Steps (Photo Credit: iStock)

Steps (Photo Credit: iStock)

Story

Ismael started his career as a “Software Engineer—Level I” at a reputable software firm. He was promoted to “Software Engineer—Level II” after successfully completing a year in his current role. He passed another year in this promoted role. But gradually he started to feel a lack of motivation or engagement.

This became a problem for his career. He therefore got ready and began taking action to address the issue. He thus took the following steps to address the problem:

  • First he tried to understand and identify the actual problem. That was when his learning and career growth started to become stuck or slow.
  • Then he gathered information and cases on why the opportunity degraded. And found that the role and responsibility do not offer much more than this.
  • So he planned and defined his next initial goal. His goal was increasing learning and career progress; thus, the motivation.
  • So as per the plan and goal, he started brainstorming and listing the possible solutions to achieve the goal. That was a move for a new role or opportunity.
  • After that, he evaluates and implements the solution. Apply for a bigger role like “Senior Software Engineer” in multiple companies.
  • Try and participate in the interview. And got his new role.
  • And he documented the whole process from identification of the problem to landing a new role.

He joined his new role as soon as possible, and it was the middle of a running month. In his new role he got the opportunity for learning and career growth and passed 2 years. But then the new problem arose. During the promotion season he discovered that just due to being 15 days short (as he joined in the middle of the running month) of 2 years of service in his current role, the company removed him from the promotion candidate list.

And this became his new problem, which is the effect of his previous solution. So his solution needed an optimization.

  • So as an optimization and improvement, he decided to change his job, and for career growth, he again moved forward.

Steps of Solving Any Problem:

Understand and Identify the Problem Deeply

“What exactly is going wrong? What is the actual underlying problem is?”

At first, we need to understand and identify the problem properly. We must need to understand the problem statement and identify what actually the problem said. Then identify what type of solution the problem demand.

Like in the above story:

  • What is the problem? (learning and career growth stuck)

Insight: You can’t solve what you haven’t clearly understood.

Gather Information

“What do I know? What don’t I know?”

Based on the problem and its scope, we need to identify all possible boundary and corner cases.

In above story, Ismael inspected:

  • Role and responsibility do not offer much more

Insight: Gather facts, cases, boundary before guessing solutions.

Define the Goal

“What does success look like?”

In this step, we need to set a goal based on our understanding and considering all the facts, boundary, corner case that we identify already.

In above story, Ismael’s Goal is:

  • Increase learning, career progress thus back the motivation

Insight: Clear goals shape clear solutions.

Brainstorm Possible Solutions

What are the possible solutions to achieve the goal?

In this step, we need to figure out the possible solutions based on our understanding and considering all the facts, boundary, corner case that we identify already.

In above story, Ismael listed her options:

  • Move for a new role or opportunity

Insight: Creativity matters more than perfection at this stage.

Evaluate, Choose and Implement the Best Option

Which solutions need to pick and implement?

In this step, we need to evaluate our possible solutions and choose the best one. Then need to implement it.

In above story, Ismael:

  • Apply for the new role

Insight: Choose the most reasonable solution based on your resources and urgency.

Try It, Test It and Observe

Is the implemented solution leads to the achievement of the goal?

In this step, we try our solution, test it with possible positive, negative, boundary and corner cases. Also observe the results as well.

In above story, Ismael:

  • Participate in the interview, test, observe and learn from the mistakes

Insight: Testing is part of solving. Don’t wait for a perfect answer — try what seems best.

Reflect and Improve

Is everything pixel perfect or need further improvement?

In this step, need to reflect the solution and observe any other problem that should improve further.

In above story, Ismael:

  • Move for new role again

Insight: Every solution teaches you something. Reflect, improve, and share.

Document and Write It Down

Do you write it down and all the things ready to grab at a glance?

In bigger and complex problem solving, things need to be documented. Otherwise, we will feel lost and lack of previous context in some point.

In above story, Ismael:

  • Document all the processes

Insight: Every single details should be documented.


To solve a problem whather in programming or life, we need to follow or consider some basic steps that can leads us to the final destination. Above mentioned steps are the basic one’s that should be follow to solve a problem.