If you want a transferable skill to acquire, expand or hone, problem-solving is your baby.

What job doesn’t include problems?

Problems are part and parcel of working life. And the capacity to welcome, confront and work through problems is a core competency you can and should brag about.

• Welcome problems. Work is comprised of some tough realities. Being able to recognize and embrace these difficulties is part of what gives us energy and satisfaction. We’d be bored without them.
• Confront problems. We don’t hide from, blame others, or wish away the troubles that arise around us. We go into solution mode. We initiate difficult conversations, go back to the drawing board, and make new choices.
• Work through problems. We are not content with resolving superficial symptoms. We search for underlying causes, recurring patterns, and structural deficiencies. We are looking for changes that will last.

An attitude of welcome, an approach of confrontation, and a commitment to see through lasting change.

Problem-solving. A skill that will serve you well in any position, in any firm, in any field.

What is your attitude toward, approach to and commitment regarding the problems you face at work?

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 at 3:57 pm and is filed under Uncertainty & Stress, Working Matters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.