Be A Better problem Solver ----By Prof. Moshe Rubinstein

Dear friends in this blog i want to present an Article by Prof.Moshe Rubinstein Chairman of UCLA's Engineering Systems Department.


"Be a Better Problem Solver----12 Ways to make Good Decisions"

1. Take a good look at the overall picture before worrying about details

2. Consider the Consequences of different Solutions

-- "The smart man escapes predicaments which the wiseman would never have gotten into in the first place". "Look before you leap".

3. Withhold snap judgments. Don't commit yourself to a course of action until you have weighed the alternatives.

--Ordinarily, if you act too hastly to solve a problem, you will find yourself locked into a situation you may regret or may have to change later at greater expense of time, money or effort.

--A better procedure is to search for several solutions simulteneously and use signs of progress to guide you along the best path.

4. Be willing to doubt.

5. Try different directions, even if chances of sucess seem slight.

6. Look for innovative tools to solve old problems.

7. Use models or Analogies to understand your problem.

8. Ask Questions.

--" Asking the right question, uttering the correct word, or hearing it, may help you to retrieve whole blocks of information that will guide you to a successful solution".

9. Don't be satisfied with your first solution.

10. When you get stuck with a tough problem, talk it out with others.

--Verbal exchange gives you a chance to relax, helps to charify essentials in your mind, and provides input from colleagues. At the same time, it is important to listen for you may pick up valuable clues.

11. Don't ignore your emotions.

--Logic and reason have longbeen the hallmarks of science, but emotions, intuitions and hunches have also played a part in problem solving.

12. Consider the frame of Reference in which you decide to solve a problem. Consider that each person looks at life with a different set of values.