What is the process of identifying and selecting a course of action to solve a specific problem?

1. Career development
2. How To Use Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills at Work

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated February 6, 2022 | Published May 11, 2021

Updated February 6, 2022

Published May 11, 2021

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Knowing how to approach and resolve situations in the workplace are skills that can add to your value as an employee. In this article, we explain the difference between problem-solving and decision-making and how to sharpen your skills with each.

Problem-solving vs. decision-making

Problem-solving and decision-making are terms that are often used interchangeably since both use information to inform a certain action. You cannot solve a problem without making a decision, but that’s where the similarities end. The main difference is that the first is a process and the second is an action.

Problem-solving is an analytical method to identify the possible solutions to a situation. It’s a complex process and judgment calls—or decisions—will have to be made on the way. The main goal is to find the best solution. Problem-solving involves identifying an issue, finding causes, asking questions and brainstorming solutions. Gathering facts help make the solution more obvious.

Decision-making is the process of choosing a solution based on your judgment, situation, facts, knowledge or a combination of available data. The goal is to avoid potential difficulties. Identifying opportunities is an important part of the decision-making process. Making decisions is often a part of problem-solving. 

Why are problem-solving and decision-making important in the workplace?

Problem-solving and decision-making skills are both important because they can help you to navigate a variety of situations that might comeup at work. They complement one another and can be used to resolve many of the same issues. Both problem-solving and decision-making involve critical thinking.

Problem-solving and decision-making are applicable to all careers and industries. Because both can help companies by resolving complex situations and problems, employers typically value these skills in job candidates. They show you can think through various scenarios and make good decisions that are good for the company. 

For example, A business may have multiple problems that all demand time and resources. A good manager or leader must decide which problems to prioritize. That includes making numerous decisions as part of the problem-solving process and then following through with the steps to fix the problem.

Read more: 6 Important Workplace Adaptability Skills

How to use problem-solving and decision-making skills

To improve your efficiency at work, you can follow a streamlined and organized approach to solve problems and make decisions. Here are five steps that you can follow to make the most of your problem-solving and decision-making skills:

1. Define the issue

The first step is to define the problem or issue. Once you've pinpointed the issue, analyze it and think about what might have caused it. Try to identify any smaller issues within the main problem. It’s important to understand the issue before you start thinking about potential solutions and decisions. Having a clearly defined problem can make it easier to make decisions later on in the process.

Define or state your issue in as specific terms as possible so it's easy to understand. To determine the needs of the issue, you might ask yourself: 

• What factors are contributing to this issue?

• Who are the people involved with the issue?

• When is this issue occurring?

• Where is this issue taking place?

These questions can clarify information related to the issue to help you and others understand the issue as much as possible before moving forward with creating a solution.

2. Brainstorm different approaches

After you've defined and analyzed the issue, you can begin brainstorming different approaches to resolving it. In an effort to see all sides of the problem, try to get feedback from mentors and people involved with the issue. You can also think about how you've solved past problems similar to the current issue. Be sure to consider both short- and long-term approaches to the issue. Additionally, think about how potential approaches align with your company’s mission and goals.

You can brainstorm independently or collaboratively, and you can use tools like a whiteboard or online software to illustrate your brainstorm. Common brainstorming techniques include:

• Mind mapping: Mind mapping is creating illustrations of ideas in hierarchical layouts. Mind maps can show the relationships between different aspects of an issue, making this technique fitting for problem-solving and decision-making. You can draw a mind map on paper or make use of mind mapping software. Your mind map can be a diagram, a bubble chart or another graphic representation.

• SWOT analysis: You can use a SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to an issue. The analysis can be represented in a simple chart and help you see the overview of the important components of an issue. Understanding these important components can help you to come up with potential solutions.

• Flow charts: Flow charts can be useful for illustrating processes and workflows, so they can be helpful in planning a process to respond to an issue. Creating a flow chart can help you to organize your ideas and design step-by-step solutions to problems. They can also allow you to illustrate the timeline of an issue. You can draw a simple flow chart or design one with professional software.

• Rapid ideation: Rapid ideation is a commonly used brainstorming technique in which everyone involved with an issue writes down as many potential solutions as they can think of in a short amount of time. After everyone writes down their ideas, you can review them as a team. This can help you to come up with innovative, creative solutions.

When you're brainstorming solutions, try to be creative and think about as many possible approaches as you can, even if they seem unrealistic. Being creative can help you to come up with innovative solutions that can benefit your company, which can help you to resolve your current issue as well as future issues.

Read more: 25 Brainstorming Techniques for Problem-Solving and Planning

3. Evaluate different approaches

After you've brainstormed approaches, it's time to evaluate them. Think through all of the pros and cons for each option, and consider how each one would affect your organization. Additionally, think about the different resources that each decision would require. Taking all these factors into consideration can help you make the best decision for your company.

4. Make your decision

Once you have evaluated your different approaches, it’s time to make your decision. You can choose from different decision-making structures, which include:

• Collaborative decision-making: This decision-making structure includes input from a variety of opinions.

• Command decision-making: In this structure, you make a decision without getting feedback from other people, which can be the fastest way to make a decision.

• Vote decision-making: This decision-making structure lets you get input from a large number of people in a short amount of time. It allows people to vote on a decision from a set of options.

• Consensus-based decision-making: In this structure, everyone involved attempts to agree on a decision. This process can be lengthy, so it's ideal if a decision is not time-sensitive and if you want to make sure your decision has complete support.

After making your decision, ensure it fully addresses the issue and does not create a new one. Make sure the decision is something that your company can realistically implement and it aligns with the mission, vision and values of your company. Additionally, you must be able to communicate your decision with everyone involved in the issue. Clear communication can help promote transparency and increase trust in your workplace.

Read more: Decision-Making Methods for the Workplace

5. Implement your decision

After you've made your decision, you must decide how to implement it. Start by identifying main objectives and deliverables and creating deadlines. Then, outline specific steps to meet the objectives. In the implementation plan, you can include those who are involved with the issue and assign responsibilities to the appropriate employees. Then, share your plan with everyone involved with the issue and get feedback.

6. Monitor your progress

Once your plan is in place, be sure to monitor your progress over time. Determine whether your plan's objectives have been met. You can also get feedback from those involved or collect data to gauge the effectiveness of your decision. Adjust your plan if needed or return to your brainstorm of potential solutions if a new decision is required.

Read more: How To Track Your Workplace Goals

Problem-solving and decision-making tips

Here are some tips for solving problems and making decisions:

Develop related skills

Developing related skills can help you improve your problem-solving and decision-making process. Some useful skills to develop include:

• Analytical thinking: Analytical thinking can help you determine the root causes of an issue as well as determine which potential decisions are best.

• Creativity: Skills in creativity can help you to brainstorm solutions and make innovative decisions, which can be beneficial to your company.

• Critical thinking: Critical thinking can help you effectively understand and analyze an issue so that you can make the best decision.

Read more: Problem-Solving Skills: Definitions and Examples

Communicate with other people

Communication can be key to making good decisions. You can ask for feedback from people involved with an issue or ask a mentor for advice. Communicating with other people can help you see different perspectives, which can help you to make the best decision possible. You can also ask your colleagues or supervisor how they deal with similar issues to get insight into how other people in your industry make decisions and solve problems.

Reflect on your past decisions

Reflecting on past decisions and solutions can help you to further improve your problem-solving and decision-making process. Think back on decisions you've made and how effective they were. Consider the process you used to make a decision, and choose components that worked to include in your new problem-solving and decision-making process.

Learn more about your industry

Learning more about your industry can help you to better understand different situations and make the best possible decisions for your company. You can learn more about your industry through training, certifications and courses, and you can also talk to a mentor to gain insight into your industry.

Research other techniques

You can also research different techniques and activities to help you make decisions and solve problems. For example, you can research the problem-solving and decision-making process of a company that you respect. This can help you to come up with new and innovative solutions to make the best decisions for your company.

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