This is one area in business office etiquette where silence is clearly not golden. Being well-spoken only solves half of the communication breakdown that many business professionals find themselves in.

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	If there is a team involved, all members of the team must be committed to finding a solution for the problem at hand.

We Have a Problem
Communication is the central key to problem solving. Unless a problem is acknowledged, there is little hope for a solution. In a workplace where teams are involved, it is a good idea to involve individuals who can put forth their ideas. At times, when a problem is seen in more ways than one, it gets easier to identify the underlying cause.

Keep Out the Blame Game
An open mind is needed to solve a problem. If there is a team involved, all members of the team must be committed to finding a solution for the problem at hand. Communication needs to be free and clear of blame. The team cannot be successful in "finding a solution" for a problem when members of the team secretly suspect one another of causing it. There really is no point in sitting down to solve a problem if the team is more intent on finding a "culprit" to blame the problem upon.

To Win All Around
Everyone on the team involved needs to know that if a solution is found, it will benefit all. Problem resolution cannot take place in the face of insecurity and fears. This is likely to happen if a few people on a team are worried about their prospects getting adversely affected. Such an attitude can easily derail the entire process. Communication must be made transparent. In case of a hierarchical set up, access to senior management is important. This paves the way for confidence building and, in turn, motivates the entire team to aim for the top.

Looking at Realistic Solutions
When the stakes are high, it is easy to get intimidated by problems. Most often, the thought process moves between choosing the right decision and making a mistake. In such times, what is actually simple can seem impossible to overcome. Unfortunately, this only leads to delay in finding a solution. Instead, try looking at the problem from a different perspective. There are different aspects to a problem and studying these aspects can help the speed up the process toward a solution. One way to do this is to invite opinions from all the team members. If done in an organized manner—such as inviting written notes from individuals—this can provide important insights on the nature of the problem, and possibly, clues to prevent it in the future.

Talk it Out—Do Not Let Things Fester
This is probably the best way to reach the root of the problem. Often times, if the problem concerns personal issues, such as a worker repeatedly reporting late or taking a long lunch hour because he or she has a child to take care of, talking out the issue with your supervisor will not automatically solve it, but it can help the supervisor to chart out a better schedule so you can work at your productive best.

Trying to keep problems out of sight can only result in their escalation. At a time when simply being "good" at work is not enough, people expect work to be challenging and enjoyable, too. The path toward problems' resolutions should be embraced early on to prevent future problems and escalated issues.

On the net:

The Positive Way
www.positive-way.com/problem.htm

Mind Tools
www.mindtools.com/page8.html

SmartPros
accounting.smartpros.com/x29117.xml

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