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Sudoku for Beginners: How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Are you a beginner when it comes to solving Sudoku puzzles? Do you find yourself frustrated and unsure of where to start? Fear not, as we have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to improve your problem-solving skills through Sudoku.

Understanding the Basics of Sudoku

Before we dive into the strategies and techniques, let’s first understand the basics of Sudoku. A Sudoku puzzle is a 9×9 grid that is divided into nine smaller 3×3 grids. The objective is to fill in each row, column, and smaller grid with numbers 1-9 without repeating any numbers.

Starting Strategies for Beginners

As a beginner, it can be overwhelming to look at an empty Sudoku grid. But don’t worry. There are simple starting strategies that can help you get started. First, look for any rows or columns that only have one missing number. Fill in that number and move on to the next row or column with only one missing number. Another strategy is looking for any smaller grids with only one missing number and filling in that number.

Advanced Strategies for Beginner/Intermediate Level

Once you’ve mastered the starting strategies, it’s time to move on to more advanced techniques. One technique is called “pencil marking.” This involves writing down all possible numbers in each empty square before making any moves. Then use logic and elimination techniques to cross off impossible numbers until you are left with the correct answer.

Another advanced technique is “hidden pairs.” Look for two squares within a row or column that only have two possible numbers left. If those two possible numbers exist in both squares, then those two squares must contain those specific numbers.

Benefits of Solving Sudoku Puzzles

Not only is solving Sudoku puzzles fun and challenging, but it also has many benefits for your brain health. It helps improve your problem-solving skills, enhances memory and concentration, and reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

In conclusion, Sudoku is a great way to improve your problem-solving skills while also providing entertainment. With these starting and advanced strategies, you’ll be able to solve even the toughest Sudoku puzzles. So grab a pencil and paper and start sharpening those brain muscles.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

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Problem solving

Sometimes, it is not enough to just cope with the problems – they need to be solved.

Most people engage in problem solving every day. It occurs automatically for many of the small decisions that need to be made on a daily basis.

For example, when making a decision about whether to get up now or sleep in for an extra 10 minutes, the possible choices and the relative risks and benefits of obeying the alarm clock or sleeping later come automatically to mind.

Larger problems are addressed in a similar way. For example: “I have tasks that need to be done by the end of the week. How am I going to get them all done on time?”

After considering the possible strategies, 1 is chosen and implemented. If it proves to be ineffective, a different strategy is tried.

People who can define problems, consider options, make choices, and implement a plan have all the basic skills required for effective problem solving.

Sometimes following a step-by-step procedure for defining problems, generating solutions, and implementing solutions can make the process of problem solving seem less overwhelming.

Six step guide to help you solve problems

Step 1: identify and define the problem.

• State the problem as clearly as possible. For example: “I don’t have enough money to pay the bills.”
• Be specific about the behaviour, situation, timing, and circumstances that make it a problem. For example: “I need to pay the phone and gas bills, and I don’t have enough money to cover both this month.”

Step 2: Generate possible solutions

• List all the possible solutions; don’t worry about the quality of the solutions at this stage.
• Try to list at least 15 solutions, be creative and forget about the quality of the solution.
• If you allow yourself to be creative you may come up with some solutions that you would not otherwise have thought about.

Step 3: Evaluate alternatives      

• The next step is to go through and eliminate less desirable or unreasonable solutions.
• Order the remaining solutions in order of preference.
• Evaluate the remaining solutions in terms of their advantages and disadvantages.

Step 4: Decide on a solution      

• Specify who will take action.
• Specify how the solution will be implemented.
• Specify when the solution will be implemented. For example: tomorrow morning, phone the gas company and negotiate to pay the gas bill next month.

Step 5: Implement the solution

• Implement the solution as planned.

Step 6: Evaluate the outcome

• Evaluate how effective the solution was.
• Decide whether the existing plan needs to be revised, or whether a new plan is needed to better address the problem.
• If you are not pleased with the outcome, return to step 2 to select a new solution or revise the existing solution, and repeat the remaining steps.

Problem solving is something we do every day.

Some problems are small or easily solved - others are more complicated and can seem overwhelming.

One way of tackling problems is to use a specific and systematic problem solving procedure. If you’ve tried to solve certain problems without much success, try these steps out and see if they help.

Learning to solve problems effectively will help you to minimise the level of stress in your life and improve your overall sense of well-being.

Try it out and see.

Where to get help

Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI)

• 9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday
• Phone: (08) 9227 4399
• Email: [email protected]
• Read more about the Centre for Clinical Interventions

See your doctor

Visit healthdirect (external site) or call 1800 022 222, mental health emergency response line (mherl).

• Metro callers: 1300 55 788
• Peel: 1800 676 822
• Rural and remote areas 1800 552 002
• Most people engage in problem solving daily.
• Sometimes following a step-by-step process to define problems, consider options and make choices can make problem solving less overwhelming.
• You can always talk to your doctor or mental health practitioner and ask for help.

This information provided by

This publication is provided for education and information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice from your healthcare professional. Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.

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Whether you’re having a friendly debate about the best travel destination, struggling with online communication , or dealing with a complicated issue involving numerous departments and businesses, effective problem-solving requires a clear perspective and a rational action plan.

No matter your purpose, think of the following guide like a GPS, regularly updated to lead you to your destination. While the article concentrates on problem-solving in a business rather than persuading friends, you'll find these effective problem-solving techniques helpful in many other areas.

You’ll learn how to develop a clear perspective, generate effective solutions, evaluate options, and, ultimately, select the best course of action to solve problems. You can customize the steps to fit your unique situation and needs. Let's dive into the ten problem-solving steps to resolve the crisis and achieve your goals.

Ten steps to put out the fire, or problem-solving process

1. identify the problem.

In business and customer service, define the problem to ensure it is well-understood and addressed correctly. It's an absolute must among effective problem solvers, in unusual situations and in the most common customer service problems .

Gathering information from multiple sources and using problem-solving tools such as flowcharts or cause-and-effect diagrams can help identify the underlying causes of the problem. This will result in saving time and resources and improving the outcomes.

Identifying difficulties is among the most desirable problem-solving skills, especially in corporate structures with complex hierarchies and dependencies.

2. Understand the problem

The next step is to understand the underlying reasons for the problem. To do that, you need to gather relevant information and analyze it effectively. Avoiding these reasons or addressing them incorrectly is a surefire way to experience recurring issues and increased dissatisfaction. 

By understanding the reasons, you can develop long-term solutions that improve customer satisfaction and lead to overall success. Understanding and finding the cause is undoubtedly one of the underrated problem-solving skills.

3. Identify potential solutions

One of the most crucial aspects is identifying potential and practical solutions. How can you explore different options to come up with the best?

Brainstorming techniques can help generate creative and innovative business and customer service solutions. For example, a company may use brainstorming sessions to develop new product ideas or marketing strategies.

Customer service teams can also use brainstorming techniques to solve common customer complaints, such as long wait times or difficult-to-use interfaces. If you are looking for improvements, especially in this area, you will undoubtedly be interested in essential customer service skills .

Let's assume that you want to use proven brainstorming techniques.

Brainstorming techniques to consider 

• Mind mapping: A visual brainstorming technique that involves mapping out ideas and connecting them to related concepts. This technique helps individuals and teams explore all possible options and consider different perspectives to develop unique solutions.
• Reverse brainstorming: A technique that involves thinking of solutions that would make the problem worse instead of better. This technique helps individuals and teams identify potential obstacles and develop strategies to avoid them.
• SWOT analysis: A structured brainstorming technique that analyzes an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This technique helps individuals and teams identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to capitalize on opportunities and minimize hazards.
• Random word association: A technique that involves brainstorming ideas by randomly associating words with the problem. This technique helps individuals and teams break their usual thinking patterns and generate new and creative ideas.
• Role-playing: A technique that involves acting out different scenarios and perspectives related to the problem. This technique helps individuals and teams better understand the problem and develop empathy for the customer or stakeholders involved.

Unconventional techniques to consider

• SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse) - This technique encourages people to think outside the box and consider unconventional ways to approach a problem.
• Design thinking - This problem-solving approach puts the customer's needs and experiences at the forefront. It involves empathizing with the customer, defining the problem, ideating potential solutions, prototyping, and testing to refine the solution.
• Lateral thinking - This problem-solving technique encourages people to approach problems from different angles and perspectives. It involves breaking down assumptions and challenging traditional thinking methods to arrive at unexpected solutions.

Consider all possible options, including unconventional ones, to find problem-solving techniques that address the current problem and prevent similar issues in the future.

4. Evaluate potential solutions

Once you have identified potential solutions, focus on the most feasible, impactful, and effective option. How do you sift through them?

Evaluating potential solutions involves analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each option, considering the resources required, and assessing the potential impact on the organization or customers.

What are the most popular ways? Techniques such as cost-benefit analysis, risk analysis, and decision matrix can effectively help evaluate possible solutions.

5. Select the best solution

Techniques for selecting the best solution involve revisiting the evaluation criteria, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and selecting the option that best meets the requirements.

Additionally, you can seek customer feedback. Stakeholders can provide valuable insights into choosing the best solution to solve problems.

By choosing the best solution that aligns with the organization's goals, meets the customers' needs, and can be implemented using the available resources, you can address problems effectively and efficiently, leading to improved outcomes.

This translates into achieving organizational goals, meeting customer needs, enhancing customer satisfaction, increasing productivity, reducing costs, improving efficiency, effective communication, and more. 

6. Develop an action plan

Techniques for developing an action plan involve breaking down the solution into manageable tasks, setting clear timelines, assigning responsibilities, and identifying the resources required for implementation. Also, involve stakeholders in the action plan's development to get their support for the solution's success.

7. Implement the solution

After developing a detailed action plan, communicate it clearly and implement the solution effectively. This is likely one of the most desirable problem-solving skills.

To do so, allocate resources, assign responsibilities, and ensure all stakeholders understand their roles. Additionally, monitoring progress and addressing any issues that appear during the implementation can ensure the solution is implemented successfully.

8. Monitor and evaluate progress

Collecting and analyzing data is vital to assess the solution's effectiveness and determine if any adjustments are needed. This process involves regularly tracking key performance indicators and using customer and stakeholder feedback.

The latter offers valuable insights that help pinpoint opportunities for enhancement and make informed decisions.

By monitoring progress and evaluating results, individuals and organizations can ensure the implemented solution is efficient and sustainable over the long term.

This step also provides an opportunity to learn from experience and adjust as needed to achieve continuous improvement.

9. Learn from experience

The knowledge gathered throughout the process is key to learning from mistakes. It's also vital to reflect on the problem-solving process and identify what worked well and could be improved.

By analyzing the process, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing changes, you ensure that future problem-solving efforts are more effective.

Documenting the problem-solving process can also provide a reference for future efforts that individuals and organizations will face.

10. Standardize and sustain

If you've already collected the champagne corks and are sweeping up the last bits of confetti, it's worth remembering one last step.

To ensure that the problem does not reoccur and that the solution becomes standard practice for the organization, establish a standardized approach and maintain it over the long term.

The organization should document a working solution and create a standard operating procedure (SOP) outlining the necessary steps to establish the action key.

By doing so, every organization member will have a clear understanding of the required steps and how to execute them.

To sustain the solution, the organization should continue to monitor progress and evaluate results over time. This helps identify potential issues or areas for improvement and ensures that the solution remains effective over the long term.

In the ideal scenario, the organization should also provide ongoing training and support to ensure everyone is well-equipped with the problem-solving skills and knowledge to implement "the cure."

Practical problem-solving is an ongoing continuous improvement process, and remember that the problem may reoccur in the future.

Don’t strive for the perfect solution from the start, and embrace the issues that come along the way since they provide valuable learning opportunities.

Instead, maintain an attitude of perseverance and focus on finding solutions to new challenges as they arise, which can help you save time and reduce stress.

By adopting this mindset, you'll be better equipped to tackle any problem that comes your way. Good luck with your problem-solving endeavors!

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BUS101: Introduction to Business

Managerial Skills

To help answer the question about pay differences between managers and other employees, read this section. Managers have to have many skills that put them at the top of the pay scale, including problem-solving skills the average worker doesn't need.

A Six-Step Approach to Problem Solving

Assuming that your top priority is salvaging your GPA, let's tackle your problem by using a six-step approach to solving problems that don't have simple solutions. We've summarized this model in Figure 6.12 "How to Solve a Problem".

Figure 6.12 How to Solve a Problem

• Identify the problem you want to work on . Step one is getting to know your problem, which you can formulate by asking yourself a basic question: How can I improve my grades?
• Gather relevant data . Step two is gathering information that will shed light on the problem. Let's rehash some of the relevant information that you've already identified: (a) you did poorly on your finals because you didn't spend enough time studying; (b) you didn't study because you went to see your girlfriend (who lives about three hours from campus) over the weekend before your exams (and on most other weekends, as a matter of fact); (c) what little studying you got in came at the expense of your team project and lacrosse practice; and (d) while you were away for the weekend, you forgot to tell members of the mountain-biking club that you had to cancel the planned meeting.
• Clarify the problem . Once you review all the given facts, you should see that your problem is bigger than simply getting your grades up; your life is pretty much out of control. You can't handle everything to which you've committed yourself. Something has to give. You clarify the problem by summing it up with another basic question: What can I do to get my life back in order?
• Generate possible solutions . If you thought defining the problem was tough, wait until you've moved on to this stage. Let's say that you've come up with the following possible solutions to your problem: (a) quit the lacrosse team, (b) step down as president of the mountain-biking club, (c) let team members do your share of work on the business project, and (d) stop visiting your girlfriend so frequently. The solution to your main problem – how to get your life back in order – will probably require multiple actions.
• Select the best option . This is clearly the toughest part of the process. Working your way through your various options, you arrive at the following conclusions: (a) you can't quit the lacrosse team because you'd lose your scholarship; (b) you can resign your post in the mountain-biking club, but that won't free up much time; (c) you can't let your business-project team down (and besides, you'd just get a low grade); and (d) she wouldn't like the idea, but you could visit your girlfriend, say, once a month rather than once a week. So what's the most feasible (if not necessarily perfect) solution? Probably visiting your girlfriend once a month and giving up the presidency of the mountain-biking club.
• Implement your decision and monitor your choice . When you call your girlfriend, you're pleasantly surprised to find that she understands. The vice president is happy to take over the mountain-biking club. After the first week, you're able to attend lacrosse practice, get caught up on your team business project, and catch up in all your other classes. The real test of your solution will be the results of the semester's finals.