Chapter 18: Developing Your Problem-Solving Skills | Mastering Problem Solving Toolkit
Rate yourself honestly. The goal is to identify your strongest and weakest areas so you can create a focused development plan. There are no wrong answers — this is for your growth.
Add a ★ next to any skill where you want to coach or mentor others (score 4+).
| Skill / Competency | Self Score (1–4) | Evidence / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mindset & Foundations | ||
| I approach problems systematically, not reactively | ||
| I look for root causes, not just symptoms | ||
| I use data to support my conclusions | ||
| I stay calm and focused under pressure | ||
| Problem Investigation | ||
| 5W2H — gather full facts before analyzing | ||
| 5 Whys — drill to root cause by asking "why" repeatedly | ||
| Fishbone / Ishikawa diagram | ||
| Pareto analysis — identify the vital few causes | ||
| Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) | ||
| Creative Thinking & Decision Making | ||
| Facilitating a structured brainstorming session | ||
| SCAMPER creative thinking technique | ||
| SWOT analysis | ||
| Decision Matrix — choosing between options objectively | ||
| Structured Improvement Methods | ||
| PDCA — Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle | ||
| 8D problem solving report | ||
| DMAIC project management (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) | ||
| Communication & Documentation | ||
| Writing a clear, fact-based problem statement | ||
| Presenting findings and recommendations to management | ||
| Documenting solutions so they can be sustained | ||
| Visual Management & Sustaining | ||
| Setting up and maintaining visual performance boards | ||
| Designing standard work / SOPs others can follow | ||
| Coaching others to use problem-solving tools | ||
| TOTAL (max 88) | Average: _____ / 4 | |