Problem solving skills

Problem solving is the ability to tackle a critical and usually new problem in the best possible way taking into account all the elements involved. The problem solving process consists of well-defined actions, starting with defining the problem, creating alternatives, evaluating the alternatives and finally implementing the final solution.

Your employer offers you a new job with a slightly better salary and more responsibilities. With your new job you need to be on call at all times and you also have to coordinate the work of three colleagues for whom you do not have a great deal of sympathy. Would you accept the offer?

You give up the promotion because you prefer to leave things as they are because the change might be too hard.

You accept the promotion, but you ask your boss to let you choose the people you work with.

You accept the promotion and prepare an action plan on how to handle the new work situation.

The company where you work went through a merger with another company. In this new reality new changes have occurred that will change the working routine of the workers. In particular, you will be asked to share your office with your new team in order to improve cohesion and harmony. In addition, new team working activities are introduced, including yoga and group sharing sessions. How do you react to these new changes?

You feel that these changes are unnecessary and that you are paid to work not to do such activities. Top management cannot impose a pattern where they try to influence your character.

You think that these changes are important, but they have to be done with a certain balance that has to be decided all together and not by a few people who are in charge.

You are enthusiastic about new changes, convinced that any can be a stimulus to improve yourself and your relationship with others.

Adaptability competencies

You are waiting to attend an important business meeting but something unexpected happens and your partner asks you to postpone the meeting by an hour. However, this would overlap with another important commitment. What would you do?

You delegate the business meeting to another colleague.

You attend the meeting despite being late and delegate the other commitment to a colleague.

Attend the meeting and move the other commitment out of working hours.

You are working on an important project involving several foreign partners. At a certain point, a colleague asks you for help with a problem in the accounting department. As you have already worked in that department, you have the skills to solve the accounting problem. What do you do in this situation?

Give priority to the project with foreign partners.

You understand your colleague's need and after looking at the problem you direct him/her to a colleague who can properly help.

You realize that your colleague is in real need of help and decide to give him/her some of your time.

Flexibility competencies

Your boss assigns you to attend an important seminar to learn innovative working techniques. When you return, you have to show and explain carefully to your colleagues what you have learned during the seminar. On the basis of your report, the company will decide whether or not to invest in these innovative techniques. How do you behave?

You attend the seminar and try to memorize as much of the knowledge as possible and then go back to work explaining the new procedures based on your recollection.

At the seminar you have a pen and notebook so that you can write down any important details about the application of the new techniques.

Take notes and create diagrams for ease of learning both for you and your colleagues when you have to show your report.

You need to organize a whole week's work for an activity that includes foreign participants. How do you decide to deal with this need?

You prepare a draft of the activities to be carried out during the week, always leaving plenty of room for improvisation.

Prepare a well-constructed activity plan with clear timetables.

You create a schedule concerning well-constructed activities that follow a well-defined path. This schedule also includes times for breaks and moments of reflection.

Learning quickly

Your boss calls you into the office to ask your opinion on a work-related problem. A colleague has been reprimanded several times and the boss is trying to understand the situation better in order to be able to act effectively. You don't like the colleague in question very much but in some ways, he is necessary for the company. What do you tell the boss?

Answer on the spur of the moment based on what you think about that person and advise the boss to find another person for that position.

Before answering, think carefully about the matter, trying to distinguish between personal and professional opinions. After that, you give your opinion.

You focus on the issue by asking for more time for a more complete and objective answer. Make a complete analysis of the qualities of your colleague and check carefully whether he/she could be replaced. The ultimate aim of your analysis is to maximize the output of the company.

You are the head of a company managing about 50 workers. One of your employees is pregnant and will be on maternity leave for a long period. How do you manage this situation, who will do the work in her place?

You decide to hire a temporary replacement and thus pay an extra salary.

You analyze the situation calmly and try to take your time. Study the working hours and try to see if it is possible to compensate for the work of the employee on maternity leave by allocating her tasks to the other workers, giving work bonuses for the extra work done.

Try to implement a new division of labour within the company and also find out about the implementation of other possible forms of work such as hiring an intern.

Critical thinking

During an internal business meeting the need emerges for someone to take responsibility for managing a very important side activity. You have never done this kind of work before, so it could be both an opportunity for you to improve yourself and make a good impression on your colleagues and a risk as you could make the company look bad. How would you handle it?

Being aware that you are not up to it, you do not volunteer for the proposed task.

You are not sure of your abilities, but in order to impress your colleagues and show initiative, you accept the task.

You are aware that you do not have experience in this field, so you are willing to be an assistant to the person who accepts the role.

Your boss needs to send three people on a business trip and one of them should also organize the entire trip’s detail. How would you act in this situation?

You do not have a great interest in travelling and you let someone else experience it.

You put yourself forward as a participant in the trip, looking forward to working with colleagues.

You ask to take part in the project and also offer to be the organizer, trying to meet all the needs of your colleagues.

Showing initiative