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10 Personal Management Skills and How to Develop Them

• Updated January 25, 2024
• Published October 6, 2023

Are you looking to learn more about Personal Management skills? In this article, we discuss Personal Management skills in more detail and give you tips about how you can develop and improve them.

What are Personal Management Skills?

Personal management skills, also known as self-management skills or self-control skills, refer to a set of abilities and behaviors that allow individuals to effectively manage themselves, their time, and their resources to achieve personal and professional goals. These skills are crucial for personal development, productivity, and success in various aspects of life. Here are some key personal management skills:

Time Management

Goal setting, organization.

• Prioritization

Self-Discipline

• Stress Management
• Adaptability

Decision-Making

• Proactive Planning
• Communication
• Accountability
• Personal Growth

Self-Awareness

• Problem-Solving
• Financial Management

Developing and honing these personal management skills can lead to greater productivity, improved work-life balance, enhanced well-being, and increased success in various aspects of life. These skills are not only valuable in personal life but are also highly sought after by employers in the professional world.

Top 10 Personal Management Skills

Below we discuss the top 10 Personal Management skills. Each skill is discussed in more detail, and we will also give you tips on how you can improve them.

Time management in a professional setting refers to the efficient allocation of time to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and achieve goals. It encompasses skills such as setting clear objectives, prioritizing, and maintaining focus. Improving time management skills is essential for professionals to enhance productivity and reduce stress.

How to Improve Time Management

To excel in time management, professionals can employ various strategies. For instance, they can employ the “Pareto Principle,” focusing on the 20% of tasks that yield 80% of the results. In meetings, active listening and concise communication can save time and improve understanding. Additionally, tools like calendar apps and to-do lists can aid in scheduling and tracking tasks, helping professionals optimize their work hours effectively.

In a corporate environment, effective time management can mean the difference between meeting project deadlines and experiencing delays. For example, a project manager can use time management techniques to create a project timeline, allocate resources efficiently, and ensure that team members meet critical milestones. In sales, a well-organized salesperson can allocate time for prospecting, follow-ups, and client meetings, ultimately increasing sales revenue. Time management also allows professionals to allocate time for skill development, staying competitive in their industry.

Goal setting is a vital personal management skill in a professional setting, involving defining specific, achievable objectives to guide one’s work. This skill encompasses clarity, ambition, and planning, driving professionals toward success.

How to Improve Goal Setting

To enhance goal-setting abilities, professionals can employ techniques like SMART goals—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. In sales, a representative might set a SMART goal of increasing monthly sales by 10% through targeted outreach. Project managers can set goals by breaking down larger objectives into smaller, manageable tasks, ensuring project milestones are met on time. Such structured goal-setting enables professionals to align their efforts and resources effectively.

In a corporate environment, goal setting ensures that organizations and teams have a clear direction. Leaders can set strategic goals to guide the company’s growth and development. For instance, a CEO might set a goal of expanding into new international markets within the next two years.

This clear objective allows the entire organization to work cohesively toward the same vision. Similarly, team leaders can set team-specific goals, such as improving customer satisfaction scores by streamlining customer support processes. Effective goal setting fosters motivation enhances accountability and boosts overall professional performance.

Organization, in a professional context, refers to the ability to structure tasks, information, and resources in a systematic and efficient manner to enhance productivity and achieve goals. This skill encompasses various aspects, including time organization, data management, and workspace organization, all of which contribute to maintaining order and reducing stress in the workplace.

How to Improve Organization

To improve organizational skills, professionals can implement practical strategies. For example, a project manager can utilize project management software to track tasks, timelines, and resources. This ensures that the project progresses smoothly and that team members are well-informed about their responsibilities. In the realm of data management, professionals can develop filing systems and naming conventions that make it easy to locate and retrieve important documents, preventing valuable information from getting lost in digital clutter.

In a corporate environment, effective organization plays a pivotal role in achieving efficiency and meeting objectives. For instance, a supply chain manager can optimize inventory management, reducing carrying costs and ensuring that products are available when needed.

Similarly, a human resources manager can streamline the recruitment process by implementing an applicant tracking system, making it easier to identify suitable candidates and facilitate interviews. Organizational skills are essential for maintaining a structured and harmonious work environment, where employees can focus on their tasks without being overwhelmed by chaos or disorganization.

Self-discipline in a professional setting refers to the ability to control impulses, stay focused on tasks, and resist distractions or temptations that may hinder productivity and progress. It involves cultivating a strong sense of responsibility and commitment to one’s work and goals, even when faced with challenging circumstances or external distractions.

How to Improve Self-Discipline

To enhance self-discipline in a professional setting, individuals can employ several practical strategies. For instance, a remote worker can create a dedicated workspace free from distractions and set specific work hours to maintain a structured routine. This helps in minimizing interruptions and ensuring that work tasks are completed efficiently. In sales, a self-disciplined salesperson can follow a predetermined daily call schedule, consistently reaching out to potential clients, even when faced with rejection. This perseverance often leads to increased sales over time.

In a corporate environment, self-discipline is crucial for both individual employees and teams. For example, a project team must adhere to project timelines and milestones, requiring each member to exercise self-discipline in meeting their deadlines and responsibilities. Furthermore, self-discipline is essential for adhering to company policies, ethical standards, and codes of conduct, which are vital for maintaining a positive and professional work culture. Developing and improving self-discipline skills enables professionals to stay on track, meet their objectives, and contribute to the overall success of the organization.

Stress management in a professional setting involves the ability to cope with and effectively reduce stress to maintain mental and emotional well-being. It encompasses various skills and strategies to mitigate workplace stressors and maintain a productive and balanced professional life.

How to Improve Stress Management

To improve stress management skills, professionals can employ practical techniques. For instance, in a high-pressure job like project management, setting realistic expectations and timelines can help prevent stress from mounting due to unrealistic goals. Moreover, regular breaks and mindfulness practices can be incorporated into the workday to alleviate stress and boost concentration. In customer service roles, active listening and empathetic communication with frustrated customers can reduce tension, contributing to a more positive customer experience and lower workplace stress levels.

In a corporate environment, stress management is critical for individual performance and overall workplace harmony. Team leaders can implement stress-reduction initiatives such as providing access to stress management workshops or offering flexible work arrangements to help employees better balance their professional and personal lives.

Company-wide initiatives, like promoting a culture of work-life balance, can create a less stressful work environment, leading to increased employee satisfaction and retention. Effective stress management skills not only benefit employees but also contribute to a healthier and more productive workplace overall.

Decision-making in a professional setting involves the process of selecting the best course of action from available alternatives to achieve specific objectives or address challenges. Effective decision-making is a critical personal management skill for professionals, as it directly impacts the success and outcomes of projects, tasks, and overall career advancement.

How to Improve Decision-Making

Improving decision-making skills requires the development of techniques such as gathering relevant information, analyzing data, and considering the potential consequences of each choice. In a managerial role, for instance, a leader may need to make project resource allocation decisions.

By actively researching and weighing various options’ costs, benefits, and risks, they can make informed decisions that align with the organization’s goals. Similarly, in the field of finance, investment professionals must make decisions about portfolio management. Utilizing quantitative analysis and market research, they can make decisions that optimize investment returns while managing risks effectively.

Within a corporate context, decision-making skills are crucial at various levels, from individual employees choosing the most suitable approach to complete tasks to executives making strategic decisions that affect the entire organization. Effective decision-making can increase efficiency, reduce risks, and enhance competitiveness.

Professionals can actively contribute in meetings by providing well-reasoned input and supporting their recommendations with data and analysis, ensuring that decisions align with the company’s objectives and long-term vision. Developing and refining decision-making skills is a continuous process that can significantly impact career growth and professional success.

Problem-solving in a professional setting refers to the ability to identify, analyze, and effectively resolve challenges and obstacles that arise in the workplace. It encompasses a range of skills, including critical thinking, creativity, and decision-making, to find practical solutions to complex problems.

How to Improve Problem-Solving

To improve problem-solving skills, professionals can adopt a systematic approach. For instance, in the field of IT, a network administrator may encounter connectivity issues affecting an entire department. Active problem-solving involves diagnosing the problem, isolating potential causes, and promptly testing solutions to restore network functionality.

In project management, when facing scope changes that impact project timelines, professionals can employ problem-solving techniques such as risk assessment and change management to adapt to new circumstances while minimizing disruptions.

In a corporate environment, effective problem-solving is essential for achieving business objectives and maintaining operational efficiency. Teams can collaborate to brainstorm solutions to common challenges, like improving customer service processes or streamlining inventory management. By encouraging a culture of proactive problem-solving, organizations foster innovation and resilience in the face of unexpected hurdles. Professionals who excel in problem-solving contribute significantly to their team’s success, and these skills are highly valued in various industries and roles.

In a professional setting, communication is the ability to convey information, ideas, and messages effectively to colleagues, superiors, clients, and other stakeholders. Strong communication skills encompass various facets, including active listening, clear and concise expression of thoughts, non-verbal communication, and adaptability to different audiences and situations.

How to Improve Communication

To enhance communication skills, professionals can focus on active listening, where they pay full attention to others during conversations, ask clarifying questions, and provide constructive feedback. In sales, for example, active listening helps sales representatives better understand customer needs and concerns, allowing them to tailor their pitch and build rapport.

Additionally, professionals can refine their written communication skills for emails, reports, and presentations. Effective written communication ensures that instructions and expectations are clear in a managerial role, reducing the risk of misunderstandings among team members.

Within the corporate environment, effective communication is a cornerstone of successful teamwork, project management, and client relationships. In project management, team leaders must clearly articulate project goals, expectations, and timelines to ensure all members are aligned.

Moreover, organizations can invest in communication training programs to foster a culture of open and transparent communication, leading to improved collaboration, problem-solving, and overall productivity. Professionals who excel in communication contribute significantly to their team’s cohesion and success, making it a critical skill across industries and roles.

In a professional setting, adaptability refers to the capacity to adjust to changing circumstances, environments, and demands flexibly and resiliently. This personal management skill includes embracing change, learning from experiences, and proactively modifying strategies and approaches as needed to effectively navigate evolving situations.

How to Improve Adaptability

Improving adaptability skills can be accomplished by developing a growth mindset, which encourages individuals to view challenges as opportunities for learning and growth. For instance, software developers frequently encounter changing programming languages and tools in the technology sector. Those who embrace adaptability are more likely to thrive by continuously learning and adapting to new technologies.

Moreover, professionals can enhance their adaptability by seeking feedback and actively listening to the perspectives of colleagues and mentors. In a marketing role, for example, being open to feedback from team members and adjusting marketing strategies based on consumer trends and market fluctuations can lead to more effective campaigns.

Adaptability is crucial for responding to market shifts, technological advancements, and unexpected disruptions within a corporate context. Encouraging an organizational culture that values adaptability fosters innovation and the ability to pivot when necessary, positioning the company for success in an ever-changing business landscape. Professionals who excel in adaptability contribute to their career advancement and play a pivotal role in helping their organizations thrive in dynamic markets.

In a professional setting, self-awareness refers to the ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations. This crucial personal management skill involves introspection and a deep understanding of how one’s thoughts and feelings can impact their behavior and interactions with others. Self-aware individuals are better equipped to make informed decisions, work effectively in teams, and continually grow and develop in their careers.

How to Improve Self-Awareness

To improve self-awareness, professionals can engage in self-reflection and self-assessment exercises. For example, during a performance review, an employee can take time to reflect on their achievements, areas needing improvement, and personal career goals. This self-awareness can help guide discussions with supervisors and lead to a more constructive performance development plan.

Additionally, seeking feedback from peers and mentors can provide valuable insights into one’s professional strengths and areas for growth. In a leadership role, understanding one’s leadership style and how it impacts team dynamics is essential for effective management.

Within a corporate environment, self-awareness is a fundamental skill for leadership, conflict resolution, and team collaboration. Leaders who are self-aware can adapt their leadership style to suit the needs of their team members, fostering a positive work culture and improved employee morale.

In team settings, self-awareness enables individuals to recognize and manage their own emotions, reducing conflicts and enhancing cooperation. By fostering self-awareness across the organization, companies can create a culture of personal growth, resilience, and adaptability, ultimately leading to greater success and employee satisfaction. Professionals who prioritize and develop self-awareness skills can excel in their roles and contribute to a more harmonious and productive workplace.

Personal Management Skills Conclusion

In conclusion, personal management skills are the building blocks of professional success and personal growth. Whether you are striving to climb the corporate ladder, excel in your current role, or simply lead a more fulfilling life, honing these skills is essential.

The ability to manage your time effectively, set and achieve meaningful goals, stay organized, exercise self-discipline, manage stress, make sound decisions, and communicate clearly can significantly impact your career trajectory and overall well-being.

To improve these skills, the tips and strategies provided in this article offer valuable guidance. By actively applying these techniques in a professional setting, you can enhance your productivity, work-life balance, and job satisfaction.

Moreover, the development of personal management skills not only benefits you as an individual but also contributes to a more productive and harmonious workplace, making you a valuable asset to your organization. In the ever-evolving landscape of the professional world, investing in the cultivation of these skills is a strategic move that can lead to continued growth and success.

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12 must-have people management skills for managers (+ how to improve them).

Being in charge isn't a finish line; it's the starting point of a never-ending learning curve. That's why people management skills matter. They help you unlock the potential of your most valuable resource—your people.

How you manage your people has huge implications for your organization's success. Treat them well, train them well, and keep them engaged and motivated, and your business will reap the benefits.

This article will cover 12 indispensable people management skills every manager needs . And because we're in this for your growth, we also share the blueprint for sharpening them. 

Remember the best manager you ever had? Now, aim to surpass them.

🌟 What are people management skills?

People management skills are the abilities and attributes necessary to l ead, motivate, and support employees to meet organizational goals. These skills encompass a range of core competencies , such as effective communication, conflict resolution, empathy, team-building, and providing constructive feedback and recognition.

People management skills are essential for managers as they impact critical business outcomes.

Productivity

Managers account for 70% of the variance in engagement of their teams , according to Gallup .

" When managers show up to work with a deep understanding of how they'll use their strengths, they will have better conversations, greater performance results, and higher engagement from their team. " Austin Suellentrop and E. Beth Bauman of Gallup .

Engaged employees produce better business outcomes, Gallup's research has shown. Teams with highly engaged employees show substantial benefits over teams with low engagement, such as:

• 81% less absenteeism;
• 10% more customer loyalty;
• 18% more productivity;
• 23% higher profitability.

Managers with strong people management skills foster a more productive environment through better engagement.

" Employees have the power of choice, and it's trumping the authoritarian hiring and firing power of paternalistic companies ," explains Kara Dennison in a recent Forbes article , "— people don't quit jobs. They quit managers ."

Managers who promote a respectful and inclusive environment and have the skills to empower, advocate for, and empathize with their people are likelier to retain their best talent.

Managers with well-developed communications skills boost efficiency as their people understand what's required of them. This improves employee retention, " as people usually prefer working with managers who communicate clearly and inspire them ," suggests Indeed .

Performance

As recent research has highlighted, leadership behavior impacts job performance, and managers with strong people management skills drive better team performance.

Skilled managers set clear expectations, provide timely feedback, and keep their team members motivated. This leads to enhanced job performance.

Leadership diversity drives innovation and improves the financial performance of businesses, studies by BCG have shown.

Plus, companies with above-average diversity report higher revenues than companies with below-average diversity—by as much as 19%.

People management skills equip leaders to handle diverse teams, peers, and stakeholders better, setting the foundations for increased innovation and creativity.

➡️ Hone your managers' skills by identifying their strengths and weaknesses through comprehensive leadership assessments .

💼 12 Must -have people management skills for managers

Here are the essential people management skills, core competencies, and leadership skills that your managers must have to bring out the best in your people.

Coaching is a " professional helping relationship " that focuses on the goals of the person being coached, explain researchers Jonathan Passmore and Yi-Ling Lai.

In a work environment, coaching guides your people through personal and professional career development . It involves understanding individual strengths and weaknesses, setting clear goals, and providing consistent support to help achieve those goals.

Coaching skills allow your managers to " elicit the strengths and knowledge of the people they are leading ," says clinical psychologist Joshua Schultz . 

Managers can focus on more strategic matters, avoid micromanaging, and allow their people to demonstrate their competencies through good coaching.

" The beauty of coaching is that leaders do not need to know everything in order to be effective; instead, they need to know how to empower those around them ," suggests Schultz.

When managing people, coaching helps fill knowledge gaps, refine skills, boost morale and motivation, and prepare employees for higher responsibilities. This leads to higher productivity and a more engaged workforce.

➡️ Help your managers become exceptional coaches with a targeted roadmap for effective coaching skills training .

Giving feedback

Feedback is a two-way process in which managers share their observations with their direct reports, and employees have the opportunity to reflect and respond.

Your managers play a crucial role in developing and retaining your people by giving them feedback. Effective feedback should be:

• Timely —shortly after an event to allow immediate action if required.
• Specific —addressing a particular behavior or event rather than a general reference.
• Objective —based on factual circumstances rather than feelings or personal preferences.
• Constructive —non-judgmental and directed towards actionable improvement.
• Consistent —regular and systematic.

Feedback helps your people know where they stand in their roles, what they're doing right, and where there's room for improvement. Without it, they may continue being unproductive or miss out on development opportunities.

When your managers deliver feedback well, people feel more aligned with an organization's objectives and are aware of what's required of them.

Constructive feedback boosts confidence and morale, leading to higher productivity through a more proactive approach and better decision-making.

➡️ Help your people leverage their strengths by training your managers to give and receive effective feedback .

Building and inspiring trust

Building trust in the workplace means creating honest, open communication and relationships between colleagues, without fear of disloyalty, according to Indeed. It involves transparency, consistency, and showing integrity in the workplace.

Trust can be emotional, focused on personal relationships, or practical, built on professional interactions. When your people feel trust, they'll feel secure, experience less stress, and have faith in their colleagues and leaders.

They'll also be more open to feedback, more willing to take on challenges, and more committed to your organization's goals and vision.

When your managers build trust, their direct reports will feel safe to share their ideas, voice concerns, and collaborate effectively. This creates an open environment in which innovation and creativity flourish.

➡️ Are your managers struggling to build trust with their remote employees? Learn how to overcome challenges and inspire teams as remote leaders .

Conflict resolution

Conflict resolution means finding peaceful solutions for disagreements. In the workplace, it involves constructively identifying, addressing, and resolving disputes among team members.

Conflicts arise due to differences in opinions, perspectives, personality types, or professional approaches. When left unchecked, conflicts impact morale and hinder collaboration and productivity.

By skillfully resolving conflicts, your managers prevent disagreements from escalating and turn them into professional growth opportunities. This helps team cohesion and produces an environment in which diverse ideas are welcome. Your people will feel safe, valued, and heard, allowing scope for innovative thinking and productivity.

Enabling and empowering employees

Employee enablement means giving your people everything they need to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. It involves giving them authority, resources, confidence, and empowerment to make decisions and take ownership of their roles and responsibilities.

Empowered employees are more engaged, motivated, and committed to their roles. This leads to higher quality and more innovative workplace outcomes.

Effective communication

Effective communication is one of the most influential people management skills for your managers to master—it underpins most interactions between your managers and their direct reports. It involves clearly conveying information, expectations, and feedback, active listening, and understanding other people's perspectives.

Poor communication results in misunderstandings and a lack of clarity, leading to errors, delays, and missed opportunities. It can leave your people feeling like they're not being heard, impacting their morale and motivation.

With effective communication skills, your managers will help your people understand their roles and expectations and how they align with your organization's goals. Your people should feel a greater sense of trust, as this often flourishes in an environment of clear and open communication.

Effective communication also boosts productivity by increasing transparency, encouraging teamwork, and promoting better feedback among your people.

Recognition

Recognition is acknowledging and showing appreciation for your people's efforts. You can give recognition verbally or through awards, promotions, and gifts (tangible or intangible).

You can recognize your people for:

• Achievements —meeting goals, charitable efforts, or gaining skills
• Demonstrating company values —fostering teamwork, raising morale, or bringing to life your organization's values
• Going above and beyond —taking the initiative, challenging norms, or improving outcomes
• Milestones —birthdays, promotions, or tenure milestones

When you recognize your people, you'll make them feel valued for what they do. You'll also boost their sense of well-being and belonging at work , leading to stronger productivity, retention, and engagement.

Recognition is precious if your people work in fast-paced environments with tight deadlines and under high pressure. They'll feel like their circumstances are understood and their work is appreciated, reinforcing their loyalty and commitment to your organization.

➡️ Looking for creative ways to recognize your people? Check out these 42 meaningful employee recognition ideas to boost engagement.

Empathy is about understanding and sharing the feelings of others. Managers with empathy can recognize the emotions in their people and respond with understanding and compassion.

Empathy is a " vital leadership competency ," according to the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), and it's emerging as one of the most crucial people management skills in modern organizations. CCL's research finds that workplaces that demonstrate empathy perform better.

CCL suggests the following ways to increase empathy in the workplace :

• Watch out for signs of burnout
• Show genuine interest in the needs and aspirations of employees
• Be willing to help employees with personal problems
• Show compassion when employees disclose a personal loss

In modern workplaces, employees come from diverse backgrounds and circumstances. Empathetic managers connect with each team member on a personal level, whatever their circumstances, fostering trust and open communication.

An empathetic management style creates a supportive environment where employees feel safe and express themselves freely. This boosts team cohesion and collaboration, leading to increased productivity.

Forward planning and strategic thinking

Forward planning and strategic thinking involve anticipating future needs, challenges, and opportunities and developing strategies to address them.

They require a long-term vision, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and an ability to align team efforts with organizational goals.

By using forward planning and strategic thinking, your managers are better prepared for circumstances as they unfold and can help their teams remain effective. This leads to better team management, clarity of purpose, and better productivity. It also helps your people feel more secure in their roles during times of uncertainty or when unexpected circumstances arise, supporting their morale and a sense of purpose.

Managing people's performance

Managing employee performance involves monitoring team members' performances and evaluating outcomes against their performance objectives.

Good managers ensure that their people meet their objectives by setting clear expectations , providing regular feedback, and implementing performance improvement plans when necessary.

When performance issues arise, effective performance management helps identify those performing well (and those not) and highlights any performance gaps. By addressing these promptly, managers help their teams remain productive and efficient.

➡️ Looking for guidance on the challenges, latest techniques, and ideas for managing performance at your organization? Check out our comprehensive guide on managing employee performance .

Delegation is transferring responsibility for specific tasks to other people. A people manager delegates tasks to team members based on their skills, expertise, and capacity. Managers who delegate successfully trust their people's abilities and clearly communicate expectations.

Effective delegation is an essential people management skill in modern organizations. Your managers don't have all of the knowledge, technical skills, or time to handle everything themselves. By delegating tasks, they can focus on leadership and strategic matters while ensuring operational activities are executed appropriately.

Delegation benefits your people by empowering them, i.e., giving them responsibilities and showing trust in their capabilities.

Great managers are skillful delegators, allowing them to " focus on higher-value activities while also keeping employees engaged with greater autonomy ," explains Lauren Landry of the Harvard Business School.

The sense of empowerment that delegation gives your people boosts their confidence and motivation, leading to higher productivity. It promotes a sense of ownership among team members. Plus, they'll produce high-quality outcomes if assigned tasks suit their capabilities.

Team building

High-performance teams underpin successful organizations and are a testament to effective team building.

By fostering a cohesive, collaborative, and positive team environment, a good manager strengthens relationships, enhances trust, and improves communication in the team.

Team building is a critical people management skill, resulting in more motivated and engaged team members. This leads to less conflict, fewer performance issues, and stronger business outcomes.

👀 12 Must-have people management skills and their impact—at a glance

🌱 How to improve people management skills

How can your managers improve their people management skills? The key is to engage in activities that deliver the core attributes of each skill and reinforce them through a cycle of feedback, further training, and ongoing development.

Here are some specific actions your managers can take to improve each essential people management skill.

• Learn continuously —attend courses or workshops on coaching techniques, areas for development , and leadership training.
• Set clear goals —adopt SMART goals for clarity and focus.
• Check-in regularly —schedule one-on-ones to discuss progress, give support, and learn from employees' viewpoints.
• Seek feedback —improve coaching through employee feedback.

• Be specific —provide clear examples that aren't vague.
• Be objective —focus on behaviors and outcomes, not personal attributes.
• Review feedback techniques —reflect on past feedback and identify areas for improvement.
• Lead by example —be reliable, consistent, and show integrity.
• Communicate openly —promote an environment where your people feel safe sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback.
• Admit mistakes —acknowledge mistakes and take corrective action.
• Make employees feel heard —involve team members in decisions that affect them.
• Be consistent —apply rules and policies consistently to all team members.
• Encourage open dialogue —ensure conflicting parties feel heard and understood through one-on-one discussions or mediated sessions.
• Improve with training —master tools and techniques for handling disputes.
• Choose a neutral location —mediate conflicts on neutral ground so no party feels disadvantaged.
• Focus on solutions —foster collaboration through practical solutions rather than assigning blame.
• Provide the required tools and resources —give access to the tools and resources your people need for their jobs.
• Encourage autonomy —trust your people to make decisions and take responsibility for their outcomes.
• Prioritize employee development —equip your people with on-the-job and off-the-job training, courses, and workshops.
• Provide tailored learning —recognize and cater to individual learning needs.
• Foster growth —encourage your people to take on new challenges and experiences that lead to professional development.
• Listen actively —pay attention to your people's feedback and seek to understand their perspectives.
• Convey information clearly —be concise, to the point, and avoid jargon when messaging so that it's easy to understand.
• Encourage two-way communication —Solicit your people's thoughts and ideas through open communication and a welcoming approach to feedback.
• Use technology —leverage communication tools and platforms to enhance the scope and quality of information sharing among teams.
• Show appreciation —showcase team members' achievements through regular appreciation sessions.
• Offer targeted rewards —understand what rewards motivate individual team members (e.g., monetary, time off, or professional growth) and tailor rewards accordingly.
• Celebrate milestones —acknowledge your people's birthdays, project completions, work anniversaries, and personal milestones.
• Set clear recognition criteria —ensure that recognition is based on criteria easily understood by your people so they know what to strive for.
• Facilitate peer recognition —deploy feedback platforms for peers to recognize their colleagues and promote mutual respect.
• Avoid assumptions —ask open-ended questions to understand employees' perspectives.
• Commit to training —develop empathy skills through training and workshops.
• Maintain an open-door policy —foster an environment where your people feel comfortable sharing their concerns and know they'll be heard.
• Set objectives —define clear short-term and long-term goals for team members that are aligned with your organization's priorities.
• Stay informed —keep abreast of market trends, industry developments, and technological advancements.
• Engage in scenario planning —envision a range of future scenarios and devise strategies to deal with them.

Managing people performance

• Set clear expectations —clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member so that they understand what's required of them.
• Give constructive feedback —provide specific, actionable, and timely feedback that focuses on strengths and areas for improvement.
• Invest in training and development —ensure your people's skills are relevant and up-to-date.
• Recognize and reward performance —acknowledge employees who perform well to recognize them and motivate others.
• Know the team's capabilities —allocate tasks according to the strengths and weaknesses of team members.
• Define tasks clearly —be specific about each task's requirements, timeframes, and deliverables.
• Empower and trust the team —provide guidance without micromanaging.
• Monitor progress —check in periodically on the progress of tasks and address obstacles.
• Promote collaboration —communicate openly and encourage actively sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback.
• Foster team cohesion —organize team building activities to strengthen relationships and promote trust.
• Encourage cross-functional collaboration —broaden perspectives and encourage innovation through projects that involve different departments or teams.

➡️ Develop your next generation of leaders through leadership training. Get started with our leadership training template .

Also, consult these 7 development plan examples for leadership for extra inspiration.

➡️ Build your next generation of leaders with Zavvy

At Zavvy, we have everything that you need to boost your managers' performance management skills. We have the tools, platforms, knowledge base, and expertise to bring out the best in your people and create top-performing employees.

Zavvy's offerings include:

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What are the 7 essential qualities of people management?

Seven essential people management skills are coaching, giving feedback, conflict resolution, employee enablement, communication, recognition, and team building.

What are the key roles in people management?

The key roles in people management are:

• Stretching employees through work experiences
• Facilitating relationships with key leaders
• Offering advice and guidance
• Encouraging learning and growth
• Championing career success

What is an example of people management?

An example of people management is team building: creating a cohesive environment where trust, collaboration, and innovation flourish, producing strong personal and organizational outcomes.

Lorelei is Zavvy's Content Marketing Manager. She is always on the hunt for the latest HR trends, fresh statistics, and academic and real-life best practices to spread the word about creating better employee experiences.

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20 People Management Skills Every Manager Needs To Succeed

• Employee Management

A big part of being a successful manager is leveraging your experience and technical skills to get the job done. But those two factors are really only half of the story. Your success as a manager will primarily depend on “soft skills” that are easy to take for granted. What are these talents that mean more than experience and technical prowess combined? Three words: people management skills.

You can assess your own people management skills by simply asking yourself the following question: “How well do I work with others?” But when you try and get to the specifics of what it means to be an effective team member , the insight often breaks down into generalities such as, “She’s likable,” or, “He’s got a good personality.”

These generalities can be frustrating when you’re trying to improve as a manager (and team member) because they don’t provide you with anything concrete to work on.

Don’t despair! The experts at Sling are here to help. We’ve created the definitive list of 15 people management skills every manager needs to succeed.

Crucial People Management Skills

1) patience.

Patience is one of those skills that everyone thinks they have until work gets really tough. It’s true that some are born with more patience than others, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop your ability to keep a level head in a stressful situation .

When you feel like others are losing their cool — and you might be right there with them — try the following exercise.

• Close your eyes.
• Take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Slowly count to 10 in your head (one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi works well here).

This simple technique will help you stay patient and calm during the most trying of circumstances.

2) Good Communication

Good communication encompasses a wide range of skills, including:

• Your ability to get along with others
• Your ability to persuade others
• Your ability to get others to listen to your ideas
• The clarity of what you say

This last skill is particularly important because time is limited, and the overwhelming presence of mobile devices in our society demands constant communication. Good managers will be as clear as possible in what they say and they will make sure that all employees understand.

3) Ability To Relate

Business is all about people. So being able to relate to other viewpoints is vital to success, whether you’re a manager or not. If you struggle at times to relate to another person’s attitude, try putting yourself in their shoes. What caused them to feel the way they do? What would make them feel better?

When you can view a situation from a perspective that is not your own — and communicate that you see the value in that perspective — you avoid misunderstandings.

Keep in mind that relating to others doesn’t mean you’re a pushover. It just means that you can see where the other person is coming from. Don’t be afraid to agree to disagree.

4) Flexibility

Flexibility means understanding that there are often multiple ways to complete a task. Just because one team member chooses to tackle a problem differently than you would have doesn’t mean that the approach is wrong.

There may be a more efficient way to get the job done, but in most cases, it’s the results that really matter.

Flexibility also means being able to adjust quickly to changing circumstances. Don’t be so set in your ways that you can’t make time to deal with an issue that wasn’t on your schedule.

Being a manager is all about trust. You have to trust that your team members have the business’s best interest at heart. You have to trust that they will work together to complete any task that comes their way. And finally, you have to trust that all of this will happen without your constant supervision .

Remember, you can’t do it all. At some point, you have to delegate. That takes trust — not just in your employees but in yourself and your ability to be an effective leader.

6) Interest In Others

We all want to connect on one level or another, and the best way to do that is by showing interest in others. Here’s a simple formula for conveying genuine interest:

• Ask questions
• Consider the answers
• Ask more questions

During the course of your conversations, and for as long as possible thereafter, keep track of pertinent information about your employees so you can ask more questions later. And always remember names, dates, and important events in each person’s life. ADD_THIS_TEXT

7) Ability To Listen

As a person in a leadership position, you should always live by the maxim: “We were given two ears, but only one mouth, for a reason.” The bulk of your activity, then, should be listening rather than talking.

Take the time to listen to what your employees have to say without interrupting. Then think about what you want to say before responding.

This type of active listen-and-respond is not always easy, but with practice, it can make a difference in how you communicate with your team members and how they communicate with you.

8) Good Judgment

The foundation of good judgment is:

• Looking at the world around you
• Listening to what others have to say
• Learning from that information

Because good judgment is based on sensory signals, it is often described as a “gut feeling.” And that’s not wrong. Your unconscious mind can process these signals much faster than your conscious mind.

So if you have a “feeling” about something that you can’t necessarily explain, use that feeling as a basis for your decision making.

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of someone else. To put that in simpler terms, think of empathy as compassion. If one of your team members is going through a divorce or their child is seriously ill, it’s vital that you show compassion, or empathy, for their situation.

After all, if you were suffering through those issues, you’d want someone to cut you a little slack too. That’s what being empathetic is all about: understanding that a team member may be distracted because of challenges outside of work.

Your job as a manager is to make their work life easier for the time being — or help them stay focused — until things settle down.

10) An Open Mind

What does it mean to have an open mind? It’s certainly not, “My way or the highway!” An open mind is predicated on the idea that you may not have all the answers, or even the best answer for a given situation. Someone else’s notion of what to do may be better than yours.

When you keep an open mind—and make sure that your team members know you have an open mind—it creates trust and respect. Your employees will know that their viewpoint, their feedback, and their suggestions are valued and will be used if at all possible.

When you’re known for your open mind, you’ll also be known as approachable and easy to work with .

11) Leadership Skills

One of the most important people management skills you can develop is the ability to lead effectively. Effective leaders motivate their team to do great things. Ineffective leaders often have undermotivated, underperforming, disengaged teams.

But, like all the skills on this list, you can develop and strengthen your leadership skills. All it takes is an understanding of what motivates your team members, a willingness to make improvements, and plenty of practice.

Here are some simple ways to develop your leadership skills:

• Give employees what they need to succeed
• Be optimistic
• Give praise where praise is due
• Lead by example
• Be decisive
• Be confident in your abilities

Don’t feel overwhelmed if you’re not doing any of these things right now. Choose one and work on it until it becomes a habit. Then choose another trait from the list and practice it for a few weeks. Take it one step at a time and your leadership skills will improve dramatically.

12) Honesty

Honesty is essential if you want to build a strong team that trusts you and trusts each other. So treat others how you would want to be treated and exhibit honesty in all things.

That means telling the truth in good and bad situations. It also means telling the truth when it’s not in your best interest to do so. But when your team sees you being honest at all times, they’ll look to your example and follow your behavior.

That will improve the way they work and the way they deal with each other. With honesty — from both you and your employees — your team will draw together and be able to conquer any problem in its path.

13) Problem-Solving Skills

Being a manager means solving problems. It’s basically the foundation of your job. You have to figure out how to best schedule your employees, how to set up and manage your inventory , how to track your employees’ work hours, how to calculate payroll , and a whole host of other management issues.

Each and every one of these is a problem you must resolve. Without strong problem-solving skills, you’ll never get anything done.

So be proactive. If you see a way to improve upon an existing process or you recognize a potential problem before it becomes a real issue, take steps to fix the situation. And if you need to better develop your problem-solving skills, ask a friend, mentor, or higher-up to help you improve.

14) Ability To Adapt

Flexibility and adaptability may seem like the same thing, but they’re actually very different. While flexibility means acknowledging the myriad ways to get things done, adaptability means rolling with the changing circumstances.

Within the business itself, an effective leader with strong management skills needs to be able to adapt her leadership style to the personalities on her team. In a larger sense, she must also be able to adapt to new opportunities and new challenges.

Revising your corporate , business , and functional strategies to reflect the changing needs of your customers is a prime example of adaptability in action.

15) Supportiveness

Whether you run a restaurant , a retail chain , or a call center , things will go wrong. A project may fall apart. A customer may get angry. An employee may make an unintentional, though serious, mistake.

It’s when your team is at their lowest that your support becomes essential. Reassure them. Encourage them. Bring them together as a team . Be the solid foundation they need to feel secure in their abilities again.

And this doesn’t just apply to their work lives. It applies to their personal lives as well. Sometimes, family issues, health problems, or just time and unforeseen occurrences will affect the way your employees work.

The type of support you give for these personal concerns may be different from the support you give for business matters, but the result is the same: inspiration to continue doing their job to the best of their ability.

16) Macromanagement

You may be unfamiliar with the word macromanagement, but we’re certain you’re familiar with its antonym: micromanagement. Micromanagement is a manager’s tendency to closely observe and control the work of their employees.

Macromanagement, on the other hand, is a more independent style of organization. Managers step back and give employees the freedom to do their jobs how they see fit. As long as employees reach the desired result, the manager doesn’t have to “hold their hands” or hover over their shoulders looking for mistakes.

This is good for your employees because it gives them the freedom to solve problems, perfect their skills, and become the best team member they can be.

Of course, just like micromanagement, you can take macromanagement to the extreme if you adopt a laissez-faire attitude in which you always let things take their own course, without ever monitoring situations.

A good manager develops a balanced view and practice of micro- and macromanagement and understands when to apply both.

17) Accountability

Accountability means taking responsibility for your work and the work of your employees.

As a manager, you serve as a role model for everyone on your team. If you claim accountability when the job is going well but pass the buck when the job is going badly, your employees will notice.

Effective managers take responsibility for failures as well as successes. If the failures begin to outnumber the successes, the manager will take steps to fix the root cause of the problem and inspire their employees to improve.

A lack of accountability at the managerial level erodes the confidence your team has in you — and in the business as a whole. This can create a “me first” attitude in your employees because they will tend to follow the example of those in authority.

You can avoid this issue altogether by being a good role model and always taking responsibility for your actions — and the actions of your team — whether good or bad.

18) Positivity

Positivity in the workplace is crucial if you want your business to succeed. Positivity reflects in everything your team does — from customer-facing activities down to taking out the garbage. And when it’s lacking, everyone will feel it.

If you want to encourage positivity in your employees, you need to first exhibit positivity yourself. For example, if you’re facing a difficult project or a deadline is rapidly approaching, don’t focus on the negative and start to complain.

Instead, get excited about the prospect of finding a new and unique solution or working hard to complete everything before the deadline. Shift your perspective and don’t view these challenges as stumbling blocks or obstacles. Instead, see them as opportunities to excel.

When you exercise positivity come what may, the attitude will rub off on your employees and motivate them to greatness.

19) Approachability

As a manager, you are the leader of your team. That means that, at some point, one of your employees is going to come to you with problems and questions. You’re going to need to give guidance and direction.

But how will you receive them? Will you be brusque and dismissive? Or will you be welcoming and approachable?

Being open and approachable — even when you’re already busy — is the quality that builds goodwill, positivity, and loyalty in your team.

Regardless of what you’re doing, try to give your full attention to anyone who comes to you with a question or problem. If you have a hard time doing this, put yourself in their shoes.

Imagine how you would feel going to your supervisor (or your supervisor’s supervisor) with a dilemma in the company. You’d likely feel nervous and apprehensive. In that state of mind, how would you want your superior to act — dismissive about the issue or approachable and willing to talk?

If you simply can’t be interrupted at the moment, apologize and reassure your team member that you want to hear what they have to say. Then, make an appointment to talk and be sure to keep it.

20) Organization

The word “organize” has many definitions, but for the purpose of business, it means coordinating the activities of a group of people efficiently. Some people are just naturally organized. Others are not.

Regardless of which end of that spectrum you occupy, you can improve your organizational skills with the help of the Sling app.

Sling is a scheduling and time clock app designed with busy managers in mind. But Sling is about more than just making sure every slot in your rotating shift schedule is filled. It’s about simplifying every aspect of the scheduling, distribution, time-tracking, and communication processes.

Sling’s core features include:

The Sling app incorporates all these features into an intuitive scheduling tool that helps you create clear, easy-to-read schedules that can be quickly posted to the cloud for convenient storage and distribution. You can even control who can view the schedule and who can make changes.

Sling also provides a central location where your team members can indicate when they’re available to work. The Sling app then uses that information to remind you about double-bookings, unavailability, and time-off requests when you sit down to create the schedule.

But Sling’s benefits don’t end there. The Sling Time Clock feature makes it easier than ever for team members to clock in and clock out . They can even use their own mobile device! And the Messages, Newsfeed, and Tasks features make it easy to keep all your team members informed , engaged , and on-task . All that and more from a free app!

Don’t let employee organization be the weak link in your people management skills. Visit GetSling.com today to learn how you can use the Sling app to improve as a manager.

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This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for specific advice.

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Problem Solving Skills That Managers Need To Have

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ― Albert Einstein.

Being a part of an organization has always been an overwhelming and exciting experience for the employees. During the job life-cycle , from the start of orientation to leaving a job learning new things and gaining skills has always been a part of it.

Well, learning is all good until and unless a situation arises that halts your learning process. Conditions like this are often referred to as the problems we face at work.

But how well do we cope up with the everyday problems that we often face? Some people are good at problem-solving. Others may think they are not. Most are somewhere in between.

If you are not sure about it, don’t worry; this article is about all the problem-solving skills you can get.

What defines a problem-solving skill?

Every problem is a gift. Without them, we wouldn’t grow. – Tony Robbins.

A problem can be defined as a situation that prevents us from achieving the goals we have set for ourselves. It can be anything from financial, personal to work-related. Problems can arise anywhere, and any activity that helps to end our problem results in problem-solving.

Our capacity to develop solutions to problems defines our ability to have good problem-solving skills. Problem-solving skills can be acquired through various training programs and learning throughout the job tenure. It is a practice that can make an individual more profound and proficient at their job.

Approaching the problems in the right way:

Problems are nothing but wake-up calls for creativity. – Gerhard Gschwandtner

Problem-solving needs the right strategies and an approach that is more effective in every possible way. Below are 4 points that will help you and your employees to take the right road to problem-solving

1. Understanding the problem:

To solve a problem, you need to understand what exactly gave rise to it. You need to get to its root and try to pick out the main trigger of the problem. You need to understand how it created a Domino effect that has impeded your organization’s work and culture.

Try to pinpoint the affected areas and come up with the necessary solutions.

2. Devising solutions:

After you have found out and dug deep into the root cause of your problem, you need to devise a plan on how to tackle it. To be successful, you need to curate a framework that is easy to understand for your team.

A framework consists of all the potential solutions to the problem that you and your employees face.

3. Evaluating solutions:

Once you come up with all the necessary solutions, it comes down to evaluating and selecting the best ones.

Brainstorming sessions are essential to decide what solutions the team needs. It will help the team meet great effectiveness. Such sessions also help the team leaders get a different perspective from different team members within the organization.

4. Implementing solutions:

The final step of problem-solving is all about implementing the solutions that you evaluated. But before implementing, try to scrutinize the solution well so that there are no loopholes left and create more problems after implementation.

Further, monitor the status of the solution that you have decided to push through. If it does not work well, try the other ones you have in hand and search for positive results.

The Problem-Solving Skills that you need to have:

A problem is a chance for you to do your best. – Duke Ellington

1. Being open-minded:

Possibilities might be high that the leading cause of the problem that you are facing is something else. So, you have to keep an open mind about accepting that the actual reason is different from the one you thought at first, which provides you with more options for answers and solutions.

Being open-minded also gives you good leverage in understanding a more wide range of problems. It also allows you to observe and notice the significant changes in an organization, eventually affecting the long run.

This is a skill that needs to be furnished with time to connect and communicate for better engagement .

2. Right attitude:

Approaching the problems needs a strategy and the right attitude . If you do not have the right idea and knowledge about what has given rise to the situation, then you won’t be able to tackle it.

You must keep your attitude positive about accepting how the situation came into play and how you will implement the solutions.

Try not to panic when you try to solve a problem. Instead, try to calm yourself, organize a team meeting, and come up with clarifications about the situation. As a leader, when you have the right and confident attitude, you can only expect a positive response from your team, and you will be able to instill good morale.

3. Being analytical:

Good problem-solving abilities need excellent analytical skills. And to enhance your analytical skills, you need to be more patient and observant about everything going around in the organization.

With time and practice, the analytical skills can be sharpened so that you can tackle problems with much more authority and proper facts.

This skill set is beneficial for both employers and employees as it will widen your already acquired skills.

4. Asking the right questions:

Now, this is one thing you need to be good at to pinpoint the direct cause of the problem you are facing at work. And you can only get better at it with practice.

Try to indulge yourself in solving problems often and asking the right questions to help others in the team.

When you become more proficient in it with time, you are more likely to ask valid questions closer to the problem. And try not to focus more on the questions that are more driven towards the problem. Rather try to question the solutions so that the problem-solving process becomes manageable. Increasing productivity and boosting morale .

5. Get creative:

Creativity has no boundaries, and it is one of the essential skills that one can have. When you have that creative edge in your team, problem-solving becomes much easier as creative thinkers can find suitable ways out of the box.

Well, that can motivate you to get creative and come up with your new ideas. It might not be easy, but it is a gradual process. You have to become more open to ideas and benefit from the endless possibilities of being more creative.

Summing it Up:

Problems can become your Achilles heels in the path of progress. Be it in your everyday life or the work-life. It can hinder your growth if you do not have the necessary skills to tackle the problem well. But skills can be learned, and with time, you can hone those skills. It all comes down to the fact of how much you are invested and eager to learn continuously .

Persevere and become a problem solver so that you can put in place effective problem-solving abilities in your organization.

Mrinmoy Rabha is a content writer and digital marketer at Vantage Circle . He is an avid follower of football and passionate about singing. For any related queries, contact [email protected]

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Problem Solving Skills: 25 Performance Review Phrases Examples

By Status.net Editorial Team on July 21, 2023 — 4 minutes to read

Problem solving is an important skill in any work environment: it includes the ability to identify, understand, and develop solutions to complex issues while maintaining a focus on the end goal. Evaluating this skill in employees during performance reviews can be highly beneficial for both the employee and the organization.

Questions that can help you determine an employee’s rating for problem solving skills:

• How well does the employee define the problem and identify its root cause?
• How creative is the employee in generating potential solutions?
• How effective is the employee in implementing the chosen solution?
• How well does the employee evaluate the effectiveness of the solution and adjust it if necessary?

Related: Best Performance Review Examples for 48 Key Skills

2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)

Performance Review Phrases and Paragraphs Examples For Problem Solving

5 – outstanding.

Phrases examples:

• Consistently demonstrates exceptional problem-solving abilities
• Proactively identifies issues and offers innovative solutions
• Quickly adapts to unforeseen challenges and finds effective resolutions
• Exceptional problem-solving ability, consistently providing innovative solutions
• Regularly goes above and beyond to find creative solutions to complicated issues
• Demonstrates a keen understanding of complex problems and quickly identifies effective solutions

Paragraph Example 1

“Jane consistently demonstrates outstanding problem-solving skills. She proactively identifies issues in our department and offers innovative solutions that have improved processes and productivity. Her ability to quickly adapt to unforeseen challenges and find effective resolutions is commendable and has proven invaluable to the team.”

Paragraph Example 2

“Sarah has demonstrated an outstanding ability in problem solving throughout the year. Her innovative solutions have significantly improved our department’s efficiency, and she consistently goes above and beyond expectations to find creative approaches to complicated issues.”

4 – Exceeds Expectations

• Demonstrates a strong aptitude for solving complex problems
• Often takes initiative in identifying and resolving issues
• Effectively considers multiple perspectives and approaches before making decisions
• Displayed a consistently strong ability to tackle challenging problems efficiently
• Often takes the initiative to solve problems before they escalate
• Demonstrates a high level of critical thinking when resolving issues

“John exceeds expectations in problem-solving. He has a strong aptitude for solving complex problems and often takes initiative in identifying and resolving issues. His ability to consider multiple perspectives and approaches before making decisions has led to valuable improvements within the team.”

“Sam consistently exceeded expectations in problem solving this year. His efficient handling of challenging issues has made a positive impact on our team, and he often takes the initiative to resolve problems before they escalate. Sam’s critical thinking ability has been a valuable asset to our organization, and we appreciate his efforts.”

3 – Meets Expectations

• Displays adequate problem-solving skills when faced with challenges
• Generally able to identify issues and propose viable solutions
• Seeks assistance when necessary to resolve difficult situations
• Demonstrates a solid understanding of problem-solving techniques
• Capable of resolving everyday issues independently
• Shows perseverance when facing difficult challenges

“Mary meets expectations in her problem-solving abilities. She displays adequate skills when faced with challenges and is generally able to identify issues and propose viable solutions. Mary also seeks assistance when necessary to resolve difficult situations, demonstrating her willingness to collaborate and learn.”

“Sarah meets expectations in her problem-solving abilities. She demonstrates a solid understanding of problem-solving techniques and can resolve everyday issues independently. We value her perseverance when facing difficult challenges and encourage her to continue developing these skills.”

2 – Needs Improvement

• Struggles to find effective solutions to problems
• Tends to overlook critical details when evaluating situations
• Reluctant to seek help or collaborate with others to resolve issues
• Struggles to find effective solutions when faced with complex issues
• Often relies on assistance from others to resolve problems
• May lack confidence in decision-making when solving problems

“Tom’s problem-solving skills need improvement. He struggles to find effective solutions to problems and tends to overlook critical details when evaluating situations. Tom should work on being more willing to seek help and collaborate with others to resolve issues, which will ultimately strengthen his problem-solving abilities.”

“Mark’s problem-solving skills need improvement. He often struggles to find effective solutions for complex issues and seeks assistance from others to resolve problems. We encourage Mark to build his confidence in decision-making and focus on developing his problem-solving abilities.”

1 – Unacceptable

• Fails to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner
• Lacks critical thinking skills necessary for effective problem-solving
• Often creates additional issues when attempting to resolve problems
• Demonstrates a consistent inability to resolve even basic issues
• Often avoids responsibility for problem-solving tasks
• Fails to analyze problems effectively, leading to poor decision-making

“Sally’s problem-solving skills are unacceptable. She consistently fails to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner, and her lack of critical thinking skills hinders her ability to effectively solve challenges. Additionally, her attempts to resolve problems often create additional issues, resulting in a negative impact on the team’s overall performance.”

“Susan’s problem-solving performance has been unacceptable this year. She consistently demonstrates an inability to resolve basic issues and avoids taking responsibility for problem-solving tasks. Her ineffectiveness in analyzing problems has led to poor decision-making. It is crucial that Susan improve her problem-solving skills to succeed in her role.”

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Human Skills for Managers: The Top 10 Explained with Examples and Tips

What are human skills for managers, why are human skills important in management, the ten most important human skills in management, 5 ways to improve human skills in management, human skills in management faqs.

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• Maintain good relationships with the team: Human skills are critical in helping managers build healthy relations with their peers and team members. Through effective communication and empathetic understanding of multiple perspectives, managers can ensure that they adopt fair practices in the team which are considerate toward all. It also provides that the team members can place their trust in their manager and thus work cohesively under their supervision. Building good relationships in the team also eases tensions, significantly reducing the probability of conflict and disorder in the team. As a result, a positive work environment that enables productivity is created.
• Create influence and loyalty as a team leader: Having excellent human skills also helps managers and leaders create teams that trust their expertise and are willing to stand behind them through challenges and risky situations. Strong human skills which enable one to become the ultimate trouble-shooter and panacea for the team help solidify a manager’s indispensable role in a team’s success. They create a unique personal leadership brand and become a role model for their team.
• Generate efficient management practices: Strong human skills in management such as adaptability and problem-solving ultimately ensure that the managers bring efficiency to the team. When problems cross the scope of technical skills and enter the arena of office politics and conflicts, the human skills of a manager come to the rescue. Similarly, good habits such as creating an organized space and presenting examples of good behaviors help managers adapt the teams toward a productive path.

The ability to manage and lead people and work collaboratively

The ability to think strategically and critically, the ability to be adaptable, the ability to take ownership of actions and results, the ability to be decisive, the ability to be organized.

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The ability to communicate effectively

The ability to be a good listener, the ability to be empathetic and compassionate, the ability to be a problem solver.

• Active Listening:  Practice active listening to understand your team members’ concerns, needs, and ideas. Give them your full attention, ask clarifying questions, and provide feedback to show that you value their input.
• Empathy:   Develop empathy by trying to understand and relate to the feelings and perspectives of your team. Recognize and acknowledge their emotions, and show genuine care and support.
• Effective Communication:  Hone your communication skills, both in verbal and non-verbal aspects. Be clear and concise in your messages, adapt your communication style to different individuals, and ensure your body language is congruent with your words.
• Conflict Resolution:  Learn to resolve conflicts diplomatically and constructively. Encourage open communication, mediate when necessary, and seek win-win solutions considering everyone’s interests.
• Team Building:  Work on building a cohesive and collaborative team . Understand team dynamics, assign roles effectively, and create an environment where team members trust and respect each other.

Deeksha Sharma

Deeksha, with a solid educational background in human resources, bridges the gap between your goals and you with valuable insights and strategies within leadership development. Her unique perspectives, powered by voracious reading, lead to thoughtful pieces that tie conventional know-how and innovative approaches together to enable success for management professionals.

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Managers Must Be Effective Problem-Solvers

One of a manager’s most important responsibilities is to solve problems.  Finding the answers to difficult questions that are sometimes a source of great perplexity and distress for the organization often falls to an organization’s leaders.

Here’s the deal:

A company’s success depends on managerial problem-solvers . Issues arrive in all sizes, ranging from daily nuisances to organizational crises.

Managers who have the ability to systematically think through the facts, diagnose the situation, and find an accurate and workable solution will help the business thrive and prosper.

Effective problem-solvers are able to guide teams towards the achievement of goals by eliminating frustration, confusion, and misunderstandings before they become unmanageable.

They build cooperation and collaboration between individuals, eliminate the need for rework, and foster continuous improvement.

The best managers can often sense problems with keen insight.

They may notice a deviation from standard team performance , such as a missed deadline or an unmet sales goal—and when the team’s plans go off the rails, these managers automatically begin the problem-solving process.

1. Identify and Define the Problem

Alert managers constantly watch for signals, symptoms, and signs that problems may exist. Once they see a potential issue, they think through whether this is a problem they can solve and whether it will make a critical impact on the team or organization.

Once the problem has been defined as a priority, they create a clear, quantitative problem statement and describe the situation in specific, objective terms without making assumptions or jumping to conclusions.

2. Analyze the Problem

The best problem-solvers analyze patterns and ask questions about what, who, when, where, and how much the problem has affected the business.

They are able to isolate and define the root cause of the issue so that once it’s been resolved, it’s unlikely to recur.

3. Develop Solutions

While problems sometimes come with easy answers, managerial problem-solving cannot be impulsive, risking the mistake of making snap decisions.

Instead, they use techniques like brainstorming ideas, creating prioritized lists, and evaluating the time, cost, and technology involved to assess the situation and design a long-term solution.

4. Plan and Act

Once the best solution has been identified, a good manager develops a solid implementation plan. This plan should include steps that will be taken to move forward, as well as contingency plans that will help the manager handle potential roadblocks.

He or she must also secure the commitment of others, mobilize them to act, and hold them accountable for their responsibilities.

The managerial problem-solving process is a never-ending cycle of planning, doing, checking, and acting, while also monitoring the situation and the outcomes. As needed, managers make adjustments to their plans so that the team can continue to move towards the solution that will lead them to better business results .

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Managers Can Help Employees Hone Critical Soft Skills

Problem solving, time management and adapting to change are the most important soft skills in the eyes of HR professionals and hiring managers.

​A worker's gossiping was creating problems among team members. Neither the first-time manager nor the group's supervisor knew quite how to correct the behavior that was causing distrust among co-workers.

"Role playing with the manager and supervisor helped them show more confidence and be prepared to discuss this [behavior] with the employee," Metcalf says. "Going further, detailing potential situations with the employee helped her to see the discord that it was causing and [why it] was not helpful to the team."

It was an example of soft-skill development—in this case, the skill of problem solving.

Forty-two percent of HR professionals and hiring managers recently identified that soft skill as one of the top three they are focusing on developing in their organizations, according to Closing the Skills Gap: Employer Perspectives on Educating the Post-Pandemic Workforce , a report released in January by publishing company Wiley. The report captured survey responses from 600 HR professionals and hiring managers in the U.S.

Time management (36 percent) and adapting to change (35 percent) were the other top soft skills. Half of the survey's respondents said they think jobs require more soft skills now than when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

"The push to remote work is one [reason], affecting how people work as members of virtual teams," explains David Capranos, co-author of the report.

A study in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences also noted the impact of the changing workplace on soft skills.

"Overall, we found a decay in soft skills among early-career women in STEM working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic," note the authors of the article, titled Preventing Soft Skill Decay Among Early-Career Women in STEM During COVID-19.

"Now that a large share of the professional workforce plans to operate on a hybrid or fully remote basis indefinitely, employers must develop new methods to help employees cultivate the soft skills required for building effective operational and strategic networks virtually," write the Stanford University researchers who authored the study.

The researchers based their longitudinal study on 44 women working at a biotech company and used Aurora, an online program whose curriculum covers soft skills such as resilience, influence and communication.

Aurora is a product of reacHIRE, a Concord, Mass.-based company that works with corporate partners to create career off-ramps and on-ramps and paths to leadership for women.

The women in the Stanford study, who had less than 10 years' experience and were under the age of 34, reported a 3.5 percent decline in soft skills from pre-pandemic baseline levels. They saw a 9 percent growth in their soft skills after participating in the online intervention.

Training Doesn't Stop

As with hard skills such as digital communication and project management, soft skills need periodic updating. Wiley's research found:

• 44 percent of respondents expect workers to need continuous training to maintain soft skills.
• 43 percent said soft and durable skills wane within two years.
• 27 percent expect soft skills to last at least five years.

"You need these tools to carry with you throughout your career, but the way you apply them may change," says Capranos, who also serves as director of market strategy and research at Wiley University Services.

Problem solving as an individual contributor is one thing; it's different when you are put in charge of a team or managing a project, he explains.

What the Manager Can Do

The Wiley research found that a number of respondents leveraged mentoring and reverse mentoring to develop soft skills, according to Capranos. Digital learning partnerships can also help an organization develop those talents among its employees.

"More and more universities are trying to layer softer skills into their curriculum," such as learning how to work effectively in teams, he says. "A significant portion of companies have digital learning partnerships" with groups such as Harvard Management Co., and "a lot of those have content on how to be more persuasive, better at project management."

It's akin to working with an athlete: "I'm going to observe you, I'm going to provide you some feedback and I'm going to observe you again," Dole says.

And just as athletes have practice time, employees have role playing for practice. Game time is when employees use their newly developed soft skills to deliver a presentation or interact with a client, she explains.

Tips for Soft Skill Development

Consider the following strategies for helping your employees develop and improve their soft skills:

Be clear when giving feedback.

"If you're giving an employee feedback on something like time management, it's important to define what that means in the context of their role and the impact of their experience, the team's experience and the manager's experience with the work," Dole advises. "There might be a right answer, for right now, for what that skill is. And putting it in context of their job helps them to build that motivation to change their habits. It's giving them next steps."

Check in with employees.

Is there feedback you can offer around the soft skills the employees are working on? What have the employees done to improve in that area and feel proud?

Managers can provide employees with opportunities to practice a soft skill, says Addie Swartz, reacHIRE founder and CEO.

"Often, there are assignments that come up last minute," she says. Encourage them to raise their hand, "or go on a limb and say, 'This project is coming up. Would you be interested in doing it?'" to create opportunities for stretch assignments. "Problem solving on those kinds of things has high visibility," she says.

Working on time management skills could include meeting with employees to help them prioritize tasks, Swartz adds. Before meeting with employees, ask them to send you their five priorities for the week and the month. Then, during the meeting, reprioritize with the employees their short- and long-term tasks.

At that time, be open with the employees to enable them "to feel OK to say, 'I'm underwater and I need help.' "

Be aware of how employees learn best.

While managers can help employees develop a particular soft skill, it starts with an awareness of how the employees best learn, says Metcalf, who today is director, human resources, for Bell County in Belton, Texas.

"From my experience, I believe that managers first have to take time and interest in their employees—beyond data and goals—to uniquely understand them as a person," she says. "As managers, we must then determine with the employee how they best learn to be able to effectively help with that learning process.

"Some employees are going to learn best by observing, performing and building those skills, while others need a more formal classroom training." Role playing and thought-provoking exercises, Metcalf says, "may help [develop] situational awareness."

Invest in your managers.

At Weaver, an independent accounting firm based in Houston, all newly promoted managers attend Pathways—a three-day training program—and undergo a year of coaching. Time management is one of the skills the coaching focuses on, according to Linc Ashby , chief talent officer at Weaver.

Alexis Beebe, senior manager for learning and development at Weaver, found it helpful to set large and small individual goals to accomplish before the next coaching session.

"For my coaching clients, setting goals has really helped them feel more successful and like they're accomplishing something great, no matter how big or small. Some of my clients have since put into effect monthly goals with each of their own team members," Beebe said. 

Managers must already possess the soft skill that they're trying to develop in their direct reports, Dole points out.

"Managers need more maturity in the soft skills to be able to coach employees on the soft skills. And we need to work the development into the daily routines and habits," she says. "That's why investing in leadership development is so important for the future, because it impacts the team experience."

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Workplace conflict is inevitable. This article outlines 5 conflict management skills to help managers navigate disagreements and improve team cohesion.

Conflict isn’t a new concept for humans. You likely experience conflict in all facets of your life, and work is no exception. Your team is made up of people with all different personality types and viewpoints which is likely what makes you so productive and effective. But, on the flip side, clashing personalities can give rise to conflict. 

You won’t always see eye to eye with your team, and that’s okay. 

Believe it or not, conflict can be a positive thing— good conflict can be a driver for change, new ideas and improvement. Bad conflict, on the other hand, is what you want to avoid. Bad conflict lowers team energy and morale and creates a toxic environment. As a manager, you need to be equipped to handle both and deal with conflict effectively. 

This article will help you navigate workplace conflicts. We’ll walk through what conflict management is and 5 skills that will come in handy in any modern business setting. 

What is conflict management?

Workplace conflict is a state of disagreement among employees. It arises because people have their own set of values, goals, needs, and interests that may clash with others. Conflict management is the process of reducing the impact of these conflicts and preventing them from escalating.

When you manage a conflict, you need to identify the underlying sources and take a course of action that works best to mitigate the situation.

While preventing conflict is nearly impossible, you can and should manage its effects.

5 Conflict management skills for managers

Managing conflict is tricky. It requires the ability to tackle issues head on, with a high degree of sensitivity and empathy. According to an article published by the Project Management Institute , managing conflict is a core competency of many leaders. This is no surprise—how you manage your team, especially when conflicts arise, will have a significant effect on the workplace environment and how the team works together moving forward.

Let’s take a look at 5 skills that’ll help develop your conflict management expertise: 

Communication skills

Stress management, problem-solving, emotional intelligence.

Everyone can communicate. The ability to communicate effectively , however, is a skill only a few people master. You might be the most insightful, experienced, or skilled member of your team or department, but you’ll easily find yourself in conflict with coworkers if you can’t communicate effectively. 

Communication can be broken down into 3 important buckets:

1. Listening

When we think about communication, the first thing that comes to mind is often talking. But in reality, effective communication starts with listening. You need to understand a problem if you hope to solve the issue. To be great at conflict management, try spending more time listening than you do speaking.

To do this, you need to create spaces where employees are comfortable speaking up. Ensure that effective communication channels are available to employees. There are many ways to communicate grievances in the office, such as:

• Instant messaging
• Gmail notes
• Email 
• One-on-one meetings

Make sure employees are aware of how to best communicate their feedback, and are assured that their complaints will be kept confidential. It’s important to create a space where your employees feel safe coming to you with feedback. That way your employees will be comfortable addressing problems with you before they spiral into major issues. A great way to communicate this is to add a section into your Manager ReadME on the best time and place to communicate with you.

2. Body language

Body language is also a big part of communication. When employees approach you with a problem—specifically in person—be conscious of your body language. You want to look open and receptive when people are explaining a problem. Face the person you’re speaking with, consider your posture, and control your facial expressions. When you’re remote, put your camera on during video calls and make eye contact (sometimes looking directly at your camera helps)!

3. Moderating

When managing a conflict that involves more than one person, you may want to consider bringing everyone in the same room–whether virtually or in person. When moderating, consider governing by a set of rules aimed at maintaining psychological safety . By creating a set of rules, you send a clear signal that your workplace is a safe space for discussion and that everyone is free to speak what’s on their mind. 

Aside from giving everyone the chance to speak, psychological safety also involves acknowledging that you might not be the best person to mediate a problem. If you have a difficult relationship with the people in conflict, try to identify a suitable person to mediate the issue to prevent a potential conflict of interest.

According to a recent study , workplace stress costs the US $300 billion annually in lost productivity. It’s also no surprise that it can lead to conflict at work.

Stressed workers are generally more irritable and high-strung. As a result, stress can cause simple disagreements to erupt into a full-blown conflict.  

Does your workplace or team breed a culture of stress? Everyone’s under tight deadlines and it’s important to reach your company and team goals . But, pushing people too hard is often counterproductive. As a manager, you also need to watch out for signs of burnout among employees and act swiftly on them. 

Here are some ways you can manage team stress and ensure that your employees stay sharp and motivated.: 

• Offer well-timed breaks
• Push soft deadlines when needed 
• Encourage people to take their vacation time (and lead by example by taking vacation yourself)
• Offer health and wellness benefits like gym membership and counseling reimbursement 
• Encourage your team to work when they’re most productive

Aside from stress as a causative factor for workplace conflict, we also need to examine the stress borne out of the conflict itself. That can be just as debilitating.

Most times, you can only alleviate this form of stress among employees by addressing the root problem—which is where your communication skills will be helpful. 

Do people have too much on their plates?

Are expectations unrealistic? 

Is there workplace bullying happening? 

Listen to what’s happening and how your team is reacting. Once you understand the root of the stress, work together to implement safeguards to prevent future conflicts.

No matter what’s causing the stress, it’s important to communicate and act in a way that shows people you understand what they’re going through and are ready to help and support them.

Problems that arise at work are often caused by the different attitudes and temperaments of people working together—and can range from simple to complicated conflicts. 

For example, there may be someone on the team who’s struggling to finish their work on time. As a result, the rest of the team is being held up. This can cause a lot of friction. But it’s important to understand the “why.” Perhaps the person is struggling to deliver work on time as a result of a major life transition or family illness. 

How do you solve these types of problems in the workplace? The first step in solving any problem is to identify the source of the issue.

Listen to all the parties involved to understand their respective views. In the example above, team members may be frustrated by one person not pulling their weight, but they don’t know the whole story. Surely, if they knew that the person was dealing with personal issues, they would be more understanding and work together to pick up the slack where needed.  

While the conflict is affecting the entire team, it’s best to first address the issue one-on-one as to not isolate or embarrass anyone. Try asking questions like:

• What’s stressing you out this week?
• On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you at work?
• Do you find your physical work environment productive? Is there anything preventing you from being productive?
• What’s one thing we could change about work for you that would improve your personal life?

Plus, setting up a continuous feedback loop , where you openly discuss highlights and lowlights and suggest ways to address issues will increase employee-manager collaboration and improve overall performance on the team.

The solution to a workplace conflict is rarely simple. You’ll need to use your problem-solving skills to identify the best solution to the issues you’re facing.

While it’s important to take an objective approach to problem-solving, people’s emotions can’t be discarded in the process. According to Psychology Today , trying to ignore feelings will just make the problem worse. So make sure you’re considering the human side of things. This brings us to our next skill: emotional intelligence. 🧠

Emotional intelligence is a powerful skill that’s made up of many competencies. When mastered, it helps you communicate effectively, empathize with people, and de-escalate conflicts.

Workplace conflicts can trigger strong emotions, ranging from indifference to disgust, anger, sadness, and contempt. Those conflicts can cause employees or team members to feel like their value has diminished and their position in the workplace is threatened.

These are important emotions to consider. 

Emotional intelligence allows you to assume the viewpoints of each aggrieved party and assess the reasoning behind their position on the issue. It also allows you to counsel with compassion without being rude, condescending, or forceful.

That’s not to say emotional intelligence only comes in handy when there’s already an existing conflict. A manager with emotional intelligence can help keep lasting peace in the workplace by recognizing potential emotional flashpoints and moving quickly to resolve them before any conflicts arise.

Teamwork makes the dream work! Each team member brings a different combination of insight, skill, perspective, and personality to the workplace. As a manager, you’re responsible for fostering an environment that allows all of these people to come together and thrive, despite their potential differences. 

Here are some tips to help achieve this cohesion: 

• Define each team member’s goal clearly: Setting individual goals will help each member understand the role they play in the bigger picture and how to succeed. 
• Set team goals: Whether you’re finishing a project, trying to increase sales, or decorating your office for Halloween, setting team goals will ensure everyone on your team is aligned and working towards the same purpose. This will help propel each individual member of the team.
• Get everyone to buy into the team goals: Meeting with your team members, both as a group and one-on-one, will help them realize why they need to achieve their individual goals and how they stand to benefit from the team’s success. Writing a mission statement for your company can also help get everyone on the same page.

Defining each team member’s role on the team will help everyone work together more seamlessly. When you understand what you and your peers are supposed to be doing, it will help minimize conflicts. 

By defining roles, you also help ensure a culture of accountability at work. When everyone holds themselves accountable for what they do, they start owning their tasks and doing their best, regardless of seniority level.

Wrapping up

The modern workplace is complex. Each person is different with unique temperaments, personalities, opinions, and approaches. As a result, conflict is more or less inevitable.

The good news is that with the right approach, you can mitigate conflict and its effect on the team’s productivity and morale. With effective conflict management, you can address the root cause of the conflict and find a resolution.

For you to manage conflict effectively though, you need conflict management skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, communication, and stress management.

Honing these 5 conflict management skills will help you better resolve conflicts in the workplace as they come up. You can even spot the early signs and address them before they fester into larger issues. You’ll keep that peace, allowing your team to stay productive and focus on the goals at hand!  

David Campbell is a digital marketing specialist at Ramp Ventures. He helps manage the content marketing team at Right Inbox . When he’s not working, he enjoys travelling and trying to learn Spanish.

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Next, here are some things you can do now that you've read this article:

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According to Management 3.0 Facilitator Ilija Popjanev , problem solving is essential for individuals and organizations as it enables us to control all aspects of our business environment. In this article, Ilija looks into problem-solving skills, how the problem-solving process works, and which tools help you to advance this skill set.

In this article you will learn about:

What is Problem Solving?

• Problem-Solving in Six Easy Steps

Why is Problem-Solving so Important for Leaders, Teams, and Organizations?

Problem-solving techniques in the workplace, better employee experience by using problem-solving tools from management 3.0, how do employees develop problem-solving skills, what skills make a good problem solver.

In the last few years, we have been living 100% in the VUCA world, with so many unpredictable and complex threats and challenges. As a result, organizations must create a sense of urgency to redesign their present business models and to rebuild the foundations for the future of work. 

All companies now need effective problem-solving skills and tools at all levels, starting with individuals and teams, and finishing with their leaders and managers. This new reality enables growth and success only for those well-equipped and empowered by effective problem-solving skills and tools. 

One of the behaviors of Management 1.0 style is to constantly look for ways to stop “fighting fires,”. Instead, the Management 3.0 style seeks to “find the root cause” of the problem, and then to refocus, improve, and plan a different way for fulfilling workplace tasks.

Management 3.0 provides effective tools and principles for building the system for effective problem solving. It provides us with techniques we can use to understand what is happening in our world, to identify things we want to change, and then apply everything that needs to be done to achieve the desired outcome. We live by the motto: fail fast, recover quickly, and learn from the failures.

The agile way of working does not mean being perfect, but instead it allows for failures and sees them as opportunities to learn, grow, and adapt . Perfection is useless if we do not provide value fast for our customers. That is why problem solving is the foundation for continuous improvement, learning, and collaboration, which leads to innovations and success in ever-changing economies and the new normal that we now live in. 

The definition of problem solving according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is: “The process or act of finding a solution to a problem.” Similarly, the Oxford English Dictionary describes problem solving as: “The process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.”

For me, Problem-solving is a process of understanding and owning the problem, constant pursuit for solutions and improvements, and putting into action the best option for the desired outcome.

Understanding context and interacting with our teammates are the essence of effective problem-solving. We must clearly understand the complexity of our environment and the specifics of the context because things continuously change and evolve. Here, the Complexity Thinking Guidelines may help you to better understand what is happening and how to navigate complex environments more effectively.

We must have a lens through which to see problems as opportunities to improve, and regard our teams as sources of knowledge and experience. We have to connect people and opportunities in ways that can facilitate the best solutions for the problems that we are handling. Try using the Personal Maps , an excellent tool for bringing teams together and fostering diversity, respect, trust, and collaboration.

Today, all innovations and solved problems are team efforts because teams constantly improve their toolbox and competencies. Teams want to create something that was not there before, and which maximize their knowledge and resources.

To accomplish that, they need to build a process in a few easy steps:

• Be present, observe what is happening in your world, and define the problem.
• Review where you are now and what influences that state.
• Constantly improve and change things by using creative tools and tactics.
• Seek solutions and alternatives to make changes more effective.
• Make team decisions about which tools and solutions should be used.
• Implement improvements, monitor the process, and constantly adapt!

At this stage, by following the Management 3.0 principle of “Improving the system,” you can use the tools Celebration Grids , combined with Yay! Questions , to best engage the team in the problem-solving process, while keeping track of what is working well, what can be changed, and what new options exist.

Documenting everything is an integral part of the problem-solving process. By using Celebration Grids, you are gamifying the process and keeping the team flow and energy on a higher level.

Also read: What type of problem-solver are you?

Problem-solving is crucial for everyone: individuals, teams, leaders, organizations, and ultimately for all stakeholders because it empowers us to better control the environment and everything that is going on in our world. Try using Delegation Poker so that teams can become more empowered to solve problems both alongside leaders and within their organization. 

Today, the speed of problem solving is important, and that is why organizations must give more power and authority on a team level , so employees can react quickly and even prevent problems. As a leading indicator, the Management 3.0 tool Problem Time can help you measure the time spent on uncompleted problem-solving tasks and activities; this is a valuable add-on to “lead and cycle time” lagging indicators, with which you measure the time taken on completed tasks.

Developing and refining problem-solving skills through constant practice and experimentation can refine the ability to solve problems and address issues with more complexities.

We may face various challenges in our daily work, and effective problem-solving can make a difference.

Make a Difference with Problem-Solving

• Problem-solving skills are important if you want to add more value . As an agilist, your objective is not to be perfect but to maximize the value you provide for all stakeholders. Start fast, deliver value early, manage failures and prioritize tasks by setting the urgency criteria.
• Problem-solving skills are important if you need to improve your results. You have to accept the complexity of success factors and better understand the need for changes and improvements in a continually uncertain environment. Results depend on your problem-solving skills!
• Problem-solving skills are important if you have to fix things that do not work. When your processes are not working as planned, problem solving will give you the structure and mechanisms to identify issues, figure out why things are broken, and take actions to fix them.
• Problem-solving skills are important when you have to address a risk. Sharpen your problem-solving skills to anticipate future events better and increase the awareness of cause-and-effect relationships. This enables you to take the right actions and influence the outcomes if issues do occur.
• Problem-solving skills are important if you work simultaneously on several projects. You should apply the same problem-solving techniques when you work on multiple projects, business functions, market segments, services, systems, processes, and teams. Standardize and scale!
• Problem-solving skills are important when you want to seize the day. Problem solving is all about innovation , building new things, and changing the system into a better one. This can help us to identify opportunities even in challenging times and prepare us for the future. You can visualize the process with the Meddles Game to better understand your ideas, solutions, and activities. It is a great way to engage your team as you can build the problem-solving concept and it is an effective tool for influencing all stakeholders affected by the problem. 

Also read: Collaborative Leadership explained .

Solving complex problems may be difficult, but problems will be solved when we use the right tools. Besides the powerful Management 3.0 tools I already mentioned, as a big fan of Lean and Liberating structures, I think you can find lots of problem-solving techniques to use in your daily business. 

Here is my short list of tools and techniques:

• 5 Whys – a great way to uncover the root cause is to understand the problem better. 
• Fishbone analysis – for visual analysis of the root causes of a problem. Easy to combine with ‘5 Whys’ or ‘Mind mapping’ to brainstorm and determine the cause and effect of any problem.
• Silent brainstorming – gives everyone a chance to participate in idea generation as not only the loudest people, but also the quiet ones, will participate equally. Everyone’s opinion has the same weight. 
• Mind maps – structured visual diagrams to share your ideas, concepts, and solutions the same way your brain does. You explain the problems quickly, then share fresh ideas, and finally come to a team consensus that can lead to an effective solution. 
• Six thinking hats – enable your team to consider problems from different angles, focusing on facts, creative solutions, or why some solutions might not work.
• Agreement certainty matrix – another tremendous visual tool for brainstorming problems and challenges by sorting them into simple, complicated, complex, or chaotic domains to later agree on what approach should be used to solve the concrete problems affecting a team.  
• Conversation café – enables the team to engage in productive conversations, with less arguing but more active listening, solving the problem in rounds of dialogues until reaching a consensus regarding the best problem-solving approach. 
• Design thinking – when you are struggling for fresh ideas, the 5-step process will help you empathize with the problem, then begin defining and developing new ideas, before prototyping and testing them. 

Edward Deming’s PDCA is the most known concept for continuous improvement and problem solving. You can gamify your events using the Change Management Game , a card game where PDCA will help you define the problem, take action, collect feedback, and adopt the new solution.

The “carrot and stick” approach, or in HR language, “pay for performance,” does not work anymore, especially for roles that require problem-solving, creativity, and innovative thinking. Creative people need a higher level of authority and empowerment to self-manage challenges and problem scenarios. When leaders and organizations create such systems, they foster intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction among these people. Creatives are seeking self-actualization through their careers.

This is one more case which calls for Management 3.0’s Delegation Poker to define the levels of authority in terms of problem-solving issues, as well as Moving Motivators to define key motivators for increasing productivity and employee satisfaction by changing behavior.

Improving Employee Experience with Problem-Solving

1. Use problem solving as a key motivator – have in mind Millennials and Gen Z creative workers ’ affinity towards tasks in which they feel challenged and have a sense of meaning. Provide them with big and tough problems to solve and use challenging tasks to keep them constantly engaged.

2. Continuous improvement can make a difference – creatives seek a sense of purpose and think outside of the box, so encouraging the ‘How can we execute this task better?’ mindset and problem solving become powerful tools for creating sustainable corporate culture.

3. Don’t connect solving problems with rewards – it can kill the perceived intrinsic value of the activity; it will disengage and dissatisfy employees. Autonomy, trust, respect, and gratitude will do the job. 

4. Apply the seven rules for creative managers – unleash the power of diversity , and cooperation, rely on merits, optimize exploration, open boundaries, keep options open, and update your workplace. 

We start solving problems from a very early age (the alphabet, learning to eat, driving a bicycle etc.). Then, everyday activities sharpen our problem-solving skills and enable us to solve more complex issues. 

As an adult, you can still develop your problem-solving skills by:

• Daily practicing of logic games, such as chess, and puzzles like Sudoku. 
• Video games can teach you how to deal with failure and persist in achieving your goals.
• Keep an idea journal or blog as a collection of all your ideas, thoughts, and patterns. 
• Think outside of the box – take a different perspective to understand the problem better.
• Practice brainstorming combined with mind mapping, working with your team.
• Put yourself in new situations – take on a challenging project at work.
• Start using the “what if” mindset in daily circumstances and test new approaches.
• Read more books on creativity and articles which cover your areas of interest. 

I also believe coaching can help build creativity and problem-solving skills, encouraging people to take greater ownership of their work and commit to corporate goals. A coach can provide clear guidance as to what is important at the moment; they help people better, focus, and move into action. By asking powerful questions and challenging others to think outside of the box, the coach removes their barriers and lets them see the situation from a new perspective.

Coaching can provide structure so people develop their own expertise and insights to contribute better when problems arise and the pressure to succeed is growing.

The interview is an excellent opportunity to research a candidate’s problem-solving skills, and STAR questions should be related to their previous experience dealing with problems. A candidate with good problem-solving skills can quickly embed in the team and become a valuable asset for the company.

In my Agility in HR workshops , we regularly discuss interview questions. Some popular STAR questions are:

• “If you cannot find a solution to a problem, how do you deal with the situation?”
• “How do you react when faced with unexpected problems or challenges?”
• “Describe an occasion when you had to adapt at the last minute. How did you handle this?”

Problem-solving requires the ability to identify a problem, find the root cause, create solutions, and execute them. All these steps are essential for achieving the desired results. 

Some of the skills that problem solvers must constantly sharpen are:

• Collaborative communication . Clear communication is essential when you explain the problem and the solution to your teammates. During brainstorming sessions, asking the right questions to determine the root cause , as well as synergic collaboration are needed.
• Active listening is important to prevent mistakes as  you can absorb the details your colleagues tell you about the problem. Use open-ended questions for clarification, and always be open to feedback and views that differ from yours.
• Coachability. The willingness to accept feedback and the ability to improve. Learning from more experienced people, being curious to ask many questions, constructively using your ego, skipping excuses and blaming others, and accepting Feedback Wraps from your coach.
• Decision making . Problems cannot be solved without risk-taking and bringing important decisions (including relevant data, levels of delegation, alternative solutions etc.) to the forefront.
• Critical thinking . Be 100% objective when you try to find the cause of the problem. Skip ego trips and personal biases. Identify your mistakes in the thinking process and show personal accountability .
• Research and data analysis . Proper research allows you to diagnose the actual problem, not just the symptoms. If the cause of the problem is not immediately apparent, you can use the power of data to discover the issue’s history, some patterns, future trends, etc.
• Persistence . Trust in the problem-solving process you have designed and follow every step with patience and persistence; even when you fail repeatedly, do not give up. Keep moving and remember Thomas Edison’s quote: “I have not failed. I have just found 9,999 ways that do not work.”

In the new VUCA world we now live in, problem solving is a crucial soft skill, and employers are actively seeking people with this skill set because they can prepare for problems before they arise. Problem solvers better identify opportunities, understand their environment, create a solution, and generate ideas that lead to great results and success.

According to a study made by LinkedIn Learning in August 2022 , future skills are rapidly changing, and problem solving is among the top soft skills employers search for from their candidates, as well as communication and leadership skills.

Using all aforementioned tools and practices from Management 3.0, following the guides, and sharpening your skills, will help you not only to be effective in resolving the problems that may arise, but also to solve them with enthusiasm and passion. They will create a higher level of engagement and collaboration in the team and help unleash people’s creativity and innovation. A win-win for everyone!

Photo by Parabol on Unsplash

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Respect the worth of other people's insights

Problems continuously arise in organizational life, making problem-solving an essential skill for leaders. Leaders who are good at tackling conundrums are likely to be more effective at overcoming obstacles and guiding their teams to achieve their goals. So, what’s the secret to better problem-solving skills?

1. Understand the root cause of the problem

“Too often, people fail because they haven’t correctly defined what the problem is,” says David Ross, an international strategist, founder of consultancy Phoenix Strategic Management and author of Confronting the Storm: Regenerating Leadership and Hope in the Age of Uncertainty .

Ross explains that as teams grapple with “wicked” problems – those where there can be several root causes for why a problem exists – there can often be disagreement on the initial assumptions made. As a result, their chances of successfully solving the problem are low.

“Before commencing the process of solving the problem, it is worthwhile identifying who your key stakeholders are and talking to them about the issue,” Ross recommends. “Who could be affected by the issue? What is the problem – and why? How are people affected?”

He argues that if leaders treat people with dignity, respecting the worth of their insights, they are more likely to successfully solve problems.

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Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, 2. unfocus the mind.

“To solve problems, we need to commit to making time to face a problem in its full complexity, which also requires that we take back control of our thinking,” says Chris Griffiths, an expert on creativity and innovative thinking skills, founder and CEO of software provider OpenGenius, and co-author of The Focus Fix: Finding Clarity, Creativity and Resilience in an Overwhelming World .

To do this, it’s necessary to harness the power of the unfocused mind, according to Griffiths. “It might sound oxymoronic, but just like our devices, our brain needs time to recharge,” he says. “ A plethora of research has shown that daydreaming allows us to make creative connections and see abstract solutions that are not obvious when we’re engaged in direct work.”

To make use of the unfocused mind in problem solving, you must begin by getting to know the problem from all angles. “At this stage, don’t worry about actually solving the problem,” says Griffiths. “You’re simply giving your subconscious mind the information it needs to get creative with when you zone out. From here, pick a monotonous or rhythmic activity that will help you to activate the daydreaming state – that might be a walk, some doodling, or even some chores.”

Do this regularly, argues Griffiths, and you’ll soon find that flashes of inspiration and novel solutions naturally present themselves while you’re ostensibly thinking of other things. He says: “By allowing you to access the fullest creative potential of your own brain, daydreaming acts as a skeleton key for a wide range of problems.”

3. Be comfortable making judgment calls

“Admitting to not knowing the future takes courage,” says Professor Stephen Wyatt, founder and lead consultant at consultancy Corporate Rebirth and author of Antidote to the Crisis of Leadership: Opportunity in Complexity . “Leaders are worried our teams won’t respect us and our boards will lose faith in us, but what doesn’t work is drawing up plans and forecasts and holding yourself or others rigidly to them.”

Wyatt advises leaders to heighten their situational awareness – to look broadly, integrate more perspectives and be able to connect the dots. “We need to be comfortable in making judgment calls as the future is unknown,” he says. “There is no data on it. But equally, very few initiatives cannot be adjusted, refined or reviewed while in motion.”

Leaders need to stay vigilant, according to Wyatt, create the capacity of the enterprise to adapt and maintain the support of stakeholders. “The concept of the infallible leader needs to be updated,” he concludes.

4. Be prepared to fail and learn

“Organisations, and arguably society more widely, are obsessed with problems and the notion of problems,” says Steve Hearsum, founder of organizational change consultancy Edge + Stretch and author of No Silver Bullet: Bursting the Bubble of the Organisational Quick Fix .

Hearsum argues that this tendency is complicated by the myth of fixability, namely the idea that all problems, however complex, have a solution. “Our need for certainty, to minimize and dampen the anxiety of ‘not knowing,’ leads us to oversimplify and ignore or filter out anything that challenges the idea that there is a solution,” he says.

Leaders need to shift their mindset to cultivate their comfort with not knowing and couple that with being OK with being wrong, sometimes, notes Hearsum. He adds: “That means developing reflexivity to understand your own beliefs and judgments, and what influences these, asking questions and experimenting.”

5. Unleash the power of empathy

Leaders must be able to communicate problems in order to find solutions to them. But they should avoid bombarding their teams with complex, technical details since these can overwhelm their people’s cognitive load, says Dr Jessica Barker MBE , author of Hacked: The Secrets Behind Cyber Attacks .

Instead, she recommends that leaders frame their messages in ways that cut through jargon and ensure that their advice is relevant, accessible and actionable. “An essential leadership skill for this is empathy,” Barker explains. “When you’re trying to build a positive culture, it is crucial to understand why people are not practicing the behaviors you want rather than trying to force that behavioral change with fear, uncertainty and doubt.”

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5 Strategies for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

• 07 Sep 2023

Any scenario in which you live, work, and collaborate with others is susceptible to conflict. Because workplaces are made up of employees with different backgrounds, personalities, opinions, and daily lives, discord is bound to occur. To navigate it, it’s crucial to understand why it arises and your options for resolving it.

Common reasons for workplace conflict include:

• Misunderstandings or poor communication skills
• Differing opinions, viewpoints, or personalities
• Biases or stereotypes
• Variations in learning or processing styles
• Perceptions of unfairness

Although conflict is common, many don’t feel comfortable handling it—especially with colleagues. As a business leader, you’ll likely clash with other managers and need to help your team work through disputes.

Here’s why conflict resolution is important and five strategies for approaching it.

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Why Is Addressing Workplace Conflict Important?

Pretending conflict doesn’t exist doesn’t make it go away. Ignoring issues can lead to missed deadlines, festering resentment, and unsuccessful initiatives.

Yet, according to coaching and training firm Bravely , 53 percent of employees handle “toxic” situations by avoiding them. Worse still, averting a difficult conversation can cost an organization $7,500 and more than seven workdays.

That adds up quickly: American businesses lose $359 billion yearly due to the impact of unresolved conflict.

As a leader, you have a responsibility to foster healthy conflict resolution and create a safe, productive work environment for employees.

“Some rights, such as the right to safe working conditions or the right against sexual harassment, are fundamental to the employment relationship,” says Harvard Business School Professor Nien-hê Hsieh in the course Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “These rights are things that employees should be entitled to no matter what. They’re often written into the law, but even when they aren’t, they’re central to the ethical treatment of others, which involves respecting the inherent dignity and intrinsic worth of each individual.”

Effectively resolving disputes as they arise benefits your employees’ well-being and your company’s financial health. The first step is learning about five conflict resolution strategies at your disposal.

Related: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Employees

While there are several approaches to conflict, some can be more effective than others. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model —developed by Dr. Kenneth W. Thomas and Dr. Ralph H. Kilmann—outlines five strategies for conflict resolution:

• Accommodating
• Compromising
• Collaborating

These fall on a graph, with assertiveness on the y-axis and cooperativeness on the x-axis. In the Thomas-Kilmann model, “assertiveness” refers to the extent to which you try to reach your own goal, and “cooperativeness” is the extent to which you try to satisfy the other party’s goal.

Alternatively, you can think of these axis labels as the “importance of my goal” and the “importance of this relationship.” If your assertiveness is high, you aim to achieve your own goal. If your cooperativeness is high, you strive to help the other person reach theirs to maintain the relationship.

Here’s a breakdown of the five strategies and when to use each.

1. Avoiding

Avoiding is a strategy best suited for situations in which the relationship’s importance and goal are both low.

While you’re unlikely to encounter these scenarios at work, they may occur in daily life. For instance, imagine you’re on a public bus and the passenger next to you is loudly playing music. You’ll likely never bump into that person again, and your goal of a pleasant bus ride isn’t extremely pressing. Avoiding conflict by ignoring the music is a valid option.

In workplace conflicts—where your goals are typically important and you care about maintaining a lasting relationship with colleagues—avoidance can be detrimental.

Remember: Some situations require avoiding conflict, but you’re unlikely to encounter them in the workplace.

2. Competing

Competing is another strategy that, while not often suited for workplace conflict, can be useful in some situations.

This conflict style is for scenarios in which you place high importance on your goal and low importance on your relationships with others. It’s high in assertiveness and low in cooperation.

You may choose a competing style in a crisis. For instance, if someone is unconscious and people are arguing about what to do, asserting yourself and taking charge can help the person get medical attention quicker.

You can also use it when standing up for yourself and in instances where you feel unsafe. In those cases, asserting yourself and reaching safety is more critical than your relationships with others.

When using a competing style in situations where your relationships do matter (for instance, with a colleague), you risk impeding trust—along with collaboration, creativity, and productivity.

3. Accommodating

The third conflict resolution strategy is accommodation, in which you acquiesce to the other party’s needs. Use accommodating in instances where the relationship matters more than your goal.

For example, if you pitch an idea for a future project in a meeting, and one of your colleagues says they believe it will have a negative impact, you could resolve the conflict by rescinding your original thought.

This is useful if the other person is angry or hostile or you don’t have a strong opinion on the matter. It immediately deescalates conflict by removing your goal from the equation.

While accommodation has its place within organizational settings, question whether you use it to avoid conflict. If someone disagrees with you, simply acquiescing can snuff out opportunities for innovation and creative problem-solving .

As a leader, notice whether your employees frequently fall back on accommodation. If the setting is safe, encouraging healthy debate can lead to greater collaboration.

Related: How to Create a Culture of Ethics and Accountability in the Workplace

4. Compromising

Compromising is a conflict resolution strategy in which you and the other party willingly forfeit some of your needs to reach an agreement. It’s known as a “lose-lose” strategy, since neither of you achieve your full goal.

This strategy works well when your care for your goal and the relationship are both moderate. You value the relationship, but not so much that you abandon your goal, like in accommodation.

For example, maybe you and a peer express interest in leading an upcoming project. You could compromise by co-leading it or deciding one of you leads this one and the other the next one.

Compromising requires big-picture thinking and swallowing your pride, knowing you won’t get all your needs fulfilled. The benefits are that you and the other party value your relationship and make sacrifices to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.

5. Collaborating

Where compromise is a lose-lose strategy, collaboration is a win-win. In instances of collaboration, your goal and the relationship are equally important, motivating both you and the other party to work together to find an outcome that meets all needs.

An example of a situation where collaboration is necessary is if one of your employees isn’t performing well in their role—to the point that they’re negatively impacting the business. While maintaining a strong, positive relationship is important, so is finding a solution to their poor performance. Framing the conflict as a collaboration can open doors to help each other discover its cause and what you can do to improve performance and the business’s health.

Collaboration is ideal for most workplace conflicts. Goals are important, but so is maintaining positive relationships with co-workers. Promote collaboration whenever possible to find creative solutions to problems . If you can’t generate a win-win idea, you can always fall back on compromise.

Considering Your Responsibilities as a Leader

As a leader, not only must you address your own conflicts but help your employees work through theirs. When doing so, remember your responsibilities to your employees—whether ethical, legal, or economic.

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability groups your ethical responsibilities to employees into five categories:

• Well-being: What’s ultimately good for the person
• Rights: Entitlement to receive certain treatment
• Duties: A moral obligation to behave in a specific way
• Best practices: Aspirational standards not required by law or cultural norms
• Fairness: Impartial and just treatment

In the course, Hsieh outlines three types of fairness you can use when helping employees solve conflicts:

• Legitimate expectations: Employees reasonably expect certain practices or behaviors to continue based on experiences with the organization and explicit promises.
• Procedural fairness: Managers must resolve issues impartially and consistently.
• Distributive fairness: Your company equitably allocates opportunities, benefits, and burdens.

Particularly with procedural fairness, ensure you don’t take sides when mediating conflict. Treat both parties equally, allowing them time to speak and share their perspectives. Guide your team toward collaboration or compromise, and work toward a solution that achieves the goal while maintaining—and even strengthening—relationships.

Are you interested in learning how to navigate difficult decisions as a leader? Explore Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability —one of our online leadership and management courses —and download our free guide to becoming a more effective leader.

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Problem-Solving Skills: 5 Ways to Evaluate Them When Hiring

Knowing how to hire employees with strong problem-solving skills can make all the difference in becoming the next Netflix – or Blockbuster.

Because every role, from the penthouse corner office to the high street, involves a degree of problem-solving. Whether managing a team, developing a web page, or resolving a customer complaint, what matters is how people deal with the problems they face .

To ensure your company is prepared to tackle even the most challenging situations, we’ll first look at what problem solving skills are, using some real-life applications, before walking you through 5 of the best ways to test for them.

TL;DR – Key Takeaways

• Problem-solving skills encompass all the skills that employees use in the workplace to analyze problems and come up with solutions .
• Examples of typical problem-solving skills include good communication skills , active listening skills, decision-making skills, analytical skills, creativity, and collaboration.
• Different problem-solving skills are required from a manager compared to an individual contributor, so hiring managers should look for different competencies according to the seniority of the role.
• There are several ways to assess a candidate’s problem-solving skills when hiring, such as asking behavioral interview questions, running assessment tests or job simulations , conducting reference checks, and asking cultural fit questions.
• Toggl Hire has an impressive library of customizable skills tests and homework assignments that hiring managers can plug into their hiring pipeline to help identify the best problem-solvers right from the start.

What are problem-solving skills?

“Problem solving skills” refers to someone’s ability to identify problems , analyze possible solutions , and think through the steps required to solve those problems. For example, an HR specialist faced with the problem of filling a new position might first analyze whether it would be best filled internally or externally before posting a job description .

Problem solving skills are critical for every possible industry, role, and level of seniority, because at the bottom of each job is solving some type of problem.

Examples of typical problems in the workplace include:

• Finding out the reason behind increased customer complaints
• Improving the efficiency of outbound cold calls for your sales team
• Overhauling a landing page so that it drives more people to subscribe to a software

As you can see, every possible role that exists requires people to solve problems effectively.

What skills make up the problem-solving competency?

“Problem solving skills” is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of different skills . Here are some examples of typical problem solving abilities that an employee may need for any given role:

• Communication skills
• Decision-making skills
• Research skills
• Analytical skills
• Collaboration
• Active listening skills

Not all of them are necessary for every role, but these examples of hard and soft skills are a great starting point if you’re putting together a job description for your next role.

Problem-solving skills examples at different levels

In addition to the variety of skills that fall under the term “problem-solving”, there are also different competency levels of problem-solving.

Just like the difference between hiring an intern , a manager , and a director, choosing the right level of problem-solving competency will depend on the role you’re hiring for.

To explain this further, let’s dig into the 3 basic levels of problem-solving skills.

Entry-level problem-solving skills

A candidate with entry-level problem-solving skills is capable of identifying what the problem is and considering the potential solution. However, they struggle to move beyond this point. These types of skills are suitable if you’re looking to hire for a junior position.

Intermediate-level problem-solving skills

At an intermediate level, the candidate not only identifies problems and finds potential solutions for them, but also uses different types of problem-solving skills and strategies to tackle them from different angles.

However, for more complex problems, they might struggle to implement the solution and will look for assistance from other team members.

Expert-level problem-solving skills

At an expert level, a candidate is capable of solving problems from beginning to end . They are skilled in different problem-solving strategies, including how to gather and analyze relevant information. They are able to see creative solutions where others do not and can anticipate potential obstacles before they happen.

Why are problem-solving skills so important at work?

The modern workplace is full of problems that need solving. Solution-focused employees are a valuable asset to any company in any possible role. They help your company save money , keep customers happy , and inspire colleagues by coming up with new ways to solve old problems .

Employers like to see good problem-solving skills because it also helps to show them you have a range of other competencies such as logic, creativity, resilience, imagination, lateral thinking, and determination.

Here are some of the benefits amazing problem solvers bring to an organization and those around them: 

Problem-Solvers Work Well Under Pressure

When a problem arises, it needs to be fixed quickly. Employees with amazing problem-solving skills roll with the punches and tight deadlines to deliver when it matters. 

To do this, expert problem-solvers react quickly to short-term situations while thinking proactively about future problems. That ability to act fast and effectively exuberates confidence, creating a sense of calm across the wider team.

They Create Amazing New Ideas

Problem-solving and creative thinking go hand-in-hand. The best problem-solvers don’t just put bandaids over an issue, they fix them in a dynamic, value-adding way. 

Exciting, out-of-the-box thinking isn’t just good in the moment but creates an exciting, innovative culture across the organization. That helps organizations stay ahead of the curve and attracts other expert problem-solvers to join the organization, improving the workforce’s capability over time. 

Problems Create Risk, and Problem-Solvers Fix Problems

From an organizational perspective, problems create risk. Even if a business process is slightly off-kilter, it can become a much greater issue. 

Problem-solvers help organizations reduce risk in the moment while mitigating future risks before they even occur. That helps everyone sleep sounder at night and also removes financial liability from the C-suite. 

Problem-Solvers Beat The Competition

Ultimately, excellent problem-solvers help organizations stay ahead of their competition. Whether through creative ideas, faster outputs, or reduced risk, organizations with awesome problem solvers deliver better products and services to their clients. 

As we all know, it’s the people that make an organization great, and problem-solvers are some of the best people out there! 

Next, let’s take a closer look at how problem-solving skills may differ between individual contributors and managers.

Example of using problem-solving skills in the workplace: manager vs individual contributor

While their approaches may differ, both the manager and the individual contributor go through the same stages of the problem-solving process.

Managers look at the broader perspective of solving a problem and the different ways of coordinating their team and the organization. Their focus is the long-term success of their team and the company.

The individual contributor, on the other hand, is more concerned with individual tasks and technical problems, as well as instant solutions to a problem at hand.

Both sides of the coin are important if you want to succeed at problem solving in the long run and thrive as a team and as a company.

Step 1 – Problem definition

Quick example – A Sales Exec goes to their manager with a problem – they’re struggling to hit their sales target. The Sales Manager sits down with them to understand the situation, where they are with their sales, and the gap to the target.

Step 2 – Problem analysis

Quick example – The Sales Manager goes away and gathers some information about the Sales Exec. They look at their CRM notes, speak with other team members, and shadow the Sales Exec on the job.

Step 3 – Generating the possible solutions

Quick example – The Sales Manager comes up with some solutions to help their  Sales Exec. Options on the table include additional training, a structured work plan, and re-prioritizing their workload.

Step 4 – Implementing the best solution(s)

Quick example – The Sales Manager lays out the next steps with the Sales Exec, explaining the proposed solutions. The Sales Exec will do some re-training on the sales process and will re-prioritize their workload to focus on particular, high-value customers.

5 Ways to Evaluate Problem-Solving Skills When Hiring

There are many practical ways to evaluate how people solve problems during the hiring process. Depending on your needs, you can use one, more, or all of these in combination.

#1 – Behavioral interview questions

These are questions you ask candidates to find out how they solved problems in the past and behaved in a certain situation. Here are some examples:

• How do you handle setbacks at work?
• A customer came back to you with a complaint and the fault is on your company’s end. How do you resolve the issue?
• Your employees have a conflict and you need to resolve it without taking sides. How do you go about this?
• You have a certain timeframe to complete a complex task. How do you prioritize the work to ensure you meet the deadline and not burn out?

You can use the STAR method to assess how they solve problems in specific situations:

S – Situation: how well did they explain the situation they faced?

T – Task: what was the task they had to complete in that situation?

A – Action: did they clearly show the action they took to resolve the problem?

R – Result: how did they explain the result, and measure success?

With the right set of questions and the application of the STAR method, you can see if your candidates have good problem solving skills or not. However, this method is not 100% reliable as your candidates could be less than honest in their responses, which brings us to the other methods.

#2 – Job simulation exercises

Instead of asking candidates to think of past experiences, you can put them in a real-life situation to judge how they think and react in real time. And see for yourself how analytical, creative, and competent they are. The best way to do this is with a simulation exercise .

Note that these job simulation tasks only resemble what the candidate will be doing in their job but shouldn’t include real data or customers to protect your business.

One such example is our Homework assessments . Designed as an assessment tool for hiring managers, Homework assessments offer 500 pre-built tasks you can give to potential candidates before inviting them for an interview or extending an offer.

Candidates can do these tasks on their own and in their free time. In our library, you can choose from a variety of tasks where candidates can show off their analytical skills and proficiency in solving problems.

Once they’re done, you can review the tasks and create shared notes for your entire team to review. Just like that, you’re one step closer to making a more confident hiring decision, and your candidates can practice solving problems without causing risks for your ongoing work.

#3 – Assessment tools

Putting candidates in different situations is a solid way to find out more about their problem solving skills. However, another fantastic way to see how they solve problems is by using skills assessment tools .

Tools like Toggl Hire allow you to create pre-employment tests often used in the first step of the hiring process. That way, you can tell early on how good someone is at solving problems and whether they have the key skills to meet the requirements for the job .

In our problem-solving skills test, we test for four crucial skills:

• Problem solving
• Innovative thinking
• Logical reasoning
• Decision making

Problem solving assessment template

The assessment takes only 15 minutes , making it a great alternative to submitting a resume and cover letter. Applicants love Toggl Hire because they get feedback rapidly, and know within minutes of completing the test if they are a good fit for the role. [ Grab the template here ]

#4 – References and past performance

Reference checking is a simple but effective way to evaluate the skills of potential candidates. To understand if someone has the right problem-solving skills for the job, simply ring up their past employers and ask!

The more specific your questions, the better. Ask about objectives and goals that they completed that stand out during their time with the company. Moreover, you need to make sure that they have a pattern in their performance. In other words, were they consistent in finding new ways to solve problems and tackle complex issues?

A word of caution.

References are not always reliable. Past employers may refuse to comment on an employee’s performance, or they could be forbidden from doing so by their contracts. Sometimes, you may be unable to get ahold of the point of contact. Other times, their feedback can be overly positive.

This is why it’s important to consider other possible solutions for assessing problem solving skills in combination with reference checks.

#5 – Cultural fit

When you have all of this information in one place, it’s time to find the last piece of the puzzle. In other words, to see if the way a candidate solves problems aligns with your values and company culture.

For example, you may have a customer who has a problem with their account and wants a full subscription refund. One approach to problem-solving, in this case, would be to give the full refund because the customer is right – no matter what.

On the other hand, someone else might try and talk to the customer and get them to stay. You can come up with different problem solving skills examples to inquire about during the interview stage.

The candidate should be able not just to solve problems, but also do it in a way that matches your company culture .

Wrapping up

Employees with great problem-solving skills will always be in demand, no matter the profession or seniority level. However, testing for those skills can present a challenge for recruiters.

With the right tools, problem solving interview questions , and reference checks, you can determine if a candidate is a good problem solver or not.

If you need a bit more guidance on how to test for problem solving skills, try a ready-made Toggl Hire skills test to quickly screen candidates and determine who will continue to the job interview.

Juste loves investigating through writing. A copywriter by trade, she spent the last ten years in startups, telling stories and building marketing teams. She works at Toggl Hire and writes about how businesses can recruit really great people.

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Research shows that 78% of leaders report “collaboration drag” — too many meetings, too much peer feedback, and too much time spent getting buy-in from stakeholders.

Gartner research shows 78% of organizational leaders report experiencing “collaboration drag” — too many meetings, too much peer feedback, unclear decision-making authority, and too much time spent getting buy-in from stakeholders. This problem is compounded by the fact that companies are running as many as five types of complex initiatives at the same time — each of which could involve five to eight corporate functions and 20 to 35 team members. The sheer breadth of resource commitments across such a range of initiatives creates a basic, pervasive background complexity. To better equip teams to meet the demands of this complexity, Gartner recommends the following strategies: 1) Extend executive alignment practices down to tactical levels; 2) Develop employee strategic and interpersonal skills; and 3) Look for collaboration drag within functions or teams.

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• SC Sharon Cantor Ceurvorst is vice president of research in the Gartner marketing practice , finding new ways of solving B2B and B2C strategic marketing challenges. She sets annual research agendas and harnesses the collective expertise of marketing analysts and research methodologists to generate actionable insights.
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Team leader or supervisor

This apprenticeship is in revision

A revised version of this apprenticeship standard has been agreed and is available for information only at present. In the meantime, the version below remains approved for delivery. Further details of this and other occupational standards in revision are available in the revisions status report.

Overview of the role

Managing teams and projects to meet a private, public or voluntary organisation's goals.

Reference Number: ST0384

Details of standard, o ccupation.

A Team leader or ​supervisor is a first line management role, with operational and project responsibilities or responsibility for managing a team to deliver a clearly defined outcome. They provide direction, instructions and guidance to ensure the achievement of set goals. Working in the private, public or third sector and in all sizes of organisation, specific responsibilities will vary, but the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed will be the same whatever the role.

Key responsibilities are likely to include supporting, managing and developing team members, managing projects, planning and monitoring workloads and resources, delivering operational plans, resolving problems, and building relationships internally and externally.

Typical job titles: 

Supervisor, Team leader, Project officer, Shift supervisor, Foreperson, and Shift manager.

Entr y requirements

The entry requirement for this apprenticeship will be decided by each employer, but may typically be five GCSEs at Grade C or higher.

Requirements: knowledge, skills and behaviours

Typically this apprenticeship will take 12 – 18 months

Qu a l i fi cations

Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.

P ro g r e ssion

On completion, apprentices may choose to register as Associate Members with the Chartered Management Institute and/or the Institute of leadership and management, to support their professional career development and progression.

Rev i e w date

This standard should be reviewed within three years of its approval.

Crown copyright © 2024. You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. Visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

Team leader and supervisor assessment plan

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