Portas (2011) states “A successful manager is the one who ensures smooth functioning of business with his problem-solving abilities to address any issue faced by the firm. Problem-solving skills are important for managers to analyze the problem and solution for the same in a creative and analytical manner. Problem-solving skills enhance the manager’s understanding of business and its operations. Increasing competition in the education and service industry requires problem-solving qualities which could be useful to combat internal and external issues of the firm. 

Problem-solving skills and leadership are somehow similar and related to each other.  During my internship as a marketing intern, I had to work for different managers and seniors. Hence if there was any complex issue that required a tactical solution it was solved by a senior manager with help of different managers of concerned departments affected by the issue. 

Interns have very limited powers to make decisions or resolve any issues. They have to consult managers to seek solutions for any trivial problem as well. Hence problem-solving skills could not be developed properly in case of limited authority. In my case, I was given little minimal authority to address employee’s internal problems, maintain schedules, etc. However, I was allowed to attend the management meetings about several issues and was always asked about opinions and solution suggestions. The issue of authority is the main source of skill development hindrance for interns. It should be addressed by firms to develop new interns having new ideas and perspectives.

Increasing competition, varying market trends have necessitated the need to resolve different problems with tactful solutions. Clients and students are opting for different education providers in the recent economic crisis. Hence firms need to understand their problems and difficulties and resolve them. The most important feature of problem-solving skills is to interpret, analyze, and understand the basic reason behind any problem. Problem-solving skills are helpful in providing customers with service satisfaction and face different challenges with greater expertise and face competition in the market. This is important to improve the problem-solving skills of employees and meet such challenges effectively. Thus, problem-solving is a very crucial skill that managers need to improve to succeed in a competitive market. 

My internship as a marketing intern provided me with complex situations where I faced different problems. These problems required a tactful solution with experience. This was quite challenging for any intern however I was assisted by managers who provided me guidance, suggestions along with solutions to overcome these issues. For the resolution of any issue, we discussed the main root of the issue and then discussed various solutions to overcome that issue. As mentioned earlier problem-solving and leadership skills are related in many ways and they are important determinants in a firm’s success or failure (Sayman et al., 2002, pp. 387). Hence analyzing my problem-solving skills I can conclude that I was successfully led the team through various challenging situations.

I had very limited opportunities to develop my problem-solving skills however SRIRAM BUSINESS SCHOOL provided training to develop these skills. Training and development is the most crucial aspect of developing employee skills. It provides huge learning to improve skills from onsite real working experience. I was benefitted from the training and development and fortunate to be guided by experienced supervisors who keenly assisted me and gave me free hand to make crucial decisions. 

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