The Invisible Mentor

What Kind of Problem Solver Are You?

April 1st, 2010 |

Problem solving is a coveted skill in business today, and those who excel at that skill will progress farther than those who don’t. If problem solving is not one of your best skills, the good news is that it’s teachable, and there are several links in this post to articles that will help you to become a better problem solver. But today, I am more interested in the way in which you approach the problems that you encounter. Have you ever thought about the kind of problem solver you are?

This is an educational blog and my intent is to assist you in mentoring yourself by providing you with relevant information to give you an edge. We have talked about reading to solve problems, to master subjects, how to read and so on. These are often things that you usually wouldn’t thing about, after all you are very busy.

After analyzing the interviews for my book Tales of People Who Get It, and many of the other interviews that I have conducted since, I noticed a pattern emerging in the way in which people problem solve. Take a look at the four types of problem solvers and determine which one most closely reflect you. This is important because it informs the way you approach problem solving. Please also refer to my article Which Kind of Problem Solver Are You?

Inspirers: They nurture people and relationships and have the ability to inspire confidence. Whenever they face a challenge or problem, people rally around them offering their assistance. They have easy access to the information that they require to solve their problems.

Reflectors: These problem solvers do not rush when making decisions, instead they take their time, mull things over for a while, step back from the situation to get a new perspective and then act. After they have collected the information they need to problem solve, they mull it over for a while.

Innovators: These individuals have the unique ability to come up with creative solutions to any challenge or problem that they might encounter. It could be an entirely new solution or the blending of two known solutions into something fresh and exciting.

Influencers: These problem solvers are expert at getting others to support their cause, and they excel at finding solutions to “people” problems that involve change. Influencers are great at getting people to “buy in.”

Please refer to How to Problem Solve, Reverse Problem Solving and How to Read to Problem Solve. Let’s keep the conversation flowing, click on the comment link below and leave a note for me. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the left side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab a copy by clicking here. View the video on the Home and About Page and let me know what you think.

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Related Resources

The Importance of Problem-Solving by Ken Watanabe (The Huffington Post Online, April 23, 2009)