How to make a career from finding solutions

In essence, every organization is in the business of finding solutions and selling them to their customers. The Government is in the business of finding solutions. Making a career from the possession of well developed skills in this area is therefore relatively straightforward whether your sights are set on working within an organization or on developing a business of your own.

If your preference is to work as an employee for an organization, it is worth noting that recruitment advertisements often use language such as "solution-focused" and "can do attitude". What they are looking for is someone who has a track record of finding solutions in their work. Therefore an ability to demonstrate your skills in this area, particularly when backed up by actual examples of occasions when you have done so with a positive result, can be a great advantage when searching for a job.

This outlook was well illustrated by one Managing Director I worked with whose favourite line was "don't tell me it can't be done; tell me how we can do it!" His intolerance of employees who presented him solely with problems had a considerable effect on the quality and quantity of the resultant solutions proposed by his staff.

When it comes to enhancing your current career, look around in your workplace and notice the number of people who can identify problems with great ease but then wish to leave the finding of solutions to those higher up in the organization. Some staff are terrific at finding problems and then proceeding to ignore them. Do not join their ranks. Even if the thought of taking responsibility for finding solutions in the workplace does not come naturally to you, it is something you do every day in your personal life and you can always improve your awareness and skills. A basic outline of the process is:

(a) identify the problem,

(b) research the causes,

(c) gather information from others involved,

(d) generate options for appropriate and practical solutions,

(e) analyze the options and possible outcomes with those involved (including internal and external customers if appropriate), and

(f) take the necessary steps to action the best option.

If you can approach problems positively with the view that the problem may also present an opportunity to do things in a better way or more cost effectively then you will be able to find appropriate and innovative solutions. Whether you are looking for a new job or looking to further your career in your current position, when you develop a reputation for getting things done, promotions and further opportunities will arrive on your doorstep.

Similarly, a career in your own business is very possible when you apply your ability to find solutions, particularly if you are the first to identify a problem and find a solution. A great example of this is Findacarpark where the problem of limited availability of car parking for one set of people and the possession of unused car parks and driveways along with the desire for further income on the other side were both satisfied by this site. In providing an opportunity for each side to do business with the other, the site owners found a solution for the customers problems and created a business for themselves at the same time.

Paying attention to the issues you come across in your work and personal life and considering the problems for which you would like answers, will put you in a great position to identify opportunities to make a career from finding solutions.