got there in the sky after strong winds lifted the particles from the ground and into the jet stream. The trade winds specifically are responsible for carrying Saharan dust across the Atlantic Ocean.

Now that this dust is moving into an area with more terrain and is active and changing, the dust cloud is expected to spread apart and break down across the southern half of the United States. Some of these dust particles could fall to the surface or continue to travel north towards Dallas and the Midwest.

Saharan dust clouds are a naturally occurring phenomenon and an annual occurrence. We expect to see it at least once every year between spring and fall in southeast Texas. But surprisingly, Saharan dust and its interaction within the atmosphere is one of the least studied atmospheric phenomena, that's according to the leading climate agency in Europe, Copernicus . Additionally, dust can be tricky to forecast, and forecasting its impacts can be even trickier. It can be a paradox.

For example, large, thick plumes of dust can limit tropical development and cloud formation on a large scale. When it comes to hurricane season, we like Saharan dust because it can help keep the tropics quiet.

But on a smaller scale, dust particles can aid in rain or even hail formation in showers and storms, acting as something for water vapor to condense onto.

The technical term for that is cloud condensation nuclei. So, on the flip side, dust can lead to heavier showers when conditions are right.

This is why there are researchers and agencies across the globe looking into the implications of dust on weather.

For more on this story, follow Elyse Smith on Facebook , X and Instagram .

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Why for Hong Kong’s depressed Gen Z, overcoming stigma and talking about emotions can help

• As Hong Kong’s pressure-cooker environment has young people depressed and bottling it up, experts explain why talking about feelings is key

This is the third article in a six-part series on Gen Z and mental health, in which we look at some of the conditions they are experiencing, including anxiety, depression and eating disorders. We talk to Gen Zs who share their stories, and to experts for their advice on ways to recover and thrive.

Generation Z, comprising people born between 1997 and 2012, is more depressed than any other age group, especially in Hong Kong.

Depression often develops in mid-to-late adolescence and is usually diagnosable after a person has experienced at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities they normally enjoy.

She says that, while she knew something was wrong, she struggled to confront her emotions and kept quiet about it.

“It was really difficult to show up during the day, then battle with negative emotions and thoughts at night, alone,” she says. “Eventually I felt numb and lived on autopilot mode. Life became uninteresting and bland.”

As a teen, she did not heed the warning signs.

Recognising and reacting to mental issues early can hopefully prevent a downhill trajectory

They may not talk about it, or even understand it, but many Gen Zs share a similar experience.

Compared with other generations, they spend more time alone or online than they do engaging in face-to-face interactions.

“Humans are generally social beings, and this has affected how Gen Z has coped,” she says.

Hong Kong-based psychiatrist Dr Michelle Tam highlights a key reason young people are vulnerable to depression.

“The teenage years are a period of rapid growth and striving for what we call individuation,” she says, referring to the period when a child starts to separate their sense of self from that of their parents.

“There are a lot of changes at play, where they may be going to university or leaving the safety and comfort of home for the first time,” she says.

Early intervention is key for someone experiencing depression. Tam bases her treatment on the preferences of the individual, and fosters a genuine relationship with her clients in a safe space in which they feel free to speak about their challenges and express their emotions.

I basically isolated [myself from] all my friends for almost half a year because I just didn’t feel like going anywhere

Treatment may involve medication as well as therapy.

“Time is very precious. When there’s a dip in mental health, social functioning, concentration levels, and academic function all suffer,” Tam says.

“Recognising and reacting to mental issues early can hopefully prevent a downhill trajectory.”

Because of that stigma, though, many young people like Tiffany keep their thoughts and emotions bottled up rather than seeking help.

“We did see stigma worsen through Covid, but at least awareness has grown, both from personal experiences in struggling with all the challenges Covid brought, and people seeing that this could also happen to them,” she says.

For Tiffany, the transition from school life to work life brought her emotions to the surface, making her feel more alone than ever.

“There was a point where I basically isolated [myself from] all my friends for almost half a year because I just didn’t feel like going anywhere. But I was still going to work and I was still with my family,” she says, highlighting the challenge of balancing personal struggles with professional responsibilities.

Even when she kept to herself, Tiffany did have a couple of friends who stood by her. “At least I knew I had someone,” she says.

The difficult transition into the professional world was her turning point. “I had more knowledge and maturity about my emotions by that time, and realised that something was not going right. I was just tired of feeling like that.”

She finally sought help through Hong Kong’s Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness (ICCMW).

“I basically just Googled and self-referred. I was like, ‘Hey, I need help.’ I just can’t really deal with having this any more because I knew that it was going on for so many years.”

Nearly two years of free therapy and support from the ICCMW was pivotal in her recovery. She learned to process and verbalise her feelings, and better communicate with loved ones.

At that time, she had gleaned much of the information on mental health online, and it was mostly in English. But she spoke with her parents in Cantonese.

“I went to Chinese therapy, which was really helpful. I had a space to not only figure out my stuff, but also learn how to verbalise it in a language with my family,” Tiffany says.

There is a deeply rooted cultural belief in saving face and thinking that mental health problems are a weakness

Having found a healthy balance in her personal life, Tiffany is now committed to supporting other young people.

She lauds the ICCMW and the therapy she received. Joining the Mind HK ambassador programme after her recovery, she says, “was really helpful in finding my voice and understanding every recovery journey is unique”.

Today, Tiffany says of her mental health status: “We’re [all] human, and we have emotional ups and downs. But I think now that the waves are not as strong [as before], and I’m able to ride it all right.”

“Around Year 7, I was struggling to focus on my schoolwork and function as a human being. That was also when I started exploring the internet, which helped me understand mental health and gave me the language to describe my feelings,” she says.

Eu grew up with two high-achieving older sisters, which added to her stress.

“Both of them were incredible students. Meanwhile, I was getting fours [a top mark is five] in maths and Chinese class. The narrative I kept telling myself was that I wasn’t as good as the people around me, and my sisters, and that’s how my depression and anxiety manifested,” she explains.

She harnesses what she learns in therapy to share it with others through social media. Her Instagram account @katie.eu has 130,000 followers.

“I get to share my experiences in this nice little package that other people can benefit from as well,” she says.

“In Hong Kong, there is a deeply rooted cultural belief in saving face and thinking that mental health problems are a weakness, as opposed to seeing it as a challenge,” Thiang says.

“There is such an emphasis here on material and academic success – so much so that showing any type of vulnerability is problematic.”

How Does Math Keep Our Secrets‪?‬ The Joy of Why

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Can you keep a secret? Modern techniques for maintaining the confidentiality of information are based on mathematical problems that are inherently too difficult for anyone to solve without the right hints. Yet what does that mean when quantum computers capable of solving many problems astronomically faster are on the horizon? In this episode, host Janna Levin talks with computer scientist Boaz Barak about the cryptographic techniques that keep information confidential, and why “security through mathematics” beats “security through obscurity.”

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