10-28-2026
Have you ever heard the old saying “10% of people take up 90% of your time”? To be more accurate: It is the 10%’s behavior or actions that take up so much time, because their behavior or actions are often causing some type of problem that needs to be resolved.
Now, problems are not always inherently bad, although they often have a negative connotation. Another way to think about problems could be to see them as challenges or opportunities, but that all depends on the perspective and mindset you choose to adopt. It also depends on the audience and the overall situation/context.
What we do know is that solving problems or challenges can take up a lot of time, especially if it falls on a few go-to people, but we also know that problem solving is an incredibly valuable skill to possess at work and in life. The truth is that problem solving does not always need to fall on just a few go-to “fixers.” We are all capable of developing problem-solving skills that will make us more valuable at work, and make ourselves, our teams, and our organizations work more effectively and be more productive.
This post explains five steps to effective critical thinking and problem solving, which is the third communication skill in my People-First Framework.
The first step is to stay aware of what is going on with your team, your organization, and your industry. While this may sound simplistic, it is much harder to do in today’s world of information overload. If you receive 100+ emails a day, it can be easy to miss something, even something important. It can also be difficult to pay attention when you are facing cognitive overload. (See this Daniels Insights blog post for tips on how to be a better listener.)
Here are some simple ways to stay aware and pay attention:
At work there may be a lot of pulls on our time — asks from a boss, from clients, from direct reports, and/or from colleagues. To work effectively, we must know how to determine what takes priority, and this requires both proactive and reactive planning.
Proactive planning is important because working ahead and at a steady pace on a project or task gives you the bandwidth to do it well and some flexibility for when an urgent request comes in.
To be a proactive planner:
Reactive planning happens when an unexpected and often urgent ask is made. In reactive planning, you must determine if the ask is truly urgent and requires immediate action.
To determine priority work tasks, ask these questions:
A problem or “crisis” at work may be due to someone else’s lack of planning or being proactive. This is where go-to “fixers” are often heavily replied on, but by fixing everyone else’s problems, their own work may be neglected. This should not be the case, and a way they can address this is by setting healthy boundaries when an urgent ask comes in that is not necessarily theirs to fix.
How to set healthy boundaries around work asks:
One caveat here — if a boss or supervisor asks you to complete an urgent request, you will more than likely need to comply, but (if it is a healthy work environment) you should be able to discuss the situation openly.
Like being aware, this step may seem obvious, but again, with the epidemic of cognitive overload we live in, it can be challenging to keep track of all the work that is happening.
Some ways to keep track of your work:
The key to keeping track of your work is to find an organizational system that works for you and to be consistent with it.
When we are completing small or large tasks or projects it is important to close the loop on them.
Ways to close the loop:
If you want to be more valuable at work, become a problem solver. That doesn’t mean taking on everyone else’s problems, though you’ll sometimes need to pitch in. It means handling the challenges in your own work without passing them off to someone else. That’s how you build influence and earn the respect of the people you work with.
*Portions of this article are adapted from Chapter 3 from the author's textbook “Strategic Business Writing: A People-First Approach" (2024), published by Kendall Hunt. Used with permission.
This blog post is part of a quarterly series written by Professor Kasie Roberson designed to share best practices in business communication. Each article highlights a business communication principle or idea and actionable strategies.
Professor Kasie Roberson, PhD, is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management and Head of the Center for Working Well’s Hayes Leadership Coaching Institute and Co-Director of the Business AI Fellows Program at the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University.
A strategic communication expert, executive coach, and award-winning faculty member, she is also the author of “Strategic Business Writing: A People-First Approach,” one of the first books to market to discuss best practices for using Artificial Intelligence in business writing. A second edition is forthcoming in 2027.
Learn more about Kasie LinkedIn and check out her “This Is Purdue” podcast episode on AI and Authenticity. You can also follow her @dr.kasie on Instagram.
This blog post provides general insights and best practices for business communication. It is for informational purposes only and should not be considered coaching, consulting, or professional advice. Neither Professor Kasie Roberson, nor the Mitch Daniels School of Business, nor Purdue University are responsible for how readers apply this information in practice. Readers should use their discretion and seek professional guidance as needed.
