[Music] solving business problems demands thinking a willingness to redefine goals and an acceptance of solutions that manage rather than eliminate problems if you are like most problem solvings your ability to think clearly logically and rationally is sometimes clouded by habits unacknowledged biases and other common traps that might trip you up when solving complicated business problems let's take a look at the Essential Elements of problem solving traps and figure out how to avoid them first you need to avoid the positive outcome bias be aware of the symptoms of overconfidence underestimating how long it will take to
complete a task overestimating the likelihood of something that you hope will occur or being overly optimistic about your decisions and the answers to questions the tendency to develop a strong strong sense of ownership of your own ideas and opinions might lead you to overlook potential solutions from other sources when you're looking for solutions to problems be as open as possible to Alternatives don't prejudge ideas and opinions instead evaluate all available information with an open mind some of the best options will come from unlikely places people feel uncomfortable with doubt uncertainty and a lack of Ready
Answers this discomfort can be magnified when a problem is a especially large or important to reduce the associated anxiety you might try to accelerate the process and grasp it unlikely Alternatives using simple time management approaches and planning the solution process objectively will help you overcome this trap organizations develop a unique culture and a set of values that favor certain actions and behaviors when working in a company with a strong set of cultural norms it's easy to adopt popular opinions and follow the expectations of others which is called the bandwagon effect this effect is particularly dangerous
when solving problems frequently cultural norms have contributed to the problem in the first place be sure that you're not pressured to conform to a solution that doesn't make sense based on the bandwagon effect and finally a self-serving bias is anything that leads you to see data as what you want it to appear as you might make decisions or pursue solutions that suit your personal preferences when you start to work on a problem ask yourself if a particular outcome solution or choice is especially appealing to you if so try to be aware of it as you
proceed let's take a look at the dos and don'ts of problem solving traps first bias do be aware of the symptoms of overconfidence but don't be overly optimistic about your decisions other traps do evaluate all available information with an open mind and don't overlook Poss solutions from other sources take a look at these additional dos and don'ts as you think about problem solving traps
