When should you use reasoning skills to solve complex problems?

Reasoning skills are essential for making effective decisions in complex situations. They help you analyze information, evaluate alternatives, and draw logical conclusions. But how do you know when to use reasoning skills and when to rely on intuition, experience, or other methods? In this article, you will learn about some scenarios where reasoning skills are especially useful and some tips on how to apply them.

1 Identify the problem

Identifying the problem you are trying to solve is the first step in using reasoning skills. A problem is a gap between the current state and the desired state of a situation. To identify the issue, ask yourself questions like: what is the situation and what are the facts? What are the goals and objectives? What are the constraints and assumptions? And what are the causes and effects of the problem? Answering these questions can help you clarify the problem, define its scope, and establish its boundaries.

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Mark Wrigley

The Urban Dictionary defines a 'replacement hipster' as an older person who finds themselves back in vogue. Having replacement hips and being expert in film photography and things analogue, it fits with a smile.
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Does reasoning come towards the end of the process? To me this is an iterative process. Reasoning cuts in part way through, a fluid model guiding you what information to seek and examine. And something you should be aware that you can get wrong and need to reassess as you come to a conclusion.

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Winnie Hsu, MBA

Founder of Vision2Reality Foundation & CEO of NexGen Accounting Inc.( Accountability is #1 as a servant leader)
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Identifying the root cause of a problem is a skill that can be developed. We use it at our work by asking many questions. Such as: Do you know what went wrong here? Where it went wrong? How it went wrong? What can we do to resolve it? What are the pros/cons of different options? Those questions will help to find the root cause and explore solutions.

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2 Gather relevant information

The next step in using reasoning skills is to gather relevant information that can help you solve the problem. Relevant information is accurate, reliable, and useful for your purpose, so it's important to do some research to collect and organize information that can support your reasoning process. This could include searching for existing data, evidence, or sources; conducting interviews, surveys, or observations; performing experiments, tests, or simulations; or applying models, frameworks, or theories. By doing this research, you'll be able to find the necessary information to move forward with your reasoning process.

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Winnie Hsu, MBA

Founder of Vision2Reality Foundation & CEO of NexGen Accounting Inc.( Accountability is #1 as a servant leader)
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When I make my first investment in a different City that I have never been to, I will research to find out the City's information, how many people live there, what is the major industry, how much is the average earnings per family, is there any future changes on the way? What is that City's plan for the next 5 years? Those questions bring me to find related information, once equipped relevant information, the decision will be easy.

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3 Generate possible solutions

The third step in using reasoning skills is to generate possible solutions that can address the problem. A solution is a course of action that can achieve the desired state of the situation. To come up with potential solutions, you should employ creativity, such as brainstorming ideas, options, or alternatives; combining, modifying, or improving existing solutions; applying analogies, metaphors, or examples; and using heuristics, rules of thumb, or shortcuts. This creativity will enable you to generate and explore a range of potential solutions that can meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

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4 Evaluate and compare solutions

The fourth step in using reasoning skills is to evaluate and compare solutions based on their strengths and weaknesses. Evaluation is the process of assessing the quality, feasibility, and effectiveness of a solution, while comparison is the process of weighing the pros and cons of different solutions. To do this, you should use criteria such as relevance – how well does the solution address the problem? – validity – how sound and logical is the solution? – reliability – how consistent and dependable is the solution? – efficiency – how optimal and economical is the solution? – and effectiveness – how successful and beneficial is the solution? By considering these criteria, you can judge and rank solutions according to their merits and drawbacks.

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Winnie Hsu, MBA

Founder of Vision2Reality Foundation & CEO of NexGen Accounting Inc.( Accountability is #1 as a servant leader)
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Yes, when we compare solutions by pros and cons, it will help us to make a decision. However, many business decisions will be a gut feeling, so trusting your emotions is also essential. If every logical solution makes sense, but something does not feel right, normally, I'll not do it. Most of the time, our gut feeling is connected to our values and character.

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5 Choose and implement the best solution

The fifth step in using reasoning skills is to choose and implement the best solution that can solve the problem. The best solution is the one that meets the most criteria and has the least disadvantages. To select and execute this solution, you need to make a decision based on evidence and analysis, communicate the decision and its rationale, plan the implementation and resources needed, execute the implementation, monitor the progress, and evaluate the outcomes. In doing so, you can ensure that you are achieving your desired results.

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6 Review and reflect on the process

The sixth step in using reasoning skills is to review and reflect on the process and the outcome of the problem-solving. This includes examining and summarizing what happened and why, as well as learning and improving from the experience. To do so, you should ask for feedback from those involved or affected, give feedback to yourself and others who contributed, identify what worked well and what did not, analyze the reasons for success or failure, and apply the lessons learned to future problems. With this feedback, you can improve your reasoning skills and your problem-solving performance.

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Winnie Hsu, MBA

Founder of Vision2Reality Foundation & CEO of NexGen Accounting Inc.( Accountability is #1 as a servant leader)
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Yes, always need to review our process and result, when we see that the solution that we chose did not work, as a leader, we need to be confident to accept the result and make changes quickly.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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When should you use reasoning skills to solve complex problems?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify the problem

2 Gather relevant information

3 Generate possible solutions

4 Evaluate and compare solutions

5 Choose and implement the best solution

6 Review and reflect on the process

7 Here’s what else to consider

Decision-Making

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When should you use reasoning skills to solve complex problems?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify the problem

2 Gather relevant information

3 Generate possible solutions

4 Evaluate and compare solutions

5 Choose and implement the best solution

6 Review and reflect on the process

7 Here’s what else to consider

Decision-Making

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