how to ask problem solving questions

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How to Ask Problem-Solving Questions

• November 29, 2021

The importance of asking questions (the right questions) is one of the foundations of my work. 

There are all kinds of questions we can ask.

Some are more effective, and some are less effective, at fostering thinking and supporting problem-solving.

Asking the right questions is often about intention .

I’ve written before about the types of questions that support problem-solving , how to ask effective questions , and how to ask questions even if you already know “the answer” . 

I’ve even developed a guide with “3 Tips to Break the ‘Telling Habit’” – which you can download here .

One of my articles for TheLeanMag was titled “Solve More Problems By Asking Better Questions: The Impact of Breaking Your Telling Habit” — which you can download here .

But what does the practice of asking questions to support problem-solving actually look like?

This was one of the questions I’ve been asked by leaders enrolled in my Leading to Learn Accelerator program. 

In this post, I provide some resources for you to ask better questions to support problem-solving, and a video sharing the framework that I use in my head to guide the questions I ask.

Inspired by questions asked to me

As of the publishing of this post, I’m leading the second live community cohort of my Leading to Learn Accelerator program. Part of this program is a live group coaching component. 

These are always really interesting and useful sessions where we all get to learn by asking questions and sharing reflections.

In fact, in this particular session, we were talking about exactly that: how to ask more effective questions to support problem-solving.

My answer: for me, it looks like the A3 thinking process.

A3 Problem-Solving Framework

When I’m coaching others to solve problems, I’ve developed a pattern of thinking that helps me structure what questions I ask to help somebody solve a problem. I use this same process when working through solving my own problems too!

Having this structure in my head gives me a framework for asking questions, and allows me to stay more focused on what the other person is saying, rather than trying to think of the “next best question” to ask. 

The pattern of questions follows the problem-solving A3 thinking structure that I learned many years ago when I was first exposed to Lean and the Toyota Way. And one that I’ve learned more deeply about from Isao Yoshino when I first moved to Japan in 2015. 

What is an A3 and the A3 thinking process?

A3 thinking is collaborative. 

It’s a process management and improvement system that was developed by Toyota, and it can be used for problem-solving, decision-making, planning, or reporting.

I describe the flow of problem-solving A3s in my book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning (see image here) and the history of how A3 thinking became the standard for communication and problem-solving at Toyota.

You can also learn more about A3 thinking in this post, “Toyota Leadership Lessons: Part 8 – The A3 Isn’t a Magical Tool,  which I wrote in 2017 based on my discussions with Mr. Yoshino about A3 as a management and thinking process.

While the A3 can be a tool and framework for communication and problem-solving, it’s important to remember, as I highlighted in about in this popular article “When to ‘A3’: 3 Problem-Solving Tools to Match the Complexity of Your Problem”:

It’s not about the tool(s), but rather the thinking process, the coaching process that supports problem-solving, and the learning process the comes out of it.”

A structured flow for problem-solving thinking

The A3 provides the structure for problem-solving and communicating one’s thinking about solving problems.

And it’s become my habit for structuring my thinking and questions for problem-solving.

We can use the A3 framework to guide what types of open questions we ask. 

In the video below I explore the structure of A3 thinking, how it works, and how it can be used to ask effective questions that help to solve problems. 

Below is a lightly edited version of the video’s transcript

Today I want to respond to a question that was asked in my recent Leading to Learn Accelerator program in one of our live group coaching sessions focusing on how to ask more effective questions to support problem-solving.

In our discussion, I shared how I like to ask questions and some of the patterns of thinking that are always going through my head when I’m thinking about how to ask a question to help somebody solve a problem.

Start with A3 Problem-Solving Thinking

It usually goes along the pattern that I learned from practicing A3 thinking — an A3 being a size of paper that they use at Toyota to support problem-solving and other documentation of projects and other things.

But from a problem-solving context, it follows the following flow (see image) below.

I want to share this here and talk about the different questions that happen in my head when I think about what questions to ask.

There are many more questions you can ask in all of these elements but this is the flow of thinking that happens for me.

The Flow of Problem-Solving

In this card (see picture to the right),  you can see it’s like an A3 divided into a left side and a right side.

The left side is about understanding the problem you’re trying to solve, and then the right side goes into more of the experimentation and closing the gap.

Here is how I use this A3 framework to guide questions I ask for problem-solving.

Questions that I like to start off with are around the background, like:

• What is the context for this problem?
• Why is it important? 
• What led you to be addressing this?
• How does this fit into priorities?

Current Condition

Then, ask questions to understand the current condition:

• What’s actually happening here? 
• How are you going to see?
• What are you learning? 
• How can you describe that in words and pictures? What’s really happening? 

Target / Goals

Then, understand the target by asking:

• What’s the target?
• What should be happening? 
• What’s the goal, what do we need to accomplish?
• What is the outcome we need to be seeing? 

What is the actual target?

Then we can define the problem.

There is a simple equation to define a problem that I learned a long time ago:

Target-Actual = Problem (the gap to close)

It’s a mantra that an executive I worked with would always say when he would go see and help support problem-solving in our organization: “Target, Actual, Please Explain”:

• What’s actually happening?
• What’s the gap? That’s the problem.
• Please explain your thinking: What are you thinking is causing the problem? How are you solving it?

You can read more about this problem-solving equation in these articles: “Leading Daily Improvement: Creating New Habits and Practices to Support Continuous Improvement” and “When to ‘A3’: 3 Problem-Solving Tools to Match the Complexity of Your Problem”.

Once we’ve defined what the problem is in a quantifiable, measurable way, then we can move into what are the causes of the problem.

How are you learning and understanding what was actually causing the problem and getting into the root cause?

And this might be where we start asking more of the ‘why’ questions.

Countermeasures / Experiments to Close the Gap

When we really understand some of the causes — or maybe we haven’t got to the root cause yet, but we understand what our problem is and some of the causes — then we can start moving into countermeasures.

These are potential solutions to close the gap between what’s currently happening and what should be happening.

Then you can list out the different ideas and creative ideas and things that you’re going to try as countermeasures to close that gap.

And you can prioritize based on… what are we going to try first?

What’s our first step?

And then we put together our plan – what are we going to do?

Reflections

Then, really importantly: what are you learning from this? 

A Thinking Process to Support Problem-Solving

An A3 document is not a static document. It’s iterative — one you continue to revise as you go through and learn.

You do not have know “A3 thinking”, or use an A3 format or an A3-sized piece of paper, to use the same thinking process.

This structure of A3-thinking is in the back of my mind of how I’m guiding people through a problem-solving process.

Starting with context — what leads you to be focused on this problem? Why is it important to you?

Understanding what’s currently happening? What’s actually happening?

What should be happening? Then, you can quantify that problem.

Then you can start doing some root cause analysis and start coming up with some creative solutions, and there may be some things you already know that you can take action on that are just do-its.

This is a problem-solving process for framing your questions and thinking

It’s correlated to the simple equation that you can use for any problem.

T his A3 framework correlates with problem-solving thinking using either an A3 format or just structured thinking for problem-solving of any scope.

Go through this problem-solving process flow and ask questions to help somebody else think more deeply about the problem he or she has ownership for.

How can you get started with asking more intentional questions, and developing continuous learning supported by A3 thinking?

You break the telling habit!

Asking more effective questions to support problem-solving is one of the most important skills we can learn. However, we often have a habit of “telling” our answers more than asking to help others think and learn.

If you can learn to break the “telling habit” and start tapping into the power of effective questions, you open up whole new horizons of possibility for your organization, your team, and yourself!

Join my self-paced “Breaking the ‘Telling Habit’” workshop, and unlock your team’s potential by discovering how to ask more effective questions. You can take the class at any time, at your own pace.

Get the guide

If you don’t have it yet you can download my free guide “3 Tips to Break the ‘Telling Habit’” !

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Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions

• John Coleman

Six practices to sharpen your inquiry.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution. At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions. For effective questioning, start by holding your hypotheses loosely. Be willing to fundamentally reconsider your initial conclusions — and do so without defensiveness. Second, listen more than you talk through active listening. Third, leave your queries open-ended, and avoid yes-or-no questions. Fourth, consider the counterintuitive to avoid falling into groupthink. Fifth, take the time to stew in a problem, rather than making decisions unnecessarily quickly. Last, ask thoughtful, even difficult, follow-ups.

Are you tackling a new and difficult problem at work? Recently promoted and trying to both understand your new role and bring a fresh perspective? Or are you new to the workforce and seeking ways to meaningfully contribute alongside your more experienced colleagues? If so, critical thinking — the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution — will be core to your success. And at the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions.

• JC John Coleman is the author of the HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose . Subscribe to his free newsletter, On Purpose , follow him on Twitter @johnwcoleman, or contact him at johnwilliamcoleman.com.

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How to Ask Open-Ended Questions That Spark Good Conversation

When you ask others questions, it increases your likeability. But the way you ask questions matters too. Ask open-ended questions to boost your conversations!

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Did you know? When you ask someone questions about themselves, it makes you more likable 1 https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/35647952 !

But research shows, the way you ask a question 2 https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-surprising-power-of-questions makes a big difference, too. 

Some of the best conversations start with open-ended questions that lead people to open up and form deeper connections.

In this article, we’ll look at open-ended questions, their benefits, and various scenarios where you can use them to boost your conversation skills (and likeability!).

What are Open-Ended Questions?

Open-ended questions are questions that are designed to encourage people to share more than a one-word response and typically start with words like “what,” “how,” or “why.” Open-ended questions help people expound on an idea or issue and carry the conversation forward without getting stunted in potentially awkward silence or little to no information for someone else to bounce off of.

Some of the best places to use open-ended questions include:

• Social gatherings
• Networking events
• Job interviews
• Feedback meetings
• Sales calls
• Brainstorming sessions
• Qualitative survey data research
• Counseling and therapy sessions
• Conversations with kids (or anyone!)
• Medical appointments

“Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering.” —Dale Carnegie

To avoid stunting your conversations, you may want to stay away from closed-ended questions. But what’s the difference? Let’s look at how to avoid those awkward silences.

What’s the Difference Between Closed-Ended and Open-Ended Questions? 

Closed-ended questions lead people to give a one-word response like “yes” or “no,” whereas open-ended questions are great conversation starters or boosters that help bring energy to an interaction.

How you ask or write open-ended vs. closed-ended questions comes down to a few simple adjustments to the words you choose to ask your question. 

To write a more open-ended question, think about where you want to lead the conversation and consider adjusting your opening words.

Open-ended questions often begin with words like this:

• Tell me about…

Closed-ended questions tend to start with words like this:

Open-ended vs. Close-ended Question Examples

Here are some examples of how you might start a conversation and the difference an open-ended, energizing question can make.

Let’s say you’re asking someone about their recent vacation. Which question do you think will lead to a more conversational response?

• Closed-ended: Did you have a good vacation?
• Open-ended: What was your favorite part of your vacation? 

Let’s say you’re interviewing someone for a job. Which question will tell you more about them?

• Close-ended: Are you an organized person?
• Open-ended: What do you do throughout your day to stay organized?

Let’s say you’re on a date. Which question will make your date feel like you want to get to know them?

• Closed-ended: Do you get along with your parents?
• Open-ended: How do you get along with your parents?

Closed-ended questions may not always lead to “yes” or “no” responses. Sometimes they can lead to short answers as well. For example:

Closed-ended: What’s your favorite color?

The answer to this question will likely be something short, like “blue.”

One simple way to turn this question into an open-ended question is not necessarily to dismiss the closed-ended question altogether, but to follow it up with an open-ended question as well. For example:

Open-ended: What’s your favorite color and why?

It should be noted that there is a time and place for closed-ended questions. They are not inherently “bad,” but they generally don’t work as well to keep conversations going. 

Let’s look at some of the benefits of open-ended questions and examples to keep your conversations going in different scenarios!

What are the Advantages and Benefits of Open-Ended Questions?

Why are open-ended questions important? Some of the best conversations 2 https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-surprising-power-of-questions are generated from open-ended questions that lead people to open up and form deeper connections.

Here are some of the other benefits of open-ended questions:

• Bring energy to a conversation. By increasing likeability 1 https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/35647952 and simultaneously making others feel more confident, there’s a natural energy induced into the conversation!
• Reduce awkward silences. A close-ended question might cut a conversation short, but an open-ended question might keep it moving along. 
• Boost self-esteem. As people feel your interest in them with open-ended questions, they may get a confidence boost. Your interest makes them feel more interesting!
• Provide better feedback. Instead of a one-sided view, open-ended questions provide a clearer picture from various perspectives about a situation, ultimately allowing people to solve problems better and address issues.
• Encourage people to open up. Open-ended questions feel like permission to share feelings and ideas with others who are interested in hearing them.

Watch our video below to learn how to start a conversation with anyone using these killer conversation starters:

Now that we understand what open-ended questions are and their benefits, let’s dive into the best scenarios where we can use them with examples for each category.

110 Open-Ended Question Examples 

Open-ended questions for any social gathering.

Open-ended questions are great for any social situation, and we have lots of great question ideas to spark conversation with anyone . Here are a few to get you started!

• What are you looking forward to this week?
• What’s your most memorable vacation?
• What do you love most about what you do?
• What cheers you up on a bad day?
• If you could have any five people at a dinner party, who would be there and why?
• What do you miss most about your childhood?
• What’s something people are usually surprised to learn about you?
• Tell me about the last TV show or movie you loved (or hated).
• What do you love most about where you live?
• Who’s been the most inspirational person in your life and why?

Open-Ended Questions for a Guy or Girl You’re Dating

If you want to get to know someone on a deeper level, using thoughtful, open-ended questions is a great way to get there. They’re also a great way to boost someone’s self-esteem by making you appear more engaged and interested in what they have to share. Here are a few open-ended questions to ask on a date!

• If money were no object, and you knew you could not fail, what would you do?
• What was the last thing that made you laugh to tears?
• What was your favorite thing to do growing up?
• When you were a child, where did you imagine you might be today?
• What activities make time feel like it’s flying by?
• How would you describe your perfect day?
• What are you most grateful for in this season of your life?
• What’s something you’re proud of doing in your life?
• What is your most treasured memory?
• If you could be famous for something, what would you want to be famous for doing?

For more dating icebreakers, try one of these 131 non-awkward ideas !

Open-Ended Questions for Networking Events

Networking events are classic places for open-ended questions and icebreakers with people you’re meeting for the first time. Want to avoid awkward silence? Use an open-ended question!

• What kind of people are you hoping to meet here today?
• What’s your background, and how did you get to where you are now?
• What’s the most exciting thing you’ve been working on lately?
• What’s this work season like for you?
• What kind of problems are you trying to solve these days?
• What kind of projects would you love to get into if you had more capacity?
• What are your goals for the next season?
• What’s something that inspires you when you’re having a rough day?
• What’s something you wish people knew about you?
• What’s been the biggest twist or surprise in your (career or personal) journey?

Open-Ended Questions for Job Interviews

Job interviews are a great place for both the interviewer and the interviewee to ask open-ended questions to help understand what each other is bringing to the table to inform better decision-making. 

Questions for interviewers :

• What’s your greatest professional achievement?
• How would your boss or coworkers describe you?
• What motivates you?
• How do you like to be managed?
• What’s something I should know about you that might not be on your resume?

Questions for interviewees :

• What do you enjoy about working at the company?
• What are your goals going into the next year?
• How do you see this role best helping you achieve your goals?
• What are your biggest opportunities going into next year?
• What are the top three qualities you’re looking for in this role?

Open-Ended Questions for Feedback Meetings

Open-ended questions, when you give and receive feedback, are a great way to open up a conversation and understand where the other side is coming from more clearly. Here are some questions you can ask after a project is complete:

• What are the things that went right on our latest project?
• What was confusing about the last project?
• How did we fall short on the last project?
• What are our opportunities for growth?
• What is our biggest learning from this experience?
• How would we do this differently next time?
• Where were we working on our strengths? Our weaknesses?
• If we need to, how could we reorganize for a better outcome?
• What kind of support or resources do we need to improve next time?
• What are you looking forward to next time?

Open-Ended Questions for Brainstorming Sessions

Open-ended questions used in brainstorming sessions are a great way to get people’s juices and ideas flowing as they begin to open up their imaginations. Here are a few questions to get you started in your next brainstorming session.

• What’s the best thing that can happen?
• If money were no object, and we knew we could not fail, what might we try to do?
• What’s the big problem we’re trying to solve?
• When you imagine success for this project, what do you see?
• What makes us unique in solving this problem?
• What can we learn from past mistakes and successes?
• What obstacles do we have to overcome?
• What opportunities or low-hanging fruit do we need to pay attention to?
• What are others doing to solve this problem? How are we different?
• In one year, what will matter most about what happens with this project?

Open-Ended Questions for Sales Conversations

Open-ended questions during a sales conversation help salespeople understand the needs of their customers and make them feel heard and understood. Here are some open-ended sales questions to put your potential customers at ease:

• Tell me about yourself and what you’re trying to accomplish.
• What is one of your biggest challenges?
• What are your goals?
• What are your opportunities for growth?
• What kind of resources/services are you using now?
• What do you wish the resources/services you had did better?
• What kind of resources/services do you wish you had?
• What kinds of things are you looking for in a product/service?
• What are your biggest priorities this season?
• What are your criteria to determine whether or not you will move forward with a product/service?

Open-Ended Questions for Surveys & Research

Open-ended questions are a great way for researchers in any industry to explore and expound upon their data, including some of the close-ended, quantitative responses. 

For example, a survey might say, “Would you recommend our services to a friend?” They might then ask an open-ended question like, “Tell us why you would recommend our services to a friend.” to explore the qualitative data behind the close-ended response.

Note that most of the questions below are written in the context of a product or service. However, survey questions vary by industry and purpose (e.g., scientists!). The most important thing to remember is to keep open-ended questions specific to your intention of providing qualitative data you can learn from.

• What do you like about this product/service?
• What would improve your experience?
• How would you describe the company/product/service to a friend?
• If you could change one thing about X, what would it be?
• What made you choose X over another product/service?
• What can we do to serve you better?
• What is the best feature of our product/service?
• If X wasn’t available, what would you do/use instead?
• Why did you decide to work with us vs. someone else?
• How do you use our product/service?

Open-Ended Questions for Counseling & Therapy Sessions

Open-ended questions are common for counselors or therapists to ask clients because they help them process their feelings and thoughts more clearly. Here are a few open-ended questions you might hear during therapy:

• What brings you here today?
• How does that make you feel?
• What have you done in the past to deal with this issue?
• How does it feel in your body?
• Tell me about a time you felt X as a child. What happened?
• What is your relationship like with your parents?
• What emotions do you feel as you talk about that?
• How did you feel when X happened?
• Tell me more about that…
• What do you want to do?

Open-Ended Questions for Medical Appointments

Open-ended medical questions 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8758184/ are helpful for those in healthcare 4 https://samples.jbpub.com/9781449652722/9781449645106_ch01_001_036.pdf to get a deeper understanding of the issues their patients might be experiencing. Here are some examples of open-ended questions from a doctor or nurse you might hear as a patient:

• What are your concerns?
• What questions do you have?
• How are you taking your medications?
• What symptoms are you experiencing?
• Describe what it feels like…
• What else is bothering you?
• What happened?
• What would you like me to address first?
• What are you afraid of?

Open-Ended Questions for Conversations with Kids

Asking kids how their day is will often receive a short response. (Any parents out there relate?!) But if you can frame your questions to inspire them to share, you might be surprised by their openness (this goes for preschoolers all the way up to high schoolers!).

• What was the best part of your day?
• What are three things you’re grateful for today?
• If you could choose to have any superpower, what would it be and why?
• If you could time travel, where would you go and why?
• What do you love most about your friends?
• Tell me about your favorite teacher and why they’re special.
• What are you excited about doing this weekend?
• What’s something you wish you could do if you had the skills/strength/know-how?
• What do you think technology will be like in 100 years?
• If you could change something about how the world works, what would you change?

Master your conversation skills with this great resource from Science of People!

Communicate With Confidence

Do you struggle with small talk? Do you often run out of things to say or feel awkward and self-conscious in social situations? 💪 Speak so people listen, 🤐 No more awkward silences, 🚫 No more small talk.

Open-Ended Questions FAQs

Employers and potential employers ask open-ended questions to give them a better understanding of who you are and what you’re capable of.  Open-ended questions during the interview process often provide an opportunity for the interviewee to share stories about how they solved problems, overcame obstacles, or succeeded in a specific project. They also provide answers that help employers better determine whether or not to hire someone.  Open-ended questions are also an excellent way for employers to understand the processes their current employees go through so they can provide better feedback.

Close-ended questions should be asked when you need a specific answer. An open-ended question should be asked when you’re interested in qualitative information or a better understanding of someone’s unique experience. In a survey, for example, you might want to ask a close-ended question for a data point that needs to be measured, like, “Do you recommend this product?” However, to understand someone’s unique experience, you might ask an open-ended question like, “Why don’t you recommend this product?”  In the context of social interaction, close-ended questions are OK when you’re looking for specific information: “When do you want to grab lunch?” However, you would ask an open-ended question to learn more about someone’s unique perspective: “What are your favorite lunch places in the neighborhood?”

Open-ended questions are a common tactic used by educators for inquiry-based learning . This method is used because open-ended questions often inspire greater curiosity and problem-solving. For example, rather than telling a student what to think, they are thoughtfully guided with open-ended questions to explore solutions to problems. 

Open-Ended Questions Key Takeaways

In summary, remember these benefits of open-ended questions.

• Bring energy to a conversation. By increasing likeability and simultaneously making others feel more confident, there’s a natural energy induced into the conversation!
• Reduce awkward silences. A close-ended question might cut a conversation short, but an open-ended question keeps it moving along. 
• Boost self-esteem. As people feel your interest in them with open-ended questions, they may get a confidence boost. Your interest makes them feel more interested!
• Provide better feedback. Instead of a one-sided view, open-ended questions provide a clearer picture from various perspectives, ultimately allowing people to solve and address problems better.
• Encourage people to open up. Open-ended questions feel like permission to share feelings and ideas with others interested in hearing them.

For more conversation-starter ideas, check out our article for 57 killer conversation-starters to start a conversation with anyone. 

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How to ask open-ended questions? Crucial tips and examples

This article explains open-ended questions definition, why you need to ask them, how to ask open-ended questions, and real-world examples to get you started.

Ever feel like you’re pulling teeth in conversations with clients or colleagues? You ask a question, hoping to spark a lively discussion, but all you get is a one-word answer and an awkward silence. The struggle is real.

But what if I told you that you could turn those unproductive chats into engaging exchanges that yield valuable insights with open-ended questions?

This article explains open-ended questions definition, why you need to ask them, how to ask open-ended questions, and some examples to get you started.

Why use open-ended questions?

Open-ended questions are questions that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”

Instead, they encourage a more thoughtful and detailed response. Using open-ended questions in a survey can really jazz up your data collection game.

These questions give your respondents the chance to express themselves freely. The freedom encourages them to share insights, ideas, and even stories that you might not have thought to ask about.

These types of questions are super valuable when you’re exploring new topics or trying to understand complex issues. They allow for flexibility and depth with which you uncover hidden gems of insight that you might have missed with closed-ended questions.

And let’s not forget the human touch. When people see an open-ended question, it’s like you’re saying, “Hey, I really want to hear what you have to say.”

It shows that you value their input and are genuinely interested in their perspective, leading them to provide answers with authenticity and not just out of compliance.

How to ask open-ended questions: The secret sauce

So, how do you ask open-ended questions effectively?

Let’s dive deeper into some expert tips that describe how to ask open-ended questions.

1. Build the momentum with “How” or “What”:

Begin with “How” or “What” questions to encourage respondents to provide detailed, thoughtful responses.

These interrogatives prompt individuals to share their experiences, opinions, or feelings in their own words, rather than limiting them to a simple “yes” or “no.”

For instance, instead of asking, “Did you enjoy the event?” you could inquire, “What aspects of the event did you find most enjoyable?”

This approach invites participants to express themselves freely and provides richer qualitative data.

2. Be specific, but not leading:

While it’s essential to provide some direction with your questions, be careful not to lead respondents toward a particular answer.

Being specific in your questioning helps guide the conversation, but avoid phrasing that may influence the participant’s response.

For instance, instead of asking, “Do you think the service was excellent?” opt for a neutral approach like, “How would you describe your experience with the service?”

This will allow individuals to share their perspectives without feeling pressured to conform to a predefined opinion.

3. Encourage elaboration:

To extract valuable insights, let your respondents answer open-ended questions and then follow up on their previous answers.

When someone provides a response, probe further to encourage them to expand on their thoughts or experiences.

Learn how to ask open-ended questions that foster a thorough exploration of the topic and bring forward hidden layers of information.

For example, if a survey participant mentions enjoying a restaurant, you could ask what specific aspects they appreciated or if they have any memorable anecdotes to share.

Let’s move on to some examples and tips for open-ended questions.

Open-ended questions examples

Here are some real-world examples so you can get a better idea of how to ask open-ended questions.

Team meetings

Open-ended questions encourage participation, foster discussion, and promote critical thinking among team members.

Here are some open-ended questions to ask your team.

• What progress have we made since our last meeting?
• How can we improve our processes to enhance efficiency and productivity?
• What are your thoughts on the current project timeline, and do you foresee any potential roadblocks?
• What additional resources or support do you need to achieve your objectives?
• In what ways can we better collaborate as a team to achieve our goals?

Customer feedback

Open-ended questions in customer feedback surveys solicit detailed insights and suggestions from customers.

They help businesses understand their customer’s needs and preferences to improve products or services.

• What do you like most about our product/service, and why?
• Can you share an experience where our product/service fell short of your expectations?
• What improvements would you like to see in future versions of our product/service?
• How likely are you to recommend our product/service to others, and what factors influenced your rating?

Employee engagement surveys

Open-ended questions in employee engagement surveys allow employees to express their opinions, concerns, and suggestions.

This way, organizations can identify areas for improvement and foster a positive work environment.

• What aspects of your job do you find most rewarding, and why?
• How would you describe the company culture, and what changes, if any, would you like to see?
• What barriers, if any, do you encounter that hinder your productivity or job satisfaction?
• What initiatives would you like to see implemented to support employee well-being and professional development?

Problem-solving

Open-ended questions in problem-solving scenarios encourage critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration that produce innovative solutions.

• What do you think is the root cause of the problem we’re facing?
• What are some potential solutions we haven’t considered yet?
• How did you resolve any similar challenges in the past? (If any)
• What resources or expertise do we need to effectively address this problem?

Research involves gathering information, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions to inform decision-making or address specific questions. Open-ended questions in research contexts facilitate exploration and deeper understanding of complex topics.

• What are the key objectives or questions we hope to answer through this research?
• What existing knowledge or literature can we draw upon to inform our research?
• What methodologies or approaches do you think would be most effective in collecting relevant data?

5 Benefits of open-ended questions

Here are some advantages of open-ended questions:

1. Encourage deep reflection

Open-ended questions prompt respondents to think critically and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

By inviting individuals to express themselves in their own words, these questions encourage deeper introspection and provide better response quality .

2. Capture diverse perspectives

One of the perks of open-ended questions is their ability to capture a wide range of perspectives. Rather than limiting respondents to predefined options, open-ended questions allow individuals to share their unique viewpoints, insights, and experiences.

The diversity of perspectives enriches your data and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the topic at hand.

3. Collect unanticipated insights

Open-ended questions have a knack for revealing unexpected insights and revelations.

By giving respondents the freedom to express themselves without constraints, these questions can reveal new ideas, opinions, and experiences that may not have been considered otherwise.

This element of surprise leads to valuable discoveries and deeper understanding.

4. Foster engagement and participation

When respondents see across open-ended questions, it signals that their input is valued and their voices are heard.

This sense of validation and appreciation can increase engagement and participation in the surveys you create , as individuals feel motivated to share their thoughts and contribute to the conversation.

Plus, these questions can make surveys feel less like a chore and more like a meaningful exchange that leads to higher response rates and richer data.

5. Adapt to dynamic conversations

Open-ended questions are flexible and adaptable, making them suitable for a variety of situations and contexts.

Whether you’re exploring new topics, delving into complex issues, or seeking detailed feedback, open-ended questions can accommodate the dynamic nature of conversation.

The versatility allows you to tailor your questions to suit the specific needs and objectives of your survey, all while ensuring that you gather the most relevant and valuable information possible.

Open-ended vs. Close-ended questions

Closed-ended questions give respondents a list of options to choose from, making it easy to gather specific, standardized data.

For example, “What’s your favorite color: Red, Blue, or Green?” It’s straightforward, no-nonsense, and great for collecting quantitative data fast.

Such questions are perfect for things like demographics, preferences, or simple opinions.

On the flip side, open-ended questions invite respondents to share their thoughts and feelings in their own words.

For instance, “How would you describe your ideal vacation?” It’s an open-ended question that allows for deeper insights and qualitative data.

The main difference between open questions vs closed questions lies in their usage.

Let’s say you’re designing a survey about customer satisfaction for a restaurant. You might use closed-ended questions to ask about things like food quality or service speed.

But if you want to know why someone keeps coming back or what they’d love to see on the menu, open-ended questions are your best bet.

A combination of open questions and closed questions helps you understand the complete picture of the topic at hand.

Create engaging open-ended questions surveys in minutes!

Learning how to ask open-ended questions is a game-changer for businesses, but it takes practice and following the right approach.

With the tips and examples provided in this article, you’re well on your way to becoming a master interrogator – in the best sense of the word, of course!

Now, if you’re all set to create this type of question, consider using Formaloo to make the process hassle-free. Formaloo is a user-friendly online form builder and survey maker that can help you design engaging open-ended surveys in minutes.

Sign up for free to try out Formaloo’s super easy interface and cutting-edge features.

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Best feedback survey questions.

Survey vs questionnaire: Their key differences

Everything you need to know about Yes or No questions in surveys

What are multiple choice questions-MCQ? A comprehensive guide

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• Behavioral Interviews

Answering Problem-Solving Interview Questions: Tips and Examples

Problem-solving skills are difficult to describe and quantify: they’re a combination of different hard and soft skills such as logical inference, technical knowledge, adaptability and innovation, leadership potential, decision-making, productivity, and collaboration.

All are crucial for developing expertise and delivering results at work — especially when the going gets tough.

And because problem-solving is so important, you’re almost guaranteed to get asked about it in a job interview. Read on, and make sure no problem-solving question catches you off guard.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How to answer problem-solving job interview questions
• Types of problem-solving questions
• Why recruiters ask these questions and what your answers might reveal
• Sample answers for the main types of problem-solving questions

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How to Answer Problem-Solving Job Interview Questions

Here’s how to understand the intention behind problem-solving interview questions and create an informative answer that will highlight your expertise and potential.

Understand the problem-solving question and why recruiters ask it

Reflect on your thought process, be specific, follow up with clear outcomes, use the star method.

Hiring managers and recruiters want to know how you identify roadblocks, analyze information, and overcome challenges. These challenges can vary from specific, technical issues to more general issues like improving company processes or handling interpersonal relationships.

To put these skills to the test, recruiters use “problem-solving” job interview questions, also known as analytical questions. Here are some common ones:

• Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• Describe a time when you didn’t know how to solve a problem. What did you do?
• Describe how you approach a complex or difficult problem.

Here’s what these questions help recruiters discover:

Your adaptability and innovation

Are you an out-of-the-box thinker who’s open to new ideas and who can handle uncharted waters easily?

Efficiency and productivity

Are your problem-solving skills contributing to the team’s performance, removing bottlenecks, smoothing out processes, and keeping projects on track?

Collaboration and communication

Are you successfully collaborating with others to find solutions? Are you handling people-related problems effectively?

Decision-making

Can you efficiently evaluate different options and reach a decision independently? Can you make sound decisions to minimize risks and maximize benefits and opportunities?

Leadership potential

Are your problem-solving skills so good that they open up new opportunities for you to move in the leadership direction ?

Problem-solving interview questions are not tied to a specific role and industry. Mastering your problem-solving skills will help you stand out from the competition and be more successful in your role, whatever it may be.

And if you need help with answering other common interview questions, sign up for our free course !

Be mindful of your thought processes when you face a difficult problem.

Is your initial reaction to panic or are you calm and enthusiastic to tackle it? Is the problem stopping you from focusing on everything else you’re working on? Do you look at the problem as a whole or do you break it down?

Understanding how you think and approach the problem will help you know yourself and improve your problem-solving skills, but it’ll also make it easier to answer these tricky questions during an interview.

Tailor your answers to problem-solving interview questions so that you cover specific details, actions, and skills relevant to the position. If possible, list the results and share lessons learned from an experience you’re describing.

We’re not saying you should lie and make up a story about your problem-solving skills for each position you apply for; remember that this is a broad set of skills and you surely have something relevant from your past experience that you can bring up.

💡 For example, if you’re a Customer Service Representative applying for the same role in another company, you can speak about how you solved a customer’s problem or how you helped the team switch to a new CRM tool and transfer all the data.

💡 If you’re applying for a leadership role in the customer service field, you can speak about how you handled an interpersonal problem within a team or how you spotted bottlenecks and modified processes to make the team more efficient.

💡 If you’re moving to a Sales position, you can highlight your selling experience and talk about a time when you had to solve a customer’s problem and you managed to upsell them in the process.

Prove you have outstanding problem-solving skills by listing clear outcomes for every problem you solved. They can be quantitative or qualitative.

💡 Fixed a process? Say that it improved team productivity by X%.

💡 Handled a difficult client? If they became a VIP customer later on, mention it.

💡 Resolved a conflict? Describe how the experience helped you strengthen the bonds in a team.

💡 Solved a complex technical problem? Say that you got a bonus for it, or that you expanded and improved the existing documentation to help coworkers in the future.

Whenever possible, use the STAR (situation-task-action-result) method in your answer:

• (S) ituation: Describe the situation and provide context.
• (T) ask: What tasks you planned on doing to tackle the issue, your contribution.
• (A) ction you took (step-by-step).
• (R) esult of your efforts.

It’ll help you create a well-rounded answer that’s informative and engaging. Plus, using this method to prepare answers in advance will help you memorize the story quickly and easily.

✅ Bear in mind that not every problem-solving interview question can be answered with a STAR method. Some questions will be very specific and will ask for quick and short information about a certain tool or similar. Other questions, the ones beginning with “Give me an example when…” or “Tell me about a time when…” will be the perfect opportunity to use the STAR method.

Also, remember that there’s never a single correct answer to a problem-solving question, just like there usually are multiple solutions to a given problem — a study on the hospitality industry revealed that the most successful problem-solving strategies applied in the workplace were always very specific to given circumstances.

Questions about your problem-solving skills are just one group of the standard interview questions, you can be almost sure you will get asked. Prepare for other interview “classics” with our dedicated guides:

• Tell Me About Yourself: Sample Answers
• Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
• Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?
• What Are Your Strenghts?
• What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
• How Do You Handle Conflict?
• Why Should We Hire You?
• Why Do You Want to Work Here?

If prepping for a video interview, learn what to expect from this guide: Video Interviewing Tips & Tricks

And if you’re interested in interviewing for specific positions, see:

• Sales Interview Questions and Answers
• Customer Service Interview Questions and Answers
• Customer Service Manager Interview Questions and Answers
• Behavioral Interview Questions for Customer Service

Types of Problem-Solving Job Interview Questions

How do you approach complex problems.

• Can you provide an example of a challenging issue you’ve encountered and how you resolved it?

How do you prioritize multiple tasks when faced with tight deadlines?

• Tell me about a time when you faced a difficult problem at work. How did you solve it?
• Tell me about a time when your team faced a problem and you helped to find a solution.

Describe a situation in which you received criticism for your solution to a problem. How did you handle that?

Can you provide an example of when you had to collaborate with a team to solve a work-related problem.

• Can you describe a situation where you had to use your problem-solving skills to make a decision?

How would you respond if a high-priority project was suddenly delayed, jeopardizing the deadline?

Imagine a scenario where your manager was unavailable, but a client had an urgent issue – what would you do, if you encountered a high-stress situation that required you to stay calm and focused, how would you handle it.

• Imagine you’re faced with a tight deadline, but you’ve encountered a significant roadblock. How would you handle this situation?
• How would you assess and resolve a performance issue in a web application?
• Describe your approach to troubleshooting a networking issue that spans multiple devices.
• How would you approach debugging a piece of software with limited documentation?
• How would you deal with an angry VIP customer if your boss was away?
• What would you do if you noticed a decline in the ROI of your team?
• How would you troubleshoot an error in a software product that has been released to customers?

1. General problem-solving questions

These questions aim to discover your general approach to problems and challenges.

Interviewers want to know how you approach the process of solving complex problems. Do you jump straight into it or do you take a step back, break the problem down into manageable components, analyze the info you have, and then dive in?

Can you provide an example of a challenging issue you’ve encountered and how you resolved it?

Can you assess a situation and find the most appropriate solution? Can you handle the pressure? Do you take the lead during difficult times? Are you able to take responsibility for the outcomes?

This question is more specific than the previous one, so make sure you think about a situation in advance and prepare your answer using the STAR method.

Big Interview’s Answer Builder can help you shape your answer. You’ll be able to list and filter the points you’d like to mention, add details and rearrange the order to create a compelling story.

Plus, you’ll get bite-sized tips on how to answer the most common interview questions while you’re in the Builder.

Recruiters want to know how you set criteria based on which you’ll set priorities, how and if you juggle between multiple tasks, and how you communicate and collaborate with other people involved.

General problem-solving sample answer

“Tell me about a time when you faced a difficult problem at work. How did you solve it?”

Behavioral questions about problem-solving

Behavioral questions ask for specific situations from your past in which you displayed a certain behavior. Based on it, recruiters hope to predict how you’ll perform in the future.

Tell me about a time when your team faced a problem and you helped to find a solution

This one’s asked to assess your teamwork and cooperation skills in tough situations.

Interestingly, a 2015 study on problem-solving in the workplace showed that when it comes to expertise-related problems, employees rarely relied on trial-and-error or information retrieval as modes of problem-solving.

Instead, they mostly relied on help from others, that is, their coworkers who they believed were experts on the subject matter.

This puts emphasis on the importance of teamwork and collaboration in problem-solving. And you certainly noticed how easier it gets to solve a problem (or brainstorm a new idea) as a group, when different individuals bring fresh, unique ideas to the table.

So, recruiters want to know if you’d be cooperative and open to a teamwork experience, and these factors might hint at how you’ll fit in with the team.

This one checks how you handle feedback and criticism — it’s challenging, but it’s essential for growth.

In your answer, make sure you depict a situation in which you demonstrated that growth mindset and the ability to see that taking criticism is not a sign of weakness (or a personal attack on you) but a unique opportunity to learn something new.

Similarly to the first question in this group, this one aims to see how you perform in a team and solve problems collectively.

According to a study , in a team, task completion can be independent , when each team member completes their own activities, sequential , when activities go from one team member to another, reciprocal , when activities are done back-and-forth between team members, or intensive , when all team members work on activities and problem-solving simultaneously.

Recruiters want to get to know more about your ideal teamwork process model and how you connect with others to solve problems.

Your answer will tell them if you’re a good team problem-solver, team player, and if you’re able to give and share credit, as well as take responsibility if something goes wrong.

Behavioral problem-solving sample answer

“Can you describe a situation where you had to use your problem-solving skills to make a decision?”

Situational problem-solving questions

Situational problem-solving questions put you in a hypothetical situation, present a problem, and ask for your opinion/solution.

Even if you haven’t encountered a similar situation in the past, it will help you to draw parallels from your experience to create answers to these questions.

Your answer to this question will tell recruiters about your flexibility, time and task organization, prioritization, as well as how you handle pressure.

An ideal employee will be able to think quickly and adapt to unforeseen circumstances, all the while remaining calm and composed. You’ll want to aim at displaying these qualities in your answer.

Taking the lead and taking calculated risks shows that a person has outstanding problem-solving skills and is not afraid to take initiative, which shows leadership potential.

Your answer to this question needs to demonstrate your ability to quickly analyze information, weigh pros and cons of a situation, and make decisions on the spot. This is especially important if you’re applying for leadership positions, like a team leader or a project manager.

Recruiters and hiring managers want to assess your ability to handle stress, make rational decisions, and maintain a focused approach in tricky, high-pressure situations.

Make sure to provide them with relevant examples from your past that will paint a picture of your skills and abilities. This is especially relevant for high-pressure positions such as police officers, lawyers, financial analysts, and similar.

Situational problem-solving sample answer

“Imagine you’re faced with a tight deadline, but you’ve encountered a significant roadblock. How would you handle this situation?”

Technical questions about problem-solving

Technical problem-solving questions are based on the technical knowledge that underlies each role. They aim to check your expertise or the means by which you connect the dots or obtain information if you don’t possess it.

Will you sort through the documentation to find a solution? Or is your first reaction to recall a past experience? Perhaps you prefer connecting with an expert or a coworker with more experience than you. Or you’re the type of person to synthesize your existing knowledge and try to find a solution through trial and error. Maybe you’ll turn to a book or a course? Whatever it is, recruiters would like to know.

There are many ways to solve these problems and your preferred strategies will give recruiters insight into how you think and act.

Examples of technical questions about problem-solving are:

💡 Bear in mind that, with the rapid development of AI, the majority of technical tasks might be overtaken by robots in the future. That’s why it’s important that you work on your non-technical skills, too. Employers are already admitting that problem-solving skills are the second most important skill they’re looking for. For this reason, researchers are working hard to find and develop frameworks for helping people improve their problem-solving capabilities — you can read more about it in this paper on problem-solving skills among graduate engineers .

Technical problem-solving sample answer

“How would you troubleshoot an error in a software product that has been released to customers?”

✅ Pro tip: Practicing in advance is the only way to make sure your answer is flawless! The Mock Interview Tool will help you record your answer and get instant feedback on its quality and delivery. From power words and your pace of speech to “ummm” counter and eye contact, you’ll get help on how to improve in no time!

Our tool helped AJ land his first job in tech and get 7 job offers in the process . “I think Big Interview was super helpful in that aspect of having canned answers for every possible scenario and being in the moment of answering those questions.”, said AJ.

Problem-Solving Interview Questions: Popular Opinions vs. Expert Advice

Now that we covered different types of problem-solving questions and how to answer them, we decided to dive into popular forums and see what job-seekers have to say on this topic. We picked pieces of advice that resonated with the community and confronted them with expert-backed best practices. Let’s see where we stand.

IndianaJones Jr on Reddit said : “If I was an interviewer asking this question, I would expect a personalized answer relevant to yourself, not to specific projects. At least that’s my interpretation.

“What are your experiences in problem-solving?” 

Sample answer: Generally, when I’m working on a project I find it’s easier to start at the end and work backwards. I use that to get a broad strokes idea of where my work needs to take me on any particular project and then I head in that direction. I find that when I get to specific problems I can get too stuck on using tried and true methods so I try to encourage myself to use out-of-the-box solutions. For example [your example here]…”

Career expert comments:

The “bones” of this sample answer are solid. It puts emphasis on breaking down the candidate’s thought process and displays patterns through which the candidate solves problems and learns along the way. However, the most important part of the answer — the actual example of a candidate’s problem-solving skills put to practice — remains a placeholder. Remember, the more specific you get in your answer, the better the impression you make on the interviewer. So here, I recommend paying equal attention to a specific situation in which you solved a problem and using the STAR method to tell that story.

Ambitious_Tell_4852 , when discussing the question “Give an example of a challenge you faced and how you overcame it,” said: 

“Clearly, that is the standard trick question designed for a prospective new hire to tell a prospective employer about his/her professional weaknesses. Oldest “negative Nelli’’ question imaginable during the interview process. Always keep your answer thorough and positive albeit sickeningly sugar-coated! 😁”

This is, straight-out, a bad piece of advice. If an interviewer wants to hear about your weaknesses, they will ask “What is your greatest weakness?” 

A question about overcoming a challenge isn’t a trick question at all. I’d argue it’s actually an opportunity to share some of your proudest wins. But when it comes to answering this question, it’s true that your answers do need to be thorough and positive. This doesn’t mean you need to sugar-coat anything, though. Interviewers don’t want to hear you downplaying your challenges. On the contrary, they want to hear you speak about them honestly and explain what you learned from them. And being able to do so puts a healthy, positive spin on the situation. To put it shortly: provide a real example from your past, answer this question honestly, and emphasize the results and lessons learned. 

Here’s an opinion from a hiring manager, Hugh on Quora, about how to answer a question about a time you needed to solve a problem:

“It really doesn’t matter what the problem you describe is or how you solved it. What I am looking/listening for is 1) the size of the problem (the bigger, the better, a broken shoelace before going out on a date is not an impressive problem) and 2) a step-by-step process to a satisfactory solution (if suddenly all variables fell into place does not show me that you solved the problem — you were just there when it solved itself).

I am also looking/listening for an example of how you solve a problem after you are hired. I may have to explain it to my superiors, and I would like to know that I have a complete and accurate story to tell.”

Career expert comments:  

A good piece of advice from someone who has first-hand hiring experience. When talking about problem-solving, a detailed description of your process is key. The only thing I wouldn’t agree with is having to choose a “big” problem. If you do have experience solving a big problem, that’s great. But sometimes you won’t have a major problem to talk about, and it largely depends on your level of experience and your position. So pick a relevant difficulty, even if it’s not that big, in which you displayed skills relevant to the role you’re applying for.

• Problem-solving skills encompass your logical inference, technical knowledge, adaptability and innovation, leadership potential, decision-making, productivity, and collaboration.
• Because these skills are important in the workplace, there’s a variety of problem-solving interview questions recruiters will ask to assess you.
• Some of them include behavioral, situational, or technical problem-solving questions.
• In order to answer these questions, you need to be aware of your thought processes when faced with a problem.
• In your answer, be as specific as you can and use the STAR format whenever possible.
• Make sure to highlight outcomes, results, or lessons learned.
• As always, the best strategy is to anticipate these questions and prepare rough answers in advance. Including practicing your answer so you’re confident for your interview.

____________________

Need help with your job search? There are 3 ways we can help you:

• Tired of interviewing and not landing the job? Discover actionable lessons and interview practice here (Rated with 4.9/5 by 1,000,000 users).
• Learn how to talk about your proudest accomplishments without bragging or underselling yourself.
• Learn how to answer tricky questions about conflict resolution in the workplace.

How can I improve my problem-solving skills?

Stay in the loop with new technologies and trends. Accept challenges and problems as a way to grow, don’t panic over them. Acquire a systematic approach to analyzing problems, break them down into smaller components which will help you discover root causes and devise a solution plan. Practice logical thinking, evaluating evidence, and staying objective. And give yourself time. Perhaps not surprisingly, studies suggest that the more business experience you have, the better you become at problem-solving.

Are there specific resources available to practice problem-solving interview questions?

There’s a variety of resources available to you, such as courses and Youtube tutorials, Facebook/LinkedIn groups, forums such as Reddit and Quora, books, or online platforms like Big Interview. If you’re trying to develop technical problem-solving skills, you might benefit from relevant platforms’ knowledge bases or YT channels; but if you’re looking specifically for how to answer interview questions, platforms like Big Interview are the way to go.

How should I handle a question about a problem-solving scenario I have not encountered before?

Don’t be afraid to ask additional questions for clarification. If you’ve never dealt with this problem before, be honest about it but answer how you would solve the problem if you were faced with it today. Break the problem down into manageable steps, try to recall a similar situation from your own experience that could help you draw parallels, and propose several different solutions.

Can I talk about my problem-solving experiences derived from non-professional settings such as student projects?

Yes, especially if you’re a recent graduate or a candidate with limited experience. You can use experiences and examples from student projects, extracurricular activities, and you can even use examples from your personal life, as long as you present them in a professional manner and connect them to the position you’re applying for. Remember to highlight the results, as well as the skills that helped you solve the problem and that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Are there any common mistakes to avoid when answering problem-solving questions during an interview?

The most common mistake is not preparing in advance which causes rambling. You need to make sure that your answer is informative and well-structured, and that you’re not only presenting a solution but also laying down the steps to display your logical reasoning. Make sure not to forget to give credit to teammates if they contributed to solving the problem you chose to talk about. Finally, for a coherent and informative presentation, make sure you use the STAR method.

What can I do if I don’t know the answer to a technical problem-solving question in an interview?

Handle it professionally. You can always try to reach a conclusion by breaking down the problem and thinking out loud to show your thinking mechanism. Draw parallels between the problem at hand and another similar problem you encountered before. Lay down possible solutions, even if you’re not sure they’ll work, and be transparent — feel free to tell the recruiter you’re not sure how to answer it, but make sure you emphasize that you’re open to learning.

Can I ask for help or guidance from the interviewer during a problem-solving question?

Avoid asking for help directly, but ask for clarification in case something is unclear or if you need additional information. Sometimes, the interviewer will take the initiative and provide you with hints to encourage you and see how you think.

How can I demonstrate creativity and resourcefulness when answering problem-solving questions?

It’s all about storytelling! Preparing in advance will provide some space for displaying your creativity. You can do it by making fun analogies or drawing parallels from well-known situations; or making pop-culture references.

Maja Stojanovic

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Ask the Right Questions: 2 Problem Solving Questions that Make the Difference

What are the right questions to ask when problem solving? “How can I encourage people?” and “What barriers do I need to remove?” Discover why they are so effective and learn from a practical examples.

To solve a problem we need to understand the root cause, then define and deliver a solution. And that starts when you ask the right questions.

This article shares the impact of asking the wrong questions, explains what the right questions to ask are, and provides a practical demonstration of the power of asking the right questions.

Here’s what you will learn:

The I Robot Analogy

The impact of asking the wrong questions, the right questions to ask when solving problems, how the encourage/barrier questions work, recap: the power of asking the right questions, bonus: practical example of how the encourage/barrier questions work.

In a pivotal scene in the science fiction movie I, Robot , the hero, Detective Del Spooner, must ask a hologram a series of questions (5) . The answers Spooner receives will help him understand the clues he has fought to discover and how to proceed in his investigation.

As their interaction progresses, the hologram answers one of Spooner’s ambiguous questions with, “I’m sorry, my responses are limited. You must ask the right questions.”

Detective Spooner pauses, rethinks, and asks a more direct question of the hologram.

“That, detective, is the right question.”

Solving business problems is the same – without the killer robots and murderous subterfuge. We need to ask the right questions to get to the heart of the problem and understand what to do next, while asking the wrong questions leads to erroneous conclusions and moves us away from the goal we are trying to achieve.

A few years ago, I experienced the lows and highs of an emergency room visit when someone dear to me suffered life-threatening complications from a recent surgery.

The good news: the doctor and nurses who worked with the patient were skilled, reassuring, and each did their part to ensure a positive outcome. But among the competence and poise was a broken tool that could have led to a fatal outcome. The hospital’s blood tracking software.

The software was intended to track the path of the prescribed blood from hospital lab to patient and prevent the wrong type being given – which can cause symptoms ranging from a severe flu like reaction to death. It works by scanning the barcode on the patient’s wristband, the barcode on the bag of blood plasma or platelets, and compares the details in the system. If it’s a match, the software approves the transfusion. All within a handful of mouse clicks.

However, it took the Senior Nurse and his cohort three escalating support calls, scanning seven barcodes (two on the patient, five on the bag of plasma), and 20 minutes before a software support technician – far from the hospital – could override the software and approve the transfusion in the system.

As a Senior Project Manager in Software Development, I watched the spectacle with a morbid fascination. What was the problem the software was trying to solve? What inputs did it require? How did the end-user behave when the software didn’t respond as they expected?

Part way through the 20 minute battle, rather than wait for the software’s approval, the Senior Nurse manually began the blood transfusion. To me, this was a wonderful example of how to never lose sight of your goal, no matter what is happening around you.

Clearly, the software team asked the wrong questions during the design phase. Or, nobody asked the right questions. Two critical impacts from this was the system was unable to handle multiple barcodes (a common scenario in hospitals) and universal O-negative blood being given to an A-negative patient (a standard transfusion combination).

What other issues were there because of the 20 minute trip to the Twilight Zone?

• Did the Senior Nurse miss his scheduled break and continued his shift tired and frustrated, leading to an increased chance of mistakes in the care of other patients?
• Was this the night the Senior Nurse quit, driven to leave his vocation by critical software that didn’t work?
• What if it was a new nurse, fresh from training, responsible for the transfusion? If they didn’t start the transfusion until after the software gave the all-clear, what would that 20 minute delay have done to the patient who needed the blood?

The effects of asking the wrong questions range from the straightforward, financial impacts, to the insidious, low employee engagement and high staff turnover. Or worse.

So, what are the right questions to ask?

To understand the business problem we are working to solve, we need to research both the objective and subjective forces behind the problem. That is, how people are performing their work and why they are doing it.

The right questions get us answers to the physical and behavioral reasons behind people’s actions and motivations.

The right questions to ask are:

• How can I encourage people to… insert desired behavior?
• What barriers do I need to remove for this to happen?

For example:

• How can I encourage customers to buy my product or use my service?
• How can I encourage my team to follow my leadership?
• How can I encourage my website visitors to follow through on my calls to action?

And for each encourage question, What barriers do I need to remove for this to happen?

Additional Reading in The Become a Better Problem Solver Series

How to Become A Better Problem Solver

Develop the Be Helpful Keystone Habit and Transform Your Problem Solving Skills

5 Ways Ethical Leaders Solve Problems

The Questions Combine Strategy and Action into a Single Question

How many strategic plans, crafted with care and presented with passion, fail because of poor execution? The problem lies in the lack of solid ground between proposal and action. There is no mechanism to transform the strategic goal into executed results.

What makes the encourage/barrier questions different and powerful is they are both strategic and actionable at the same time.

• The questions help us understand what we need to do, and the answers tell us how to do it.

Iterating through the answers is how you add details and actionable steps to the plan the questions create. In the business world, especially project management, this is called decomposition. Which is a good thing. The complete opposite of when decomposition is a vital clue in a police procedural TV show.

Decomposition is complete when the project manager has enough information to understand and assign the project activities (1) .

Iteration and decomposition help you create solutions with clear and actionable activities.

A rule of thumb for iteration

• The bigger the problem or the more vague it is, the more I iterate
• The clearer the problem, the less I iterate

An Example of the Encourage/Barrier Questions that Generate Actionable Answers

You want to improve your project delivery and make your project management process more efficient and less burdensome. A top-notch plan.

Part of your strategy involves correcting the current requirements gathering process so you stop returning to your stakeholders to constantly find out their needs, like an annoying notification that won’t go away.

The current results of this inefficient back and forth are scope creep and cost overruns.

How can I encourage my stakeholders to provide an accurate list of the things they need?

• Make it easy for stakeholders to provide their needs.
• Build trust to encourage collaboration between the sponsor, stakeholders, and project team around technical and business priorities.

How can I encourage myself and the team to make it easy for stakeholders to provide their needs ?

• Provide easy-to-use documents and feedback submission processes.
• There is a high paperwork burden when filling out forms and project documents.
• The questions asked are ambiguous, leading to vague answers, nor do the questions cover every aspect of the stakeholders’ jobs, which results in vital information being omitted from their answers.

Your strategy is to:

• Improve the requirements gathering process.

The action steps are:

• Create documentation that is clear and easy to use.
• Ask the right questions when interviewing stakeholders.
• Ask the sponsor and key stakeholders to confirm priorities.

Which results in:

• An accurate list of requirements.

Asking the Right Questions Helps You Find the Right Solution

The result of asking the right questions is an actionable plan to increase engagement, reduce frustration, build trust, lower waste, increase productivity, and resolve whatever category of problem your problem falls into.

The questions can solve a distinct dilemma, such as increasing end-user engagement for an app, or provide a roadmap for broader professional development, such as improving one’s leadership skills.

When you ask the right questions – how can I encourage people and what barriers do I need to remove – you get the right answers. Which enables you to solve problems with the right solution.

Ethical influence and leadership is the idea that your positive behaviours encourage people to trust you. To grow that trust, the encourage/barrier questions help you determine which behaviours to adopt and to how to put them into action.

The Encourage/Barrier Questions are the Right Tool for the Job

Physical or system related problems such as your car not starting ( 2 ) or a web form not submitting need specific diagnostic and bug finding tools.

However, if you have an employee consistently writing bad code, the problem requires a behavioural solution. It makes sense to ask how can I encourage this person to write better code?

• The right time to ask the encourage/barrier questions is when solving a problem that requires a change in behaviour.

Examples of when to use the encourage/barrier questions include:

• Increasing conversion rates on a landing page
• Improving the quality of work the team produces
• Reducing employee dissatisfaction.

Asking the Right Questions Prevents Blind Spots in Your Thinking

When you ask how can I encourage people and what barriers do I need to remove it sounds as if they give the same answer. After all, if you encourage your colleague or client, aren’t you removing existing barriers?

Well, not quite.

The encourage/barrier questions provide different perspectives to the problem by defining positive behaviours and highlighting the negative impacts of assumptions and unknowns.

Imagine a fantastic carrot cake with the finest ingredients. When it’s baked, no-one can resist it. Which is what you want – you encourage people to buy it, eat it, and come clamoring back for more.

If we don’t consider the barriers that prevent the world’s best carrot cake from being created, we risk the following conversation:

“Did you bring the fresh eggs from the chicken coop and the unbleached flour?”

“I did. You get the carrots from the farmer’s market?”

“Yep. By the way, why are we doing this outside?”

“Because I thought it would be fun!”

“How are we going to bake the cake?”

Language Matters When Encouraging New Behaviours

Language matters because our behaviours are sneaky and sabotage us when we want to change.

Take the manager who won’t stop talking, for example. They talk over people in meetings, at the coffee machine, in the car park. It’s a problem.

It’s a barrier that prevents the team from expressing their ideas. Much like a dramatic husky telling its owners it won’t do what it’s been told (6) .

If the manager repeats, I must stop talking over people , all the brain will hear is I must talk over people. And what happens? The ingrained habit takes over and nobody in the meeting gets to speak. Which is no surprise to anybody.

The language in the questions helps us look towards where we need to go.

For another example of how language is important, picture a galloping horse, snorting, charging, and kicking its way around the field. You’re on its back, thigh muscles gripping the saddle like your life depends on it.

You see two gates, fast approaching – much faster than you’d really like. One is open, the other closed. You focus on the closed gate. “Don’t hit it, don’t hit it,” you repeat to yourself.

Now, the horse will travel in the direction the rider is looking. A horse can feel your body movements while you are sitting on their back. When you look where you want to go, your body position adjusts to look that way. Says the Equine Helper article ( 3 ) for horse riding beginners.

Therefore, an important behaviour to perform, while not holding the reins in a death grip, is to face the way you want to go. Towards the open gate.

The same applies to problem solving.

When our loquacious manager says they, must not talk over people , they’re looking at the closed gate. Disaster beckons.

The right question to ask, and the one that points toward the open gate, is how can I encourage myself to listen to my team in meetings?

Our effusive manager identified a barrier, talking over people, when evaluating why his team was reticent in meetings. They have the barrier they need to remove and now they need to learn how can I encourage my team to speak up?

Because of the iterative nature of the encourage/barrier questions, the manager identified a behaviour he can change, to listen more.

The right questions get us to the root of the problem we’re working to solve. They help us understand the reasons why people do what they do and how they do it.

The Right Questions to Ask Are:

• How can I encourage people to… insert desired behavior ?

The Encourage/Barrier Questions Are the Right Questions to Ask Because:

They are iterative:.

• You ask the question and get an answer. Then ask again, using the previous answer as the subject of the new question.

They are the right tool for the job

They prevent blind spots in your thinking.

• The encourage/barrier questions provide different perspectives to the problem by defining positive behaviours and highlight the negative impacts of assumptions and unknowns.

They are strategic and actionable

• The language in the questions helps us look to where we want to go.

The encourage/barrier questions are so powerful because when you execute on the answers, you develop behaviors that positively impact everything else you do.

For example, how can I encourage clients to provide an accurate list of the things they need , leads to:

• Building better relationships
• Creating easy-to-use processes
• Encouraging collaboration

And those helpful and encouraging behaviours, when done consistently, become a habit. Specifically, a keystone habit.

The next article in the Become a Better Problem Solver Series , Develop the Be Helpful Keystone Habit , explains what a keystone habit is and why they are so potent.

Imagine you’re the project manager for a large, critical project that promises to make a positive difference in the workplace.

It’s behind schedule.

How do you solve this big problem?

How can I encourage my team to meet their deadlines?

• Have the team provide accurate time and sprint estimates.
• Prioritize the project activities and user stories.
• Improve the team’s time management.

Those are a good start, but what are the barriers that currently prevent the team from meeting their deadlines?

• The team gets invited to more meetings than they need to attend.
• There is constant scope creep.
• Team morale is dipping.

You can see already a plan forming. You have a list of positive habits to encourage and detrimental behaviours that need to be addressed.

Let’s review our answers and decide which we want to iterate through and which are decomposed enough to give us items we can take action on.

Improved Time Management:

The first action is to reduce the number of meetings the team needs to attend. This will increase the amount of productive time they have and help ease some frustrations.

By prioritizing project activities, the team knows they are working on the right items at the right time. And they have more time in the day to do so.

The team’s time management improves because of fixing other problems. No need to dig deeper.

Provide accurate time and sprint estimates:

There are plenty of variables to consider when giving accurate estimates. Understanding the feature request, level of experience of the people doing the work, and the estimation process, for example.

None of those are clear within our answer of provide accurate time and sprint estimates and so we need to decompose or iterate our way deeper.

How can I encourage myself and the team to provide accurate time and sprint estimates?

• Prioritize the features in the backlog so we know what’s important to the project sponsor and which have technical dependencies.
• Create user stories that are unambiguous and understood by every member of the team.
• Have the right people work on the right tasks for their level of experience.
• There is a feeling that everything is important, to be worked on RIGHT NOW!
• There is little trust between the team, project manager, and the project sponsor.
• Scope creep causes the sprints to devolve into chaos.

The plan takes shape

I love it when a plan comes together – so says Hannibal from the A-Team ( 4 ) . And it’s the same here.

To get your project back on schedule, you have a list of actionable changes you and your team need to make:

• Reduce the time the team spends in meetings.
• Have the right people do the right work.
• Create complete and clear user stories.
• Prioritize the backlog.

The changes will create the following results:

• Engender trust – everyone understands the work that needs to be done and all agree with the time frame in which to do it.
• Reduce scope creep – There are no surprise features during sprints, and if one arises, the team and sponsor understand its priority and potential impact on the current sprint.
• Increase team morale – everyone knows they are working on the right tasks in the right order, and their workload is achievable.

Ready to solve your organization’s tough business problems? Ask these powerful questions and follow through on the answers:

• How can I encourage people… insert desired behaviour ?
• Defined by the Project Management Book of Knowledge, decomposition is a technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into more smaller, manageable parts. Which is a business language way of saying you have broken down the work into parts that are small enough to be assigned to a single person or team. ↪︎ return
• I was tempted many times to “encourage” my old Triumph Spitfire to start by using a hammer – not recommended. Always seems to work in Hollywood for some reason though… maybe because it’s James Bond and a Trabant . ↪︎ return
• From the Equine Helper article on riding for beginners : “ A horse can feel any body movement you make while you’re sitting on their back. When you look where you want to go, your body position adjusts to look that way. For example, if you’re sitting on the horse and you look to your left, you turn your neck. Your horse can feel that, and it signals to them to go left. So if you look up you tell them to keep going straight. If you look down, you’re essentially telling your horse to stop. ” ↪︎ return
• The A-team was an American TV series from the 1980s. One of its most quoted lines is Hannibal’s “ I love it when a plan comes together! ” And because you can’t have the A-Team without a certain level silliness, here’s the team flying a tank from the 2010 movie. ↪︎ return
• Two short clips from the movie I, Robot with Detective Spooner asking questions of the hologram, Dr. Lanning. ↪︎ return
• I’ve always had a thing for Huskies, thanks to Jack London’s Call of the Wild and White Fang. But I doubt even my laid back Black Lab could cope with this level of drama . ↪︎ return

More Actionable Advice

How to Ask Problem-Solving Questions

How to Ask Problem-Solving Questions The importance of asking questions (the right questions) is one of the foundations of my work. Asking the right questions is often about intention. There are all … via YouTube

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Problem-Solving Trick: Ask the Right Question

When a project gets stuck, the obstacle usually falls into one of these three categories..

When groups of people get stuck on a problem--whether over culture, systems, process, understanding, or something else--the best solutions can come from asking the right questions.

This question, cited in Big Change at Best Buy (by Elizabeth Gibson and Andy Billings), is one of my favorites: "Is this an issue of heart, head, or hands?"

• Heart : Do you have the will, passion, leadership, or clarity of goal to rally the people to the task?
• Head: Does your team have the available capabilities, knowledge, processes, experience, and other components necessary to overcome the obstacle?
• Hands: Do you have the right resources (in the right quantities) to make this happen?

The first step in solving a problem is correctly diagnosing it. As a facilitator, I often watch groups jump past this diagnostic step in an effort to find a quick, silver-bullet answer. Although this is understandable, it's not ultimately helpful: Getting the right answer to the wrong problem is the wrong answer.

Using the Technique

If you are in a meeting or brainstorming session and the group is in a repetitive or circular discussion about a problem, ask the "heart, head, or hands" question.

There may be some disagreement--a failure in one area could be causing other ones, for instance--but you can usually come to an answer as to the primary obstacle. Start with that one first. After you've resolved it, you can work your way through the other two.

Your next action will depend on what you've decided is the key problem:

• Heart : Is this project lacking leadership from a clearly respected sponsor? You may need to select, assign, and empower a project owner--and then offer the right resources--to bring the initiative to completion.
• Head: When "head" is the diagnosis, typically expertise is the issue. If you are a "go-it-alone" leader, it may be difficult to admit to not knowing how to do something. But in a world of accelerating complexity, it is unreasonable to expect that you can figure everything out yourself. If you don't have the expertise personally, there are lots of easy ways to find it. You can look for help internally, as well as through business partners, and externally through consultants, suppliers, or contractors.
• Hands : There is a difference between "not having enough time" and "not having enough time right now." Rarely have I found an organization that felt it had enough resources--whether technology, people, equipment, money, or time. But if you clearly define what is needed--as well as how much and when--you can build a plan that properly allocates your company's resources for the current priority.

I was recently in a leadership team session trying to address this question, and the debate was pretty energized. What we discovered was this: Everyone wanted the initiative accomplished, but no one wanted to lead it. There was no heart for the change.

The CEO's reply was very strong: "If this isn't important enough for any of you, my executives, to want to take this on, then I don't want to hear about it from any of you until one of you will."

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta

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Questions to Ask Yourself When Problem Solving

Phase I:  Understanding the Problem

• What information have I been given?  What information do I need to find?  Can I draw a picture depicting the given information?  How would I restate the problem in my own words?  What type of problem is this Have  I seen a similar problem before?  Is there a similar problem in the textbook?  What characteristics of the given information jump out as potentially important? Why might they be important? Do I fully understand the set-up and what is required of me? If not, what can I do that would help me better understand this? Do not move on to Phase II until you feel sure you understand the problem!

Phase II: Devising a Plan

• Initial ideas:  Do I have any initial ideas as to how I might possibly solve this problem? What other information can I derive from the given information? How have I solved a similar problem in the past
• Following up on initial ideas: Where would this idea get me? How would it help me got closer to the answer? What would I do next after this idea? Does the idea make sense?
• Troubleshooting: Can I think of a simpler version of this problem that is easier to solve? How would I solve the simpler problem? Can I break this problem into smaller parts that are easier to solve? Have I considered all pieces of given information? What other ways might I approach this problem?

Phase III: Carrying out the Plan

• Have I achieved what I intended to in this step? Is the result of this step correct?

Phase IV: Checking Your Answer

• Verifying your answer: Does my answer make sense? Is it plausible? Can I substitute my answer for the unknown in the problem? Does my answer match up with the given information? Does my answer have the right units?
• Learning from your solution: Can I look back and see a simpler way to solve this problem? Can I succinctly summarize the approach I used to solve this problem?
• Why was I asked to solve this problem?
• ← Novice v. Expert Problem Solvers
• Successful Strategies for Solving Problems on Assignments →

15 Common Problem-Solving Interview Questions

In an interview for a big tech company, I was asked if I’d ever resolved a fight — and the exact way I went about handling it. I felt blindsided, and I stammered my way through an excuse of an answer.

It’s a familiar scenario to fellow technical job seekers — and one that risks leaving a sour taste in our mouths. As candidate experience becomes an increasingly critical component of the hiring process, recruiters need to ensure the problem-solving interview questions they prepare don’t dissuade talent in the first place. 

Interview questions designed to gauge a candidate’s problem-solving skills are more often than not challenging and vague. Assessing a multifaceted skill like problem solving is tricky — a good problem solver owns the full solution and result, researches well, solves creatively and takes action proactively. 

It’s hard to establish an effective way to measure such a skill. But it’s not impossible.

We recommend taking an informed and prepared approach to testing candidates’ problem-solving skills . With that in mind, here’s a list of a few common problem-solving interview questions, the science behind them — and how you can go about administering your own problem-solving questions with the unique challenges of your organization in mind.

Key Takeaways for Effective Problem-Solving Interview Questions

• Problem solving lies at the heart of programming. 
• Testing a candidate’s problem-solving skills goes beyond the IDE. Problem-solving interview questions should test both technical skills and soft skills.
• STAR, SOAR and PREP are methods a candidate can use to answer some non-technical problem-solving interview questions.
• Generic problem-solving interview questions go a long way in gauging a candidate’s fit. But you can go one step further by customizing them according to your company’s service, product, vision, and culture. 

Technical Problem-Solving Interview Question Examples

Evaluating a candidates’ problem-solving skills while using coding challenges might seem intimidating. The secret is that coding challenges test many things at the same time — like the candidate’s knowledge of data structures and algorithms, clean code practices, and proficiency in specific programming languages, to name a few examples.

Problem solving itself might at first seem like it’s taking a back seat. But technical problem solving lies at the heart of programming, and most coding questions are designed to test a candidate’s problem-solving abilities.

Here are a few examples of technical problem-solving questions:

1. Mini-Max Sum  

This well-known challenge, which asks the interviewee to find the maximum and minimum sum among an array of given numbers, is based on a basic but important programming concept called sorting, as well as integer overflow. It tests the candidate’s observational skills, and the answer should elicit a logical, ad-hoc solution.

2. Organizing Containers of Balls  

This problem tests the candidate’s knowledge of a variety of programming concepts, like 2D arrays, sorting and iteration. Organizing colored balls in containers based on various conditions is a common question asked in competitive examinations and job interviews, because it’s an effective way to test multiple facets of a candidate’s problem-solving skills.

3. Build a Palindrome

This is a tough problem to crack, and the candidate’s knowledge of concepts like strings and dynamic programming plays a significant role in solving this challenge. This problem-solving example tests the candidate’s ability to think on their feet as well as their ability to write clean, optimized code.

4. Subarray Division

Based on a technique used for searching pairs in a sorted array ( called the “two pointers” technique ), this problem can be solved in just a few lines and judges the candidate’s ability to optimize (as well as basic mathematical skills).

5. The Grid Search 

This is a problem of moderate difficulty and tests the candidate’s knowledge of strings and searching algorithms, the latter of which is regularly tested in developer interviews across all levels.

Common Non-Technical Problem-Solving Interview Questions 

Testing a candidate’s problem-solving skills goes beyond the IDE . Everyday situations can help illustrate competency, so here are a few questions that focus on past experiences and hypothetical situations to help interviewers gauge problem-solving skills.

1. Given the problem of selecting a new tool to invest in, where and how would you begin this task? 

Key Insight : This question offers insight into the candidate’s research skills. Ideally, they would begin by identifying the problem, interviewing stakeholders, gathering insights from the team, and researching what tools exist to best solve for the team’s challenges and goals. 

2. Have you ever recognized a potential problem and addressed it before it occurred? 

Key Insight: Prevention is often better than cure. The ability to recognize a problem before it occurs takes intuition and an understanding of business needs. 

3. A teammate on a time-sensitive project confesses that he’s made a mistake, and it’s putting your team at risk of missing key deadlines. How would you respond?

Key Insight: Sometimes, all the preparation in the world still won’t stop a mishap. Thinking on your feet and managing stress are skills that this question attempts to unearth. Like any other skill, they can be cultivated through practice.

4. Tell me about a time you used a unique problem-solving approach. 

Key Insight: Creativity can manifest in many ways, including original or novel ways to tackle a problem. Methods like the 10X approach and reverse brainstorming are a couple of unique approaches to problem solving. 

5. Have you ever broken rules for the “greater good?” If yes, can you walk me through the situation?

Key Insight: “Ask for forgiveness, not for permission.” It’s unconventional, but in some situations, it may be the mindset needed to drive a solution to a problem.

6. Tell me about a weakness you overcame at work, and the approach you took. 

Key Insight: According to Compass Partnership , “self-awareness allows us to understand how and why we respond in certain situations, giving us the opportunity to take charge of these responses.” It’s easy to get overwhelmed when faced with a problem. Candidates showing high levels of self-awareness are positioned to handle it well.

7. Have you ever owned up to a mistake at work? Can you tell me about it?

Key Insight: Everybody makes mistakes. But owning up to them can be tough, especially at a workplace. Not only does it take courage, but it also requires honesty and a willingness to improve, all signs of 1) a reliable employee and 2) an effective problem solver.

8. How would you approach working with an upset customer?

Key Insight: With the rise of empathy-driven development and more companies choosing to bridge the gap between users and engineers, today’s tech teams speak directly with customers more frequently than ever before. This question brings to light the candidate’s interpersonal skills in a client-facing environment.

9. Have you ever had to solve a problem on your own, but needed to ask for additional help? How did you go about it? 

Key Insight: Knowing when you need assistance to complete a task or address a situation is an important quality to have while problem solving. This questions helps the interviewer get a sense of the candidate’s ability to navigate those waters. 

10. Let’s say you disagree with your colleague on how to move forward with a project. How would you go about resolving the disagreement?

Key Insight: Conflict resolution is an extremely handy skill for any employee to have; an ideal answer to this question might contain a brief explanation of the conflict or situation, the role played by the candidate and the steps taken by them to arrive at a positive resolution or outcome. 

Strategies for Answering Problem-Solving Questions

If you’re a job seeker, chances are you’ll encounter this style of question in your various interview experiences. While problem-solving interview questions may appear simple, they can be easy to fumble — leaving the interviewer without a clear solution or outcome. 

It’s important to approach such questions in a structured manner. Here are a few tried-and-true methods to employ in your next problem-solving interview.

1. Shine in Interviews With the STAR Method

S ituation, T ask, A ction, and R esult is a great method that can be employed to answer a problem-solving or behavioral interview question. Here’s a breakdown of these steps:

• Situation : A good way to address almost any interview question is to lay out and define the situation and circumstances. 
• Task : Define the problem or goal that needs to be addressed. Coding questions are often multifaceted, so this step is particularly important when answering technical problem-solving questions.
• Action : How did you go about solving the problem? Try to be as specific as possible, and state your plan in steps if you can.
• Result : Wrap it up by stating the outcome achieved. 

2. Rise above difficult questions using the SOAR method

A very similar approach to the STAR method, SOAR stands for S ituation, O bstacle, A ction, and R esults .

• Situation: Explain the state of affairs. It’s important to steer clear of stating any personal opinions in this step; focus on the facts.
• Obstacle: State the challenge or problem you faced.
• Action: Detail carefully how you went about overcoming this obstacle.
• Result: What was the end result? Apart from overcoming the obstacle, did you achieve anything else? What did you learn in the process? 

3. Do It the PREP Way

Traditionally used as a method to make effective presentations, the P oint, R eason, E xample, P oint method can also be used to answer problem-solving interview questions.  

• Point : State the solution in plain terms. 
• Reasons: Follow up the solution by detailing your case — and include any data or insights that support your solution. 
• Example: In addition to objective data and insights, drive your answer home by contextualizing the solution in a real-world example.
• Point : Reiterate the solution to make it come full circle.

How to Customize Problem-Solving Interview Questions 

Generic problem-solving interview questions go a long way in gauging a candidate’s skill level, but recruiters can go one step further by customizing these problem-solving questions according to their company’s service, product, vision, or culture. 

Here are some tips to do so:

• Break down the job’s responsibilities into smaller tasks. Job descriptions may contain ambiguous responsibilities like “manage team projects effectively.” To formulate an effective problem-solving question, envision what this task might look like in a real-world context and develop a question around it.  
• Tailor questions to the role at hand. Apart from making for an effective problem-solving question, it gives the candidate the impression you’re an informed technical recruiter. For example, an engineer will likely have attended many scrums. So, a good question to ask is: “Suppose you notice your scrums are turning unproductive. How would you go about addressing this?” 
• Consider the tools and technologies the candidate will use on the job. For example, if Jira is the primary project management tool, a good problem-solving interview question might be: “Can you tell me about a time you simplified a complex workflow — and the tools you used to do so?”
• If you don’t know where to start, your company’s core values can often provide direction. If one of the core values is “ownership,” for example, consider asking a question like: “Can you walk us through a project you owned from start to finish?” 
• Sometimes, developing custom content can be difficult even with all these tips considered. Our platform has a vast selection of problem-solving examples that are designed to help recruiters ask the right questions to help nail their next technical interview.

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10 Questions to Ask When Solving Problems

In the course of our workday we all face different challenges and problems that require effective solutions – from dealing with an unhappy customer to executing a major strategic initiative and getting desired results. Problems will always be there. We cannot completely eliminate them from our lives, but we can have a different approach to dealing with challenges and solving problems more effectively.

The difference in approach lies in asking the right questions. Effective leaders ask profound questions before making a major decision or solving problems. Asking the right questions will provide the right answers. Having the right answers will save time and provide the most effective solution.

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” – Voltaire

It’s very easy to start doing things without asking profound questions about the problem only to discover later that you worked on solving the wrong problem. Sometimes we don’t have enough time to pause and reflect in the midst of distractions, speed and intensity of a modern workday.

The list of 10 profound questions

Here is the list of 10 questions that will help you to solve problems more effectively and get outstanding results. They’ve helped me, my teams and my clients for many years already. This particular list of questions is adopted from a book “Leading With Confidence” by Bobb Biehl, one of my favorite authors.

Whenever you deal with a major problem or challenge, ask these questions.

1. How would I prioritize the problems I face today?

Don’t try to solve all problems at once – prioritize. Whether you face 3 problems, 30, or 300, make them stand in line so you face only one at a time.

2. In a single sentence, what is the problem?

Keep in mind the difference between solving a problem and decision making. A decision is a choice you make between two or more alternatives: “Should I fly to Phoenix or Chicago?” A problem is a situation that’s counter to your intentions or expectations: “I meant to fly to Chicago, but I ended up in Detroit.”

3. Am I emotionally or physically fatigued?

If so, it may take you hours of struggle to find a solution that you might otherwise discover in minutes.

4. What are the facts related to this problem?

Remember Peter Drucker’s words: “Once the facts are clear, the decisions jump at you.”  What are the facts related to the problem? What are your most realistic options for solving it?

5. Why does the problem exist?

What caused this problem, and how can we keep it from ever happening again?

6. What are the 3 greatest resources I can bring to bear on this problem?

The best resources might be other people, formulas, tools, or something else. Write them down.

7. Who can help me solve this problem?

An expert might be able to help you. Or perhaps simply finding someone with an objective viewpoint could help, someone who sees the situation differently from those involved in it day to day.

8. Should I spend more money to reduce the time needed to solve this problem?

If you have the money, you can typically buy the tools or hire the people to help shorten the amount of time it will take to find a solution. Some problems are so critical they must be solve immediately, and thus require lots of money to solve. Other problems can wait. And of course, some problems take a certain amount of time regardless of the amount of resources you spend. For example, to make a baby takes nine months, regardless of the number of mothers you assign to the task.

9. Of all the potential solutions to this problem, which one has the greatest potential to be right? And which one involves the lowest risk?

Weigh all the possible solutions before deciding, then go to the single best solution.

10. What policy would keep this problem from recurring?

Few people can give a clear definition for the word policy. A working definition for a leader’s purpose is this: A policy is something we always do, or something we never do. In the process of solving the problem, learn what you can to help you avoid a recurrence.

“It’s not that they can’t see the solution. They can’t see the problem.” – G.K. Chesterton

Have a great day!

You might also enjoy:

22 Questions Every Leader Should Ask To Get Results

11 Things Successful Leaders Do To Get Results

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5 problem-solving questions to prepare you for your next interview

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What is problem-solving, and why do hiring managers care so much about it?

How to answer problem-solving questions

Common problem-solving questions and answers, things to avoid when answering problem-solving questions, how to prepare for problem-solving interview questions, problem solved.

“How would you approach telling a manager that they’ve made a mistake ?” 

Hard problem-solving questions like these can catch you off guard in a job interview. They’re hard to prepare for if you don’t know they’re coming, and you might not even see why they’re relevant to the job.

Even the most experienced interviewees might feel like they’re giving a bad interview if they stumble on questions like these.

Preparing and practicing hard questions is one way to ease your fears. Learn to dissect what a hiring manager is really asking and answer problem-solving questions with confidence. 

What is problem-solving, and why do hiring managers care so much about it? 

Problem-solving is holistically understanding a problem, determining its cause, and identifying creative solutions . Many, if not most, job descriptions ask for problem-solving skills because regardless of industry, they’re an asset in the workplace.

Startups and tech companies like Google famously pose critical thinking and problem-solving questions in job interviews . But hiring managers from all industries use unique questions like these to understand your problem-solving skills. It’s not about the answer you give, or whether it’s correct, but the way you come to that conclusion.

In job interviews, problem-solving questions pose a potential problem or situation typical to the job you’re interviewing for. Your response shows your ability to respond to common problems, even on the spot. Depending on the question, it can also indicate other skills like:

Critical thinking

Communication

Dependability

Behavioral competency

Soft skills

Decision-making

The average business spends $4,700 hiring one new worker , so it wants to make sure you’re the right fit for the job. Even if you have the right skills and experience on paper, hiring managers need a comprehensive idea of what kind of worker you are to avoid choosing the wrong candidate.

Like standard behavioral interview questions , problem-solving questions offer interviewers a more well-rounded view of how you might perform on the job. 

Problem-solving questions encourage you to give answers about your past experiences, decision-making process , and ability to arrive at creative solutions . Learning how to answer questions in an interview means learning how to tell a good story , so your answer should have a clear structure, unique topic, and compelling journey to demonstrate your competencies.

The STAR method is a common technique for answering problem-solving interview questions clearly and thoughtfully. The acronym stands for situation, task, action, and result. It provides a simple structure that gives your response a smooth beginning, middle, and end.

Here’s how to use the STAR method to describe past on-the-job experiences or hypothetical situations: 

Situation: Start with a problem statement that clearly defines the situation. 

Task: Explain your role in the situation. What is, or would be your responsibility?

Action: Recount the steps or problem-solving strategies you used, or would use, to overcome the problem.

Result: Share what you achieved or would hope to resolve through your problem-solving process.

Every job requires problem-solving on some level, so you can expect at least one job interview question to ask about those skills. Here are a few common problem-solving interview questions to practice:

1. Give us an example of when you faced an unexpected challenge at work. What did you do to face it?

What’s a hiring manager really asking? Employers want to know that your problem-solving has a process. They want to hear you break down a problem into a set of steps to solve it.

Sample answer: I was working in sales for a wholesale retailer. A regular client wrongly communicated the pricing of a unit. I realized this immediately, and rather than pointing out the error, I quickly double-checked with my supervisor to see if we could respect the price.

I informed the client of the error and that we were happy to keep the price he was given. It made him feel like he'd gotten a fair deal and trusted my authority as a sales rep even more. The loss wasn't significant, but saving face in front of the client was.

2. How would you manage a frustrated client?

What’s a hiring manager really asking? They want to gauge your ability to stay cool and be patient in stressful situations, even when dealing with difficult people . Keep your answer professional, and don't use the opportunity to bad-mouth a past client. Show that you can stay respectful even if someone isn’t respecting you. 

Sample answer: I've had plenty of experience dealing with unhappy clients. I've learned two important things: their frustration isn’t a personal attack against me, and we have the same goal to solve the problem. Knowing that helps me stay calm, listen carefully to the client's situation, and do my best to identify where the situation went astray.

Once we identify the problem, if I can handle it myself, I communicate exactly what we’ll do for the client and how. What steps we’ll take depend on the client, but I always start by proposing solutions to show I care about a path forward, and then keep them updated on my progress to implementing that fix. 

3. Describe a time you made a mistake at work. How did you fix it?

What’s a hiring manager really asking? No one is above making an error. Employers want to know that you own up to and learn from your mistakes instead of getting frustrated and walking away from the problem.

Sample answer: My first managerial position was at a public relations agency. When I was promoted to work on client outreach, I struggled to learn to delegate my old responsibilities, which were writing social media copy. I was afraid to let go of control, and I was micromanaging . One day, I wrote out some copy, sent it out, and quickly realized I was using the wrong style guide in my haste.

The client noticed, and we had to work to regain their trust, which put a strain on the entire team. I took full responsibility and used that moment to understand that I wasn't trusting my team's abilities. I apologized to my team for overstepping boundaries and worked to let go of my old role completely.

4. Have you ever had a difficult time working with a team member? How did you deal with the situation?

What’s a hiring manager really asking? Even the most independent job requires some teamwork, whether it’s communicating with clients or other team members. Employers want to know that you can solve interpersonal problems, know when to escalate and help maintain a positive work environment.

Sample answer: At my last job, we were fully remote. I had a coworker that wasn't very communicative about their process, which led to redundancies in our work and miscommunications that set us behind. I asked them to have a one-on-one meeting with me so we could analyze where we were failing to communicate and how to improve.

It wasn't a comfortable process, but we developed a better practice to collaborate and improve our ability to work as a team , including weekly meetings and check-ins.

5. Tell me about a time you created an innovative solution with limited information or resources.

What’s a hiring manager really asking? They want to test your resourcefulness, which is a valuable soft skill. Using a “ Tell me about a time” question lets you demonstrate out-of-the-box thinking and shows that you don't quit when things get difficult. 

Sample answer: I worked in project management for a software developer. We were frequently going over budget and needed to limit spending. I instituted a new workflow app across departments and made everyone track every step of their process. We ended up finding information silos between design, sales, and product development.

They were all using different platforms to communicate the status of the same project, which meant we were wasting time and money. We centralized communication and improved operational efficiency, solved our budget problems, and increased productivity by 30%.

Problem-solving questions offer deep insights into the kind of worker you are. While your answer is important, so is your delivery. Here are some things to avoid when trying to answer problem-solving questions:

Don’t clam up: It's okay to take your time to reflect, but never abstain from answering. An interviewer will understand if you need to pause and think. If you’re really stumped, you can ask to return to that question later in the interview. 

Avoid generic answers: Generic answers show a lack of creativity and innovation . Use the opportunity to explain what makes you and your problem-solving process unique. 

Don’t lose confidence: How you answer is as important as what you answer. Do your best to practice confident body language, like eye contact and strong posture. Practicing ahead of time can help alleviate pressure while you’re answering.

Try not to rush: Rushing through an answer could make it unclear or incoherent, which might reflect poorly on your ability to keep a level head. Practice mindful breathing and pace yourself. Answer slowly and deliberately.

Preparing for an interview will make you feel more comfortable and confident during the hiring process. Rather than thinking of answers on the spot, you can pull from different responses you're already familiar with. Here are some tips for practicing and improving your answers:

Create a list of problem-solving examples from throughout your career. Consider varied past experiences that play into important skills, like time management, project management, or teamwork, to show that you're a well-rounded candidate.

Whenever possible, give metrics to show results. For example, if you improved productivity, share percentages. If you upped sales, share numbers.

Carefully study the job description and connect the skills you find with specific ways you’ve used them.

Identify what you’re good at and choose experiences that play to your strengths.

When talking about mistakes or errors, always finish with the lesson you learned and how you plan on avoiding the same mistake.

Provide details that a hiring manager can recognize within the position they’re hiring for.

It’s normal to feel nervous about a job interview, especially if you’re expecting difficult questions. Learning how to overcome that challenge is the perfect way to put your problem-solving skills to the test.

Like everything else in your career, practice makes perfect, and learning to answer tough problem-solving questions is no different. Take the time to recall moments in your career when you overcame challenges, and practice telling those stories. Craft an answer that hiring managers will be excited to hear.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

10 Problem-solving strategies to turn challenges on their head

10 organizational skills that will put you a step ahead, what’s a project scope, and how do you write one, boost your productivity: how to avoid interruptions at work, why building a personal supply chain is key to productivity, how to prioritize tasks: 7 tips to perfect your workflow, 5 steps to build a priority matrix and organize your life, 8 time management skills to help reclaim your work-life balance, the 10 best work productivity tools to maximize your time, overcoming procrastination: 5 ways to stop putting off your success, 6 tips on how to answer promotion interview questions, learn to sweat the small stuff: how to improve attention to detail, hit the ground running with this ultimate 30-60-90 day plan, 17 best skills to put on your resume to stand out, the pareto principle: how the 80/20 rule can help you do more with less, 20 best productivity books and why you should read them, strategic plan vs. work plan: what's the difference, using the kaizen method for personal growth and success, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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Stumped five ways to hone your problem-solving skills.

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Respect the worth of other people's insights

Problems continuously arise in organizational life, making problem-solving an essential skill for leaders. Leaders who are good at tackling conundrums are likely to be more effective at overcoming obstacles and guiding their teams to achieve their goals. So, what’s the secret to better problem-solving skills?

1. Understand the root cause of the problem

“Too often, people fail because they haven’t correctly defined what the problem is,” says David Ross, an international strategist, founder of consultancy Phoenix Strategic Management and author of Confronting the Storm: Regenerating Leadership and Hope in the Age of Uncertainty .

Ross explains that as teams grapple with “wicked” problems – those where there can be several root causes for why a problem exists – there can often be disagreement on the initial assumptions made. As a result, their chances of successfully solving the problem are low.

“Before commencing the process of solving the problem, it is worthwhile identifying who your key stakeholders are and talking to them about the issue,” Ross recommends. “Who could be affected by the issue? What is the problem – and why? How are people affected?”

He argues that if leaders treat people with dignity, respecting the worth of their insights, they are more likely to successfully solve problems.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, 2. unfocus the mind.

“To solve problems, we need to commit to making time to face a problem in its full complexity, which also requires that we take back control of our thinking,” says Chris Griffiths, an expert on creativity and innovative thinking skills, founder and CEO of software provider OpenGenius, and co-author of The Focus Fix: Finding Clarity, Creativity and Resilience in an Overwhelming World .

To do this, it’s necessary to harness the power of the unfocused mind, according to Griffiths. “It might sound oxymoronic, but just like our devices, our brain needs time to recharge,” he says. “ A plethora of research has shown that daydreaming allows us to make creative connections and see abstract solutions that are not obvious when we’re engaged in direct work.”

To make use of the unfocused mind in problem solving, you must begin by getting to know the problem from all angles. “At this stage, don’t worry about actually solving the problem,” says Griffiths. “You’re simply giving your subconscious mind the information it needs to get creative with when you zone out. From here, pick a monotonous or rhythmic activity that will help you to activate the daydreaming state – that might be a walk, some doodling, or even some chores.”

Do this regularly, argues Griffiths, and you’ll soon find that flashes of inspiration and novel solutions naturally present themselves while you’re ostensibly thinking of other things. He says: “By allowing you to access the fullest creative potential of your own brain, daydreaming acts as a skeleton key for a wide range of problems.”

3. Be comfortable making judgment calls

“Admitting to not knowing the future takes courage,” says Professor Stephen Wyatt, founder and lead consultant at consultancy Corporate Rebirth and author of Antidote to the Crisis of Leadership: Opportunity in Complexity . “Leaders are worried our teams won’t respect us and our boards will lose faith in us, but what doesn’t work is drawing up plans and forecasts and holding yourself or others rigidly to them.”

Wyatt advises leaders to heighten their situational awareness – to look broadly, integrate more perspectives and be able to connect the dots. “We need to be comfortable in making judgment calls as the future is unknown,” he says. “There is no data on it. But equally, very few initiatives cannot be adjusted, refined or reviewed while in motion.”

Leaders need to stay vigilant, according to Wyatt, create the capacity of the enterprise to adapt and maintain the support of stakeholders. “The concept of the infallible leader needs to be updated,” he concludes.

4. Be prepared to fail and learn

“Organisations, and arguably society more widely, are obsessed with problems and the notion of problems,” says Steve Hearsum, founder of organizational change consultancy Edge + Stretch and author of No Silver Bullet: Bursting the Bubble of the Organisational Quick Fix .

Hearsum argues that this tendency is complicated by the myth of fixability, namely the idea that all problems, however complex, have a solution. “Our need for certainty, to minimize and dampen the anxiety of ‘not knowing,’ leads us to oversimplify and ignore or filter out anything that challenges the idea that there is a solution,” he says.

Leaders need to shift their mindset to cultivate their comfort with not knowing and couple that with being OK with being wrong, sometimes, notes Hearsum. He adds: “That means developing reflexivity to understand your own beliefs and judgments, and what influences these, asking questions and experimenting.”

5. Unleash the power of empathy

Leaders must be able to communicate problems in order to find solutions to them. But they should avoid bombarding their teams with complex, technical details since these can overwhelm their people’s cognitive load, says Dr Jessica Barker MBE , author of Hacked: The Secrets Behind Cyber Attacks .

Instead, she recommends that leaders frame their messages in ways that cut through jargon and ensure that their advice is relevant, accessible and actionable. “An essential leadership skill for this is empathy,” Barker explains. “When you’re trying to build a positive culture, it is crucial to understand why people are not practicing the behaviors you want rather than trying to force that behavioral change with fear, uncertainty and doubt.”

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Top 20 Problem Solving Interview Questions (Example Answers Included)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

When candidates prepare for interviews, they usually focus on highlighting their leadership, communication, teamwork, and similar crucial soft skills . However, not everyone gets ready for problem-solving interview questions. And that can be a big mistake.

Problem-solving is relevant to nearly any job on the planet. Yes, it’s more prevalent in certain industries, but it’s helpful almost everywhere.

Regardless of the role you want to land, you may be asked to provide problem-solving examples or describe how you would deal with specific situations. That’s why being ready to showcase your problem-solving skills is so vital.

If you aren’t sure who to tackle problem-solving questions, don’t worry, we have your back. Come with us as we explore this exciting part of the interview process, as well as some problem-solving interview questions and example answers.

What Is Problem-Solving?

When you’re trying to land a position, there’s a good chance you’ll face some problem-solving interview questions. But what exactly is problem-solving? And why is it so important to hiring managers?

Well, the good folks at Merriam-Webster define problem-solving as “the process or act of finding a solution to a problem.” While that may seem like common sense, there’s a critical part to that definition that should catch your eye.

What part is that? The word “process.”

In the end, problem-solving is an activity. It’s your ability to take appropriate steps to find answers, determine how to proceed, or otherwise overcome the challenge.

Being great at it usually means having a range of helpful problem-solving skills and traits. Research, diligence, patience, attention-to-detail , collaboration… they can all play a role. So can analytical thinking , creativity, and open-mindedness.

But why do hiring managers worry about your problem-solving skills? Well, mainly, because every job comes with its fair share of problems.

While problem-solving is relevant to scientific, technical, legal, medical, and a whole slew of other careers. It helps you overcome challenges and deal with the unexpected. It plays a role in troubleshooting and innovation. That’s why it matters to hiring managers.

How to Answer Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Okay, before we get to our examples, let’s take a quick second to talk about strategy. Knowing how to answer problem-solving interview questions is crucial. Why? Because the hiring manager might ask you something that you don’t anticipate.

Problem-solving interview questions are all about seeing how you think. As a result, they can be a bit… unconventional.

These aren’t your run-of-the-mill job interview questions . Instead, they are tricky behavioral interview questions . After all, the goal is to find out how you approach problem-solving, so most are going to feature scenarios, brainteasers, or something similar.

So, having a great strategy means knowing how to deal with behavioral questions. Luckily, there are a couple of tools that can help.

First, when it comes to the classic approach to behavioral interview questions, look no further than the STAR Method . With the STAR method, you learn how to turn your answers into captivating stories. This makes your responses tons more engaging, ensuring you keep the hiring manager’s attention from beginning to end.

Now, should you stop with the STAR Method? Of course not. If you want to take your answers to the next level, spend some time with the Tailoring Method , too.

With the Tailoring Method, it’s all about relevance. So, if you get a chance to choose an example that demonstrates your problem-solving skills, this is really the way to go.

We also wanted to let you know that we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview. After all, hiring managers will often ask you more generalized interview questions!

Click below to get your free PDF now:

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FREE BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET: Get our " Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet " that gives you " word-word sample answers to the most common job interview questions you'll face at your next interview .

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Top 3 Problem-Solving-Based Interview Questions

Alright, here is what you’ve been waiting for: the problem-solving questions and sample answers.

While many questions in this category are job-specific, these tend to apply to nearly any job. That means there’s a good chance you’ll come across them at some point in your career, making them a great starting point when you’re practicing for an interview.

So, let’s dive in, shall we? Here’s a look at the top three problem-solving interview questions and example responses.

1. Can you tell me about a time when you had to solve a challenging problem?

In the land of problem-solving questions, this one might be your best-case scenario. It lets you choose your own problem-solving examples to highlight, putting you in complete control.

When you choose an example, go with one that is relevant to what you’ll face in the role. The closer the match, the better the answer is in the eyes of the hiring manager.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“While working as a mobile telecom support specialist for a large organization, we had to transition our MDM service from one vendor to another within 45 days. This personally physically handling 500 devices within the agency. Devices had to be gathered from the headquarters and satellite offices, which were located all across the state, something that was challenging even without the tight deadline. I approached the situation by identifying the location assignment of all personnel within the organization, enabling me to estimate transit times for receiving the devices. Next, I timed out how many devices I could personally update in a day. Together, this allowed me to create a general timeline. After that, I coordinated with each location, both expressing the urgency of adhering to deadlines and scheduling bulk shipping options. While there were occasional bouts of resistance, I worked with location leaders to calm concerns and facilitate action. While performing all of the updates was daunting, my approach to organizing the event made it a success. Ultimately, the entire transition was finished five days before the deadline, exceeding the expectations of many.”

2. Describe a time where you made a mistake. What did you do to fix it?

While this might not look like it’s based on problem-solving on the surface, it actually is. When you make a mistake, it creates a challenge, one you have to work your way through. At a minimum, it’s an opportunity to highlight problem-solving skills, even if you don’t address the topic directly.

When you choose an example, you want to go with a situation where the end was positive. However, the issue still has to be significant, causing something negative to happen in the moment that you, ideally, overcame.

“When I first began in a supervisory role, I had trouble setting down my individual contributor hat. I tried to keep up with my past duties while also taking on the responsibilities of my new role. As a result, I began rushing and introduced an error into the code of the software my team was updating. The error led to a memory leak. We became aware of the issue when the performance was hindered, though we didn’t immediately know the cause. I dove back into the code, reviewing recent changes, and, ultimately, determined the issue was a mistake on my end. When I made that discovery, I took several steps. First, I let my team know that the error was mine and let them know its nature. Second, I worked with my team to correct the issue, resolving the memory leak. Finally, I took this as a lesson about delegation. I began assigning work to my team more effectively, a move that allowed me to excel as a manager and help them thrive as contributors. It was a crucial learning moment, one that I have valued every day since.”

3. If you identify a potential risk in a project, what steps do you take to prevent it?

Yes, this is also a problem-solving question. The difference is, with this one, it’s not about fixing an issue; it’s about stopping it from happening. Still, you use problem-solving skills along the way, so it falls in this question category.

If you can, use an example of a moment when you mitigated risk in the past. If you haven’t had that opportunity, approach it theoretically, discussing the steps you would take to prevent an issue from developing.

“If I identify a potential risk in a project, my first step is to assess the various factors that could lead to a poor outcome. Prevention requires analysis. Ensuring I fully understand what can trigger the undesired event creates the right foundation, allowing me to figure out how to reduce the likelihood of those events occurring. Once I have the right level of understanding, I come up with a mitigation plan. Exactly what this includes varies depending on the nature of the issue, though it usually involves various steps and checks designed to monitor the project as it progresses to spot paths that may make the problem more likely to happen. I find this approach effective as it combines knowledge and ongoing vigilance. That way, if the project begins to head into risky territory, I can correct its trajectory.”

17 More Problem-Solving-Based Interview Questions

In the world of problem-solving questions, some apply to a wide range of jobs, while others are more niche. For example, customer service reps and IT helpdesk professionals both encounter challenges, but not usually the same kind.

As a result, some of the questions in this list may be more relevant to certain careers than others. However, they all give you insights into what this kind of question looks like, making them worth reviewing.

Here are 17 more problem-solving interview questions you might face off against during your job search:

• How would you describe your problem-solving skills?
• Can you tell me about a time when you had to use creativity to deal with an obstacle?
• Describe a time when you discovered an unmet customer need while assisting a customer and found a way to meet it.
• If you were faced with an upset customer, how would you diffuse the situation?
• Tell me about a time when you had to troubleshoot a complex issue.
• Imagine you were overseeing a project and needed a particular item. You have two choices of vendors: one that can deliver on time but would be over budget, and one that’s under budget but would deliver one week later than you need it. How do you figure out which approach to use?
• Your manager wants to upgrade a tool you regularly use for your job and wants your recommendation. How do you formulate one?
• A supplier has said that an item you need for a project isn’t going to be delivered as scheduled, something that would cause your project to fall behind schedule. What do you do to try and keep the timeline on target?
• Can you share an example of a moment where you encountered a unique problem you and your colleagues had never seen before? How did you figure out what to do?
• Imagine you were scheduled to give a presentation with a colleague, and your colleague called in sick right before it was set to begin. What would you do?
• If you are given two urgent tasks from different members of the leadership team, both with the same tight deadline, how do you choose which to tackle first?
• Tell me about a time you and a colleague didn’t see eye-to-eye. How did you decide what to do?
• Describe your troubleshooting process.
• Tell me about a time where there was a problem that you weren’t able to solve. What happened?
• In your opening, what skills or traits make a person an exceptional problem-solver?
• When you face a problem that requires action, do you usually jump in or take a moment to carefully assess the situation?
• When you encounter a new problem you’ve never seen before, what is the first step that you take?

Putting It All Together

At this point, you should have a solid idea of how to approach problem-solving interview questions. Use the tips above to your advantage. That way, you can thrive during your next interview.

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Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

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Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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Problem Solving Questions

5 quick tips...

Here are 5 problem solving questions which we think are understated ideas at the heart of effective problem solving. Yet they’re often missed in our rush towards seeking a solution.

We also list key articles on this site where you can find more comprehensive checklists and tools, with other structured problem solving questions. But first, what better way to begin these tips than with a pertinent quote from the great Peter Drucker:

Do not focus on finding an answer: focus on defining the question.

Part of our manage in a minute series, you can read this article to gain fresh perspectives and challenge current practice by asking 5 crucial problem solving questions.

1 Have you got a problem to solve or just a decision to make?

Sometimes a good deal of  time can be saved by just making a decision rather than trying to ‘solve’ something that might not really be a problem at all. This is especially the case if you take our next question into account. For more insights into this point, read our article: decision making problems .

2 Have you found a problem that’s important enough to solve?

This is one of the best questions you can ask because it prompts you towards effective prioritisation of resources (not least your time!). Most problem solving processes miss this crucial stage of “problem finding” and as a result tend to become re-active processes, that mainly focus on problems as they emerge. Asking this question is an essential problem solving skill for finding the “right” problems to solve.

3 Have you defined the problem clearly and expressed it as a potential opportunity?

One common difficulty in problem solving is failing to clearly define the problem in the first place. And a key aspect of this should be ensuring that we position the problem as an opportunity. Framing a problem as a potential positive fundamentally changes the problem solving process . From one which simply tries to fix something, to one that encourages exploration of possibilities.

4 What can you now do, or what could you do next, by solving the problem?

A problem solving process shouldn’t end with implementation. Solving a problem should lead to an appreciation of what you’re now able to do. Firstly, to value the benefits derived from solving the problem and secondly to ask: what should we look at next?

5 Are there any wider opportunities that can now be realised?

Finally, solving a problem should be seen as a springboard to wider opportunities. The previous question might be viewed as a review of operational practices or planning but think about reviewing the bigger picture. How has this problem affected strategic plans or planning?

Problem Solving Questions: Some Further Thoughts

You’ll find a wide range of articles and other resources on the Happy Manager, which use problem solving questions as the basis for solving management problems. Here are a few you might find useful:

Best Management Tools Ever? – A Good Question The best management tools are good questions but why are they so important, and how can we ask better questions?

5 Whys: Getting to Root Causes, Fast! Asking why 5 times: “the 5 Whys”, is a simple but powerful tool to use with any problem solving activity. It’s a technique to help you get past the symptoms of a problem and to find its root causes.

Problem Solving Technique: 4 Steps To Improve Your Processes Using questions to analyse, challenge and improve business and management processes is a very useful skill.

Problem Solving Activity – A Question Checklist For Problem Solving This question checklist is a simple but effective problem solving activity. It’s straightforward to use and easy to adapt to any specific circumstance. Using a set of structured questions encourages both broad and deep analysis of your situation or problem.

Problem Solving Skill This is a useful tool to help you find the right problems to solve. Asking “why not” is an effective way to seek innovation and encourage creativity.

The Power of Positive Thinking: 5 Questions to Transform Problem Solving Go from problem-solving to opportunity-creating using the power of positive thinking. This tool also uses 5 problem solving questions to help you radically change the way you solve problems.

Seven Step Problem Solving Process Contains links to a wide range of tools to help you solve problems. Alternatively, if you want a quick overview then read our manage in a minute article: 7 Problem Solving Steps .

Still pressed for time? Follow this link for the full list of Manage in a Minute pages.

Problem solving resources

• Tool 1: When you don’t know what to do
• Tool 2: Defining questions for problem solving
• Tool 3: Finding the right problems to solve
• Tool 4: Problem solving check-list
• Tool 4a: Using the question check-list with your team
• Tool 5: Problem analysis in 4 steps
• Tool 5a: Using 4 Step problem analysis with your team
• Tool 6: Questions that create possibilities
• Tool 6a: Using the 5 questions with your team
• Tool 6b: Putting creativity to work – 5 alternate questions
• Tool 6c: Workshop outline
• Tool 7: Evaluating alternatives
• Tool 8: Creative thinking techniques A-Z
• Tool 9: The 5 Whys technique

>> Return to the Problem Solving Knowledge Hub

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Interview Questions

50 Interview Questions About Problem Solving (With Answers)

Problems often arise at work. Can you solve them? Here are 50 interview questions about problem solving to know about.

March 22, 2024

Working in a company, you’ll be tasked with projects to work on that solve problems. Maybe you’ll need to solve a problem to help achieve a specific goal or create a solution to a problem that helps your business’ customers. Either way, problem solving is an important skill in the workplace. This post will include 50 interview questions about problem solving with answers to help you prepare for these types of interviews.

Get more interview questions. Sign up for Huntr to access interview questions tailored to the job you're applying for.

What is problem solving?

Problem solving is a critical soft skill that involves identifying, analyzing, and resolving issues or obstacles effectively and efficiently. It encompasses a series of steps including understanding the problem, brainstorming potential solutions, evaluating the pros and cons of each option, and implementing the most viable solution. Problem solving is not only about finding quick fixes but also about foreseeing potential challenges and addressing them proactively. It requires creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to remain calm under pressure, making it a highly valued skill in personal and professional contexts alike. Whether it's navigating interpersonal conflicts, troubleshooting a technical issue, or overcoming logistical hurdles, adept problem solvers are equipped to tackle a wide array of challenges, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth and improvement.

Why problem solving is important in the workplace

1. enhances adaptability.

In today's fast-paced work environment, the ability to engage in effective problem solving is crucial. It allows employees to adapt quickly to changes, challenges, and unexpected situations. By developing strong problem-solving skills, individuals can analyze issues, identify solutions, and implement strategies efficiently, ensuring the smooth operation of workplace processes.

2. Promotes Innovation

Problem-solving skills are the backbone of innovation within the workplace. When employees are equipped to tackle challenges creatively, they can generate novel ideas and solutions that drive the company forward. This skill not only aids in overcoming immediate obstacles but also contributes to the long-term development and competitiveness of the organization.

3. Improves Team Collaboration

Effective problem solving often requires a collaborative effort. When team members possess strong problem-solving skills, they can work together more effectively, sharing insights, and combining their expertise to find the best solutions. This not only leads to better outcomes but also fosters a culture of cooperation and mutual respect among colleagues, enhancing overall workplace morale and productivity.

5 Tips for Answering Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Problem-solving is a critical skill that employers look for in candidates across various industries. Demonstrating your ability to tackle challenges effectively can set you apart from other applicants. Here are five tips to help you showcase your problem-solving skills during an interview:

1. Use the STAR Method

Structure your responses using the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR) method. Start by describing a specific situation or problem you encountered, outline the task you needed to accomplish, detail the actions you took to address the problem, and finish with the results of your efforts. This method helps you deliver a concise and compelling story that highlights your problem-solving prowess.

2. Highlight Your Analytical Skills

Employers want to see that you can analyze a situation and come up with a logical solution. When answering questions, talk about how you break down complex problems into manageable parts. Mention any tools or techniques you use, such as SWOT analysis, root cause analysis, or critical thinking strategies, to diagnose issues and develop solutions.

3. Show Adaptability

Problem-solving often requires flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Share examples of how you've had to adjust your approach when faced with new information or unforeseen challenges. This demonstrates your resilience and willingness to pivot your strategy to achieve the best outcome.

4. Emphasize Collaboration

Many problems are too complex for one person to solve alone. Talk about times when you've collaborated with others to tackle a challenge. Highlight your ability to listen to different perspectives, integrate feedback, and work as part of a team to find innovative solutions. This shows that you value diverse input and can leverage collective intelligence to overcome obstacles.

5. Reflect on Lessons Learned

Finally, don't shy away from discussing problems that didn't go as planned. Reflecting on what didn't work and what you learned from those experiences can be just as powerful as showcasing your successes. It demonstrates self-awareness, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Be sure to end on a positive note by explaining how these lessons have enhanced your problem-solving abilities moving forward.

By following these tips and preparing thoughtful, specific examples, you'll be able to convincingly demonstrate your problem-solving skills in your next interview. Remember, it's not just about the problems you've solved, but how you've solved them that will impress potential employers.

1. Can you describe a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem at work?

In a previous role, our company faced a significant customer dissatisfaction issue due to a software glitch that caused frequent service disruptions. As the project manager, I had to lead a cross-functional team to identify the root cause, develop a solution, and implement it swiftly to restore customer satisfaction. It involved collaborating with the IT team, customer support, and product development to conduct a thorough analysis, prioritize fixes, and communicate transparently with customers to manage expectations and regain trust.

2. How do you approach complex problems in your professional life?

I approach complex problems by first breaking them down into smaller manageable components to gain clarity on the issue. Then, I gather relevant data, analyze trends, and identify patterns to understand the underlying factors contributing to the problem. Collaborating with colleagues from diverse backgrounds helps gain different perspectives and insights. I also prioritize actions based on urgency and impact, continuously evaluate progress, and adapt strategies as needed to achieve effective solutions.

3. What is your process for identifying the root cause of a problem?

My process for identifying the root cause involves asking probing questions, conducting thorough research, gathering data and feedback from stakeholders, analyzing trends and patterns, and using problem-solving techniques such as root cause analysis (RCA) or the "5 Whys" method. I focus on understanding the systemic issues rather than just addressing symptoms to ensure long-term solutions.

4. Can you give an example of a creative solution you've implemented to address a challenging issue?

In a project where budget constraints were hindering progress, I proposed implementing a lean approach by prioritizing essential features, streamlining workflows, and optimizing resource allocation. This creative solution allowed us to deliver key functionalities within budget and timeline constraints while maintaining quality and stakeholder satisfaction.

5. How do you prioritize problems that need to be solved?

I prioritize problems based on their impact on organizational goals, customer experience, urgency, and resource availability. I categorize issues into immediate, short-term, and long-term priorities, considering the potential risks and benefits of solving each problem. Regularly reassessing priorities ensures alignment with evolving business needs and strategic objectives.

6. What tools or methods do you typically use for problem-solving?

I utilize various problem-solving tools and methods depending on the complexity of the issue, including brainstorming sessions, fishbone diagrams, SWOT analysis, process mapping, data analytics, and project management software. Collaborative platforms and communication tools also facilitate effective teamwork and information sharing during problem-solving processes.

7. How do you involve others in the problem-solving process?

I involve others in the problem-solving process by fostering a culture of collaboration, open communication, and shared responsibility. This includes seeking input and perspectives from team members, encouraging diverse ideas and approaches, delegating tasks based on strengths, providing support and resources, facilitating brainstorming sessions or workshops, and recognizing contributions to promote a sense of ownership and accountability in problem-solving efforts.

8. Can you share an experience where you had to solve a problem under a tight deadline?

In a previous project, we faced a critical technical issue just days before a major product launch. The issue threatened the functionality of key features, risking customer satisfaction and revenue. To solve it, I organized a rapid-response team, conducted round-the-clock troubleshooting, prioritized tasks based on impact, and delegated responsibilities efficiently. Despite the tight deadline, we collaborated effectively, leveraged expertise from various departments, and implemented a temporary workaround to ensure a successful product launch. Post-launch, we continued refining the solution for a permanent fix.

9. How do you ensure that a solution is both effective and efficient?

I ensure that a solution is both effective and efficient by aligning it with predefined objectives and success criteria, conducting thorough analysis and testing, seeking feedback from stakeholders, and evaluating its impact on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as cost, time, quality, and customer satisfaction. Continuous monitoring and iteration allow me to optimize the solution's efficiency while maintaining its effectiveness over time.

10. What is the biggest problem you have solved in your career?

One of the biggest problems I solved in my career was optimizing a supply chain process for a multinational company. The challenge involved reducing lead times, improving inventory management, and enhancing supplier relationships to meet growing customer demands and reduce costs. By implementing data-driven strategies, process improvements, and cross-functional collaboration, we achieved significant improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and customer service levels, contributing to the company's overall success.

11. How do you deal with uncertainty when solving problems?

When faced with uncertainty, I adopt a structured approach by gathering relevant information, conducting scenario analysis, identifying potential risks and opportunities, and developing contingency plans. I also leverage past experiences, seek input from subject matter experts, and remain adaptable and open to alternative solutions. Clear communication, ongoing evaluation, and agile decision-making help navigate uncertainty effectively and mitigate potential impacts.

12. Can you describe a time when you had to solve a problem without all the necessary information?

In a project where critical data was unavailable due to technical issues, I had to make decisions and implement solutions based on limited information. To address this challenge, I leveraged available data, conducted qualitative analysis, consulted with experts, and communicated transparently with stakeholders about the uncertainties and risks involved. Despite the constraints, we managed to implement a temporary solution and later refined it based on additional insights and data.

13. How do you measure the success of a solution?

I measure the success of a solution by defining clear metrics and KPIs aligned with the problem's objectives and desired outcomes. This includes assessing factors such as cost savings, time efficiency, quality improvement, customer satisfaction, revenue generation, and impact on organizational goals. Regular performance monitoring, data analysis, feedback collection, and stakeholder evaluations help track progress, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that the solution delivers measurable benefits.

14. What do you do if your initial solution to a problem fails?

If my initial solution to a problem fails, I conduct a thorough analysis to understand the root cause of the failure, gather feedback from stakeholders, and reassess the problem and its context. I then iterate and refine the solution, incorporating lessons learned, alternative approaches, and additional insights to develop a more effective and robust solution. Continuous improvement, flexibility, and resilience are key elements in overcoming setbacks and achieving successful outcomes.

15. How do you adapt your problem-solving strategies in a rapidly changing environment?

In a rapidly changing environment, I adapt my problem-solving strategies by staying informed about industry trends, technological advancements, and market dynamics. I prioritize agility, collaboration, and innovation, regularly reassessing priorities, adjusting strategies, and leveraging emerging tools and methodologies to address evolving challenges effectively. Flexibility, quick decision-making, and a proactive approach to change enable me to navigate uncertainties and drive successful problem resolution.

16. Can you give an example of a time when you had to use data analysis for problem-solving?

In a marketing campaign analysis project, we noticed a significant drop in conversion rates for a particular segment of our target audience. To identify the underlying issue, I conducted a detailed data analysis using customer demographics, behavior patterns, and campaign performance metrics. By correlating data points and conducting A/B testing, we discovered that the drop in conversion was due to a mismatch between the messaging in the campaign and the preferences of that specific audience segment. This data-driven insight allowed us to adjust our marketing strategy effectively and improve conversion rates.

17. How do you differentiate between symptoms and root causes of a problem?

To differentiate between symptoms and root causes of a problem, I employ techniques such as the "5 Whys" method, root cause analysis, and process mapping. By asking probing questions and digging deeper into the factors contributing to the problem, I can identify underlying causes rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms. This approach ensures that solutions target the root of the problem, leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes.

18. Can you discuss a time when you had to solve a problem collaboratively with a team?

In a product development project, we encountered challenges related to compatibility issues between different software components, leading to performance issues and customer complaints. To address this, I facilitated collaborative problem-solving sessions with cross-functional teams, including developers, QA testers, and product managers. Through open communication, brainstorming, and sharing of expertise, we identified the root causes, developed a coordinated action plan, and implemented solutions that resolved the compatibility issues, improving product performance and customer satisfaction.

19. How do you handle feedback on your problem-solving efforts?

I value feedback as an opportunity for growth and improvement. When receiving feedback on my problem-solving efforts, I actively listen, seek to understand perspectives, and appreciate constructive criticism. I use feedback to reflect on my approach, identify areas for enhancement, and incorporate suggestions into future problem-solving endeavors. Embracing feedback fosters continuous learning, enhances problem-solving skills, and contributes to achieving better outcomes.

20. What role does critical thinking play in your problem-solving process?

Critical thinking is integral to my problem-solving process as it enables me to analyze situations objectively, evaluate information, identify patterns, and make informed decisions. By applying logical reasoning, sound judgment, and evidence-based analysis, I can discern between relevant and irrelevant data, assess risks, consider alternative solutions, and anticipate potential outcomes. Critical thinking enhances problem-solving effectiveness by promoting thoroughness, accuracy, and strategic decision-making.

21. How do you stay motivated when faced with a complex problem?

When faced with a complex problem, I stay motivated by breaking the problem down into manageable tasks, setting realistic goals, and focusing on incremental progress. I maintain a positive mindset, leverage my problem-solving skills and past successes, seek support and collaboration from colleagues or mentors, and celebrate small victories along the way. Staying organized, maintaining a clear vision of the desired outcome, and reminding myself of the impact of solving the problem keep me motivated and determined to overcome challenges.

22. Can you describe a situation where you had to change your approach to solve a problem effectively?

In a project involving customer feedback analysis, my initial approach focused solely on quantitative data analysis to identify trends and patterns. However, I realized that the qualitative aspect of customer feedback, such as sentiments and specific comments, provided valuable insights that were missed in the quantitative analysis alone. To address this, I changed my approach by integrating qualitative data analysis techniques, such as sentiment analysis and thematic coding, into the process. This holistic approach led to a more comprehensive understanding of customer perceptions and facilitated more targeted problem-solving strategies.

23. How do you balance the need for quick solutions with the need for thorough problem-solving?

Balancing the need for quick solutions with thorough problem-solving involves prioritizing tasks based on urgency and impact. For urgent issues requiring immediate resolution, I focus on quick, interim solutions to address critical aspects and mitigate immediate risks. Simultaneously, I allocate time and resources for in-depth analysis, root cause identification, and long-term solutions to prevent recurrence and optimize outcomes. Effective time management, clear prioritization, and strategic decision-making enable me to strike a balance between speed and thoroughness in problem-solving.

24. Can you discuss a time when you had to solve a problem with limited resources?

In a project where budget constraints limited our ability to hire additional staff, I faced the challenge of increasing operational efficiency without increasing costs. To address this, I conducted a thorough analysis of existing processes, identified inefficiencies, and proposed automation solutions using available software tools. By leveraging technology and optimizing workflows, we were able to streamline operations, reduce manual tasks, and improve productivity without exceeding the budget.

25. What strategies do you use to prevent problems from occurring in the first place?

Proactive problem prevention involves risk assessment, continuous monitoring, and implementing preventive measures. I regularly conduct risk assessments to identify potential issues, develop contingency plans, and implement controls to mitigate risks. Additionally, I emphasize continuous improvement, encourage open communication within teams, and promote a culture of accountability and learning from past experiences to prevent recurring problems.

26. How do you communicate complex problems (and solutions) to stakeholders who may not be familiar with the details?

When communicating complex problems and solutions to stakeholders, I use a structured approach that involves breaking down technical information into easily understandable concepts. I focus on highlighting the impact, benefits, and relevance of the problem and proposed solutions to the stakeholders' interests and objectives. Utilizing visual aids, such as charts, graphs, and diagrams, helps clarify complex information, facilitate discussions, and ensure stakeholders grasp key points effectively.

27. Can you share an example of a time when you solved a problem that significantly benefited your organization?

In a cost optimization initiative, I identified inefficiencies in supply chain management that were leading to increased procurement costs and delayed deliveries. By analyzing data, negotiating contracts with vendors, and implementing process improvements, we streamlined supply chain operations, reduced procurement costs by 20%, and improved delivery timelines. This solution not only saved the organization substantial resources but also enhanced operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

28. How do you incorporate feedback into your problem-solving process?

Incorporating feedback into the problem-solving process is essential for continuous improvement. I actively seek feedback from stakeholders, team members, and subject matter experts throughout the problem-solving journey. I analyze feedback to identify areas for enhancement, consider alternative perspectives and solutions, and iteratively refine strategies based on input received. Regular feedback loops ensure that solutions are well-informed, aligned with stakeholder expectations, and optimized for effectiveness.

29. What is the most unconventional problem-solving method you’ve successfully used?

In a project where traditional problem-solving methods were insufficient, I applied design thinking principles to generate innovative solutions. By conducting empathy interviews, brainstorming sessions, and prototyping ideas, we identified creative solutions that addressed user needs more effectively. This unconventional approach led to breakthrough solutions that significantly improved user experience and product performance.

30. How do you ensure that your solution aligns with the overall goals of your organization?

Aligning solutions with organizational goals involves understanding strategic objectives, engaging stakeholders, and evaluating solutions based on their impact on key performance indicators. I ensure alignment by conducting thorough analyses, seeking input from relevant stakeholders, and assessing how proposed solutions contribute to organizational priorities, such as cost reduction, revenue growth, customer satisfaction, or market expansion. Regular alignment checks and feedback loops help validate that solutions remain aligned with overarching goals.

31. Can you describe a problem you solved that had a positive impact on your team’s performance?

In a team performance improvement project, I identified communication barriers and lack of collaboration as key challenges impacting productivity. I implemented team-building activities, fostered a culture of open communication and collaboration, and facilitated regular feedback sessions. These interventions resulted in improved teamwork, enhanced morale, and increased productivity, leading to measurable performance improvements and positive outcomes for the team and organization.

32. How do you decide when to tackle a problem on your own or to seek help?

I assess the complexity, urgency, and impact of the problem to determine whether I can address it independently or if seeking help is necessary. If the problem requires specialized expertise, collaboration, or resources beyond my capabilities, I proactively seek assistance to ensure efficient and effective problem-solving. I prioritize transparency and open communication to foster a collaborative problem-solving approach.

33. How do you keep track of multiple problems that need to be solved at the same time?

To manage multiple problems simultaneously, I utilize organization tools such as task lists, project management software, and prioritization techniques. I categorize problems based on urgency, importance, and dependencies, establish clear timelines and milestones for each, and regularly review progress to adjust priorities as needed. Effective delegation, communication, and collaboration with team members also contribute to successful management of multiple problem-solving efforts.

34. Can you explain how you evaluate potential solutions to a problem?

When evaluating potential solutions, I consider factors such as feasibility, effectiveness, cost, impact, and alignment with objectives. I conduct thorough analyses, gather relevant data and insights, assess risks and benefits, and compare alternative solutions based on predefined criteria. I prioritize solutions that are practical, sustainable, and aligned with strategic goals, and I seek input from stakeholders and subject matter experts to ensure comprehensive evaluation and informed decision-making.

35. How do you deal with resistance when implementing a solution?

Addressing resistance during solution implementation requires effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management strategies. I proactively communicate the rationale behind the solution, its benefits, and the expected outcomes to gain buy-in and mitigate resistance. I listen to concerns, address objections, and involve stakeholders in the decision-making process to foster ownership and collaboration. I also provide support, training, and feedback mechanisms to facilitate smooth adoption and implementation of the solution.

36. Can you describe a time when you had to solve a problem outside of your area of expertise?

In a cross-functional project, I encountered a technical issue that required expertise beyond my domain. Recognizing the challenge, I collaborated with experts from relevant departments, sought their insights, and leveraged their knowledge to understand the problem thoroughly. By facilitating interdisciplinary discussions, conducting research, and learning from experts, I gained the necessary understanding to contribute effectively to problem-solving and drive successful outcomes for the project.

37. How do you ensure that your problem-solving efforts are inclusive and consider diverse perspectives?

Inclusive problem-solving involves valuing diverse perspectives, fostering open dialogue, and creating an environment where everyone's input is respected and considered. I actively seek input from team members with varying backgrounds, experiences, and expertise, encourage brainstorming sessions, and facilitate discussions that promote diverse viewpoints. I promote inclusivity by practicing active listening, empathy, and respect for different opinions, ensuring that solutions are comprehensive, innovative, and reflective of diverse perspectives.

38. Can you share a situation where you had to use emotional intelligence in problem-solving?

During a project with tight deadlines and high stakes, I encountered interpersonal conflicts among team members that were impacting productivity and morale. Recognizing the importance of emotional intelligence, I employed active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution skills to understand each team member's perspectives, address underlying issues, and foster a collaborative and supportive environment. By acknowledging emotions, managing conflicts constructively, and promoting effective communication, I successfully mitigated tensions, restored team cohesion, and achieved project objectives.

39. How do you manage stress and pressure when solving critical problems?

Managing stress and pressure during critical problem-solving involves prioritization, time management, self-care, and resilience-building strategies. I prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance, break down complex problems into manageable steps, and set realistic expectations and timelines. I practice stress-reduction techniques such as mindfulness, exercise, and time management, seek support from colleagues and mentors, and maintain a positive mindset to navigate challenges effectively and maintain focus on problem-solving objectives.

40. Can you explain a time when you had to prioritize long-term solutions over quick fixes?

In a previous project, we encountered recurring quality issues that required immediate attention. While quick fixes could address the immediate symptoms, I advocated for a comprehensive root cause analysis to identify underlying systemic issues. By prioritizing long-term solutions, we implemented process improvements, updated quality control measures, and provided training to team members. This approach not only resolved the immediate issues but also prevented future occurrences, leading to sustainable improvements and long-term success.

41. How do you adapt your problem-solving approach based on the audience or stakeholders involved?

Adapting problem-solving approaches involves understanding stakeholders' preferences, priorities, and communication styles. For technical audiences, I focus on data-driven analyses, detailed reports, and solution feasibility. When engaging non-technical stakeholders, I emphasize clear explanations, visual aids, and real-world examples to ensure understanding and alignment. I tailor communication channels, formats, and frequency to suit stakeholders' preferences, fostering collaboration, buy-in, and successful problem resolution.

42. Can you discuss a time when you had to use negotiation skills in problem-solving?

During a project negotiation, conflicting interests arose between departments regarding resource allocation and project timelines. To resolve the impasse, I facilitated negotiations by identifying common goals, exploring compromise options, and advocating for win-win solutions. Using active listening, empathy, and persuasive communication, I bridged differences, built consensus, and reached agreements that satisfied all parties' needs. This collaborative approach not only resolved conflicts but also strengthened relationships and promoted cooperation.

43. How do you incorporate new technologies or methodologies into your problem-solving toolkit?

Incorporating new technologies and methodologies into problem-solving requires continuous learning, experimentation, and adaptation. I stay updated on industry trends, attend training sessions, and seek opportunities to apply emerging technologies such as data analytics, automation, and AI in problem-solving. I collaborate with experts, conduct pilot projects, and evaluate results to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of new approaches. By embracing innovation, I enhance problem-solving capabilities, drive efficiencies, and deliver value to organizations.

44. Can you describe a time when your problem-solving led to innovation within your organization?

In a project focused on streamlining operations, I identified inefficiencies in existing processes and proposed innovative solutions leveraging digital tools and automation. By collaborating with cross-functional teams, conducting workflow analyses, and piloting new technologies, we implemented streamlined workflows, reduced manual tasks, and improved efficiency. This innovation not only optimized operations but also enhanced employee productivity, customer satisfaction, and organizational competitiveness.

45. How do you ensure that your solutions are sustainable and environmentally friendly?

Ensuring sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions involves considering ecological impacts, resource conservation, and long-term viability. I prioritize sustainable practices such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, and eco-friendly materials in solution design. I collaborate with sustainability experts, conduct lifecycle assessments, and integrate environmental considerations into decision-making processes. By promoting green initiatives, I contribute to environmental stewardship, corporate social responsibility, and positive societal impact through problem-solving efforts.

46. Can you share an example of a cross-functional problem you solved?

In a previous role, we faced a cross-functional challenge related to customer retention. The marketing team identified a decline in customer engagement, while the sales team noticed an increase in churn rates. Collaborating with both teams, I led a comprehensive analysis to identify root causes. We discovered that misaligned messaging between marketing campaigns and sales interactions was confusing customers. By implementing a unified communication strategy, aligning marketing messages with sales processes, and enhancing customer touchpoints, we improved customer satisfaction, reduced churn rates, and increased revenue.

47. How do you mentor others in developing their problem-solving skills?

Mentoring others in problem-solving involves providing guidance, encouragement, and opportunities for skill development. I mentor by sharing my problem-solving experiences, providing frameworks, and encouraging critical thinking. I offer constructive feedback, challenge assumptions, and encourage diverse perspectives to foster creativity and innovation. I also create learning opportunities such as workshops, case studies, and collaborative projects to help mentees apply problem-solving techniques in real-world scenarios and enhance their skills over time.

48. Can you describe a situation where you had to overcome significant obstacles to solve a problem?

In a complex project, we encountered unforeseen technical challenges that threatened project timelines and deliverables. Despite initial setbacks and resource constraints, I led the team in brainstorming sessions, leveraging expertise from various departments, and exploring alternative solutions. We overcame obstacles by fostering collaboration, adopting agile methodologies, and prioritizing problem-solving efforts. Through perseverance, resilience, and adaptability, we successfully resolved technical issues, met project milestones, and delivered high-quality outcomes.

49. How do you balance logic and intuition in your problem-solving process?

Balancing logic and intuition in problem-solving involves leveraging analytical thinking and creative insights. I start by gathering data, analyzing facts, and applying logical frameworks to understand the problem's scope and complexity. Then, I tap into intuition by brainstorming ideas, exploring unconventional approaches, and considering potential outcomes from different perspectives. I combine rational decision-making with gut instincts, test hypotheses, and validate solutions to ensure effectiveness and innovation in problem-solving.

50. Can you discuss a time when you had to revisit and revise a solution based on new information or outcomes?

In a strategic initiative, we implemented a new process to streamline operations and improve efficiency. However, after implementation, we noticed unexpected challenges and suboptimal results. Recognizing the need for continuous improvement, I initiated a review process, gathered feedback from stakeholders, and conducted performance evaluations. Based on new insights and outcomes, we revisited the initial solution, identified areas for enhancement, and revised the process to address gaps and achieve desired outcomes effectively. This iterative approach ensured that our solutions remained adaptive, responsive, and aligned with evolving needs and objectives.

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• 100 Best Open-Ended Questions Examples

To convince a customer, you need to know how you can solve their problems.

But how can you discover that?

By asking  open-ended questions !

Let’s dive into the best open-ended question examples across sales, retail, real estate, lending, insurance, and healthcare.

Types of Open-ended questions » Rapport building questions » Qualifying questions » Probing requirements » Questions to uncover pain points » Goal-based questions » Benefit-driven questions » New future questions

What are open-ended questions?

Open-ended questions are those that do not have a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Instead, they ask the respondent to expand on their views. They allow you to see things from the customer’s point of view. Since you get answers on their terms, you can find out their candid thoughts.

For example, experts advise healthcare providers to elicit patients’ concerns by using open-ended questions. For instance, they recommend the phrase “ What questions do you have? ” in contrast to a closed-ended sentence such as “ Do you have any questions? ” 

The phrase “ What questions do you have? ” encourages the listener to think of any concerns they might have. In comparison, “ Do you have any questions? ” prompts a yes or no answer. 

An excellent open-ended question can ensure that your client responds with several details. These details may help you construct a follow-up that will allow you to learn more about your client’s needs.

Best sales questions examples

Open-ended questions are critical to excellence in sales.

Because open-ended sales questions help you with the following:

• It sets you on the route to establishing rapport,
• Negotiate customer wants, goals, and preferences,
• And finally, it brings you closer to the sale.

However, the key is to ask the right set of questions basis your lead’s stage in the sales funnel . Let’s look at the examples of best sales questions you can ask at different stages of the buyer’s journey.

Open-ended rapport-building questions

Before anything else, you have to build a rapport with your prospect. The aim of these questions is to open up your prospect and get them talking. Rapport-building questions set the stage for the rest of the conversation.

Open-ended sales questions example to build rapport:

• How is your business going?
• What are your plans for the coming year?
• Can you tell me more about your background or career?
• Would you tell me something special about your company?

Open-ended qualifying questions

All leads are not equal. You need to qualify leads to determine whether they’ll buy your product/service or not. Qualifying questions help you gauge the potential of your leads, and where they are in the buying process.

Examples of open-ended qualifying questions:

• Do you have a budget in mind?
• When do you want your problem to be resolved?
• How are you dealing with this issue now?
• How do you make a purchase decision?

Open-ended probing questions

44% of buyers say that they would not want to proceed if the sales reps don’t understand their requirements.

Ironically, how would anyone know that?

That’s why probing questions are important.

Open-ended questions examples to probe client’s requirements:

• What do you believe is the source of the problem?
• What are your goals and intentions for the future?
• Could you provide an example?
• Do you have a specific budget in mind?
• Do you use any other product that is similar to ours?
• If it isn’t working for you, can you give me a reason as to why?
• Please can you elaborate?
• How has this issue affected you?
• Do you have any features you would not like in your product?
• By when would you like for us to deploy our product? Do you have any specific time frame in mind?
• Are you facing any other challenges you haven’t spoken of so far?

Open-ended questions to uncover the client’s pain points

You can ask need-based or pain-based questions to discover the needs and pain points of your prospects. Prepare these questions carefully, so they don’t go into areas your product doesn’t address.

Examples of open-ended questions to discover pain points:

• How is the issue affecting your operations?
• Does it have any financial impact?
• When did you start having these problems?
• Do you want to change anything about your existing solution?

Open-ended goal-based questions

Don’t stop with just discovering your prospect’s pain points—find out what they want to achieve!

You can ask the following questions to determine both the buyer’s goals and needs. You can successfully make a sale only when you know what’s holding your customers back.

• Do you know why your solution isn’t working?
• What objectives do you want to meet using our solution?
• How are the issues affecting your revenue?
• How can I make this meeting more successful for you?

Benefit-driven questions

You can find out what’s important to your prospect by asking benefit-driven questions.

Then you can guide your prospect to show how those features can help them. These questions are ideal when you’re exploring how to close a sale .

Examples of open-ended benefit-driven questions:

• How significant is solving this issue to you?
• What will happen if the problem isn’t addressed?
• How would incorporating the changes affect your revenue?
• How would the top brass assess the success of this solution?

New future questions

Ask these questions to show working with you will help the customer address his issues. These questions can be the final stage of convincing before closing a sale.

Examples of new future questions:

• Would you want any changes before we move forward with the deal?
• If you work with us, what differences do you expect to experience?
• How do you define success for this project?
• If you could do whatever you want, would you change anything about your existing system?

So, these are the industry-agnostic questions you can ask your customers. Let’s move on to the vertical-specific open-ended questions.

Open-ended questions for retail sales

If you’re in a retail business, the following open-ended questions can help you.

• What are some characteristics or features you’re looking for in a product/service?
• Who are you shopping for today?

You can also follow up on the previous question. When you see someone looking out of their element or confused, they are likely to be buying for someone else. This is a great opportunity to use the  consensus technique . 

When making a buying decision, people frequently look to their peers. The herd mentality is a tremendous influence across humanity. If “everyone else” thinks this product is fantastic, it must be great.

Examples of open-ended questions for retail sales:

• What features of your current product do you enjoy the most?
• What is your primary focus when using this product?
• By when will you need this item?
• What would be the best solution to this situation for you?
• How would you describe your experience with this product?
• How did you become aware of the product/store?
• What is your preferred payment method?

Open-ended questions for banking customers

One of the most critical areas where banks and FIs fail is new account onboarding. According to a  study , in 2020, 63% of customers will have forsaken digital bank apps. This is an increase over the previous year’s figure of 38% of consumers. 

The way we conduct our finances has changed for good. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic drove digitization massively. This also means the preferred channels for banking have changed for some customers. 

Some may lean towards a digitized solution. Whereas others may want face-to-face interaction and to be present at your bank. Do not implement a single channel across your entire customer base. Instead, find out what your customers want and try to meet their needs if possible. 

Open-ended questions while onboarding new customers:

• What channels do you prefer (digital/physical) for financial transactions?
• What criteria are most important to you when selecting a bank/financial institution?
• How did you find out about us?
• What financial changes do you anticipate in the future and want to plan for?
• Do you have a partnership with an accountant, a solicitor, an insurer, or anyone else?
• What is the most crucial goal we must achieve?
• Do you believe you’re on track to reach your financial objectives?
• What is most important to you when it comes to money?
• Are you a business owner or are you planning on building your business?
• How likely are you to refer our bank to a relative or co-worker?

The final question is one we should ask across industries. But it is especially relevant to sales reps within financial institutions. You may wonder why and it’s because many customers choose banks through recommendations. 

Open-ended questions for insurance customers

Insurance requires the ability to communicate effectively more than anything else. You need to know interactive questions that elicit facts and emotions.

Some of the top insurance open-ended questions are:

• What do you want to accomplish when you purchase a life insurance policy?
• How long can your family sustain their lifestyle if you get injured or are unable to work?
• What efforts have you undertaken to put a retirement plan in place?
• Do you have any additional life insurance policies in place to cover X?
• What funds do you have in order to cover the cost of your X?
• What are your thoughts on life insurance for your spouse or children?
• Have you had any life insurance?
• Is your vehicle covered by car insurance?
• What plans do you have for when your insurance expires?
• What happens to your company if a key employee has an injury or a disability later in life?

These are excellent questions since it allows your customer to define what they truly desire. When you have those answers, you will be able to construct a customized insurance policy. According to  research , 48% of customers value the ease of personalization. 

Whatever their response is to this question, it’s the ammunition you’ll need to sell them a policy. Allow your customer to respond uninterrupted and completely.

Open-ended questions for automotive sales

When your prospect tells you, they’re looking to buy a new car or vehicle, your first question should be “ Why “. People buy cars, bikes, or bicycles for a variety of reasons. For example, your prospect might need a car for their daily drives to and from work. 

Conversely, some prospects may need the car for trips and long drives to a destination. Only when you understand the nature of their purchase can you sell successfully. Otherwise, you might end up showing options they have little to no interest.

So, some examples of open-ended questions you can ask vehicle buyers are:

• May I ask as to why you are contemplating purchasing a new vehicle?
• Who all would be driving in this vehicle?
• What would you like to look at in used cars?
• What aspects of your test drive did you appreciate the most?
• Why do you want to trade in your present vehicle?
• What modifications would you make to this vehicle?
• What are the specific brands or models you have in mind?

The final question is a crucial question to ask all your prospects. Some prospects may look for specific brands and designs that they like. Whereas others might opt for an environmentally friendly option.  In 2020 , global fuel emissions lowered by 7% because of the pandemic. 

However, SUV emissions have climbed by 0.5 percent. In fact, SUV oil consumption has risen to 5.5 million barrels each day. This might have environmentally-conscious prospects staying away from buying SUVs. So, remember to ask about their preferences before you pitch . 

Another point to note is security mechanisms for drivers with children. Buyers with young children are generally worried about their child’s safety while driving. So, if you can find options that can quell these fears, you’re sure to make a sale. 

Open-ended questions for lenders

• Please can you tell me about your credit history in depth?

This is the ideal introductory question. All your clients need to answer this question as proof of their ability to pay the loan. The best part about this question is that it helps you get  your foot in the door  to ask more questions. So, once you’ve asked this question, you can follow up for specifics.

Some great open-ended follow-up questions for lenders are:

• Have you ever co-signed a loan?
• Have you ever fallen behind on your payments?
• How do you pay your credit?
• Do you prefer to pay the minimum payment or the entire balance?
• Could you tell me a little about your income?
• Can you list out all your sources of income?
• If you own a business, how is your business structured? 
• How long have you been in your present and past positions?
• How steady and reliable is your income?

Your client should ideally fill out a form answering these details in depth. But it’s also critical for them to offer answers to these questions on the spot. These questions are a great help when it comes to finding creditworthy borrowers . But once you do find your ideal borrower, this is the perfect question to ask.

Open-ended questions for realtors

I’ll divide this into two sections. The first is for real estate agents to ask interested home buyers. The second section will delve into those who show interest in selling. 

A great question to ask home buyers who are familiar with the region is about the neighborhood they want. They most likely have some areas in mind that are close by to their workplace or children’s schools. 

It is also an excellent chance to make use of  social proof . Most buyers want to live in an area with neighbors of equal or higher social standing. You can recommend areas that are popular according to the homeowner type. 

For example, imagine they are a family of four with a pet dog. You can then recommend neighborhoods that are kid and pet friendly. That way they can feel safe and accepted easily. So, the open-ended questions you should ask are: 

• What are your favorite neighborhoods?
• What are some amenities you need close to your home?
• If you had an example of the ideal home, what would it be?
• What is the deal breaker for you?
• What is your favorite room in a home?

The questions change completely when you’re trying to help a homeowner to sell their property. You need to be a bit more sensitive when dealing with clients who are part of this category. They may be experiencing a rough patch or need to sell quickly. Try to keep their needs at the highest priority and ask these questions to help them make their sale. 

• If your home is currently on the market, how long has it been on the market? Why don’t you think it’s sold?
• What are your expectations for the price of the property?
• What do you believe your customer will appreciate the most about your residence?
• Who else will be assisting you in making your decision?
• What do you want to accomplish until you can be 100 percent dedicated to the sale if you aren’t already?

Open-ended questions for health care professionals

A strong bond between patients and providers may result in healthier interactions. A comprehensive relationship-centered inquiry is one aspect of establishing and sustaining a genuine bond. Meaningful questions laced with inquiry and compassion are a good place to begin. Here are the open-ended questions that may help to deepen communication with patients:

• How are you doing today?
• Have you been facing any issues with your X health concern?
• Have your muscles or joints been aching off late?
• What medication has worked out for you in the past?
• Does your family have any ailments that are genetic?
• How has your health been in the past?
• What effect has the pandemic had on your health?
• How can I be of help?
• Please can you elaborate or give a specific description of how you feel?

Empathy is essential in this sector, and healthcare providers must build meaningful relationships with their patients.

With this, we come to the end of the article.

I hope you found these open-ended questions examples helpful.

Before we wrap up, here are some tips to effectively communicate with your clients.

5 Tips for effectively asking open-ended sales questions

• Start slow . Don’t rush in with your questions right after you open the dialogue. Ask broad, non-threatening questions at first. Example: Can you tell me more about your business? Then try to find the areas you need to explore in detail.
• Show curiosity . Always maintain a sense of curiosity while asking open-ended questions. You shouldn’t sound like you are just reading from a script. Being a good listener is also important and helps you discover more about your prospects.
• Make it personal . By saying make it personal, I don’t mean you should probe about your prospect’s personal lives! But you can ask about their career or business, things that are important to them.
• Don’t provide suggestions . Don’t provide hints or suggest something after asking a question. This will change how the client thinks and can stop them from sharing what they are meant to.
• Be conversational . Don’t go into rapid-fire or start interrogating clients. It should always be conversational.

One last piece of a friendly advice since you’re most probably from a sales domain. It’s about LeadSquared Sales CRM .

If you’re facing challenges in keeping track of the leads, where they’re in the sales funnel, whom to contact first, when to follow-up, etc., LeadSquared can be a great solution.

Its SmartViews feature is built for sales reps to help them visualize the pipeline and track their tasks and activities.

In the words of one of our sales users:

“LeadSquared is much simpler to use than Salesforce. People join sales from different educational backgrounds and may not know computational logics like ‘if-else’. With LeadSquared, we can easily filter data—without any code. SmartViews is all we need.”

Do you want to see how it works?

Open-ended questions don’t expect definitive answers like “Yes” or “No.” They let the respondents expand on their views. These help build rapport or probe into the client’s requirements. “What questions do you have?” is an example of an open-ended question. In contrast, close-ended questions expect definitive answers. The respondents can choose from a predefined set of responses. These are great for surveys or to get specific information from the respondent. “Do you have any questions?” is an example of a close-ended question.

The following types of responses can be called as open-ended answers: >> The response that doesn’t provide a definitive answer or can have more than one meaning >> The response that triggers further conversation in the direction of responder’s thoughts >> Answers the questioner with a question

Asking open-ended questions help you know more about the person. Such conversations are important to build strong relationship as it shows that you’re interested in the person or doing business with them.

Open-ended questions generally begin with what, why, how, describe, etc. However, it is recommended to give context before asking questions. For example, instead of simply asking, “What amenities do you need near your home,” you can add some context and say, “This neighborhood has schools, hospitals, shopping centers, gas stations, and many more amenities. What facilities do you need near your home?”

Padma is a Content Writer at Leadsquared. She enjoys reading and writing about various financial and educational topics. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or write to her at [email protected].

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Effective Problem-Solving Techniques in Business

Problem solving is an increasingly important soft skill for those in business. The Future of Jobs Survey by the World Economic Forum drives this point home. According to this report, complex problem solving is identified as one of the top 15 skills that will be sought by employers in 2025, along with other soft skills such as analytical thinking, creativity and leadership.

Dr. Amy David , clinical associate professor of management for supply chain and operations management, spoke about business problem-solving methods and how the Purdue University Online MBA program prepares students to be business decision-makers.

Why Are Problem-Solving Skills Essential in Leadership Roles?

Every business will face challenges at some point. Those that are successful will have people in place who can identify and solve problems before the damage is done.

“The business world is constantly changing, and companies need to be able to adapt well in order to produce good results and meet the needs of their customers,” David says. “They also need to keep in mind the triple bottom line of ‘people, profit and planet.’ And these priorities are constantly evolving.”

To that end, David says people in management or leadership need to be able to handle new situations, something that may be outside the scope of their everyday work.

“The name of the game these days is change—and the speed of change—and that means solving new problems on a daily basis,” she says.

The pace of information and technology has also empowered the customer in a new way that provides challenges—or opportunities—for businesses to respond.

“Our customers have a lot more information and a lot more power,” she says. “If you think about somebody having an unhappy experience and tweeting about it, that’s very different from maybe 15 years ago. Back then, if you had a bad experience with a product, you might grumble about it to one or two people.”

David says that this reality changes how quickly organizations need to react and respond to their customers. And taking prompt and decisive action requires solid problem-solving skills.

What Are Some of the Most Effective Problem-Solving Methods?

David says there are a few things to consider when encountering a challenge in business.

“When faced with a problem, are we talking about something that is broad and affects a lot of people? Or is it something that affects a select few? Depending on the issue and situation, you’ll need to use different types of problem-solving strategies,” she says.

Using Techniques

There are a number of techniques that businesses use to problem solve. These can include:

• Five Whys : This approach is helpful when the problem at hand is clear but the underlying causes are less so. By asking “Why?” five times, the final answer should get at the potential root of the problem and perhaps yield a solution.
• Gap Analysis : Companies use gap analyses to compare current performance with expected or desired performance, which will help a company determine how to use its resources differently or adjust expectations.
• Gemba Walk : The name, which is derived from a Japanese word meaning “the real place,” refers to a commonly used technique that allows managers to see what works (and what doesn’t) from the ground up. This is an opportunity for managers to focus on the fundamental elements of the process, identify where the value stream is and determine areas that could use improvement.
• Porter’s Five Forces : Developed by Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter, applying the Five Forces is a way for companies to identify competitors for their business or services, and determine how the organization can adjust to stay ahead of the game.
• Six Thinking Hats : In his book of the same name, Dr. Edward de Bono details this method that encourages parallel thinking and attempting to solve a problem by trying on different “thinking hats.” Each color hat signifies a different approach that can be utilized in the problem-solving process, ranging from logic to feelings to creativity and beyond. This method allows organizations to view problems from different angles and perspectives.
• SWOT Analysis : This common strategic planning and management tool helps businesses identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).

“We have a lot of these different tools,” David says. “Which one to use when is going to be dependent on the problem itself, the level of the stakeholders, the number of different stakeholder groups and so on.”

Each of the techniques outlined above uses the same core steps of problem solving:

• Identify and define the problem
• Consider possible solutions
• Evaluate options
• Choose the best solution
• Implement the solution
• Evaluate the outcome

Data drives a lot of daily decisions in business and beyond. Analytics have also been deployed to problem solve.

“We have specific classes around storytelling with data and how you convince your audience to understand what the data is,” David says. “Your audience has to trust the data, and only then can you use it for real decision-making.”

Data can be a powerful tool for identifying larger trends and making informed decisions when it’s clearly understood and communicated. It’s also vital for performance monitoring and optimization.

How Is Problem Solving Prioritized in Purdue’s Online MBA?

The courses in the Purdue Online MBA program teach problem-solving methods to students, keeping them up to date with the latest techniques and allowing them to apply their knowledge to business-related scenarios.

“I can give you a model or a tool, but most of the time, a real-world situation is going to be a lot messier and more valuable than what we’ve seen in a textbook,” David says. “Asking students to take what they know and apply it to a case where there’s not one single correct answer is a big part of the learning experience.”

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An online MBA from Purdue University can help advance your career by teaching you problem-solving skills, decision-making strategies and more. Reach out today to learn more about earning an online MBA with Purdue University .

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Problem Solving

Ai generator.

Problem solving is a crucial skill in both personal and professional settings. Whether it’s addressing a personal challenge or drafting a business problem solving proposal , the ability to identify a problem and develop a solution is essential. Writing a problem solving essay helps articulate the issue clearly and systematically outline potential solutions. Effective problem and solution involves critical thinking, creativity, and a structured approach to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.

What is Problem Solving?

Problem solving is the process of identifying a challenge, analyzing its components, and finding an effective solution. It involves critical thinking, creativity, and the application of various techniques and tools.

Examples of Problem Solving

• Analytical Thinking : Breaking down complex problems into manageable parts.
• Creativity : Developing innovative solutions to problems.
• Critical Thinking : Evaluating information and arguments to make a reasoned decision.
• Decision-Making : Choosing the best course of action from various alternatives.
• Research : Gathering relevant information to understand and solve a problem.
• Communication : Clearly conveying ideas and solutions to others.
• Collaboration : Working effectively with others to solve problems.
• Time Management : Prioritizing tasks to efficiently address problems.
• Adaptability : Adjusting strategies as new information or challenges arise.
• Attention to Detail : Ensuring all aspects of a problem are considered.
• Logical Reasoning : Using logic to identify solutions and predict outcomes.
• Empathy : Understanding others’ perspectives to create more effective solutions.
• Negotiation : Finding mutually acceptable solutions through discussion.
• Conflict Resolution : Addressing and resolving disagreements.
• Patience : Remaining calm and persistent when solving complex problems.
• Organization : Structuring tasks and information systematically.
• Leadership : Guiding and motivating a team to solve problems.
• Decision Analysis : Evaluating the potential impact of different solutions.
• Project Management : Planning and executing solutions effectively.
• Technical Skills : Using specialized knowledge to solve technical problems.
• Customer Service : Resolving customer issues effectively and efficiently.
• Risk Management : Identifying and mitigating potential problems.
• Innovation : Implementing new ideas to solve existing problems.
• Strategic Planning : Developing long-term solutions and plans.
• Resourcefulness : Finding quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties.
• Stress Management : Handling pressure while solving problems.
• Observation : Noticing subtle details that could be key to solving a problem.
• Data Analysis : Interpreting data to inform problem-solving decisions.
• Flexibility : Being open to new approaches and changing plans when necessary.
• Self-Assessment : Reflecting on your own problem-solving process to improve future performance.

Problem-Solving Examples for Students

1. math word problems.

Problem: Jane has 3 apples, and she buys 4 more apples from the store. How many apples does she have now?

• Understand the problem: Jane starts with 3 apples and buys 4 more.
• Break it down: 3 apples (initial) + 4 apples (additional).
• Solve: 3 + 4 = 7.
• Answer: Jane has 7 apples.

2. Group Project Coordination

Problem: A group of students needs to complete a science project, but they are having trouble coordinating their schedules.

• Understand the problem: The main issue is scheduling conflicts.
• Break it down: Identify each member’s available times.
• Research: Use tools like Doodle or Google Calendar to find common free times.
• Brainstorm solutions: Propose meeting during lunch breaks or weekends.
• Evaluate: Choose the most convenient and feasible option for everyone.
• Develop an action plan: Set a recurring meeting time and delegate tasks.
• Implement: Start meeting and working on the project according to the plan.
• Monitor and review: Adjust schedules if conflicts arise and keep track of progress.

3. Essay Writing

Problem: A student struggles to start writing an essay on a given topic.

• Understand the problem: The difficulty is starting the essay.
• Break it down: Identify the essay topic, main points, and required structure.
• Research: Gather information and resources related to the topic.
• Brainstorm solutions: Create an outline, jot down ideas, and decide on the thesis statement.
• Evaluate: Choose the most compelling points and organize them logically.
• Develop an action plan: Write a draft based on the outline, then revise and edit.
• Implement: Begin writing the introduction, followed by the body paragraphs and conclusion.
• Monitor and review: Proofread the essay and make necessary corrections.

4. Time Management

Problem: A student has trouble managing time between homework, extracurricular activities, and leisure.

• Understand the problem: The issue is balancing multiple responsibilities.
• Break it down: Identify all tasks and time commitments.
• Research: Look for time management techniques and tools.
• Brainstorm solutions: Use planners, to-do lists, or apps like Trello or Todoist.
• Evaluate: Choose the most effective tool and technique.
• Develop an action plan: Create a weekly schedule, prioritizing tasks by importance and deadlines.
• Implement: Follow the schedule and adjust as necessary.
• Monitor and review: Reflect on the effectiveness of the schedule and make improvements.

5. Conflict Resolution

Problem: Two students have a disagreement over a shared locker space.

• Understand the problem: The conflict is about sharing limited space.
• Break it down: Identify each student’s concerns and needs.
• Research: Look into conflict resolution strategies.
• Brainstorm solutions: Propose solutions like dividing the locker into specific sections or creating a rotation schedule.
• Evaluate: Choose the fairest and most practical solution.
• Develop an action plan: Agree on the solution and set guidelines.
• Implement: Follow the agreed plan and make adjustments if needed.
• Monitor and review: Ensure both students are satisfied with the arrangement and resolve any further issues.

Problem-Solving Examples in Real-life

Example 1: workplace conflict.

Situation : Two team members have a disagreement that affects their productivity.

• Identify the Problem : Understand the root cause of the conflict.
• Analyze : Talk to both parties separately to get their perspectives.
• Generate Solutions : Consider solutions like mediation, reassignment of tasks, or team-building exercises.
• Evaluate : Assess which solution is likely to resolve the conflict without affecting team morale.
• Implement : Arrange a mediation session.
• Review : Follow up to ensure the conflict is resolved and monitor team dynamics.

Example 2: Personal Finance Management

Situation : Struggling to manage monthly expenses and savings.

• Identify the Problem : Determine specific areas where overspending occurs.
• Analyze : Review bank statements and categorize expenses.
• Generate Solutions : Create a budget, reduce unnecessary expenses, and set savings goals.
• Evaluate : Choose a budgeting method that fits your lifestyle.
• Implement : Start tracking expenses and adjust spending habits.
• Review : Regularly review your budget and savings to ensure you are on track.

How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills?

Understand the Problem: Before attempting to solve any problem, it’s crucial to fully understand it. Read through the problem statement carefully and make sure you grasp every detail.

Break It Down : Divide the problem into smaller, more manageable parts. This approach, known as decomposition, makes it easier to tackle complex issues by focusing on individual components one at a time.

Research and Gather Information : Collect all relevant information and data that might help in solving the problem. Look for similar problems and their solutions.

Brainstorm Possible Solutions : Generate as many potential solutions as possible. Don’t worry about evaluating them at this stage; the goal is to think creatively and come up with a wide range of ideas.

Evaluate and Select the Best Solution : Assess the feasibility, pros, and cons of each potential solution. Consider factors such as resources, time, and potential risks. Choose the solution that best addresses the problem and is most practical.

Develop an Action Plan : Create a detailed plan for implementing your chosen solution. Outline the steps you need to take, assign tasks if working in a team, and set deadlines to ensure timely progress.

Implement the Solution : Put your plan into action. Stay focused and be prepared to adapt if necessary. Keep track of your progress and make adjustments as needed.

Monitor and Review : After implementing the solution, monitor the results to ensure the problem is resolved. Evaluate the outcome and review the process to learn from any mistakes or successes.

Problem-solving in workplace

• Enhancing Efficiency : Quick and effective problem resolution can streamline processes and reduce downtime.
• Boosting Productivity : Employees who can solve problems independently help maintain workflow and productivity.
• Improving Customer Satisfaction : Solving customer issues promptly can lead to higher satisfaction and loyalty.
• Fostering Innovation : Problem-solving often leads to new ideas and improvements that drive innovation.
• Promoting Employee Development : Encouraging problem-solving helps employees grow and develop their skills.

How To Highlight Problem-Solving Skills?

1. on your resume.

When listing problem-solving skills on your resume, provide concrete examples. Use action verbs and quantify your achievements where possible.

• Resolved a customer service issue that increased customer satisfaction by 20%.
• Developed a new process that reduced production errors by 15%.

2. In a Cover Letter

Your cover letter is a great place to elaborate on your problem-solving abilities. Describe a specific situation where you successfully addressed a challenge.

“In my previous role at XYZ Company, I identified a bottleneck in our production line. I conducted a thorough analysis and implemented a new workflow, which reduced production time by 25% and saved the company $50,000 annually.”

3. During an Interview

Be prepared to discuss your problem-solving skills in depth during an interview. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses.

Example: “Can you give an example of a time when you solved a difficult problem at work?”

• Situation: Our sales team was struggling with declining numbers.
• Task: I was tasked with identifying the root cause and finding a solution.
• Action: I analyzed sales data, conducted team meetings, and identified a lack of training as the main issue.
• Result: I organized comprehensive training sessions, which led to a 30% increase in sales over the next quarter.

4. On Social Media and Professional Profiles

Highlight problem-solving skills on LinkedIn and other professional profiles. Share posts or articles about your problem-solving experiences and successes.

“I’m thrilled to share that I recently led a project to overhaul our customer service protocol, resulting in a 40% reduction in response time and a significant boost in customer satisfaction!”

5. In Performance Reviews

During performance reviews, make sure to emphasize your problem-solving contributions. Provide specific examples and outcomes.

“In the past year, I resolved three major project roadblocks, enabling our team to meet all deadlines and exceed our performance goals.”

6. Through Projects and Case Studies

If applicable, create case studies or detailed project descriptions that showcase your problem-solving process and results. This can be particularly useful for portfolios or presentations.

Case Study: Improving IT System Efficiency

• Problem: Frequent system downtimes affecting productivity.
• Solution: Implemented a new monitoring system and revised maintenance schedules.
• Outcome: System downtimes were reduced by 50%, significantly improving productivity.

7. By Demonstrating Soft Skills

Problem-solving often involves other soft skills such as communication, creativity, and teamwork. Highlighting these related skills can further emphasize your ability to solve problems effectively.

“By fostering open communication within my team and encouraging creative brainstorming sessions, we were able to devise innovative solutions to our most pressing challenges.”

How to Answer Problem-Solving Interview Questions

• Understand the Question : Make sure you fully understand the problem before you try to solve it. Ask clarifying questions if needed to ensure you have all the relevant information.
• Think Aloud : Demonstrate your thinking process by explaining your thoughts as you work through the problem. This shows your interviewer how you approach problems and organize your thoughts.
• Break It Down : Divide the problem into smaller, manageable parts. This can make a complex issue seem more approachable and allows you to tackle each component systematically.
• Use a Structured Approach : Employ frameworks or methodologies that are relevant to the question. For example, you might use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions, or a simple problem-solving framework like Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) for process improvements.
• Be Creative : Employers often look for creativity in your answers. Think outside the box and propose innovative solutions when appropriate.
• Prioritize Solutions : If there are multiple potential solutions, discuss the pros and cons of each and explain why you would choose one over the others.
• Stay Calm and Positive : Problem-solving under pressure is part of the test. Maintain a calm and positive demeanor, showing that you can handle stress effectively.
• Summarize Your Steps : After you have worked through the problem, summarize the steps you took and the conclusion you reached. This helps ensure the interviewer followed your process and underscores your methodical approach.
• Ask for Feedback : After presenting your solution, it can be beneficial to ask if there are any additional factors you might consider. This shows openness to learning and adapting.
• Practice Regularly : Like any skill, problem-solving improves with practice. Regularly engage in brain teasers, logic puzzles, or case studies to sharpen your skills.

Why Are Problem-Solving is Important?

• Effective Decision-Making : Problem-solving is essential for making decisions that are logical, informed, and well-considered. This skill helps individuals and organizations make choices that lead to better outcomes.
• Innovation and Improvement : Solving problems effectively often requires innovative thinking. This can lead to new ideas and improvements in processes, products, and services, which are essential for business growth and adaptation.
• Handling Complex Situations : Many roles involve complex situations that are not straightforward to manage. Problem-solving skills enable individuals to dissect these situations and devise effective strategies to deal with them.
• Enhances Productivity : Efficient problem-solving contributes to higher productivity, as it allows for the identification and removal of obstacles that impede workflow and performance.
• Career Advancement : Individuals who are effective problem solvers are often seen as leaders and can advance more quickly in their careers. This skill is valuable because it demonstrates the ability to handle difficult situations and complex challenges.
• Adaptability and Resilience : Problem-solving is key to adapting to new situations and overcoming challenges. Those who can creatively navigate through difficulties are generally more resilient.
• Quality of Life : On a personal level, strong problem-solving skills can improve one’s quality of life by enabling better management of the challenges that come with daily living.
• Team Collaboration : Problem-solving often requires collaboration. Being good at solving problems can improve your ability to work with others, as it involves communication, persuasion, and negotiation skills.

How to Include Problem-Solving in a Job Application

• Resume : Detail specific problem-solving instances in your job descriptions using action verbs like “analyzed” and “implemented”. Mention the positive outcomes achieved.
• Cover Letter : Narrate a specific instance where your problem-solving skills led to a successful outcome, demonstrating initiative and effectiveness.
• Skills Section : Include “problem-solving” in a skills section if the job ad specifically mentions it.
• Quantify Achievements : Use numbers to describe the impact of your solutions, such as cost savings or efficiency improvements.
• Job Interviews : Prepare to discuss specific examples of your problem-solving skills, focusing on the challenge, your action, and the result.
• References : Brief your references about your problem-solving achievements so they can provide specific examples when contacted by employers.

Tips for Enhancing Problem-Solving

• Practice Regularly: Like any skill, problem-solving improves with regular practice. Engage in activities that challenge your thinking, such as puzzles, games, or real-world problem-solving scenarios.
• Learn from Others: Study how others approach and solve problems. This can provide new strategies and perspectives that you can incorporate into your own problem-solving toolkit.
• Stay Calm and Positive: Maintaining a calm and positive mindset can significantly improve your ability to solve problems. Stress and negativity can cloud your judgment and hinder creative thinking.
• Develop Critical Thinking: Sharpen your critical thinking skills by questioning assumptions, analyzing information, and evaluating evidence. This will help you make more informed and logical decisions.
• Collaborate with Others: Working with others can bring new insights and ideas. Collaboration can also help you see the problem from different angles and develop more effective solutions.
• Keep Learning: Continuously expand your knowledge and skills. The more you know, the better equipped you are to tackle a variety of problems.

How can I improve my problem-solving skills?

Practice regularly, learn various problem-solving techniques, and engage in activities that challenge your thinking.

What are common problem-solving techniques?

Common techniques include brainstorming, root cause analysis, the 5 Whys, and SWOT analysis.

What are the steps in the problem-solving process?

Identify the problem, analyze the problem, generate solutions, select a solution, implement, and evaluate.

How do I demonstrate problem-solving skills in an interview?

Discuss specific situations where you effectively solved problems, highlighting your thought process and outcomes.

What’s the difference between critical thinking and problem-solving?

Critical thinking involves analyzing and evaluating information, while problem-solving focuses on finding solutions to problems.

How do problem-solving skills help in leadership?

They enable leaders to manage challenges effectively, inspire innovation, and guide teams through obstacles.

How to measure problem-solving skills?

Assess through scenarios or challenges that require identifying, analyzing, and resolving problems.

What role does creativity play in problem-solving?

Creativity enables out-of-the-box thinking, which can lead to innovative and effective solutions.

How do you use problem-solving in project management?

Apply it to anticipate potential issues, plan solutions, and ensure smooth project execution.

What’s an example of a problem-solving situation?

Resolving customer complaints by identifying the issue, brainstorming solutions, and implementing changes to prevent future complaints.

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Companies that harness the power of data have the upper hand when it comes to problem solving. Rather than defaulting to solving problems by developing lengthy—sometimes multiyear—road maps, they’re empowered to ask how innovative data techniques could resolve challenges in hours, days or weeks, senior partner and coauthors.  But when organizations have more data than ever at their disposal, which data should they leverage to analyze a problem? Before jumping in, it’s crucial to plan the analysis, decide which analytical tools to use, and ensure rigor. Uncover ways data can take your problem-solving techniques to the next level. - Get our latest thinking on your iPhone, iPad or Android. Copyright © 2024 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007 381 IMAGES How to Ask Problem-Solving Questions Problem Solving Activity Questions to Help Kids Solve Problems (Infographic) The ABCs of Problem Solving Steps {Free Printable Included!} How to Solve the Right Problem Developing Problem-Solving Skills for Kids VIDEO A Collection of Maths Problem Solving Questions#478 (Algebraic Manipulation A Collection of Maths Problem Solving Questions#452 (Algebra This Technique can solve your problem! #shaleenshrotriya #businesscoach #solution #coaching Problem solving questions Part 2 A Collection of Maths Problem Solving Questions#462 (Solve Equations What is the best approach to problem-solving? COMMENTS How To Ask Questions That Actually Solve Problems In order to ask questions that actually solve problems, you've got to have a willing mindset. Be willing to listen instead of talk. And, like I said earlier, be willing to acknowledge that you ... Effective Questions to Support Problem-Solving Thinking Beware of asking prompting questions. Prompting questions can take away the ownership of the thinking from the problem solver. These are closed-ended questions, multiple-choice questions, or your idea or suggestion with a question mark at the end. These questions are like a wolf dressed up in sheep's clothing — they are really your idea or ... How to Ask Problem-Solving Questions The A3 provides the structure for problem-solving and communicating one's thinking about solving problems. And it's become my habit for structuring my thinking and questions for problem-solving. We can use the A3 framework to guide what types of open questions we ask. In the video below I explore the structure of A3 thinking, how it works ... How to Ask Open-Ended Questions to Solve Problems An open-ended question is a question that can't be answered with one word but requires elaboration. Open-ended questions usually start with words like "how," "what," and "why," and invite reflection and a more descriptive response than a closed question. Open-ended questions often invite the person being questioned to share how ... Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions Summary. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution. At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to ... How to Ask Open-Ended Questions That Spark Good Conversation This method is used because open-ended questions often inspire greater curiosity and problem-solving. For example, rather than telling a student what to think, they are thoughtfully guided with open-ended questions to explore solutions to problems. How to ask open-ended questions? Crucial tips and examples 1. Encourage deep reflection. Open-ended questions prompt respondents to think critically and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. By inviting individuals to express themselves in their own words, these questions encourage deeper introspection and provide better response quality. 2. Problem-Solving Interview Questions: How-to + Examples Situational problem-solving questions. Situational problem-solving questions put you in a hypothetical situation, present a problem, and ask for your opinion/solution. Even if you haven't encountered a similar situation in the past, it will help you to draw parallels from your experience to create answers to these questions. Ask the Right Questions The right time to ask the encourage/barrier questions is when solving a problem that requires a change in behaviour. Examples of when to use the encourage/barrier questions include: Increasing conversion rates on a landing page. Improving the quality of work the team produces. Reducing employee dissatisfaction. The 11 Questions That Will Help You Solve Any Problem 1. What sense do you make of this? If you notice a problem and ask the people involved, "What happened?" you're often going to be told, "I don't know.". But asking "What sense do you ... Ask the Right Questions: 5 Ways to Use Questions for Breakthroughs Ask yourself: "What's the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?". • ONE Thing: Pick only 1 (not 2 or 3) most important thing. • Can do: take that possible action. It's not "should do", "could do ", or "would do". • By doing it, everything else is easier or unnecessary. Art Of Problem Solving: Ask Smarter Questions Asking the right question will help you find your way through a problem, locate the right customers, avoid future difficulties and outperform your competitors. Questions also act as a filter that will help you decipher the key elements of a situation. How to Ask Problem-Solving Questions Posted on November 29, 2021 by Lean Communicators. How to Ask Problem-Solving Questions. The importance of asking questions (the right questions) is one of the foundations of my work. Asking the right questions is often about intention. There are all …. via YouTube. Problem-Solving Trick: Ask the Right Question Jul 19, 2012. To get the right solution, be sure you're asking the right questions. Getty. When groups of people get stuck on a problem--whether over culture, systems, process, understanding, or ... Questions to Ask Yourself When Problem Solving Questions to Ask Yourself When Problem Solving. Phase I: Understanding the Problem. What information have I been given? What information do I need to find? Can I draw a picture depicting the given information? How would I restate the problem in my own words? What type of problem is this Have I seen a similar problem before? 8 Common Problem-Solving Interview Questions and Answers 2. Tell me about a time when you faced an unexpected challenge at work. Tip: For this question, you'll want to choose a specific example from your work history to demonstrate your ability to be flexible while solving problems. To stay focused, you can use the STAR method to answer this question. 15 Common Problem-Solving Interview Questions Here are a few examples of technical problem-solving questions: 1. Mini-Max Sum. This well-known challenge, which asks the interviewee to find the maximum and minimum sum among an array of given numbers, is based on a basic but important programming concept called sorting, as well as integer overflow. 10 Questions to Ask When Solving Problems The difference in approach lies in asking the right questions. Effective leaders ask profound questions before making a major decision or solving problems. Asking the right questions will provide the right answers. Having the right answers will save time and provide the most effective solution. "Judge a man by his questions rather than his ... 5 problem-solving questions to prepare you for your next interview Common problem-solving questions and answers. Every job requires problem-solving on some level, so you can expect at least one job interview question to ask about those skills. Here are a few common problem-solving interview questions to practice: 1. Give us an example of when you faced an unexpected challenge at work. Stumped? Five Ways To Hone Your Problem-Solving Skills He adds: "That means developing reflexivity to understand your own beliefs and judgments, and what influences these, asking questions and experimenting." 5. Unleash the power of empathy Top 20 Problem Solving Interview Questions (Example Answers Included) MIKE'S TIP: When you're answering this question, quantify the details. This gives your answer critical context and scale, showcasing the degree of challenge and strength of the accomplishment. That way, your answer is powerful, compelling, and, above all, thorough. 2. Describe a time where you made a mistake. Problem Solving Questions A comprehensive guide to problem solving, complete with these 9 essential tools: Tool 1: When you don't know what to do. Tool 2: Defining questions for problem solving. Tool 3: Finding the right problems to solve. Tool 4: Problem solving check-list. Tool 4a: Using the question check-list with your team. 50 Interview Questions About Problem Solving (With Answers) Demonstrating your ability to tackle challenges effectively can set you apart from other applicants. Here are five tips to help you showcase your problem-solving skills during an interview: 1. Use the STAR Method. Structure your responses using the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR) method. 100 Best Open-Ended Questions Examples But once you do find your ideal borrower, this is the perfect question to ask. Open-ended questions for realtors. I'll divide this into two sections. The first is for real estate agents to ask interested home buyers. The second section will delve into those who show interest in selling. A great question to ask home buyers who are familiar ... Effective Problem-Solving Techniques in Business There are a number of techniques that businesses use to problem solve. These can include: Five Whys: This approach is helpful when the problem at hand is clear but the underlying causes are less so. By asking "Why?" five times, the final answer should get at the potential root of the problem and perhaps yield a solution. Problem Solving How to Answer Problem-Solving Interview Questions. Understand the Question: Make sure you fully understand the problem before you try to solve it. Ask clarifying questions if needed to ensure you have all the relevant information. Think Aloud: Demonstrate your thinking process by explaining your thoughts as you work through the problem. This ... How to analyze a problem Companies that harness the power of data have the upper hand when it comes to problem solving. Rather than defaulting to solving problems by developing lengthy—sometimes multiyear—road maps, they're empowered to ask how innovative data techniques could resolve challenges in hours, days or weeks, write senior partner Kayvaun Rowshankish ... case study cover letter presentation problem solving rewiew prompts websites tips