Anand Mahindra says ‘there’s always a solution’; 6 strategies to become an efficient problem solver

Anand Mahindra, problem solving

File photo of Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)

In a recent post on X, Anand Mahindra, a business leader, highlighted a fundamental truth about problem-solving: it takes patience, persistent effort, and creative thinking to overcome obstacles.

“At first glance, most problems seem unresolvable. There’s always a solution,” he wrote.

Whether you’re facing personal dilemmas, professional hurdles, or societal issues, the principles of consistency and creativity can serve as guiding lights.

Organisational psychologist and HR consultant at That Culture Thing, Gurleen Baruah, agrees, “Consistent efforts and creative problem-solving often lead to successful outcomes. Understanding the problem thoroughly before implementing solutions is crucial. By spending time and considering different perspectives, one can gain a holistic understanding of the issue at hand.”

Individuals who cultivate resilience, she adds, are better equipped to navigate challenges, overcome obstacles, and ultimately achieve successful outcomes in their problem-solving endeavors.

Let’s delve into six strategies that harness these principles to tackle problems effectively, as suggested by Baruah:

Start with diagnostics

It’s crucial to first understand the problem from various levels. Imagine going to the doctor, what does the doctor do? They ask you about your symptoms, where it hurts, and to assess, give out tests so that they get the data on what’s really happening. A doctor never prescribes without diagnosing a problem. Similarly, in any problem or challenge, start with diagnosing the issue. Talk to stakeholders, get into the history of it, what led to the problem, and try to get to the root cause of it. Use the “5 whys” method for it.

Hypothesise and brainstorm solutions 

The next step would entail designing a hypothesis around the issue. When you identify the root cause of an issue, try to come up with potential solutions that if a set of solutions is implemented, will lead to desired results. Make sure that you think through things and logically try to propose potential solutions. It usually takes brainstorming and divergent thinking. For brainstorming purposes, I recommend the “6 thinking hats” method where participants think through problems and solutions from 6 various standpoints.

problem solving, Anand Mahindra

In a fast-paced world today, skills become redundant overnight. In order to be successful problem solvers, make sure that you adopt a growth mindset, says organisational psychologist Gurleen Baruah. (Source: Freepik)

Learn to work within constraints and think outside and inside the box

We’ve all heard of out of the box thinking, right? But does it really work? Imagine a problem and you have solutions but it costs a lot of money but your budget is a fraction of your idea. So no matter how great or out of the box the idea is, it cannot be implemented because there’s less budget. Hence start with boundaries, start with a box (like a boundary) and lay out the limitations and constraints first, and then think of novel ways to solve it.

Stand on the shoulders of giants 

Many times you don’t need to think of a solution from scratch. To reach a good solution, take inspiration from history, and research on similar areas, there might be already formed good solutions, like in open source, build on top of that. Use your creativity and imagination on the well-laid-out foundation.

Adopt a growth and learning mindset 

In a fast-paced world, skills become redundant overnight. In order to be successful problem solvers, make sure that you adopt a growth mindset. Be open to learning, fail and get up again. Your quickness to learn will be and is a crucial skill in the 21st century.

Perseverance and a persistent attitude 

You may witness failures and not apt solutions. It’s ok, get up and try again. Most known problem solvers failed many times before they got successful. Persevere, try again and don’t lose hope. Sometimes we are so close to problem solving when we give up. A little more push and you’re already there. So keep consistently working on it.

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