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You Can Identify a Problem Solver
As an executive recruiter, I interview a lot of people. And while most candidates find a way to look good on paper, their resumes don't always reveal how good of a problem solver they are. Yet all of my clients want to hire problem solvers - people who can walk into their operation and make their problems go away. How We Learned about Solving Problems Through conventional classroom education, most of us have come to believe that there is usually a right or a wrong answer to a problem. As such, we tend to study our most pressing business problems to find a single "right" answer - as if we are solving for X in a math problem. Yet in the business world, many problems don't become clearer the more we study them. Instead, they may become larger and more confusing. Problems involving a mix of personalities and dynamic markets can be especially vexing. Seven Steps to Successful Problem Solving When solving problems - whether in real life or in a job interview - it's important to follow a logical process. Most business problems are not solved because people don't define the "real problem" clearly. Therefore, the strength of a job applicant's problem solving ability can be seen by walking them through the following seven step framework while getting them to describe how they solved a real life problem in their last job. When discussing a problem that they solved in a previous job, the applicant should demonstrate an ability to: About the Author: Harry Joiner Harry's regular columns have appeared in ERP Tips; Institutional Distributor magazine; and Marketing & Technology magazine. His creative business development ideas have been featured in Competitive Edge magazine, TEC World News, the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Best of Law Marketing, and the CPA Marketing Report. Visit Harry's website at: http://www.HarryJoiner.com
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