How well do you solve complex and ambiguous problems?

Our reader poll today asks: How well do you solve complex and ambiguous problems?

– Very well — I’m a great problem solver: 49.9%
– Well — it takes a lot of effort though: 42.39%
– Not well — I could be much better at it: 7.1%
– Poorly — I have trouble with ambiguity and complexity: 0.61%

Ambiguity is Challenging. Half of you put substantial effort into solving complex and ambiguous problems.  The typical reason big, ambiguous problems are challenging is because we try to tackle the entire problem at once.  In doing so, we often chase many low impact ideas or worse, we miss the true root issue.  The easiest way to solve those complex big problems is to turn them into smaller ones.  In breaking the problem down, the true causes become clearer and you can focus on big impact solutions while ignoring smaller ideas.

Do you agree with these poll results?  Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 190,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.