The important thing about a problem is not its solution, but the strength we gain in finding a solution – Anonymous

I had always handled projects as a professional from software migration and upgrade to managing a first-time mobile marketing campaign. Each time, I did it by going through my own process. It wasn’t until I became trained and certified in the discipline of project management that I found out exactly what those steps were. Had I seen this list before, I would have definitely felt more confidently about handling project problems and handling stakeholders better. Here are 10 constructive and effective steps to project management problem solving.

(1) Clarify your goals – When trying to come up with a solution it is easy to dream and make plans without properly aligning your objectives, interests and values of the project. The questions you’re asking here are What do I want to do? and Why do I want to do it? Unless you make sure to understand these questions, you can become overwhelmed, which can lead to mistakes

(2) Obtain the relevant information – Get everything together, facts and opinions, and then review it all. Why would opinions be considered relevant information? Because misinterpretations are the most common cause of any problems and the most common way to express this type of misunderstanding is by expressing an opinion.

(3) Identify the problem – Ask yourself, What’s the problem to be solved? So many times we actually lose sight of the problem is in the process of trying to solve the problem because of project politics or stakeholder influence. Another problem is that we make assumptions and miss the issue altogether. So if that’s the case then why is this step in the third position and not in the first? Going through the first two steps helps you to understand the true problem and not someone else’s interpretation of what the problem is. That can make all the difference.

(4) Don’t be afraid to ask questions – They need to be flexible enough to ask themselves, their sponsors What are the questions you need answered? Notice how questions is plural. If really done properly, steps one through four will definitely identify more than one question.

(5) Analyze the data and list possible solution – Once you have your questions, it’s time to brainstorm solutions. Brainstorming means to let ideas flow without hesitation or judgement which can help you to see solutions you may not have realized.

(6) Use pros and cons to see the possible consequences – Consider the alternative solutions then make a comprehensive pros and cons list for each. This will take a little time but from this list you’ll be able to figure out the best course of action.

(7) Make your plan – Now that you’ve done all this analysis, you can plan step-by-step what your next course of action. Be as detailed as possible because here is where you’ll be organizing time and resources.

( Practice solutions – Now that you’ve planned your next course of action, it’s time to rehearse. Believe it or not solutions are great on paper but when you’re dealing with human resources, a form of practicing could be to run the idea by the person who will be implementing the solution to get feedback which you can use to help tailor your solution.

(9) Determine your effectiveness by evaluating results – As project managers we know that results matter. Understanding stakeholders needs and expectations and then fulfilling them is the goal of any good manager.

(10) Track your progress – Putting successes and failures in black and white in the form of a Lessons Learned document will you to quantify progress and to plan for the next time a similar problem rolls around.