Problem Solving

Having strong problem-solving skills can be a huge benefit in the workplace. Problems are at the center of what many people do at work every day. Whether solving a problem for a client, supporting those who are solving problems, or discovering new issues to resolve, a fundamental part of most work roles is finding ways to work through complex situations. Being a confident problem solver is an important trait to have in today’s ultra-competitive work atmosphere. HRDQ offers problem solving training materials that explore problem solving and decision making through a variety of assessments, activities, and games.

Featured Products

Ethical Type Indicator

Ethical Type Indicator is an easy self-scoring tool that can help you: 1. Discover your primary ethical decision-making preference or ethical type; 2. Assess the degree to which you are influenced by ethical principles; and 3. become empowered to recognize, analyze and resolve future ethical dilemmas.

Problem Solving Style Inventory

Problem Solving Style Inventory (PSSI) will help you evaluate your most common problem-solving technique and explain the four key factors to consider when choosing a style to best fit the situation at hand. PSSI has both a self-evaluation and feedback component to identify dominant and supportive styles of decision making.

Deir El Medina Game

Deir El Medina is an engaging game designed to identify the various roles each team member plays during work processes while demonstrating how each role contributes to the group’s ability to accomplish goals, solve problems, and achieve success.

Learn More about Problem Solving...

The Five Problem-Solving Styles

There are five problem-solving styles that people typically encompass. They include:

Ego-Oriented. With this style, the manager performs all problem-solving tasks or makes decisions by themselves with no input from others. They determine what the problem is, gather background information, generate possible solutions, choose the final solution, implement the solution, and conduct an evaluation to determine whether the solution actually solved the problem.
Deferred. With this style, the manager defers solving the problem or making the decision. They are aware that a problem exists or a decision must be made, but they choose not to deal with it at the moment. Deferred problem-solving might take the form of looking for a more perfect solution, waiting to see if the problem will resolve itself, or waiting for the right moment to make a decision.
Other-Oriented. With this style, the manager has others perform all the problem-solving tasks. The manager recognizes that a problem exists or a decision must be made but delegates the responsibility for correcting the situation to others.
I/We-Oriented. With this style, the manager includes others in the initial steps of the problem-solving process. They will seek the help of others in identifying the problem, gathering background information, and in weighing possible alternative solutions.
We-Oriented. With this style, the manager shares in the decision-making process with others. The manager’s input carries no more weight than input offered by other people involved in the process.

Four Key Factors in Choosing a Style

There is no universal best way to solve problems or make decisions. All five styles are useful in certain situations. Supervisors and managers should consider the following four key factors in choosing the best style for a particular situation:

The maturity level of the employees involved in the problem or decision situation.
The difficulty level of the problem or decision encountered.
The constraints in a given problem or decision situation.
The need for acceptance of the final solution or decision.

Once the style has been chosen, the manager and employees can go ahead with attempting to solve the problem at hand. Use the powerful problem solving training materials and games available at HRDQ to improve decision-making in your organization!

Sort by

Show
24
36
48

View as

Intuitive Decision Making Profile

from $97.50

Research shows that one of the critical skills separating good leaders from great leaders is the conscious use of intuition in daily dec...
View full details

from $97.50
Problem Solving Style Inventory

from $50.00

Overview Resolving workplace challenges can be complicated even for an experienced supervisor. Managers must decide whether to engage employees to ...
View full details

from $50.00
Problem Solved

from $97.50

Product Type – Assessment Format – Printed Booklets Audience – All Time Required – 1 to 2 hours With the wide range of problems yo...
View full details

from $97.50
Force Field Problem Solving Model

from $97.50

Provide groups with a reliable and systematic framework for solving complex problems with the Force Field Model for Problem Solving, based on Kurt ...
View full details

from $97.50
Analytical Thinking Skills Customizable Course

$599.00

RTL Customizable Course This customizable analytical thinking training course helps participants develop the ability to systematically and logic...
View full details

$599.00
Why We Struggle with Tough Decisions Customizable Course

$599.00

Why We Struggle with Tough Decisions: Overcoming Doubts and Dilemmas RTL Customizable Course In the workplace, some people get stuck over analyzin...
View full details

$599.00
Systems Thinking Customizable Course

$599.00

Systems Thinking: How to Solve Problems so they Stay Solved RTL Customizable Course From production and marketing to customer service and fulfillm...
View full details

$599.00
Mental Models Customizable Course

$599.00

Mental Models: The Key to Making Reality-Based Decisions RTL Customizable Course This mental models training course shows people how to examine th...
View full details

$599.00
Increasing Your Financial Intelligence Customizable Course

$599.00

RTL Customizable Course Increasing Your Financial Intelligence is a customizable financial intelligence course that's part of the HRDQ Reproduci...
View full details

$599.00
Critical Thinking Skills Customizable Course

$599.00

RTL Customizable Course This customizable Critical Thinking Training Course provides individuals with tips, techniques, and thought exercises t...
View full details

$599.00
Decide X Strategic Decision-Making Instrument

$65.00

Decide X is a 24-question organizational engineering instrument developed from the work of Dr. Gary J. Salton. Organizational Engineering is define...
View full details

$65.00
Critical Thinking Fundamentals

from $123.75

Overview Most people would agree that critical thinking is important and beneficial to demonstrate in the workplace. It is well known that it enabl...
View full details

from $123.75
Decision-Making Style Inventory

from $60.00

Overview The Decision-Making Style Inventory (DMI) is an assessment for management development training. It identifies one's preference for one of...
View full details

from $60.00
25 Problem Solving and Decision Making Activities

from $106.00

25 Problem Solving and Decision Making Activities helps improve problem-solving and decision-making skills through an 8-step training approach. Thi...
View full details

from $106.00
50 Activities for Developing Critical Thinking Skills

$150.00

50 Activities for Developing Critical Thinking Skills contains 50 fully reproducible training activities to develop quick thinking, creative thinki...
View full details

$150.00
Ethical Type Indicator

from $75.00

How do you resolve the ethical and moral dilemmas that arise in your life? Can you identify, articulate, and defend the ethical principles that gov...
View full details

from $75.00
Deir El Medina

$599.00

Overview Groups often fail to find the solution to solvable problems because team members do not recognize the importance of their role, or they ov...
View full details

$599.00