Why Problem Solving is Key to Increasing Your Value
In today's competitive job market, it's important to stand out from the crowd. While doing what you are told may get you paid, it doesn't necessarily lead to growth and increased value. At Wholestack Solutions, we believe that problem solving is key to increasing your value and creating more opportunities for growth and…let’s be honest, more compensation.
Problem solving is about more than just pointing out problems. That’s a skill that most of us have. Real problem solving is about taking initiative and finding solutions to those problems. In fact, value comes from solving problems that others don't have the time or skills to solve. If you want to increase your value, you must be a problem solver, not a “problem pointer outer.” Saying “we should invent safe, flying cars” is easy to say – the team that solves the problem? Payday!
Problem solving is the key to growth – professional and personal. Problem solving often leads to questions that we don’t have the answers to – or us discovering we have a knowledge or skills gap. This discovery allows us to learn new things and develop new skills. You guessed it, personal and professional development wrapped in a nice bow!
The world is evolving at an ever increasing pace, those who will get ahead and stay ahead are those who are capable of adaptation and upskilling. By being a problem solver, you’re getting into the habit of becoming adaptable, of seeking new knowledge and skills.
Here’s a dirty little secret – knowledge is a depreciating asset. Meaning, what you know today has certain value. It will have less value tomorrow and less the day after.
One of the best ways to gain new knowledge is by working on new and different problems. This approach forces you to go outside of your comfort zone, yes, but it also causes you to gain new knowledge.
People are like computers – we can’t gain knowledge today and think ourselves “future proof,” just like building out the latest and greatest computer today won’t be future proof either. At some point, stagnation leads to getting passed by.
So if you’re looking to enhance your value – seek out problems and get to work solving them. You’ll be seen as someone who can make work easier and gain additional knowledge that will help you stay in front of the pace of change.
