Strategies
What's the first thing you should do when attempting to solve a problem?
Clearly define what the problem is
You've gotten behind on a project or assignment. How should you break it down?
Prioritize most important tasks, set yourself deadlines, ask for help, reduce project scope
You're choosing between 2 job offers, what should you compare?
Salary, benefits, growth potential, work-life balance
Your old friend of 5 years is starting to get on your nerves, and cannot stop asking for favors, money, and your time, and does not treat you as you feel you should. You've already tried talking things out with him on multiple occasions, and he says he'll try to change, but he never does. What should you do?
Usually, talking it over would be a correct decision, however, it's already been stated that that hasn't been working. The next best approach is to try to reach out to others who are trusted to see if they can help you, almost like counseling. As a last resort, you should start to progressively distance yourself and set boundaries, as your long term relationship seems to be causing more harm than help.
How many times should you ask yourself why a problem happened?
5
You're planning a vacation, what should you compare?
You are working at a large company as a recruiter in charge of interviews for new potential hires. Someone comes to you for an interview, but you notice that they are below the standard of the company. He talks about his reasons for wanting the job, including needing the job for his struggling family, as there have been several deaths in his family. How would you approach to hiring him or not, and if you do, what steps would you take to integrate him well?
It is perfectly fine to reject them as a candidate, since they simply do not meet the requirements of the job. Howver, if you do want to take a risk with them, giving them a short trial period to really showcase their skills could work well, as an interview might not be able to encapsulate everything they're capable of. You can also try to pair them with a more experienced worker to see if they can learn well from them.
What is a good way to stay focused on a problem?
Set clear goals/desired outcomes
You're choosing between two career paths, what should you consider/do to decide?
You are a chemistry professor who teaches both CHEM 1127 and CHEM 1128. You receive a monstrous amount of emails from students asking for extra credit after their exams, since they require this class for their graduation. How do you approach this?
When asked about this, you shouldn't be swayed too much by each student's reasoning for wanting extra credit, since it wouldn't be fair to give some students extra credit and some students not. Knowing this, you should either give the entire class an extra credit assignment or you can simply decline.
What's the second thing you should do when attempting to solve a problem?
Research/data collection
You're a financial advisor deciding whether to invest in marketing or product development, what should you consider?
Brand awareness, customer feedback, data, quality of product
You meet a person in college and go into a long term relationship with them. Graduation comes and they find a near-permanent job in their home town which is very far from yours. Do you move shop and find a home in/near them or try to leave them out of the equation when figuring out your future?
You should discuss your future plans with your partner first to make sure you are both aware of your future circumstances. Next you should weigh your personal sacrifices versus your happiness, is it worth it to test out going long distance together while you establish your career foundation?
What does the "Is - Is Not" method help you figure out?
The extent/scope of a problem
You're working at a startup and deciding between venture capital vs. organic growth. What should you consider?
Your kid has been shoplifting small packs of candy from the local family-owned corner store. You learn that this has been happening for a while now, and you recognize it is very wrong for them to do that. How do you deal with this?
It is obvious at this point that you should discipline your child in some form. That being said, you should make sure any punishment does not involve any emotional consequences. You should also discuss this with your child to find the root cause of it since there may be a misunderstanding at hand.