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How to improve your programming skills in 2021 [The Full Guide]

What will be covered here?

In this article, I'd like to cover a bunch of methods and practices that you can apply immediately to improve your programming skills. This article can be useful for software engineers, both beginners and experienced.

How to navigate this guide?

Here's the table of content of what you'll find below. If you're only interested in something specific go there right away. I've tried to structure the guide in a modular way so that each topic is standalone.

How to become a skilled programmer

Sprint vs Marathon

Acquiring the right skillset, learning new programming languages, learning programming fundamentals, improving your debugging skills.

How to ask for help from experienced programmers

Find a mentor

Pair programming, code reviews.

The mental side of becoming better at programming

Taking care of your mental and physical health as a developer

Fighting the imposter syndrome, best practices for productivity for developers.

Fast ways to become a better programmer

Coding challenges and competitive programming

Online courses, reading programming blogs, side projects and personal projects, making a personal portfolio website, improving your github profile.

How being part of a developer's community can make you a better coder?

What are the recommended communities for developers?

#100daysofcode, attending meetups, contributing to open-source projects, 1. how to become a skilled programmer.

Breaking into the tech industry is a challenge. No doubt about that. especially for an entry-level job where the demand is growing and so do the requirements.

For many of the great tech companies on earth, it is no longer enough to have an academic degree. In fact, many of the high-end companies don't even consider that for technical positions.

The good news is that today everyone can become a software developer. The know-how is out there available in online courses, coding challenges, video tutorials, and a handful of programming blogs and magazines. However, getting hired as a programmer is definitely not an easy task, even for people that have an academic background in computer science or software engineering.

I'll start with my conclusion by saying that learning software development is more like a marathon than a sprint . It a full-time effort that requires the discipline to improve a bit every day . So the key to success is consistent improvement in baby steps.

When most people think about the skillset a developer needs to have they refer to what tech stack they should master or what programming languages they should know. Although it is true, many experienced programmers would mention a wider range of skills that are necessary beyond writing good code, clean code, or any other hardcode coding skills.

Being a good programmer requires a broad scope in terms of skillset. Some of the key skills for success would be:

Mathematical orientation . The degree of math you need to know is highly dependent on the project you are working on. However, programming is mostly about dealing with numbers and building logic around them. Mathematics is one of the most important tools for programmers to develop sophisticated applications, APIs, algorithms, and more. Without some knowledge in mathematics, it's quite difficult to improve. A good way to start would be this course by freeCodeCamp Math for Programmers .
Problem-solving skills . Being a better programmer means being a better problem-solver and logical thinker. In fact, Solving problems is the core of computer science. Programmers must first understand how a human solves a problem, then understand how to translate this "algorithm" into something a computer can do, and finally how to "write" the specific syntax (required by a computer) to get the job done.
Programming languages . I'll start by saying that different types of developer roles require different languages. Assuming you already know at least one language, one way to go is to dive deeper into a book about it and learn it thoroughly. Reading books is often overlooked but in fact, there's an abundance of knowledge there. Another strategy to improve is to expand your horizon to a new language. More about it below, keep reading.
Excellent organizational and time management skills. Wait, What? Yes, you read it right. Many software developers don't just code all day. According to thenewstack , software developers spend 22% of their time just doing code maintenance. They also spend a higher percentage of their time writing new code or improving existing code (39%) and a much lower percentage of their time on operational tasks and in meetings (14%). Looking at this data means that writing code isn't everything. Being a better developer means you'll need to manage your time carefully. At this point, you may be too focused on writing code and not enough on learning other important skills that every developer needs.
Accuracy and attention to detail. Well, this comes to one of the biggest emotional challenges that every developer experiences in the form of debugging. If you started programming already, you should know what I'm talking about. It can be disorienting, so when it does something different from what you expect, it's hard to figure out why. In many cases, debugging isn't technically difficult by itself. It's finding the bug that can drive you crazy. More about debugging below.
Teamwork skills. Simply put, teamwork helps solve problems. Collaboration within a group can help solve difficult problems and improve your critical thinking. Brainstorming is a good opportunity for the team to exchange ideas and come up with creative ways of doing things. By working together, teams can find the solutions that work best by reviewing and reading code of each other. Nowadays, it doesn't matter where you're going to work, most likely you're going to be part of a team.
Self-development skills to keep up to date with fast-changing trends. The tech world is ever-changing. Being on top of the latest developments in software is a "must-have". There are many ways you can stay updated but the main challenge is to manage your time efficiently. You may want to pick a specific blog to follow or you can use a coding news aggregator for that purpose. Another option can be to subscribe to newsletters .

How to choose a new programming language to learn is quite complicated. Since it will take quite an effort, there are a lot of things you may want to consider. With that said, luckily there are some best practices that I'd like to share with you.

It all comes down to whether you know what you want to build or not.

If you don't know what you want to build

It can happen but it's quite rare. In this case, I would recommend you to go and read blogs about how to choose your next programming language. It very unlikely that after a few posts you won't get some idea about it. alternatively, you can go to StackOverflow or Quora to find people who have had the same question.

Another option is just to choose one without overthinking about it. Pick a language that's very popular, whether it's JavaScript, Java, Python, HTML, whatever. Just start with something. This is called action bias. Once you'll start learning you will gain motivation.

If you know what you want to build

Luckily there are some best practices that you can use to guide your learning journey. The optimal way in many cases is just to follow the popular language for whatever is it that you want to build.

For web development (frontend): JavaScript, HTML and CSS. You'll also need to check different popular web dev JS frameworks such as React, Vue.js, and Angular.
For backend development: Python, C#, or JavaScript. It's also quite handy to know SQL.
For data science or machine learning: Python or R.
For game development: It depends if you're aiming for 2D or 3D games. For 2D it's best to choose JavaScript (with Phaser Construct 3 as a framework) or C# (with Unity 2D or MonoGame).
For Android development: Firstly Java was the official language for Android app development, but now it was replaced by Kotlin as officially declared by Google in 2019.
For iOS development: Objective-C and Swift are two main programming languages used to build iOS apps. While Objective-C is an older programming language, Swift is a modern, fast, clear, and evolving programming language.

Functional Programming

Functional programming (also called FP) is a method of thinking about software development by creating pure functions. It avoids concepts of shared state, mutable data that are observed in Object-Oriented Programming. It emphasizes the application of functions, in contrast with the procedural programming style that emphasizes changes in state.

Even if you don't work in a functional language, the solutions offered by the functional way of thinking can help you solve difficult problems and understand the world of computing.

Object-oriented programming (or OOP)

OOP stands for Object-Oriented Programming. Procedural programming is about writing procedures or functions that perform operations on the data, while object-oriented programming is about creating objects that contain both data and functions.

Object-oriented programming uses classes and objects, Procedural programming takes on applications by solving problems from the top of the code down to the bottom. This happens when a program starts with a problem and then breaks that problem down into smaller sub-problems or sub-procedures.

Object-oriented programming languages reduce development time because you can reuse code and develop models based on previous objects. Objects also separate themselves to prevent accidental overwriting or influence from other programs. It's clean and efficient.

Data structures

Data Structure is a way to store and organize data so that it can be used efficiently. There are many types of data structures such as Array, Pointer, Structure, Linked List, Stack, Queue, Graph, Searching, Sorting, Programs, etc.

Algorithms and data structures are basically the foundation of everything even though you'll probably never write one of your own once you're past the beginner stage. Knowing them, or at least having known them, will make you a better developer in the end.

Design patterns

A design pattern is a general repeatable solution to a commonly occurring problem in software design. A design pattern isn't a finished design that can be transformed directly into code. It is a description or template for how to solve a problem that can be used in many different situations. The most common design patterns are Creational/Singleton, Decorator, Command Design Pattern, Factory Design Pattern, and The Observer Pattern.

Design patterns can make your designs more flexible, more resilient to change, and easier to maintain. If you've encountered design patterns only in passing, in a nutshell, they're general object-oriented solutions that you can use in your own designs.

Debugging itself is a very difficult process because of the involvement of humans. Another reason due to which it is considered difficult because it consumes a large amount of time and resources too.

There are so many strategies and tips for this online, here are a few of my favorites:

Make it a habit to dig deeper and find more information about the issue before starting to debug a non-trivial issue.
Increase code reading skills. Reading source code that other people wrote can help you become familiar with navigating in larger codebases.
Learn from the bug. Don’t repeat the same mistakes.
Take a shower / go to sleep.
Try talking with a friend or colleague about the bug.
Buy a rubber duck and explain what is it that you're trying to debug.
Learn the basics of the tools you use often. Especially your IDE.
Familiarize yourself with common error messages.
Don't use it if you don't understand It.
Practice writing all sorts of testing such as unit testing, integration testing (which is essentially taking components that have been unit-tested and building a program structure), regression testing, etc.

2. How to ask for help from experienced programmers

Have you ever heard of a professional athlete that doesn't have a coach? It's simply impossible to achieve tremendous results over time without having someone to watch and guide you. The journey of becoming a better developer is no different. Finding a mentor can dramatically help you improve your coding skills.

A mentor is a big word, but in reality, it's a person with whom you create a relationship for the purpose of improving and learning new things. It can be a friend, colleague, or even a total stranger dev that you admire.

How do you get someone to be your "mentor"?

First, you'll need to find a person that you feel comfortable approaching with this topic. In case it's someone you don't know then make sure you do your homework on who they are and what they care about. Most chances that they are at least as busy as you. There's nothing more frustrating than getting a cold email from someone who clearly knows nothing about you and didn't even search about you on Google.

Once you've found that person, the ideal way would be to now make an approach. If you know them, it should be easier. In case you don't know that person, it can start with a simple email or a DM on Twitter asking for feedback. One of the most effective ways to start such a relationship is to work on some side project, and then ask for feedback about it. You'd be surprised how many people would be willing to help.

Once you've got your first meeting or email exchange, try to make it as actionable as possible. Narrow down the questions you have in mind and focus on those ones only. Ideally, by the end of the meeting, you already have a bunch of ideas and things you may want to improve. At this point, I'd ask the potential mentor whether I can follow up in a couple of weeks to show the progress made. If I got a positive response that a great way to start! It means that we now have some sort of a relationship that I can foster.

From that point, it's a matter of your passion and ability to move this relationship forward and try to make it stable. As a final note, keep in mind that although both sides to this relationship earn from it, it's still time-consuming. So please do your best to be mindful of your mentor's time.

That's a thing most developers encounter for the first time in a job interview. The thing is that pair programming can be used not only to evaluate the skills of a developer but also for two devs to learn from each other.

Say you have some project in mind, you cab always choose to go for it by yourself. Instead, try to add a partner to work on this with you. Obviously, having a partner doesn't mean you'll be coding together with the same pieces of code. But if you two are working well together and looking to improve you may want to try doing some pair programming. You'd be surprised how many new things you can learn from your partner by doing so.

Those who code as part of a team have probably experienced code reviews. However, many developers nowadays are solo developers. That means that in most cases no one will ever look at your code. If you're a solo developer, I'd definitely advocate that you find either a mentor or someone who's passionate about what you're doing. If you can find such a person you can both review each others' code and create an ongoing mutual improvement process.

3. The mental side of becoming better at programming

Physical and mental wellbeing is a big topic, and it would probably require another set of posts to cover just this thing. However, when I wrote this article I found it highly important to mention this aspect of improving as a developer.

The journey to becoming a better developer is long and can sometimes be tough. Having to learn new complex concepts, deal with problem-solving, debugging and more can come with a price. There's an increasing amount of developers who experience occupational burnout or other forms of difficulties.

That brings me to one of the very first points of this article - becoming a better developer is not a sprint, it's a marathon. That means, it takes time, consistency, and perseverance. It's much better to improve 1% every week over time than trying to squeeze your improvement process into a specific time frame.

So if we understand that it's a long-term play, we also understand that without the proper conditions to win in this long-term play, we won't be able to make it. Physical and mental health is an important part of this. So here's how to deal with stress as a developer .

If you got here and never heard of the term imposter syndrome that's perfectly fine. Most likely you've experienced this feeling but did not know that it's called that way. Developer imposter syndrome sees both junior and senior developers dwelling on the knowledge and coding languages that they don't know. They struggle to recognize their value, and negatively compare their skills against the skills of others.

I've seen many people suffer from that feeling and get into an endless overthinking process. You might be suffering from it if you've been thinking one of the following thoughts lately:

"I simply don't know enough."
"Every other developer in my team knows better than me."
"I have to learn harder."
"It's probably not the best way to build what I'm trying to build."

There are many ways to fight this situation. The first and most important step is to recognize if you feel that way or not. Once you're aware of it, you've already made a big step! You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You know it, but no one is great at everything all the time.

Another good practice to fight imposter syndrome is to share your feelings with close people or with your network on social media. The support and empathy you'll get can help cope with it.

Earlier last year, during the COVID pandemic, I've written on this topic. My tips in general are:

Set a daily goal
Embrace accountability
Plan your breaks
Be transparent with your team
Separate your work station and the rest of your life
Get some exercise
Welcome meaningful human interactions

For more detail, read the full post on productivity best practices for remote working developers .

4. Fast ways to become a better programmer

Participating in coding challenges is an excellent way to refresh your memory of basic and advanced concepts before seeking a new job, preparing for a job interview, etc. I believe that’s the first thing we think about when the coding contests come to mind. However, you might find it interesting (or not) that many programmers actually love participating in such challenges just for fun. Yes, you read it right, and it has a name -- competitive programming!

Here are two valuable resources on this topic to help you explore it better:

Top 5 Coding Challenge Websites Ranked by Data
The Best Coding Challenges Websites To Practice Problem Solving by Catalin Pit

Noaways, online courses have become more common and accible than ever. Tons of resources are being offered for free on YouTube and other platforms. Up until a few years ago most of the content was hosted on established sites like Udemy , Coursera , edX and Khan Academy . However, now there are plenty of indie educators that are providing awesome online courses in reasonable prices and sometimes even for free.

If you're more into the indie creator stuff make sure to check these awesome teachers:

Kent C. Dodds
Flavio Copes
Traversy Media

Wow this is one of my personal topics! One of the great things about the development ecosystem is that so many developers are also blogging. There are magazines, blogging platforms, coding news readers, indie blogs and more.

Finding written content is not a problem at all. The issue is actually the opposite! There is too much content that makes it nearly impossible to clear the clutter and find high-quality articles without having to spend much time and energy.

I'm not objective, but for me daily.dev is the ultimate solution as it is an all-in one coding news reader . It collects, ranks and display the best programming news in a feed. That way you can get all the best articles at a glance without spending a minute on searching for it. Want to see news on web development? No problem. Machine learning? You got it. Easily select your desired topics, and daily.dev will take it from there.

Reading an article a day is the perfect example of the "marathon" nature of improving as a developer. So it is highly recommended to start and making it a habit.

One of the most popular ways for developers to boost their knowledge is by building side projects. A side project (or a personal project) is practical way for you to try out new technologies, programming languages and frameworks.

If that sounds appealing the first step would obviously to come up with an idea. If you google it, there are endless resources on how to find an idea for a personal project.

We've covered this topic in our blog in the past so you may want to check out these resources:

How To Get Programming Project Ideas
How To Balance Your Job With Your Side Projects As A Developer

A personal portfolio website is a wonderful way to show your skills and the different stages of your journey as a developer. In most cases a developers' personal portfolio contains:

Bio or some info about you
Blog posts or essays that you've written
Projects you've built
GitHub repos that you contributed to or maintained by you
Links to you social media accounts
And basically anything else you would like to showcase!

One of the befits of making a personal portfolio is that it can motivate you to fill it with high-quality media and assets. After all you have your name and reputation on it!

Although improving your Github will not necessarily contribute directly to your effort of becoming better at programming, it's important for your personal brand. In the world we live in today, it's not enough to have the technical skills. Potential employers want to know more about you, your history and character.

Your GitHub profile will most likely be one of the top results on Google when someone searches for your name. So having a proper presence there is worth your while.

Learn more about creating a killer GitHub profile README .

5. How being part of a developer's community can make you a better coder?

I'll start by saying that the answer to this question is yes. Being part of a community for developers can dramatically help you become a better developer. The main reasons are:

Through communities you get to learn new things
It's easier to stay updated on the lastest trends in programming
You get motivational support and possibly also some recognition
You can discover amazing opportunities for both your career and life
You get to meet awesome people

The definition of a developers community is a bit vague. But if you ask most developers this question these are the main site you want to check out:

Dev.to - it's an online blogging platform. It's like a social network for developers where people get together to share knowledge. If you haven't heard of them make sure to give it a try.
freeCodeCamp - it's an educational community that strives to make it easier for people to learn how to code. The best thing about freecodeCamp is not only it's super high-quality content, but also the fact that they are non-profit.
Stack Overflow - I guess I don't need to say much about it. They are one of the most prominent developer communities out there. If you're not active on Stack Overflow I highly recommend that you start.
Indie Hackers - although this community is not tailor-made for developers it's still an interesting place to be in. That's true especially for people who try to build new software businesses and side projects.
Hashnode - this community is all about blogging as a developer. They offer some of the most appealing features for developers who blog. Make sure to check them out!
Discord - there are plenty of Discord servers for developers. If you're into chatting, search for it on Google and you'll find some good servers right away.

#100DaysOfCode is one of the most popular personal challenges that people take on themselves to improve their programming skills. That applies mostly for beginners but not necessarily.

There's a whole ecosystem and community channels around it. If you feel like giving it a try go and check the official #100DaysOfCode website .

Part of staying in the loop and learning new concepts is by listening to how other people are doing it. Events are all over the place and it's quite difficult to find the best ones for you.

As an initial step, I'd suggest you to visit meetup.com and search for topics you're interested about. That's a solid way to discover local groups that talk about it.

Additionally, if you into more consistent learning, we recently launched The Monthly Dev . It's a TED-like monthly online events. We meet online once a month to listen to world-class speakers. If a fun way to connect with other devs, learn new stuff and get inspiration.

The open-source community is always open for contributions. For you it means that you can actually influence a library that many other developers are using around the world. I personally find it super cool.

The main issue is finding the right open-source projects you can try as a beginner. The best resource for this in my opinion is the repo MunGell/awesome-for-beginners . It provides a list of the exact projects and issues that you can take right away as a beginner.

I hope you enjoyed reading all these tips. I did my best to write it concisely, the same way I'd love to get it, if I was the reader. As you could see, improving your programming skills is a long-term effort and in comprised of several themes. There's the technical side of getting better at coding but it's not everything. You also may want to be active in developer communities and practice habits that will improve your wellbeing and productivity.

Why not level up your reading with daily.dev?

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How To Improve Your Programming Skills As Developers and Non-Developers

Find the best ways for you to learn and improve your programming skills based on your goals, familiarity with programming, and your profession..

Whether you’re a developer, designer, or even a marketing specialist, learning how to code and improving your programming skills can be critical to your career growth. With that said, the path you take to improve your technical knowledge will differ based on your background and familiarity with programming.

In this blog post, we'll dig into why people from all sorts of backgrounds—especially developers—want to get better at programming and what “getting better at programming” means. We’ll then outline the best ways to learn programming depending on your backgrounds and goals.

Why improve your programming skills? What does that mean?

Overview of different ways to improve your programming skills, will working with a mentor help improve my programming skills.

From personal to work projects, from passion to career, from curiosity to practicality, there are many reasons why you may want to improve your programming skills. While a common reason people choose to learn programming is to become a developer, that is not the only reason. Non-developers, such as designers and business owners, might also want to learn programming to add to their skill set.

In this article, we’ll look at three groups of people who may want to improve their programming skills:

Developers from all levels of seniority
Students and aspiring developers
Non-developers (e.g. designers, marketers, business analysts, etc.).

To help you figure out how to improve your skills, we want to expand on what improving your programming skills might mean. We ran a survey to better understand what people mean when they say they want to “improve their programming skills” and will use that as a starting point.

As shown above, the top three scenarios people need help with to get better at programming are:

Get hands-on guidance to solve specific tasks or eliminate blockers
Learn basic programming skills

Deepen my understanding of technical concepts

The first scenario applies to both developers and non-developers , the second scenario to students, aspiring developers, and non-developers , and the third scenario to mid-level and senior developers .

Let's dig deeper into each scenario to see which scenario fits your needs best.

Get hands-on guidance to help me solve specific tasks or eliminate blockers

Developers, regardless of seniority, usually look for targeted learning that caters to specific problems or blockers they’re facing. They seek out coding mentors to show them how to identify and solve problems so that they can do it themselves in the future.

I can watch how they solve my issue and then when I have a similar issue I can solve it by myself. - Robert, bachelor’s student in Computer Science

What about non-developers? Their intentions are almost identical to that of developers, regardless of whether they’re business analysts, marketing specialists, UX designers, or even CEOs. They have specific projects they’re working on and the project requires programming skills that are beyond their current abilities. Rather than simply outsourcing their projects, these users want to learn programming languages that’ll give them more autonomy and power to deliver projects and strengthen their careers.

By working with my mentors I learned how to approach the problems and find solutions to them. - Philip, Founder and Product Manager

Learn basic coding skills

Another major user group is aspiring programmers who identify as students, at the beginning of their coding journey. Oftentimes, these are students who are:

getting a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science
taking online classes, or
in coding bootcamps.

All of the above provide coding lessons and coding training. However, many students still look for mentor, despite having professors, peers, and sometimes, even mentors to assist them in their coding bootcamps. Jared, a current coding bootcamp student, explained why he sought mentorship outside of his bootcamp:

We’re assigned a mentor but we’re usually only able to talk with them once a week. It’s hard to get help immediately when I’m stuck. Another thing is that my mentor doesn’t always know what I’m struggling with and they only assist with projects and concepts that are taught in the syllabus. I feel like mentors here can identify what I really really need to know to be able to become a good developer in the real world.

What 1-on-1 mentorships provide that other structured courses don’t provide include:

Personalized diagnoses from senior developers
Individualized coding training based on one’s existing knowledge
Track your progress, provide you with extra resources, and tailor your learning experience as you grow

In other words, students use mentorship as an additional resource to enhance their learning experience. The mentorship relationship often extends beyond their programs as students eventually become developers, and continue to grow and learn through long-term mentorships .

Last but not least, a lot of developers want to deepen their understanding of technical concepts. Some of the questions and requests developers post include:

Would like to meet weekly to discuss process in iOS dev, clarifying principles in Swift
Help learning Vue.js and advanced JavaScript, also help with backend
Need someone to personally coach me DS Algorithms in Java

As you can see, many programmers in this category already have some understanding of the tech stacks and technology they’re working with but want to take their skills to the next level.

For mid-level developers, structured courses are unhelpful as they’re looking to dive deep into specific areas not typically covered by online classes or bootcamps. Through working directly with coding mentors, the learning process can be tailored to each developer’s needs.

With all that said, we want to highlight some ways to help you improve your programming skills, depending on which stage of the coding journey you’re at and what your goals are.

Different people learn differently. Depending on your skill level, goals, and availability, you may want to consider coding training that is structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. Generally speaking, structured learning is most suitable for aspiring developers, semi-structured learning is more fitting for non-developers, and unstructured learning is more effective for mid to senior level developers. We’ll talk more about which approach may fit you better and what resources are available to you.

Structured Learning

If you don’t have any coding foundation and want to become a developer, structured and comprehensive coding training that has dedicated instructors, detailed projects, and hard deadlines may be the most effective for you. These programs are highly intensive, require high levels of commitment, and can be quite pricey. Your options include:

Four-year or two-year degrees from universities and community colleges
Coding certification programs
Codesmith: Full-time Software Engineering Immersive (USD $19,350)
Tech Elevator: Coding Bootcamp Program (USD $15,950)
Hack Reactor: Coding Bootcamp (USD $17,980)
The Tech Academy: Mobile App Developer Bootcamp ($9,540 - $11,900)
Devmountain: iOS Development Course ($7,900)

If becoming a software developer and pursuing full-time programming careers are not your goals, a comprehensive bootcamp may be an overkill. Instead, you can choose semi-structured learning that aligns with your needs and goals.

Semi-Structured Learning

If you simply want to learn one or two programming languages or tech stacks, online courses are a good alternative as they often focus on specific topics and languages. Most online courses are semi-structured, meaning you will be given a syllabus and structured lessons, but no dedicated instructors, hard deadlines, and sometimes, not even hands-on projects. You’ll have more freedom but less guidance and built-in accountability. If this sounds like something you prefer, here are some examples:

Data Science

Harvard University’s online courses

Frontend Development

FreeCodeCamp
Khan Academy

Backend Development

University of Michigan’s online courses

Coding courses online are accessible and flexible. However, there are some possible downsides:

The courses can sometimes be outdated
There is little to no accountability
May be too theory-heavy with little focus on application
No available mentors to reach out to when questions arise

If you do choose semi-structured courses, we’d suggest finding a mentor to help guide you along the way. You can take full control over your learning by asking a coding mentor to explain concepts that are hard to grasp, keep you accountable, and provide you with hands-on guidance on how to apply the theories in real-world settings.

Unstructured Learning

If you’re starting from scratch, we wouldn’t suggest going the unstructured route. While there is a plethora of coding resources available, it can be hard to know where to start. Without a solid foundation or a good grasp of the help or answer you’re looking for, finding the right books, blog posts, and YouTube videos can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Even worse, you could go down a rabbit hole that may be misleading.

With that said, unstructured learning is the most common way experienced developers continue to grow their programming skills. Developers are known to be resourceful, community-oriented, and driven learners. If you already have the foundations you need and know what you’re looking for, here are some generic resources you may find useful:

Stack Overflow
Awesome Learning Resources (lauragift21)
Awesome Learning Resources (GDGAhmedabad)
Learn to code (ashleymcnamara)
ProjectLearn: Project Based Learning (Xtremilicious)
r/learnprogramming
r/ProgrammingBuddies
r/cscareerquestions
DevProjects
Conferences and webinars

With a solid enough foundation, you can find any resource that’ll help you learn. However, as you grow as a developer, you'll also have less time dedicated to learning new technologies. This is where coding mentors could be helpful.

Richa, a senior developer with 13+ years of experience said:

I am a developer and trying to learn more tech stacks. Now there's just not enough time to schedule a time for dedicated learning like I used to do during my learning days 13 years ago. Pair programming sessions at Codementor have reduced that learning time dramatically for me.

Communities like Stack Overflow, dev.to, and GitHub are crucial to the continuous growth of every developer and coding mentors can help you navigate through the programming knowledge shared in these communities.

We’ve briefly discussed the benefits of having a coding mentor in your coding journey throughout the process but what is coding mentorship? Coding mentors are senior developers who act as your advisor and coach to help you learn new technologies, personal skills, and career guidance.

Here are some hard and soft skills that coding mentors can provide:

Help kickstart your programming professional development
Understand your unique pain points and cater to your individual needs
Impart knowledge and wisdom through their working and coding experience
Hold you accountable to achieve your goals
Discover and hone your leadership skills
Boost your confidence and problem-solving abilities

Regardless of whether you decide to take the structured, semi-structured, or unstructured route to learn how to code and reach your goals, having a coding mentor (or two!) can help you grow technically, personally, and professionally.

There is no right way to go about learning how to code just as there is also no right track for those who choose to learn to code.

If you’re figuring out which learning style is the best for you, one of the most important things is to identify what your goal is. Once you’ve identified your short term and long term goals, you can mix and match the learning styles that fit your needs the best.

If you’re unsure what you need to achieve your goals, finding a mentor is a great place to start. Mentors can help you identify and clarify your goals. They would also provide you with the best resource to help you learn according to your skill level and learning style.

There is no cookie cutter approach and no shortcut to improve your programming skills. Getting the results and reaching the goals you have takes strategizing and the right kind of help. We hope this article will help you find what suits you best.

If you have any questions, thoughts, or experience to share about honing your programming skills, leave a comment below!

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Python Practice for Beginners: 15 Hands-On Problems

online practice

Want to put your Python skills to the test? Challenge yourself with these 15 Python practice exercises taken directly from our Python courses!

There’s no denying that solving Python exercises is one of the best ways to practice and improve your Python skills . Hands-on engagement with the language is essential for effective learning. This is exactly what this article will help you with: we've curated a diverse set of Python practice exercises tailored specifically for beginners seeking to test their programming skills.

These Python practice exercises cover a spectrum of fundamental concepts, all of which are covered in our Python Data Structures in Practice and Built-in Algorithms in Python courses. Together, both courses add up to 39 hours of content. They contain over 180 exercises for you to hone your Python skills. In fact, the exercises in this article were taken directly from these courses!

In these Python practice exercises, we will use a variety of data structures, including lists, dictionaries, and sets. We’ll also practice basic programming features like functions, loops, and conditionals. Every exercise is followed by a solution and explanation. The proposed solution is not necessarily the only possible answer, so try to find your own alternative solutions. Let’s get right into it!

Python Practice Problem 1: Average Expenses for Each Semester

John has a list of his monthly expenses from last year:

He wants to know his average expenses for each semester. Using a for loop, calculate John’s average expenses for the first semester (January to June) and the second semester (July to December).

Explanation

We initialize two variables, first_semester_total and second_semester_total , to store the total expenses for each semester. Then, we iterate through the monthly_spending list using enumerate() , which provides both the index and the corresponding value in each iteration. If you have never heard of enumerate() before – or if you are unsure about how for loops in Python work – take a look at our article How to Write a for Loop in Python .

Within the loop, we check if the index is less than 6 (January to June); if so, we add the expense to first_semester_total . If the index is greater than 6, we add the expense to second_semester_total .

After iterating through all the months, we calculate the average expenses for each semester by dividing the total expenses by 6 (the number of months in each semester). Finally, we print out the average expenses for each semester.

Python Practice Problem 2: Who Spent More?

John has a friend, Sam, who also kept a list of his expenses from last year:

They want to find out how many months John spent more money than Sam. Use a for loop to compare their expenses for each month. Keep track of the number of months where John spent more money.

We initialize the variable months_john_spent_more with the value zero. Then we use a for loop with range(len()) to iterate over the indices of the john_monthly_spending list.

Within the loop, we compare John's expenses with Sam's expenses for the corresponding month using the index i . If John's expenses are greater than Sam's for a particular month, we increment the months_john_spent_more variable. Finally, we print out the total number of months where John spent more money than Sam.

Python Practice Problem 3: All of Our Friends

Paul and Tina each have a list of their respective friends:

Combine both lists into a single list that contains all of their friends. Don’t include duplicate entries in the resulting list.

There are a few different ways to solve this problem. One option is to use the + operator to concatenate Paul and Tina's friend lists ( paul_friends and tina_friends ). Afterwards, we convert the combined list to a set using set() , and then convert it back to a list using list() . Since sets cannot have duplicate entries, this process guarantees that the resulting list does not hold any duplicates. Finally, we print the resulting combined list of friends.

If you need a refresher on Python sets, check out our in-depth guide to working with sets in Python or find out the difference between Python sets, lists, and tuples .

Python Practice Problem 4: Find the Common Friends

Now, let’s try a different operation. We will start from the same lists of Paul’s and Tina’s friends:

In this exercise, we’ll use a for loop to get a list of their common friends.

For this problem, we use a for loop to iterate through each friend in Paul's list ( paul_friends ). Inside the loop, we check if the current friend is also present in Tina's list ( tina_friends ). If it is, it is added to the common_friends list. This approach guarantees that we test each one of Paul’s friends against each one of Tina’s friends. Finally, we print the resulting list of friends that are common to both Paul and Tina.

Python Practice Problem 5: Find the Basketball Players

You work at a sports club. The following sets contain the names of players registered to play different sports:

How can you obtain a set that includes the players that are only registered to play basketball (i.e. not registered for football or volleyball)?

This type of scenario is exactly where set operations shine. Don’t worry if you never heard about them: we have an article on Python set operations with examples to help get you up to speed.

First, we use the | (union) operator to combine the sets of football and volleyball players into a single set. In the same line, we use the - (difference) operator to subtract this combined set from the set of basketball players. The result is a set containing only the players registered for basketball and not for football or volleyball.

If you prefer, you can also reach the same answer using set methods instead of the operators:

It’s essentially the same operation, so use whichever you think is more readable.

Python Practice Problem 6: Count the Votes

Let’s try counting the number of occurrences in a list. The list below represent the results of a poll where students were asked for their favorite programming language:

Use a dictionary to tally up the votes in the poll.

In this exercise, we utilize a dictionary ( vote_tally ) to count the occurrences of each programming language in the poll results. We iterate through the poll_results list using a for loop; for each language, we check if it already is in the dictionary. If it is, we increment the count; otherwise, we add the language to the dictionary with a starting count of 1. This approach effectively tallies up the votes for each programming language.

If you want to learn more about other ways to work with dictionaries in Python, check out our article on 13 dictionary examples for beginners .

Python Practice Problem 7: Sum the Scores

Three friends are playing a game, where each player has three rounds to score. At the end, the player whose total score (i.e. the sum of each round) is the highest wins. Consider the scores below (formatted as a list of tuples):

Create a dictionary where each player is represented by the dictionary key and the corresponding total score is the dictionary value.

This solution is similar to the previous one. We use a dictionary ( total_scores ) to store the total scores for each player in the game. We iterate through the list of scores using a for loop, extracting the player's name and score from each tuple. For each player, we check if they already exist as a key in the dictionary. If they do, we add the current score to the existing total; otherwise, we create a new key in the dictionary with the initial score. At the end of the for loop, the total score of each player will be stored in the total_scores dictionary, which we at last print.

Python Practice Problem 8: Calculate the Statistics

Given any list of numbers in Python, such as …

… write a function that returns a tuple containing the list’s maximum value, sum of values, and mean value.

We create a function called calculate_statistics to calculate the required statistics from a list of numbers. This function utilizes a combination of max() , sum() , and len() to obtain these statistics. The results are then returned as a tuple containing the maximum value, the sum of values, and the mean value.

The function is called with the provided list and the results are printed individually.

Python Practice Problem 9: Longest and Shortest Words

Given the list of words below ..

… find the longest and the shortest word in the list.

To find the longest and shortest word in the list, we initialize the variables longest_word and shortest_word as the first word in the list. Then we use a for loop to iterate through the word list. Within the loop, we compare the length of each word with the length of the current longest and shortest words. If a word is longer than the current longest word, it becomes the new longest word; on the other hand, if it's shorter than the current shortest word, it becomes the new shortest word. After iterating through the entire list, the variables longest_word and shortest_word will hold the corresponding words.

There’s a catch, though: what happens if two or more words are the shortest? In that case, since the logic used is to overwrite the shortest_word only if the current word is shorter – but not of equal length – then shortest_word is set to whichever shortest word appears first. The same logic applies to longest_word , too. If you want to set these variables to the shortest/longest word that appears last in the list, you only need to change the comparisons to <= (less or equal than) and >= (greater or equal than), respectively.

If you want to learn more about Python strings and what you can do with them, be sure to check out this overview on Python string methods .

Python Practice Problem 10: Filter a List by Frequency

Given a list of numbers …

… create a new list containing only the numbers that occur at least three times in the list.

Here, we use a for loop to iterate through the number_list . In the loop, we use the count() method to check if the current number occurs at least three times in the number_list . If the condition is met, the number is appended to the filtered_list .

After the loop, the filtered_list contains only numbers that appear three or more times in the original list.

Python Practice Problem 11: The Second-Best Score

You’re given a list of students’ scores in no particular order:

Find the second-highest score in the list.

This one is a breeze if we know about the sort() method for Python lists – we use it here to sort the list of exam results in ascending order. This way, the highest scores come last. Then we only need to access the second to last element in the list (using the index -2 ) to get the second-highest score.

Python Practice Problem 12: Check If a List Is Symmetrical

Given the lists of numbers below …

… create a function that returns whether a list is symmetrical. In this case, a symmetrical list is a list that remains the same after it is reversed – i.e. it’s the same backwards and forwards.

Reversing a list can be achieved by using the reverse() method. In this solution, this is done inside the is_symmetrical function.

To avoid modifying the original list, a copy is created using the copy() method before using reverse() . The reversed list is then compared with the original list to determine if it’s symmetrical.

The remaining code is responsible for passing each list to the is_symmetrical function and printing out the result.

Python Practice Problem 13: Sort By Number of Vowels

Given this list of strings …

… sort the list by the number of vowels in each word. Words with fewer vowels should come first.

Whenever we need to sort values in a custom order, the easiest approach is to create a helper function. In this approach, we pass the helper function to Python’s sorted() function using the key parameter. The sorting logic is defined in the helper function.

In the solution above, the custom function count_vowels uses a for loop to iterate through each character in the word, checking if it is a vowel in a case-insensitive manner. The loop increments the count variable for each vowel found and then returns it. We then simply pass the list of fruits to sorted() , along with the key=count_vowels argument.

Python Practice Problem 14: Sorting a Mixed List

Imagine you have a list with mixed data types: strings, integers, and floats:

Typically, you wouldn’t be able to sort this list, since Python cannot compare strings to numbers. However, writing a custom sorting function can help you sort this list.

Create a function that sorts the mixed list above using the following logic:

If the element is a string, the length of the string is used for sorting.
If the element is a number, the number itself is used.

As proposed in the exercise, a custom sorting function named custom_sort is defined to handle the sorting logic. The function checks whether each element is a string or a number using the isinstance() function. If the element is a string, it returns the length of the string for sorting; if it's a number (integer or float), it returns the number itself.

The sorted() function is then used to sort the mixed_list using the logic defined in the custom sorting function.

If you’re having a hard time wrapping your head around custom sort functions, check out this article that details how to write a custom sort function in Python .

Python Practice Problem 15: Filter and Reorder

Given another list of strings, such as the one below ..

.. create a function that does two things: filters out any words with three or fewer characters and sorts the resulting list alphabetically.

Here, we define filter_and_sort , a function that does both proposed tasks.

First, it uses a for loop to filter out words with three or fewer characters, creating a filtered_list . Then, it sorts the filtered list alphabetically using the sorted() function, producing the final sorted_list .

The function returns this sorted list, which we print out.

Want Even More Python Practice Problems?

We hope these exercises have given you a bit of a coding workout. If you’re after more Python practice content, head straight for our courses on Python Data Structures in Practice and Built-in Algorithms in Python , where you can work on exciting practice exercises similar to the ones in this article.

Additionally, you can check out our articles on Python loop practice exercises , Python list exercises , and Python dictionary exercises . Much like this article, they are all targeted towards beginners, so you should feel right at home!

Problem-Solving Skills for Software Developers: Why & How to Improve

how to improve problem-solving skills for software developers

Problem-solving skills go hand-in-hand with software development. Learn some great problem-solving techniques and tips for improvement here!

Software developer jobs today require that you possess excellent problem-solving skills , and for good reason. Unfortunately, there seems to be a sort of talent gap when it comes to this one skill required of all software developers.

Troubleshooting and problem resolution are both informally and formally taught, but you mostly find that software developers have to learn problem-solving skills on their own. This is true for self-taught developers , obviously, but also even for those with software engineering degrees or who’ve graduated from coding boot camps.

This is why it’s necessary to acquaint yourself with the problem-solving process, whether you are a newbie or an experienced developer. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about problem-solving so you can 10x your software development career.

What are Problem-Solving Skills?

As a developer, what do we mean by problem-solving? Let’s attempt a simple definition.

In software development, problem-solving is the process of using theories and research to find solutions to a problem domain, while testing different ideas and applying best practices to achieve a desired result. Problem-solving also has to do with utilizing creativity and logical thought processes to identify problems and resolve them with software.

Becoming a great software developer hinges more on learning algorithms than programming languages or frameworks . And algorithms are simply step-by-step instructions to solve a given problem.

Read More : How to Build a Software Engineer Portfolio (With Examples & Tips)

Why are impeccable problem-solving skills crucial?

Making good use of a computer language can be likened to being a skilled writer. An effective writer must know how to construct sentences and use grammar appropriately. There’s more to writing than just knowing all the words in the dictionary, and that’s how it works for developers, too.

You have different tasks to work on as a software developer, including perhaps designing, coding, and troubleshooting. Much of your time will be spent on identifying problems, spotting and correcting bugs, and making sense of codebases from before you started working there. Being ingenious at problem-solving is essential in creating incredible solutions to issues that arise throughout software development.

To demonstrate ingenuity, let’s consider Google’s autocomplete tool as an example.

The autocomplete tool is built to suggest related terms in the search bar as you type. The idea behind the tool is to reduce more than 200 years of time spent typing daily and to help users save time by up to 25% while typing.

Here’s what had to be done:

To activate real-time completion of suggestions, the UI experience and JavaScript had to be implemented.
Next, since users could type just about anything, the autocomplete suggestions had to be compiled into a sensible list dependent on user input.
Then, Google had to create a back-end sustainability system for this function. Doing this meant massively increasing its infrastructure to accommodate all forms of data query and HTTP requests.
Finally, the user interface had to be refined by software engineers in order to make sure that every user enjoyed a worthwhile experience. So they employed Google Trends to power the auto-completion tool while using algorithms to take out explicit or offensive predictions in line with Google’s auto-completion policy.

This is just one of Google’s innumerable problem-solving examples, but it’s clear to see that solving problems involves more than just telling a computer to do stuff. It’s about your ability to come up with parameters rightly tailored to target users so they can meet their goals.

So why must developers focus on problem-solving at work?

Software developers work with a wide range of people and departments, and it’s common to discover that some clients and teams find it difficult to define what they want. As a problem solver, it’s up to you to help them identify their needs and communicate their thoughts in an effective way.

Of course, you’ll need time and practice to develop your problem resolution ability. That’s because it’s less about solving problems faster but more about coming up with the best solution . And then you’ll need to deploy that solution.

Read More : Common Interview Questions for Software Developer Jobs (Non-Technical)

Types of problem-solving skills

Now let’s talk about four types of problem-solving skills for developers:

1. Parallel thinking

As a software developer, parallel thinking is a crucial skill necessary to perform optimally. This makes it possible for you to carry out two tasks that complement each other at the same time (like an optimized form of multitasking skills). Being able to reorder tasks to boost parallel execution can help to improve your output and save valuable time .

2. Dissecting broad and/or complex goals

When it comes to building software, you will need to effectively outline the steps and tasks necessary to achieve your goal. Developers must learn to break large and complex tasks into smaller assignments because this is an important skill that will help you create results with precision.

3. Reimplementing existing solutions

You don’t always need to reinvent the wheel. Part of being an effective software developer comes with being able to use already existing tools before even thinking of creating new solutions. Developing problem-solving skills is very much connected to finding solutions that already exist and reusing them.

4. Abstraction

Keep in mind that goals tend to evolve. So if your client comes up with new ideas, that will mean changing your design goals and reordering your tasks. A good programmer must learn to create solutions in such a way that does not require a complete redesign from scratch.

You also have to become adept at abstracting problems so that your solutions can get them resolved so long as they aren’t entirely different from the original issue. You don’t necessarily have to abstract every aspect to avoid more complications being created. This calls for balance by abstracting only where necessary without making narrow decisions.

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4 Important Tips & Strategies for Improving Problem-Solving Skills

To keep your problem-solving skills and techniques from growing weaker over time, you need to exercise them non-stop. As they say: practice makes perfect!

To train the problem-solving side of your brain, these four tips and strategies can help you improve your abilities:

1. Make problem-solving a part of your life

Never restrict yourself to working on problems only during work hours. Don’t make it a chore, but, instead, do things that make problem-solving look fun. The game of chess, solving puzzles, and playing video games that compel you to think critically will help strengthen your problem-solving skills, and you can tell your significant other you are advancing your career! 🙂

When you come to a complex problem in your life, whether it’s budgeting for a home or renovating the downstairs bathroom, approach it both creatively and critically. Ask yourself: What would a great software engineer do in this situation?

2. Use different platforms to solve problems

Proffer solutions to a set of problems without restricting yourself to one platform. Using different platforms and tools regularly helps make sure you become flexible as a problem-solver. And it makes sense, because there really is no universal solution for the different problems that pop up in your line of work. Trying out different platforms to solve different problems helps you to keep an open mind and enables you to test out different techniques when looking to find solutions.

Read More : 12 Common Mistakes Keeping You From Landing Your First Developer Job

3. Be open to assistance from external sources

Part of being a good software developer comes with being able to ask for help and also accept all forms of feedback. You might need a different opinion or a new set of eyes to help find the most fitting solution to some problems. It makes sense to view building problem-solving skills as more of a team effort rather than a personal journey.

Have an open mind and heart to function not only as an individual but also as a collective. It’s a utopian working environment where everyone supports each other to become better versions of themselves. So if you come across an issue that keeps you stuck, get help! You may find someone who has a more refined framework or method you never knew existed or would have thought of using. You could then learn from them and add their solution to your toolkit.

Get feedback often, as well. This could be the catalyst to making improvements to your processes and evolving them into something truly refined.

4. Tackle new problems using lessons from past solutions

As you practice and finesse your ability to identify problems and find solutions, you’ll begin to notice patterns. It’s more like developing your toolbox armed with a wide range of solutions that have proved useful in the past. So when problems emerge, you will notice how easy it is to take some of those old solutions and apply them to the new problem.

The more you attempt to apply creativity in solving problems, the more you grow your skills. In the long run, that will help you find the right solutions faster and apply them to a wide range of problems more naturally. It’s all about improving the effectiveness and efficiency with which you tackle new problems while applying only the best possible solutions.

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3 Complementary Skills to Improve to Become a Good Problem Solver

Developing software is mostly about problem-solving at the very core before even writing your first lines of code. You have to identify problems that can be solved using software. Then you have to go on to understand how people try to solve such problems in real life.

It’s up to you to come up with a framework that allows you to take both the problem and the solution and convert them into computer code. And you have to do this in such a way that makes the software even more efficient and effective than a human.

While going through this process, developers also have to handle other problems such as deadline deliveries, checking for bugs and fixing them, and collaborate across teams. So, supporting skills must not be overlooked.

Software developers must build interpersonal skills and collaboration skills . Being able to empathize, accept feedback, handle criticism, listen intently, and show respect for others are all important characteristics and abilities necessary for teamwork, and, thus, necessary for solving problems on the job.

Read More : 5 Ways to Stand Out & Get Noticed in Your Current Development Job

Communication

No one is an island, and that’s true when you consider how software engineers work. Building software requires keeping up with clients and teammates and other departments. You can’t afford to be a Lone Ranger, at least not 100% of the time, and that’s why employers always look for good communication skills.

Being a good software developer also involves how well you can break down very complex concepts to laypeople. You want to be the kind of person who fixes a problem and is able to explain how you were able to do it. It’s all about your ability to be clear and articulate about every aspect of your work. And you want to be able to communicate not just verbally but also in written form.

To build your communication skills as a developer, you can learn from more experienced people and observe how they interact with their clients. And, don’t forget, with more and more companies becoming global enterprises and going remote, it’s important to brush up on your intercultural communication skills , as well.

Logical thinking

The difference between elite software developers and average ones is often said to be logical thinking. The ability to process thoughts logically is important, because you’ll often spend most of your time finding and fixing bugs rather than writing code.

Problems can show up from just about anywhere, even from what seems to be the most insignificant errors. So, your ability to detect software issues and solve these problems using deductive thought processes is a vital ingredient to your success as a software developer.

Read More : Questions to Ask at Interviews for Software Engineering Jobs

Problem-Solving Stages & Practices

There are countless problem-solving processes and various schools of thought regarding the best way to approach problems whenever they arise. To solve that problem, we’ve pooled some of these frameworks together to come up with a comprehensive approach to problem-solving.

Step 1 – Define the problem

You have to first start with problem identification. Knowing what you are dealing with is important, because you don’t want to risk spending valuable time applying wrong solutions. Avoid making automatic assumptions. Even when the symptoms look familiar, you want to investigate properly because such signs could be pointing to something else entirely.

Problems in software development come in different sizes and scopes. You could be having trouble getting some aspects of the product to respond in the desired way. Or maybe you’re having issues trying to decipher a codebase section where you can no longer communicate with the original developers. Sometimes, the problem could come in the form of an unfamiliar error message and you’re at loss.

Once you’re able to define the problem, make sure to document it.

Step 2 – Analyze the problem

Now it’s time to carry out problem analysis . Before deciding what problem resolution methods to adopt, it’s necessary to find out all there is to the issue, which builds on our first step. This will make it easier to come up with ideas and solutions later on.

Problem analysis isn’t always a walk in the park. There are times when the problem involves a very small mistake such as failing to import a package correctly or a small syntax error. Other times, however, it could be such a huge error, like the entire program acting differently than what you want. There might be no alarms or blinking red lights to tell you what the exact problem is.

If you encounter such situations, you can find answers by articulating the problem. Document what you intend to do, what you’ve done, the original intention for the program, and where you currently are. Communication comes in handy here, of course, not just in your documentation, but also in how you relay it to your teammates.

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Step 3 – Brainstorm

This step has to do with generating ideas, and you can benefit from discussing the problem with a team and then coming up with ways to get it fixed. Keep in mind that problem-solving at work involves interacting with a diverse group of people where the individuals have unique skill sets and experiences.

Many developers tend to neglect the previous steps and rush straight into brainstorming. That’s definitely not a good way to go about problem-solving. The idea is not to skip the important steps in the process.

Once you get to the point where ideas need to be generated, do not discard any, because this step relies on a wide range of ideas. Only after gathering as many perspectives as possible should you then begin reviewing and narrowing down to the best possible solution.

Step 4 – Make a decision

At this point, all viable solutions have to be analyzed before selecting the most appropriate one to implement. Picking the best possible solution depends on its ability to meet certain criteria. It must be suitable, feasible, and then acceptable.

What it means is that the solution must be able to get the problem solved. It should also be easy to see how such a solution fits into the equation. And then every member of the team involved in the brainstorming process has to unanimously accept the solution.

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Step 5 – Implement

After identifying and choosing the solution, the next logical step is to plan out the implementation process and then execute it. Coming up with a detailed plan is crucial if the solution is to be a success.

Now this plan must detail all the necessary steps required to implement the solution. It will also explain the length of time and stages of work required. Once all of that is put in place, you can then move forward with the execution. The idea is not just to execute a solution but to do it the right way.

Implementation using automated tests can help to keep unexpected issues from arising in the future. Some other problem-solving practices or approaches begin the process with this step. So, whenever any changes are made to the project, tests asserting that the changes will perform as required will be written first before the changes are then made.

Step 6 – Evaluate

No problem-solving process can be deemed comprehensive enough if there is no room for evaluation. Whatever the solution may be, it has to undergo strict evaluation in order to see how it performs. That will also help determine whether the problem still exists and the extent to which such an issue keeps recurring.

In the event that the problem persists despite the implementation of a detailed plan, then the developer and team may even have to restart the problem-solving process. However discouraging that may sound, at least you’ll have caught it early enough. And, this also proves the process worked.

Read More : How to Become a Software Engineer: Education, Steps & Tips for Success

Final Thoughts

Developing problem-solving skills is quite necessary for software developers. To be a successful problem solver, you will need lots of years down the line to practice what you study.

Always remember that you are a problem solver first before anything else. There is more to building software than just understanding the tech behind it and writing lines of code. It’s all about improving your ability to identify problems and find solutions, and that will need lots of experience on your part.

Never shy away from problems, but learn to think critically and logically in any situation. By applying the six-step strategy for problem-solving at work discussed in this piece, you will be more equipped to come up with the most effective and efficient solutions.

We hope you enjoyed reading our guide on how to solve a problem as a software developer and ways to improve skills as a problem solver! If you have any questions, feedback, or other great problem-solving techniques or methods, let us know in the comments below 🙂

The Arc team publishes insightful articles and thought leadership pieces related to software engineering careers and remote work. From helping entry-level developers land their first junior role to assisting remote workers struggling with working from home to guiding mid-level programmers as they seek a leadership position, Arc covers it all and more!

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How to think like a programmer — lessons in problem solving

by Richard Reis

If you’re interested in programming, you may well have seen this quote before:

“Everyone in this country should learn to program a computer, because it teaches you to think.” — Steve Jobs

You probably also wondered what does it mean, exactly, to think like a programmer? And how do you do it??

Essentially, it’s all about a more effective way for problem solving .

In this post, my goal is to teach you that way.

By the end of it, you’ll know exactly what steps to take to be a better problem-solver.

Why is this important?

Problem solving is the meta-skill.

We all have problems. Big and small. How we deal with them is sometimes, well…pretty random.

Unless you have a system, this is probably how you “solve” problems (which is what I did when I started coding):

Try a solution.
If that doesn’t work, try another one.
If that doesn’t work, repeat step 2 until you luck out.

Look, sometimes you luck out. But that is the worst way to solve problems! And it’s a huge, huge waste of time.

The best way involves a) having a framework and b) practicing it.

“Almost all employers prioritize problem-solving skills first.

Problem-solving skills are almost unanimously the most important qualification that employers look for….more than programming languages proficiency, debugging, and system design.

Demonstrating computational thinking or the ability to break down large, complex problems is just as valuable (if not more so) than the baseline technical skills required for a job.” — Hacker Rank ( 2018 Developer Skills Report )

Have a framework

To find the right framework, I followed the advice in Tim Ferriss’ book on learning, “ The 4-Hour Chef ”.

It led me to interview two really impressive people: C. Jordan Ball (ranked 1st or 2nd out of 65,000+ users on Coderbyte ), and V. Anton Spraul (author of the book “ Think Like a Programmer: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving ”).

I asked them the same questions, and guess what? Their answers were pretty similar!

Soon, you too will know them.

Sidenote: this doesn’t mean they did everything the same way. Everyone is different. You’ll be different. But if you start with principles we all agree are good, you’ll get a lot further a lot quicker.

“The biggest mistake I see new programmers make is focusing on learning syntax instead of learning how to solve problems.” — V. Anton Spraul

So, what should you do when you encounter a new problem?

Here are the steps:

1. Understand

Know exactly what is being asked. Most hard problems are hard because you don’t understand them (hence why this is the first step).

How to know when you understand a problem? When you can explain it in plain English.

Do you remember being stuck on a problem, you start explaining it, and you instantly see holes in the logic you didn’t see before?

Most programmers know this feeling.

This is why you should write down your problem, doodle a diagram, or tell someone else about it (or thing… some people use a rubber duck ).

“If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t understand it.” — Richard Feynman

Don’t dive right into solving without a plan (and somehow hope you can muddle your way through). Plan your solution!

Nothing can help you if you can’t write down the exact steps.

In programming, this means don’t start hacking straight away. Give your brain time to analyze the problem and process the information.

To get a good plan, answer this question:

“Given input X, what are the steps necessary to return output Y?”

Sidenote: Programmers have a great tool to help them with this… Comments!

Pay attention. This is the most important step of all.

Do not try to solve one big problem. You will cry.

Instead, break it into sub-problems. These sub-problems are much easier to solve.

Then, solve each sub-problem one by one. Begin with the simplest. Simplest means you know the answer (or are closer to that answer).

After that, simplest means this sub-problem being solved doesn’t depend on others being solved.

Once you solved every sub-problem, connect the dots.

Connecting all your “sub-solutions” will give you the solution to the original problem. Congratulations!

This technique is a cornerstone of problem-solving. Remember it (read this step again, if you must).

“If I could teach every beginning programmer one problem-solving skill, it would be the ‘reduce the problem technique.’

For example, suppose you’re a new programmer and you’re asked to write a program that reads ten numbers and figures out which number is the third highest. For a brand-new programmer, that can be a tough assignment, even though it only requires basic programming syntax.

If you’re stuck, you should reduce the problem to something simpler. Instead of the third-highest number, what about finding the highest overall? Still too tough? What about finding the largest of just three numbers? Or the larger of two?

Reduce the problem to the point where you know how to solve it and write the solution. Then expand the problem slightly and rewrite the solution to match, and keep going until you are back where you started.” — V. Anton Spraul

By now, you’re probably sitting there thinking “Hey Richard... That’s cool and all, but what if I’m stuck and can’t even solve a sub-problem??”

First off, take a deep breath. Second, that’s fair.

Don’t worry though, friend. This happens to everyone!

The difference is the best programmers/problem-solvers are more curious about bugs/errors than irritated.

In fact, here are three things to try when facing a whammy:

Debug: Go step by step through your solution trying to find where you went wrong. Programmers call this debugging (in fact, this is all a debugger does).

“The art of debugging is figuring out what you really told your program to do rather than what you thought you told it to do.”” — Andrew Singer

Reassess: Take a step back. Look at the problem from another perspective. Is there anything that can be abstracted to a more general approach?

“Sometimes we get so lost in the details of a problem that we overlook general principles that would solve the problem at a more general level. […]

The classic example of this, of course, is the summation of a long list of consecutive integers, 1 + 2 + 3 + … + n, which a very young Gauss quickly recognized was simply n(n+1)/2, thus avoiding the effort of having to do the addition.” — C. Jordan Ball

Sidenote: Another way of reassessing is starting anew. Delete everything and begin again with fresh eyes. I’m serious. You’ll be dumbfounded at how effective this is.

Research: Ahh, good ol’ Google. You read that right. No matter what problem you have, someone has probably solved it. Find that person/ solution. In fact, do this even if you solved the problem! (You can learn a lot from other people’s solutions).

Caveat: Don’t look for a solution to the big problem. Only look for solutions to sub-problems. Why? Because unless you struggle (even a little bit), you won’t learn anything. If you don’t learn anything, you wasted your time.

Don’t expect to be great after just one week. If you want to be a good problem-solver, solve a lot of problems!

Practice. Practice. Practice. It’ll only be a matter of time before you recognize that “this problem could easily be solved with <insert concept here>.”

How to practice? There are options out the wazoo!

Chess puzzles, math problems, Sudoku, Go, Monopoly, video-games, cryptokitties, bla… bla… bla….

In fact, a common pattern amongst successful people is their habit of practicing “micro problem-solving.” For example, Peter Thiel plays chess, and Elon Musk plays video-games.

“Byron Reeves said ‘If you want to see what business leadership may look like in three to five years, look at what’s happening in online games.’

Fast-forward to today. Elon [Musk], Reid [Hoffman], Mark Zuckerberg and many others say that games have been foundational to their success in building their companies.” — Mary Meeker ( 2017 internet trends report )

Does this mean you should just play video-games? Not at all.

But what are video-games all about? That’s right, problem-solving!

So, what you should do is find an outlet to practice. Something that allows you to solve many micro-problems (ideally, something you enjoy).

For example, I enjoy coding challenges. Every day, I try to solve at least one challenge (usually on Coderbyte ).

Like I said, all problems share similar patterns.

That’s all folks!

Now, you know better what it means to “think like a programmer.”

You also know that problem-solving is an incredible skill to cultivate (the meta-skill).

As if that wasn’t enough, notice how you also know what to do to practice your problem-solving skills!

Phew… Pretty cool right?

Finally, I wish you encounter many problems.

You read that right. At least now you know how to solve them! (also, you’ll learn that with every solution, you improve).

“Just when you think you’ve successfully navigated one obstacle, another emerges. But that’s what keeps life interesting.[…]

Life is a process of breaking through these impediments — a series of fortified lines that we must break through.

Each time, you’ll learn something.

Each time, you’ll develop strength, wisdom, and perspective.

Each time, a little more of the competition falls away. Until all that is left is you: the best version of you.” — Ryan Holiday ( The Obstacle is the Way )

Now, go solve some problems!

And best of luck ?

Special thanks to C. Jordan Ball and V. Anton Spraul . All the good advice here came from them.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, test how many times can you hit in 5 seconds. It’s great cardio for your fingers AND will help other people see the story.

If this article was helpful, share it .

Learn to code for free. freeCodeCamp's open source curriculum has helped more than 40,000 people get jobs as developers. Get started

Blog / Time To Code / 6 Ways to Improve Your Programming Problem Solving

6 Ways to Improve Your Programming Problem Solving

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Software development is, at its core, all about problem solving.

Think about it.

First, developers need to find a problem they can solve with software. Then, they have to figure out how humans solve that problem. And then, they have to find a way to effectively translate both the problem and the solution into code that a computer can use to solve the problem as well as (or better than) a person.

And then there are all the problems along the way: Working with teams, finding and fixing bugs, meeting delivery deadlines.

Engineers use problem solving skills constantly .

Because of that, if you want to become a better developer, one place to start might be becoming a better problem solver. But that’s easier said than done, and requires a deep understanding of what problem solving is, why it matters, and what it actually takes to improve those skills.

Ready to dive in? Let’s get started.

What Is Problem Solving, and Why Does It Matter?

Have you ever heard this famous Steve Jobs quote?

“Everyone in this country should learn to program a computer because it teaches you to think.”

Jobs was right. Software development is as much about “soft skills” like critical thinking, communication, and problem solving as it is about “hard skills” like writing code.

And so, in the context of software development, problem solving can mean a few different things:

Creating an application that meets the end user’s goals.
Communicating effectively with team members to delegate work.
Finding and fixing bugs in the code.
Meeting a tight deadline for a client.

There’s only one thing that’s true no matter what problem solving looks like on a given day: It’s an integral part of every step of the software development process.

Why Should Engineers Work On Problem Solving Skills?

Just like any other skill, problem solving takes practice to apply and master.

Many developers think that becoming a better problem solver means being able to solve more problems, faster. But that’s not true — it means being able to find the best solution to a problem, and then put that solution in place.

Learning to do that is a great way to become a better developer overall. And while soft skills can be more difficult to learn and improve upon than hard skills, there are still some tips and tricks that can help you get better at problem solving specifically.

6 Ways to Get Better at Problem Solving

As you’ll see from these learning tools, getting better at problem solving is mostly like getting better at any other skill for work: You need to practice. A lot. And then practice some more.

Solve a Lot of Problems on a Lot of Different Platforms

Step one? Solve as many problems as you can, but try to focus on different types of problems on different platforms.

Here’s why this is so beneficial: It prevents you from getting comfortable with one problem solving method or framework. As we already know, in the world of software development, there is definitely no one-size-fits-all solution for the problems we encounter.

When you regularly practice solving different types of problems in different platforms, it reinforces the fact that you can’t always rely on the same technique to solve every problem. It forces you to learn to be flexible, and to choose the best tool or framework for each job.

Solve Problems in Contexts Other Than Work

Since problem solving is a skill that requires practice, you can (and should) work on it even outside of work hours.

This doesn’t need to be a chore — there are a lot of fun ways to practice problem solving, like by doing math or logic puzzles, solving crosswords, or playing a game like chess. Even many video games can help work on problem solving skills.

There are also many opportunities to practice problem solving just as you live your life from day to day. Broke something around the house? Use your problem solving skills to DIY a fix. Need to solve a conflict with a friend or a family member? You guessed it — time to practice problem solving.

Learn From Past Solutions, and Apply Them to New Problems

As you keep practicing problem solving as much as possible, you’ll start to see patterns emerge in the problems you solve. You’ll build up a sort of toolkit filled with the solutions you’ve found and used in the past, and you’ll be able to apply those to solving new problems.

This part is just as important as finding the solutions in the first place, because the more you practice your growing problem solving skills, the more natural it will become to apply the right solutions to different types of problems, making you able to solve new problems more and more quickly, while still using the best possible solves.

Ask Others for Help and Feedback

Sometimes, finding the best solution to a problem just requires a fresh, new set of eyes. That’s why it’s important to treat growing your problem solving skills not as a totally solo venture, but as a team endeavor where everyone at your organization can support each other and help each other get better.

If you’re stuck on a specific problem, ask for help. Someone else might have a method or framework you aren’t familiar with, that they can teach you. You can then apply that to more problems down the road.

And if you’ve come up with a solve for a problem, ask others for feedback. They might be able to help you refine or further improve your framework, making it even better.

Train the Problem Solving Part of Your Mind

How do you keep muscles from growing weaker over time? You keep exercising them.

The same goes for your brain, and especially for different knowledge-base skills, like problem solving. You’ll stay at the top of your brain if you keep “working out,” or practicing problem solving all the time.

A good move for a developer who wants to invest in their problem solving skills is scheduling time every week (or even every day) to consciously practice problem solving. Remember, this doesn’t necessarily mean solving work problems. You could commit to doing a tricky logic puzzle every day on your lunch break, for example. The important thing is to get in the practice, no matter how that looks.

Practice Other Skills Related to Problem Solving

Problem solving is an important skill on its own. But there are other necessary skills developers need to support their problem solving abilities, and those skills all take practice, too.

Flexibility. Critical thinking. Communication. Teamwork. Focusing on building and practicing all these skills will help you improve your problem solving.

Problem solving is one of the most necessary skills for developers to have. With time, practice, and dedication, they can improve it, constantly, and keep becoming better.

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Great article regarding problem solving skill, informative and motivating both.

Codility Tests

Outstanding post, I believe people should larn a lot from this website, its really user pleasant.

Technical Screening Tools

I was very happy to discover this great site. I need to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!

Sharifa Ismail Yusuf

I learnt from this article that one of the key skills a developer need to have is the \"problem solving skills\". Developers also need dedication, time, create time to practice so they can improve their problem solving skills constantly. I do ask for help from others and learn from past solutions and apply them to new problems. From what I have learnt so far, I will try my best to start focusing on building and practicing Flexibility, critical thinking, communication and team work. Solve a lot of problems on a lot of different platforms. Solve problems on context other than work. To start carring out the above, I will schedule time in a week or everyday to conciously practice problem solving skills and other related problem solving skills.Thanks alot for this wonderful article!

dewayne sewell

Ive learnt the skill of problem solving is like a muscle, where it is important to keep exercising it to stay strong. It is important to be aware of the soft skills necessary for effective problem solving also, such as communication, critical thinking, team working that can leverage your technical hard skills to find a solution faster/more effective. Two things I will aim to do is; 1. To solve problems on different platforms so I don’t get too comfortable on only one and stagnate. This not only challenges the brain to see things from a new perspective, but to start the habit of continuous learning and skill building. 2. Reach out to others for help / discuss problems and my solutions for feedback and advice and sharing ideas.

Pakize Bozkurt

Problem solving skills is a crucial thing to make easier or better your life. In fact as a human being we do it in every day life. I mean, we have to do it for living. There are many ways to how to do it. The best way is we should ask right questions. First of all, we should ask some questions, such as; \' Are we aware of the problem?, Are we clarify the problem? Do we go into problem rational? Do we have reasons? or Do we have evidences? Do we do check them out? etc. I am from Philosophy teacher background. I like solving problem whatever in my work or daily life. Secondly, we should have more perspectives . Although our brain is lazy, it is always in a starvation for knowledge.For this there are many enjoyable things to do it. I highly recommend to read book every day which kind of you like it and playing game or solving puzzle. I love solving Sudoku, puzzle and reading book or article. Finally, solving problem is our invatiable needed. Having flexibility, critical thinking, communication and teamwork are easy way to improve us to how we can do our work better and good life. Massive thank for this amazing article!

I read this amazing article. Normally, everyone knows that but we dont use most of time this informations. Which one is the best way to use? Really it does not matter, every one is like a gold opinion. We can use this ideas for the daily life. I have already used that learn from past solution and ask to someone who knows very well. This is so helpful for me. Sometimes google is the best option for ask to someone. Google can be the best teacher for us as well. Soft skills like a team work or solving problem and critical thinking can be important than typing code. We can learn typing code but we can not learn critical thinking and solving problems from google very well. Thank you for this article.

Ipsa iure sed rerum

Excepturi quo volupt

Thanks for this !

Fahil kiima

Thanks a lot for the ideas on problem solving,I really had a problem with that and now going to use what you\'ve informed us about to better my problem solving skills. Thanks.

Alan Codinho

Nice overview

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Posted on Mar 12, 2020

How To Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Alice just finished her first development course, she wanted to continue learning and getting more in-depth knowledge about the universe of possibilities that programming offered her.

She also wanted a job, and deciding to build a portfolio was her best choice to be able to do some interviews as soon as possible.

How did she start?

At first, she began using what she learned in the course. Then, she continued to mix that content with the answers she found while searching for the problems that started to arise.

Image that symbolizes the beginning of her career, a little kid in front of a bunch of stairs

A lot of challenges were appearing in front of her, and that’s when she realized that there was one important thing that the course didn’t teach her.

Problem-solving

Problem-solving is one of the most valued soft skills a programmer should have in their toolbox, and Alice was just training to become a better problem solver without even knowing it.

She got really good at it while building her portfolio, and that wasn’t the only thing learned, she also got to know new tools, concepts, tricks, etc.

Image that symbolizes problem-solving, a person holding a rubik cube

Once she finished her portfolio, she applied to a few jobs and ended up working in one of the companies she wanted the most.

She continued learning, and, over the years, she built an amazing career! Mainly because creating things led her to improve her problem-solving skills along with other hard skills she learned on the go.

When people ask Alice how it was when she started coding, she always talks about how she got through her first portfolio and how improving your problem-solving skills can boost your career.

Image that symbolizes success, a person jumping with a happy pose

That’s the story of Alice, If you’re starting with programming, I recommend you to follow her advice so...

Go and build some projects while improving your problem-solving skills at the same time!

If you don’t know what to build, here’s a repository with a lot of things that you can start building after you finish reading this post:

karan / Projects

📃 a list of practical projects that anyone can solve in any programming language., mega project list.

A list of practical projects that anyone can solve in any programming language (See solutions ). These projects are divided in multiple categories, and each category has its own folder.

To get started, simply fork this repo.

CONTRIBUTING

See ways of contributing to this repo. You can contribute solutions (will be published in this repo ) to existing problems, add new projects or remove existing ones. Make sure you follow all instructions properly.

You can find implementations of these projects in many other languages by other users in this repo .

This repo was compiled by Karan Goel .

Problems are motivated by the ones shared at:

Martyr2’s Mega Project List
Rosetta Code

Classic Algorithms
Data Structures
Graphics and Multimedia

Find PI to the Nth Digit - Enter a number and…

Also, there are other soft skills that are indispensable if you want to build a successful career, you may want to learn about them too: 10 Soft Skills Every Developer Needs from Hackernoon .

Reach me on Twitter if you build something amazing, I usually share stuff about my future articles, projects or whatever I come up with!

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Lesson 27 of 34 By Hemant Deshpande

An Ultimate Guide That Helps You to Develop and Improve Problem Solving in Programming

Coding and Programming skills hold a significant and critical role in implementing and developing various technologies and software. They add more value to the future and development. These programming and coding skills are essential for every person to improve problem solving skills. So, we brought you this article to help you learn and know the importance of these skills in the future.

Want a Top Software Development Job? Start Here!

Topics covered in this problem solving in programming article are:

What is Problem Solving in Programming?
Problem Solving skills in Programming
How does it impact your career ?
Steps involved in Problem Solving
Steps to improve Problem Solving in programming

What is Problem Solving in Programming?

Computers are used to solve various problems in day-to-day life. Problem Solving is an essential skill that helps to solve problems in programming. There are specific steps to be carried out to solve problems in computer programming, and the success depends on how correctly and precisely we define a problem. This involves designing, identifying and implementing problems using certain steps to develop a computer.

When we know what exactly problem solving in programming is, let us learn how it impacts your career growth.

How Does It Impact Your Career?

Many companies look for candidates with excellent problem solving skills. These skills help people manage the work and make candidates put more effort into the work, which results in finding solutions for complex problems in unexpected situations. These skills also help to identify quick solutions when they arise and are identified.

People with great problem solving skills also possess more thinking and analytical skills, which makes them much more successful and confident in their career and able to work in any kind of environment.

The above section gives you an idea of how problem solving in programming impacts your career and growth. Now, let's understand what problem solving skills mean.

Problem Solving Skills in Programming

Solving a question that is related to computers is more complicated than finding the solutions for other questions. It requires excellent knowledge and much thinking power. Problem solving in programming skills is much needed for a person and holds a major advantage. For every question, there are specific steps to be followed to get a perfect solution. By using those steps, it is possible to find a solution quickly.

The above section is covered with an explanation of problem solving in programming skills. Now let's learn some steps involved in problem solving.

Steps Involved in Problem Solving

Before being ready to solve a problem, there are some steps and procedures to be followed to find the solution. Let's have a look at them in this problem solving in programming article.

Basically, they are divided into four categories:

Analysing the problem
Developing the algorithm
Testing and debugging

Analysing the Problem

Every problem has a perfect solution; before we are ready to solve a problem, we must look over the question and understand it. When we know the question, it is easy to find the solution for it. If we are not ready with what we have to solve, then we end up with the question and cannot find the answer as expected. By analysing it, we can figure out the outputs and inputs to be carried out. Thus, when we analyse and are ready with the list, it is easy and helps us find the solution easily.

Developing the Algorithm

It is required to decide a solution before writing a program. The procedure of representing the solution in a natural language called an algorithm. We must design, develop and decide the final approach after a number of trials and errors, before actually writing the final code on an algorithm before we write the code. It captures and refines all the aspects of the desired solution.

Once we finalise the algorithm, we must convert the decided algorithm into a code or program using a dedicated programming language that is understandable by the computer to find a desired solution. In this stage, a wide variety of programming languages are used to convert the algorithm into code.

Testing and Debugging

The designed and developed program undergoes several rigorous tests based on various real-time parameters and the program undergoes various levels of simulations. It must meet the user's requirements, which have to respond with the required time. It should generate all expected outputs to all the possible inputs. The program should also undergo bug fixing and all possible exception handling. If it fails to show the possible results, it should be checked for logical errors.

Industries follow some testing methods like system testing, component testing and acceptance testing while developing complex applications. The errors identified while testing are debugged or rectified and tested again until all errors are removed from the program.

The steps mentioned above are involved in problem solving in programming. Now let's see some more detailed information about the steps to improve problem solving in programming.

Steps to Improve Problem Solving in Programming

Right mindset.

The way to approach problems is the key to improving the skills. To find a solution, a positive mindset helps to solve problems quickly. If you think something is impossible, then it is hard to achieve. When you feel free and focus with a positive attitude, even complex problems will have a perfect solution.

Making Right Decisions

When we need to solve a problem, we must be clear with the solution. The perfect solution helps to get success in a shorter period. Making the right decisions in the right situation helps to find the perfect solution quickly and efficiently. These skills also help to get more command over the subject.

Keeping Ideas on Track

Ideas always help much in improving the skills; they also help to gain more knowledge and more command over things. In problem solving situations, these ideas help much and help to develop more skills. Give opportunities for the mind and keep on noting the ideas.

Learning from Feedbacks

A crucial part of learning is from the feedback. Mistakes help you to gain more knowledge and have much growth. When you have a solution for a problem, go for the feedback from the experienced or the professionals. It helps you get success within a shorter period and enables you to find other solutions easily.

Asking Questions

Questions are an incredible part of life. While searching for solutions, there are a lot of questions that arise in our minds. Once you know the question correctly, then you are able to find answers quickly. In coding or programming, we must have a clear idea about the problem. Then, you can find the perfect solution for it. Raising questions can help to understand the problem.

These are a few reasons and tips to improve problem solving in programming skills. Now let's see some major benefits in this article.

Problem solving in programming skills helps to gain more knowledge over coding and programming, which is a major benefit.
These problem solving skills also help to develop more skills in a person and build a promising career.
These skills also help to find the solutions for critical and complex problems in a perfect way.
Learning and developing problem solving in programming helps in building a good foundation.
Most of the companies are looking for people with good problem solving skills, and these play an important role when it comes to job opportunities

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Problem solving in programming skills is important in this modern world; these skills build a great career and hold a great advantage. This article on problem solving in programming provides you with an idea of how it plays a massive role in the present world. In this problem solving in programming article, the skills and the ways to improve more command on problem solving in programming are mentioned and explained in a proper way.

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If you have any questions for us on the problem solving in programming article. Do let us know in the comments section below; we have our experts answer it right away.

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Hemant Deshpande, PMP has more than 17 years of experience working for various global MNC's. He has more than 10 years of experience in managing large transformation programs for Fortune 500 clients across verticals such as Banking, Finance, Insurance, Healthcare, Telecom and others. During his career he has worked across the geographies - North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Hemant is an internationally Certified Executive Coach (CCA/ICF Approved) working with corporate leaders. He also provides Management Consulting and Training services. He is passionate about writing and regularly blogs and writes content for top websites. His motto in life - Making a positive difference.

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How to improve your problem solving skills and build effective problem solving strategies

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What is a problem solving process?

What are the problem solving steps I need to follow?

Problem solving strategies

What skills do i need to be an effective problem solver, how can i improve my problem solving skills.

Solving problems is like baking a cake. You can go straight into the kitchen without a recipe or the right ingredients and do your best, but the end result is unlikely to be very tasty!

Using a process to bake a cake allows you to use the best ingredients without waste, collect the right tools, account for allergies, decide whether it is a birthday or wedding cake, and then bake efficiently and on time. The result is a better cake that is fit for purpose, tastes better and has created less mess in the kitchen. Also, it should have chocolate sprinkles. Having a step by step process to solve organizational problems allows you to go through each stage methodically and ensure you are trying to solve the right problems and select the most appropriate, effective solutions.

What are the problem solving steps I need to follow?

All problem solving processes go through a number of steps in order to move from identifying a problem to resolving it.

Depending on your problem solving model and who you ask, there can be anything between four and nine problem solving steps you should follow in order to find the right solution. Whatever framework you and your group use, there are some key items that should be addressed in order to have an effective process.

We’ve looked at problem solving processes from sources such as the American Society for Quality and their four step approach , and Mediate ‘s six step process. By reflecting on those and our own problem solving processes, we’ve come up with a sequence of seven problem solving steps we feel best covers everything you need in order to effectively solve problems.

1. Problem identification

The first stage of any problem solving process is to identify the problem or problems you might want to solve. Effective problem solving strategies always begin by allowing a group scope to articulate what they believe the problem to be and then coming to some consensus over which problem they approach first. Problem solving activities used at this stage often have a focus on creating frank, open discussion so that potential problems can be brought to the surface.

2. Problem analysis

Though this step is not a million miles from problem identification, problem analysis deserves to be considered separately. It can often be an overlooked part of the process and is instrumental when it comes to developing effective solutions.

The process of problem analysis means ensuring that the problem you are seeking to solve is the right problem . As part of this stage, you may look deeper and try to find the root cause of a specific problem at a team or organizational level.

Remember that problem solving strategies should not only be focused on putting out fires in the short term but developing long term solutions that deal with the root cause of organizational challenges.

Whatever your approach, analyzing a problem is crucial in being able to select an appropriate solution and the problem solving skills deployed in this stage are beneficial for the rest of the process and ensuring the solutions you create are fit for purpose.

3. Solution generation

Once your group has nailed down the particulars of the problem you wish to solve, you want to encourage a free flow of ideas connecting to solving that problem. This can take the form of problem solving games that encourage creative thinking or problem solving activities designed to produce working prototypes of possible solutions.

The key to ensuring the success of this stage of the problem solving process is to encourage quick, creative thinking and create an open space where all ideas are considered. The best solutions can come from unlikely places and by using problem solving techniques that celebrate invention, you might come up with solution gold.

4. Solution development

No solution is likely to be perfect right out of the gate. It’s important to discuss and develop the solutions your group has come up with over the course of following the previous problem solving steps in order to arrive at the best possible solution. Problem solving games used in this stage involve lots of critical thinking, measuring potential effort and impact, and looking at possible solutions analytically.

During this stage, you will often ask your team to iterate and improve upon your frontrunning solutions and develop them further. Remember that problem solving strategies always benefit from a multitude of voices and opinions, and not to let ego get involved when it comes to choosing which solutions to develop and take further.

Finding the best solution is the goal of all problem solving workshops and here is the place to ensure that your solution is well thought out, sufficiently robust and fit for purpose.

5. Decision making

Nearly there! Once your group has reached consensus and selected a solution that applies to the problem at hand you have some decisions to make. You will want to work on allocating ownership of the project, figure out who will do what, how the success of the solution will be measured and decide the next course of action.

The decision making stage is a part of the problem solving process that can get missed or taken as for granted. Fail to properly allocate roles and plan out how a solution will actually be implemented and it less likely to be successful in solving the problem.

Have clear accountabilities, actions, timeframes, and follow-ups. Make these decisions and set clear next-steps in the problem solving workshop so that everyone is aligned and you can move forward effectively as a group.

Ensuring that you plan for the roll-out of a solution is one of the most important problem solving steps. Without adequate planning or oversight, it can prove impossible to measure success or iterate further if the problem was not solved.

6. Solution implementation

This is what we were waiting for! All problem solving strategies have the end goal of implementing a solution and solving a problem in mind.

Remember that in order for any solution to be successful, you need to help your group through all of the previous problem solving steps thoughtfully. Only then can you ensure that you are solving the right problem but also that you have developed the correct solution and can then successfully implement and measure the impact of that solution.

Project management and communication skills are key here – your solution may need to adjust when out in the wild or you might discover new challenges along the way.

7. Solution evaluation

So you and your team developed a great solution to a problem and have a gut feeling its been solved. Work done, right? Wrong. All problem solving strategies benefit from evaluation, consideration, and feedback. You might find that the solution does not work for everyone, might create new problems, or is potentially so successful that you will want to roll it out to larger teams or as part of other initiatives.

None of that is possible without taking the time to evaluate the success of the solution you developed in your problem solving model and adjust if necessary.

Remember that the problem solving process is often iterative and it can be common to not solve complex issues on the first try. Even when this is the case, you and your team will have generated learning that will be important for future problem solving workshops or in other parts of the organization.

It’s worth underlining how important record keeping is throughout the problem solving process. If a solution didn’t work, you need to have the data and records to see why that was the case. If you go back to the drawing board, notes from the previous workshop can help save time. Data and insight is invaluable at every stage of the problem solving process and this one is no different.

Problem solving workshops made easy

Problem solving strategies are methods of approaching and facilitating the process of problem-solving with a set of techniques , actions, and processes. Different strategies are more effective if you are trying to solve broad problems such as achieving higher growth versus more focused problems like, how do we improve our customer onboarding process?

Broadly, the problem solving steps outlined above should be included in any problem solving strategy though choosing where to focus your time and what approaches should be taken is where they begin to differ. You might find that some strategies ask for the problem identification to be done prior to the session or that everything happens in the course of a one day workshop.

The key similarity is that all good problem solving strategies are structured and designed. Four hours of open discussion is never going to be as productive as a four-hour workshop designed to lead a group through a problem solving process.

Good problem solving strategies are tailored to the team, organization and problem you will be attempting to solve. Here are some example problem solving strategies you can learn from or use to get started.

Use a workshop to lead a team through a group process

Often, the first step to solving problems or organizational challenges is bringing a group together effectively. Most teams have the tools, knowledge, and expertise necessary to solve their challenges – they just need some guidance in how to use leverage those skills and a structure and format that allows people to focus their energies.

Facilitated workshops are one of the most effective ways of solving problems of any scale. By designing and planning your workshop carefully, you can tailor the approach and scope to best fit the needs of your team and organization.

Problem solving workshop

Creating a bespoke, tailored process
Tackling problems of any size
Building in-house workshop ability and encouraging their use

Workshops are an effective strategy for solving problems. By using tried and test facilitation techniques and methods, you can design and deliver a workshop that is perfectly suited to the unique variables of your organization. You may only have the capacity for a half-day workshop and so need a problem solving process to match.

By using our session planner tool and importing methods from our library of 700+ facilitation techniques, you can create the right problem solving workshop for your team. It might be that you want to encourage creative thinking or look at things from a new angle to unblock your groups approach to problem solving. By tailoring your workshop design to the purpose, you can help ensure great results.

One of the main benefits of a workshop is the structured approach to problem solving. Not only does this mean that the workshop itself will be successful, but many of the methods and techniques will help your team improve their working processes outside of the workshop.

We believe that workshops are one of the best tools you can use to improve the way your team works together. Start with a problem solving workshop and then see what team building, culture or design workshops can do for your organization!

Run a design sprint

Great for:

aligning large, multi-discipline teams
quickly designing and testing solutions
tackling large, complex organizational challenges and breaking them down into smaller tasks

By using design thinking principles and methods, a design sprint is a great way of identifying, prioritizing and prototyping solutions to long term challenges that can help solve major organizational problems with quick action and measurable results.

Some familiarity with design thinking is useful, though not integral, and this strategy can really help a team align if there is some discussion around which problems should be approached first.

The stage-based structure of the design sprint is also very useful for teams new to design thinking. The inspiration phase, where you look to competitors that have solved your problem, and the rapid prototyping and testing phases are great for introducing new concepts that will benefit a team in all their future work.

It can be common for teams to look inward for solutions and so looking to the market for solutions you can iterate on can be very productive. Instilling an agile prototyping and testing mindset can also be great when helping teams move forwards – generating and testing solutions quickly can help save time in the long run and is also pretty exciting!

Break problems down into smaller issues

Organizational challenges and problems are often complicated and large scale in nature. Sometimes, trying to resolve such an issue in one swoop is simply unachievable or overwhelming. Try breaking down such problems into smaller issues that you can work on step by step. You may not be able to solve the problem of churning customers off the bat, but you can work with your team to identify smaller effort but high impact elements and work on those first.

This problem solving strategy can help a team generate momentum, prioritize and get some easy wins. It’s also a great strategy to employ with teams who are just beginning to learn how to approach the problem solving process. If you want some insight into a way to employ this strategy, we recommend looking at our design sprint template below!

Use guiding frameworks or try new methodologies

Some problems are best solved by introducing a major shift in perspective or by using new methodologies that encourage your team to think differently.

Props and tools such as Methodkit , which uses a card-based toolkit for facilitation, or Lego Serious Play can be great ways to engage your team and find an inclusive, democratic problem solving strategy. Remember that play and creativity are great tools for achieving change and whatever the challenge, engaging your participants can be very effective where other strategies may have failed.

LEGO Serious Play

Improving core problem solving skills
Thinking outside of the box
Encouraging creative solutions

LEGO Serious Play is a problem solving methodology designed to get participants thinking differently by using 3D models and kinesthetic learning styles. By physically building LEGO models based on questions and exercises, participants are encouraged to think outside of the box and create their own responses.

Collaborate LEGO Serious Play exercises are also used to encourage communication and build problem solving skills in a group. By using this problem solving process, you can often help different kinds of learners and personality types contribute and unblock organizational problems with creative thinking.

Problem solving strategies like LEGO Serious Play are super effective at helping a team solve more skills-based problems such as communication between teams or a lack of creative thinking. Some problems are not suited to LEGO Serious Play and require a different problem solving strategy.

Card Decks and Method Kits

New facilitators or non-facilitators
Approaching difficult subjects with a simple, creative framework
Engaging those with varied learning styles

Card decks and method kids are great tools for those new to facilitation or for whom facilitation is not the primary role. Card decks such as the emotional culture deck can be used for complete workshops and in many cases, can be used right out of the box. Methodkit has a variety of kits designed for scenarios ranging from personal development through to personas and global challenges so you can find the right deck for your particular needs.

Having an easy to use framework that encourages creativity or a new approach can take some of the friction or planning difficulties out of the workshop process and energize a team in any setting. Simplicity is the key with these methods. By ensuring everyone on your team can get involved and engage with the process as quickly as possible can really contribute to the success of your problem solving strategy.

Source external advice

Looking to peers, experts and external facilitators can be a great way of approaching the problem solving process. Your team may not have the necessary expertise, insights of experience to tackle some issues, or you might simply benefit from a fresh perspective. Some problems may require bringing together an entire team, and coaching managers or team members individually might be the right approach. Remember that not all problems are best resolved in the same manner.

If you’re a solo entrepreneur, peer groups, coaches and mentors can also be invaluable at not only solving specific business problems, but in providing a support network for resolving future challenges. One great approach is to join a Mastermind Group and link up with like-minded individuals and all grow together. Remember that however you approach the sourcing of external advice, do so thoughtfully, respectfully and honestly. Reciprocate where you can and prepare to be surprised by just how kind and helpful your peers can be!

Mastermind Group

Solo entrepreneurs or small teams with low capacity
Peer learning and gaining outside expertise
Getting multiple external points of view quickly

Problem solving in large organizations with lots of skilled team members is one thing, but how about if you work for yourself or in a very small team without the capacity to get the most from a design sprint or LEGO Serious Play session?

A mastermind group – sometimes known as a peer advisory board – is where a group of people come together to support one another in their own goals, challenges, and businesses. Each participant comes to the group with their own purpose and the other members of the group will help them create solutions, brainstorm ideas, and support one another.

Mastermind groups are very effective in creating an energized, supportive atmosphere that can deliver meaningful results. Learning from peers from outside of your organization or industry can really help unlock new ways of thinking and drive growth. Access to the experience and skills of your peers can be invaluable in helping fill the gaps in your own ability, particularly in young companies.

A mastermind group is a great solution for solo entrepreneurs, small teams, or for organizations that feel that external expertise or fresh perspectives will be beneficial for them. It is worth noting that Mastermind groups are often only as good as the participants and what they can bring to the group. Participants need to be committed, engaged and understand how to work in this context.

Coaching and mentoring

Focused learning and development
Filling skills gaps
Working on a range of challenges over time

Receiving advice from a business coach or building a mentor/mentee relationship can be an effective way of resolving certain challenges. The one-to-one format of most coaching and mentor relationships can really help solve the challenges those individuals are having and benefit the organization as a result.

A great mentor can be invaluable when it comes to spotting potential problems before they arise and coming to understand a mentee very well has a host of other business benefits. You might run an internal mentorship program to help develop your team’s problem solving skills and strategies or as part of a large learning and development program. External coaches can also be an important part of your problem solving strategy, filling skills gaps for your management team or helping with specific business issues.

Now we’ve explored the problem solving process and the steps you will want to go through in order to have an effective session, let’s look at the skills you and your team need to be more effective problem solvers.

Problem solving skills are highly sought after, whatever industry or team you work in. Organizations are keen to employ people who are able to approach problems thoughtfully and find strong, realistic solutions. Whether you are a facilitator , a team leader or a developer, being an effective problem solver is a skill you’ll want to develop.

Problem solving skills form a whole suite of techniques and approaches that an individual uses to not only identify problems but to discuss them productively before then developing appropriate solutions.

Here are some of the most important problem solving skills everyone from executives to junior staff members should learn. We’ve also included an activity or exercise from the SessionLab library that can help you and your team develop that skill.

If you’re running a workshop or training session to try and improve problem solving skills in your team, try using these methods to supercharge your process!

Active listening

Active listening is one of the most important skills anyone who works with people can possess. In short, active listening is a technique used to not only better understand what is being said by an individual, but also to be more aware of the underlying message the speaker is trying to convey. When it comes to problem solving, active listening is integral for understanding the position of every participant and to clarify the challenges, ideas and solutions they bring to the table.

Some active listening skills include:

Paying complete attention to the speaker.
Removing distractions.
Avoid interruption.
Taking the time to fully understand before preparing a rebuttal.
Responding respectfully and appropriately.
Demonstrate attentiveness and positivity with an open posture, making eye contact with the speaker, smiling and nodding if appropriate. Show that you are listening and encourage them to continue.
Be aware of and respectful of feelings. Judge the situation and respond appropriately. You can disagree without being disrespectful.
Observe body language.
Paraphrase what was said in your own words, either mentally or verbally.
Remain neutral.
Reflect and take a moment before responding.
Ask deeper questions based on what is said and clarify points where necessary.

Active Listening #hyperisland #skills #active listening #remote-friendly This activity supports participants to reflect on a question and generate their own solutions using simple principles of active listening and peer coaching. It’s an excellent introduction to active listening but can also be used with groups that are already familiar with it. Participants work in groups of three and take turns being: “the subject”, the listener, and the observer.

Analytical skills

All problem solving models require strong analytical skills, particularly during the beginning of the process and when it comes to analyzing how solutions have performed.

Analytical skills are primarily focused on performing an effective analysis by collecting, studying and parsing data related to a problem or opportunity.

It often involves spotting patterns, being able to see things from different perspectives and using observable facts and data to make suggestions or produce insight.

Analytical skills are also important at every stage of the problem solving process and by having these skills, you can ensure that any ideas or solutions you create or backed up analytically and have been sufficiently thought out.

Nine Whys #innovation #issue analysis #liberating structures With breathtaking simplicity, you can rapidly clarify for individuals and a group what is essentially important in their work. You can quickly reveal when a compelling purpose is missing in a gathering and avoid moving forward without clarity. When a group discovers an unambiguous shared purpose, more freedom and more responsibility are unleashed. You have laid the foundation for spreading and scaling innovations with fidelity.

Collaboration

Trying to solve problems on your own is difficult. Being able to collaborate effectively, with a free exchange of ideas, to delegate and be a productive member of a team is hugely important to all problem solving strategies.

Remember that whatever your role, collaboration is integral, and in a problem solving process, you are all working together to find the best solution for everyone.

Marshmallow challenge with debriefing #teamwork #team #leadership #collaboration In eighteen minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow needs to be on top. The Marshmallow Challenge was developed by Tom Wujec, who has done the activity with hundreds of groups around the world. Visit the Marshmallow Challenge website for more information. This version has an extra debriefing question added with sample questions focusing on roles within the team.

Communication

Being an effective communicator means being empathetic, clear and succinct, asking the right questions, and demonstrating active listening skills throughout any discussion or meeting.

In a problem solving setting, you need to communicate well in order to progress through each stage of the process effectively. As a team leader, it may also fall to you to facilitate communication between parties who may not see eye to eye. Effective communication also means helping others to express themselves and be heard in a group.

Bus Trip #feedback #communication #appreciation #closing #thiagi #team This is one of my favourite feedback games. I use Bus Trip at the end of a training session or a meeting, and I use it all the time. The game creates a massive amount of energy with lots of smiles, laughs, and sometimes even a teardrop or two.

Creative problem solving skills can be some of the best tools in your arsenal. Thinking creatively, being able to generate lots of ideas and come up with out of the box solutions is useful at every step of the process.

The kinds of problems you will likely discuss in a problem solving workshop are often difficult to solve, and by approaching things in a fresh, creative manner, you can often create more innovative solutions.

Having practical creative skills is also a boon when it comes to problem solving. If you can help create quality design sketches and prototypes in record time, it can help bring a team to alignment more quickly or provide a base for further iteration.

The paper clip method #sharing #creativity #warm up #idea generation #brainstorming The power of brainstorming. A training for project leaders, creativity training, and to catalyse getting new solutions.

Critical thinking

Critical thinking is one of the fundamental problem solving skills you’ll want to develop when working on developing solutions. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, rationalize and evaluate while being aware of personal bias, outlying factors and remaining open-minded.

Defining and analyzing problems without deploying critical thinking skills can mean you and your team go down the wrong path. Developing solutions to complex issues requires critical thinking too – ensuring your team considers all possibilities and rationally evaluating them.

Agreement-Certainty Matrix #issue analysis #liberating structures #problem solving You can help individuals or groups avoid the frequent mistake of trying to solve a problem with methods that are not adapted to the nature of their challenge. The combination of two questions makes it possible to easily sort challenges into four categories: simple, complicated, complex , and chaotic . A problem is simple when it can be solved reliably with practices that are easy to duplicate. It is complicated when experts are required to devise a sophisticated solution that will yield the desired results predictably. A problem is complex when there are several valid ways to proceed but outcomes are not predictable in detail. Chaotic is when the context is too turbulent to identify a path forward. A loose analogy may be used to describe these differences: simple is like following a recipe, complicated like sending a rocket to the moon, complex like raising a child, and chaotic is like the game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” The Liberating Structures Matching Matrix in Chapter 5 can be used as the first step to clarify the nature of a challenge and avoid the mismatches between problems and solutions that are frequently at the root of chronic, recurring problems.

Data analysis

Though it shares lots of space with general analytical skills, data analysis skills are something you want to cultivate in their own right in order to be an effective problem solver.

Being good at data analysis doesn’t just mean being able to find insights from data, but also selecting the appropriate data for a given issue, interpreting it effectively and knowing how to model and present that data. Depending on the problem at hand, it might also include a working knowledge of specific data analysis tools and procedures.

Having a solid grasp of data analysis techniques is useful if you’re leading a problem solving workshop but if you’re not an expert, don’t worry. Bring people into the group who has this skill set and help your team be more effective as a result.

Decision making

All problems need a solution and all solutions require that someone make the decision to implement them. Without strong decision making skills, teams can become bogged down in discussion and less effective as a result.

Making decisions is a key part of the problem solving process. It’s important to remember that decision making is not restricted to the leadership team. Every staff member makes decisions every day and developing these skills ensures that your team is able to solve problems at any scale. Remember that making decisions does not mean leaping to the first solution but weighing up the options and coming to an informed, well thought out solution to any given problem that works for the whole team.

Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ) #action #decision making #problem solving #issue analysis #innovation #design #remote-friendly The problem with anything that requires creative thinking is that it’s easy to get lost—lose focus and fall into the trap of having useless, open-ended, unstructured discussions. Here’s the most effective solution I’ve found: Replace all open, unstructured discussion with a clear process. What to use this exercise for: Anything which requires a group of people to make decisions, solve problems or discuss challenges. It’s always good to frame an LDJ session with a broad topic, here are some examples: The conversion flow of our checkout Our internal design process How we organise events Keeping up with our competition Improving sales flow

Dependability

Most complex organizational problems require multiple people to be involved in delivering the solution. Ensuring that the team and organization can depend on you to take the necessary actions and communicate where necessary is key to ensuring problems are solved effectively.

Being dependable also means working to deadlines and to brief. It is often a matter of creating trust in a team so that everyone can depend on one another to complete the agreed actions in the agreed time frame so that the team can move forward together. Being undependable can create problems of friction and can limit the effectiveness of your solutions so be sure to bear this in mind throughout a project.

Team Purpose & Culture #team #hyperisland #culture #remote-friendly This is an essential process designed to help teams define their purpose (why they exist) and their culture (how they work together to achieve that purpose). Defining these two things will help any team to be more focused and aligned. With support of tangible examples from other companies, the team members work as individuals and a group to codify the way they work together. The goal is a visual manifestation of both the purpose and culture that can be put up in the team’s work space.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is an important skill for any successful team member, whether communicating internally or with clients or users. In the problem solving process, emotional intelligence means being attuned to how people are feeling and thinking, communicating effectively and being self-aware of what you bring to a room.

There are often differences of opinion when working through problem solving processes, and it can be easy to let things become impassioned or combative. Developing your emotional intelligence means being empathetic to your colleagues and managing your own emotions throughout the problem and solution process. Be kind, be thoughtful and put your points across care and attention.

Being emotionally intelligent is a skill for life and by deploying it at work, you can not only work efficiently but empathetically. Check out the emotional culture workshop template for more!

Facilitation

As we’ve clarified in our facilitation skills post, facilitation is the art of leading people through processes towards agreed-upon objectives in a manner that encourages participation, ownership, and creativity by all those involved. While facilitation is a set of interrelated skills in itself, the broad definition of facilitation can be invaluable when it comes to problem solving. Leading a team through a problem solving process is made more effective if you improve and utilize facilitation skills – whether you’re a manager, team leader or external stakeholder.

The Six Thinking Hats #creative thinking #meeting facilitation #problem solving #issue resolution #idea generation #conflict resolution The Six Thinking Hats are used by individuals and groups to separate out conflicting styles of thinking. They enable and encourage a group of people to think constructively together in exploring and implementing change, rather than using argument to fight over who is right and who is wrong.

Flexibility

Being flexible is a vital skill when it comes to problem solving. This does not mean immediately bowing to pressure or changing your opinion quickly: instead, being flexible is all about seeing things from new perspectives, receiving new information and factoring it into your thought process.

Flexibility is also important when it comes to rolling out solutions. It might be that other organizational projects have greater priority or require the same resources as your chosen solution. Being flexible means understanding needs and challenges across the team and being open to shifting or arranging your own schedule as necessary. Again, this does not mean immediately making way for other projects. It’s about articulating your own needs, understanding the needs of others and being able to come to a meaningful compromise.

The Creativity Dice #creativity #problem solving #thiagi #issue analysis Too much linear thinking is hazardous to creative problem solving. To be creative, you should approach the problem (or the opportunity) from different points of view. You should leave a thought hanging in mid-air and move to another. This skipping around prevents premature closure and lets your brain incubate one line of thought while you consciously pursue another.

Working in any group can lead to unconscious elements of groupthink or situations in which you may not wish to be entirely honest. Disagreeing with the opinions of the executive team or wishing to save the feelings of a coworker can be tricky to navigate, but being honest is absolutely vital when to comes to developing effective solutions and ensuring your voice is heard.

Remember that being honest does not mean being brutally candid. You can deliver your honest feedback and opinions thoughtfully and without creating friction by using other skills such as emotional intelligence.

Explore your Values #hyperisland #skills #values #remote-friendly Your Values is an exercise for participants to explore what their most important values are. It’s done in an intuitive and rapid way to encourage participants to follow their intuitive feeling rather than over-thinking and finding the “correct” values. It is a good exercise to use to initiate reflection and dialogue around personal values.

Initiative

The problem solving process is multi-faceted and requires different approaches at certain points of the process. Taking initiative to bring problems to the attention of the team, collect data or lead the solution creating process is always valuable. You might even roadtest your own small scale solutions or brainstorm before a session. Taking initiative is particularly effective if you have good deal of knowledge in that area or have ownership of a particular project and want to get things kickstarted.

That said, be sure to remember to honor the process and work in service of the team. If you are asked to own one part of the problem solving process and you don’t complete that task because your initiative leads you to work on something else, that’s not an effective method of solving business challenges.

15% Solutions #action #liberating structures #remote-friendly You can reveal the actions, however small, that everyone can do immediately. At a minimum, these will create momentum, and that may make a BIG difference. 15% Solutions show that there is no reason to wait around, feel powerless, or fearful. They help people pick it up a level. They get individuals and the group to focus on what is within their discretion instead of what they cannot change. With a very simple question, you can flip the conversation to what can be done and find solutions to big problems that are often distributed widely in places not known in advance. Shifting a few grains of sand may trigger a landslide and change the whole landscape.

Impartiality

A particularly useful problem solving skill for product owners or managers is the ability to remain impartial throughout much of the process. In practice, this means treating all points of view and ideas brought forward in a meeting equally and ensuring that your own areas of interest or ownership are not favored over others.

There may be a stage in the process where a decision maker has to weigh the cost and ROI of possible solutions against the company roadmap though even then, ensuring that the decision made is based on merit and not personal opinion.

Empathy map #frame insights #create #design #issue analysis An empathy map is a tool to help a design team to empathize with the people they are designing for. You can make an empathy map for a group of people or for a persona. To be used after doing personas when more insights are needed.

Being a good leader means getting a team aligned, energized and focused around a common goal. In the problem solving process, strong leadership helps ensure that the process is efficient, that any conflicts are resolved and that a team is managed in the direction of success.

It’s common for managers or executives to assume this role in a problem solving workshop, though it’s important that the leader maintains impartiality and does not bulldoze the group in a particular direction. Remember that good leadership means working in service of the purpose and team and ensuring the workshop is a safe space for employees of any level to contribute. Take a look at our leadership games and activities post for more exercises and methods to help improve leadership in your organization.

Leadership Pizza #leadership #team #remote-friendly This leadership development activity offers a self-assessment framework for people to first identify what skills, attributes and attitudes they find important for effective leadership, and then assess their own development and initiate goal setting.

In the context of problem solving, mediation is important in keeping a team engaged, happy and free of conflict. When leading or facilitating a problem solving workshop, you are likely to run into differences of opinion. Depending on the nature of the problem, certain issues may be brought up that are emotive in nature.

Being an effective mediator means helping those people on either side of such a divide are heard, listen to one another and encouraged to find common ground and a resolution. Mediating skills are useful for leaders and managers in many situations and the problem solving process is no different.

Conflict Responses #hyperisland #team #issue resolution A workshop for a team to reflect on past conflicts, and use them to generate guidelines for effective conflict handling. The workshop uses the Thomas-Killman model of conflict responses to frame a reflective discussion. Use it to open up a discussion around conflict with a team.

Planning

Solving organizational problems is much more effective when following a process or problem solving model. Planning skills are vital in order to structure, deliver and follow-through on a problem solving workshop and ensure your solutions are intelligently deployed.

Planning skills include the ability to organize tasks and a team, plan and design the process and take into account any potential challenges. Taking the time to plan carefully can save time and frustration later in the process and is valuable for ensuring a team is positioned for success.

3 Action Steps #hyperisland #action #remote-friendly This is a small-scale strategic planning session that helps groups and individuals to take action toward a desired change. It is often used at the end of a workshop or programme. The group discusses and agrees on a vision, then creates some action steps that will lead them towards that vision. The scope of the challenge is also defined, through discussion of the helpful and harmful factors influencing the group.

Prioritization

As organisations grow, the scale and variation of problems they face multiplies. Your team or is likely to face numerous challenges in different areas and so having the skills to analyze and prioritize becomes very important, particularly for those in leadership roles.

A thorough problem solving process is likely to deliver multiple solutions and you may have several different problems you wish to solve simultaneously. Prioritization is the ability to measure the importance, value, and effectiveness of those possible solutions and choose which to enact and in what order. The process of prioritization is integral in ensuring the biggest challenges are addressed with the most impactful solutions.

Impact and Effort Matrix #gamestorming #decision making #action #remote-friendly In this decision-making exercise, possible actions are mapped based on two factors: effort required to implement and potential impact. Categorizing ideas along these lines is a useful technique in decision making, as it obliges contributors to balance and evaluate suggested actions before committing to them.

Project management

Some problem solving skills are utilized in a workshop or ideation phases, while others come in useful when it comes to decision making. Overseeing an entire problem solving process and ensuring its success requires strong project management skills.

While project management incorporates many of the other skills listed here, it is important to note the distinction of considering all of the factors of a project and managing them successfully. Being able to negotiate with stakeholders, manage tasks, time and people, consider costs and ROI, and tie everything together is massively helpful when going through the problem solving process.

Record keeping

Working out meaningful solutions to organizational challenges is only one part of the process. Thoughtfully documenting and keeping records of each problem solving step for future consultation is important in ensuring efficiency and meaningful change.

For example, some problems may be lower priority than others but can be revisited in the future. If the team has ideated on solutions and found some are not up to the task, record those so you can rule them out and avoiding repeating work. Keeping records of the process also helps you improve and refine your problem solving model next time around!

Personal Kanban #gamestorming #action #agile #project planning Personal Kanban is a tool for organizing your work to be more efficient and productive. It is based on agile methods and principles.

Research skills

Conducting research to support both the identification of problems and the development of appropriate solutions is important for an effective process. Knowing where to go to collect research, how to conduct research efficiently, and identifying pieces of research are relevant are all things a good researcher can do well.

In larger groups, not everyone has to demonstrate this ability in order for a problem solving workshop to be effective. That said, having people with research skills involved in the process, particularly if they have existing area knowledge, can help ensure the solutions that are developed with data that supports their intention. Remember that being able to deliver the results of research efficiently and in a way the team can easily understand is also important. The best data in the world is only as effective as how it is delivered and interpreted.

Customer experience map #ideation #concepts #research #design #issue analysis #remote-friendly Customer experience mapping is a method of documenting and visualizing the experience a customer has as they use the product or service. It also maps out their responses to their experiences. To be used when there is a solution (even in a conceptual stage) that can be analyzed.

Risk management

Managing risk is an often overlooked part of the problem solving process. Solutions are often developed with the intention of reducing exposure to risk or solving issues that create risk but sometimes, great solutions are more experimental in nature and as such, deploying them needs to be carefully considered.

Managing risk means acknowledging that there may be risks associated with more out of the box solutions or trying new things, but that this must be measured against the possible benefits and other organizational factors.

Be informed, get the right data and stakeholders in the room and you can appropriately factor risk into your decision making process.

Decisions, Decisions… #communication #decision making #thiagi #action #issue analysis When it comes to decision-making, why are some of us more prone to take risks while others are risk-averse? One explanation might be the way the decision and options were presented. This exercise, based on Kahneman and Tversky’s classic study , illustrates how the framing effect influences our judgement and our ability to make decisions . The participants are divided into two groups. Both groups are presented with the same problem and two alternative programs for solving them. The two programs both have the same consequences but are presented differently. The debriefing discussion examines how the framing of the program impacted the participant’s decision.

Team-building

No single person is as good at problem solving as a team. Building an effective team and helping them come together around a common purpose is one of the most important problem solving skills, doubly so for leaders. By bringing a team together and helping them work efficiently, you pave the way for team ownership of a problem and the development of effective solutions.

In a problem solving workshop, it can be tempting to jump right into the deep end, though taking the time to break the ice, energize the team and align them with a game or exercise will pay off over the course of the day.

Remember that you will likely go through the problem solving process multiple times over an organization’s lifespan and building a strong team culture will make future problem solving more effective. It’s also great to work with people you know, trust and have fun with. Working on team building in and out of the problem solving process is a hallmark of successful teams that can work together to solve business problems.

9 Dimensions Team Building Activity #ice breaker #teambuilding #team #remote-friendly 9 Dimensions is a powerful activity designed to build relationships and trust among team members. There are 2 variations of this icebreaker. The first version is for teams who want to get to know each other better. The second version is for teams who want to explore how they are working together as a team.

Time management

The problem solving process is designed to lead a team from identifying a problem through to delivering a solution and evaluating its effectiveness. Without effective time management skills or timeboxing of tasks, it can be easy for a team to get bogged down or be inefficient.

By using a problem solving model and carefully designing your workshop, you can allocate time efficiently and trust that the process will deliver the results you need in a good timeframe.

Time management also comes into play when it comes to rolling out solutions, particularly those that are experimental in nature. Having a clear timeframe for implementing and evaluating solutions is vital for ensuring their success and being able to pivot if necessary.

Improving your skills at problem solving is often a career-long pursuit though there are methods you can use to make the learning process more efficient and to supercharge your problem solving skillset.

Remember that the skills you need to be a great problem solver have a large overlap with those skills you need to be effective in any role. Investing time and effort to develop your active listening or critical thinking skills is valuable in any context. Here are 7 ways to improve your problem solving skills.

Share best practices

Remember that your team is an excellent source of skills, wisdom, and techniques and that you should all take advantage of one another where possible. Best practices that one team has for solving problems, conducting research or making decisions should be shared across the organization. If you have in-house staff that have done active listening training or are data analysis pros, have them lead a training session.

Your team is one of your best resources. Create space and internal processes for the sharing of skills so that you can all grow together.

Ask for help and attend training

Once you’ve figured out you have a skills gap, the next step is to take action to fill that skills gap. That might be by asking your superior for training or coaching, or liaising with team members with that skill set. You might even attend specialized training for certain skills – active listening or critical thinking, for example, are business-critical skills that are regularly offered as part of a training scheme.

Whatever method you choose, remember that taking action of some description is necessary for growth. Whether that means practicing, getting help, attending training or doing some background reading, taking active steps to improve your skills is the way to go.

Learn a process

Problem solving can be complicated, particularly when attempting to solve large problems for the first time. Using a problem solving process helps give structure to your problem solving efforts and focus on creating outcomes, rather than worrying about the format.

Tools such as the seven-step problem solving process above are effective because not only do they feature steps that will help a team solve problems, they also develop skills along the way. Each step asks for people to engage with the process using different skills and in doing so, helps the team learn and grow together. Group processes of varying complexity and purpose can also be found in the SessionLab library of facilitation techniques . Using a tried and tested process and really help ease the learning curve for both those leading such a process, as well as those undergoing the purpose.

Effective teams make decisions about where they should and shouldn’t expend additional effort. By using a problem solving process, you can focus on the things that matter, rather than stumbling towards a solution haphazardly.

Create a feedback loop

Some skills gaps are more obvious than others. It’s possible that your perception of your active listening skills differs from those of your colleagues.

It’s valuable to create a system where team members can provide feedback in an ordered and friendly manner so they can all learn from one another. Only by identifying areas of improvement can you then work to improve them.

Remember that feedback systems require oversight and consideration so that they don’t turn into a place to complain about colleagues. Design the system intelligently so that you encourage the creation of learning opportunities, rather than encouraging people to list their pet peeves.

While practice might not make perfect, it does make the problem solving process easier. If you are having trouble with critical thinking, don’t shy away from doing it. Get involved where you can and stretch those muscles as regularly as possible.

Problem solving skills come more naturally to some than to others and that’s okay. Take opportunities to get involved and see where you can practice your skills in situations outside of a workshop context. Try collaborating in other circumstances at work or conduct data analysis on your own projects. You can often develop those skills you need for problem solving simply by doing them. Get involved!

Use expert exercises and methods

Learn from the best. Our library of 700+ facilitation techniques is full of activities and methods that help develop the skills you need to be an effective problem solver. Check out our templates to see how to approach problem solving and other organizational challenges in a structured and intelligent manner.

There is no single approach to improving problem solving skills, but by using the techniques employed by others you can learn from their example and develop processes that have seen proven results.

Try new ways of thinking and change your mindset

Using tried and tested exercises that you know well can help deliver results, but you do run the risk of missing out on the learning opportunities offered by new approaches. As with the problem solving process, changing your mindset can remove blockages and be used to develop your problem solving skills.

Most teams have members with mixed skill sets and specialties. Mix people from different teams and share skills and different points of view. Teach your customer support team how to use design thinking methods or help your developers with conflict resolution techniques. Try switching perspectives with facilitation techniques like Flip It! or by using new problem solving methodologies or models. Give design thinking, liberating structures or lego serious play a try if you want to try a new approach. You will find that framing problems in new ways and using existing skills in new contexts can be hugely useful for personal development and improving your skillset. It’s also a lot of fun to try new things. Give it a go!

Encountering business challenges and needing to find appropriate solutions is not unique to your organization. Lots of very smart people have developed methods, theories and approaches to help develop problem solving skills and create effective solutions. Learn from them!

Books like The Art of Thinking Clearly , Think Smarter, or Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow are great places to start, though it’s also worth looking at blogs related to organizations facing similar problems to yours, or browsing for success stories. Seeing how Dropbox massively increased growth and working backward can help you see the skills or approach you might be lacking to solve that same problem. Learning from others by reading their stories or approaches can be time-consuming but ultimately rewarding.

A tired, distracted mind is not in the best position to learn new skills. It can be tempted to burn the candle at both ends and develop problem solving skills outside of work. Absolutely use your time effectively and take opportunities for self-improvement, though remember that rest is hugely important and that without letting your brain rest, you cannot be at your most effective.

Creating distance between yourself and the problem you might be facing can also be useful. By letting an idea sit, you can find that a better one presents itself or you can develop it further. Take regular breaks when working and create a space for downtime. Remember that working smarter is preferable to working harder and that self-care is important for any effective learning or improvement process.

Want to design better group processes?

Over to you

Now we’ve explored some of the key problem solving skills and the problem solving steps necessary for an effective process, you’re ready to begin developing more effective solutions and leading problem solving workshops.

Need more inspiration? Check out our post on problem solving activities you can use when guiding a group towards a great solution in your next workshop or meeting. Have questions? Did you have a great problem solving technique you use with your team? Get in touch in the comments below. We’d love to chat!

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How to Improve Your Programming Skills

Published by

Muhammad Asif

Programming is a dynamic and ever-evolving field, requiring continuous learning and practice. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, there is always room for improvement. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore various strategies to enhance your programming skills, including practical tips, learning resources, and best practices. By following these steps, you’ll be able to write more efficient, maintainable, and robust code, ultimately becoming a better programmer.

Understanding the Fundamentals

Before diving into advanced topics, it’s crucial to have a strong grasp of the fundamentals. These basics form the foundation of your programming knowledge and will be applicable regardless of the language or framework you use.

1. Mastering Basic Concepts

Start by mastering basic programming concepts such as:

Variables and Data Types: Understand different data types (integers, floats, strings, etc.) and how to use variables to store data.
Control Structures: Learn about loops (for, while) and conditional statements (if, else) to control the flow of your programs.
Functions: Understand how to write and use functions to organize and reuse code.
Data Structures: Familiarize yourself with arrays, lists, stacks, queues, dictionaries, and other data structures.
Algorithms: Study common algorithms, including sorting, searching, and traversal techniques.

2. Practice Coding Regularly

Consistent practice is key to improving your programming skills. Set aside dedicated time each day or week to write code. Use coding platforms like LeetCode , HackerRank , or Codewars to solve coding challenges and build problem-solving skills.

3. Work on Projects

Building projects is one of the most effective ways to apply what you’ve learned and gain hands-on experience. Start with simple projects and gradually take on more complex ones. Some project ideas include:

A personal blog or portfolio website.
A to-do list application.
A basic calculator.
A weather forecasting app.

As you gain confidence, consider contributing to open-source projects on platforms like GitHub . This not only enhances your skills but also allows you to collaborate with other developers and learn from their code.

Learning Advanced Topics

Once you have a solid understanding of the basics, it’s time to explore more advanced topics. These areas will help you write more efficient and sophisticated code.

1. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)

OOP is a programming paradigm based on the concept of objects. It allows for better organization, code reusability, and easier maintenance. Key concepts in OOP include:

Classes and Objects: Understand how to define classes and create objects.
Inheritance: Learn how to create new classes that inherit properties and methods from existing classes.
Polymorphism: Understand how objects of different classes can be treated as objects of a common superclass.
Encapsulation: Learn how to restrict access to certain components of an object to protect the integrity of the data.

2. Design Patterns

Design patterns are proven solutions to common problems in software design. Familiarize yourself with popular design patterns such as:

Singleton: Ensures a class has only one instance and provides a global point of access to it.
Factory Method: Defines an interface for creating objects but allows subclasses to alter the type of objects that will be created.
Observer: Allows an object to notify other objects when its state changes.

3. Data Structures and Algorithms

A deep understanding of data structures and algorithms is essential for writing efficient code. Study advanced data structures like:

Graphs and Trees: Understand different types of trees (binary, AVL, etc.) and graph traversal techniques (BFS, DFS).
Heaps and Hash Tables: Learn how heaps are used in priority queues and how hash tables provide fast data retrieval.

Study advanced algorithms such as:

Dynamic Programming: Learn how to solve complex problems by breaking them down into simpler subproblems.
Greedy Algorithms: Understand how to make the optimal choice at each step to find the overall optimal solution.

4. Functional Programming

Functional programming is a paradigm that treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions. Key concepts include:

Pure Functions: Functions that have no side effects and return the same output for the same input.
Higher-Order Functions: Functions that take other functions as arguments or return them as results.
Immutability: The idea that data should not be modified after it is created.

Languages like Haskell, Scala, and even JavaScript support functional programming. Learning these concepts can help you write more predictable and maintainable code.

Enhancing Code Quality

Writing clean, efficient, and maintainable code is a hallmark of a skilled programmer. Here are some tips to improve your code quality:

1. Follow Coding Standards

Adhere to coding standards and conventions specific to the language you are using. This ensures consistency and readability in your code. Refer to style guides such as:

PEP 8 for Python.
Google Java Style Guide for Java.
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide for JavaScript.

2. Write Readable Code

Readable code is easier to understand and maintain. Follow these practices:

Use Meaningful Names: Choose descriptive names for variables, functions, and classes.
Comment Your Code: Provide comments to explain complex logic or decisions.
Keep It Simple: Avoid unnecessary complexity and keep your code as simple as possible.

3. Refactor Regularly

Refactoring is the process of restructuring existing code without changing its external behavior. Regularly refactor your code to improve its structure, readability, and performance. Look for opportunities to:

Remove Duplicate Code: Extract common functionality into reusable functions or classes.
Simplify Logic: Break down complex functions into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Optimize Performance: Identify and optimize performance bottlenecks.

4. Write Tests

Testing is crucial for ensuring the correctness and reliability of your code. Adopt a test-driven development (TDD) approach where you write tests before implementing the functionality. Use testing frameworks like:

JUnit for Java.
PyTest for Python.
Jest for JavaScript.

Write unit tests to validate individual functions, integration tests to verify the interaction between components, and end-to-end tests to ensure the entire system works as expected.

Leveraging Tools and Resources

There are numerous tools and resources available to help you improve your programming skills. Here are some that you should consider:

1. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)

IDEs provide a comprehensive environment for writing, testing, and debugging code. Some popular IDEs include:

Visual Studio Code: A lightweight and powerful code editor with extensive extensions for various languages.
PyCharm: A specialized IDE for Python development with features like code analysis and debugging.
IntelliJ IDEA: A versatile IDE for Java development with advanced refactoring and code completion capabilities.

2. Version Control Systems

Version control systems (VCS) like Git are essential for managing code changes and collaborating with others. Learn how to use Git commands, create branches, and manage pull requests. Platforms like GitHub and GitLab provide hosting services for your repositories.

3. Online Learning Platforms

There are many online platforms offering courses and tutorials on various programming topics. Some popular ones include:

Coursera : Offers courses from top universities and companies.
Udacity : Provides nanodegree programs in various fields including programming and data science.
edX : Offers courses from renowned institutions worldwide.

4. Books and Documentation

Books and official documentation are invaluable resources for in-depth learning. Some recommended books include:

“Clean Code” by Robert C. Martin: A guide to writing readable and maintainable code.
“Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software” by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides: A classic book on design patterns.
“Introduction to Algorithms” by Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, and Clifford Stein: A comprehensive guide to algorithms.

Refer to official documentation for detailed and accurate information about programming languages and frameworks. For example:

Python Documentation
Java Documentation
JavaScript Documentation

Joining Communities and Networking

Engaging with the programming community can provide valuable support, feedback, and learning opportunities. Here are some ways to get involved:

1. Join Online Forums and Groups

Participate in online forums and groups where developers discuss programming topics, share knowledge, and help each other. Some popular forums include:

Stack Overflow : A Q&A platform for programming-related questions.
Reddit : A subreddit dedicated to programming discussions.
Dev.to : A community of developers sharing articles, tutorials, and experiences.

2. Attend Meetups and Conferences

Attend local meetups and conferences to network with other developers and learn from industry experts. Platforms like Meetup can help you find local programming events. Major conferences such as PyCon and JavaOne offer sessions on various programming topics.

3. Follow Influential Developers

Follow influential developers and thought leaders on social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. They often share insights, resources, and updates on the latest trends in the programming world. Some notable figures include:

Uncle Bob Martin (@unclebobmartin)
Kent Beck (@kentbeck)
Linus Torvalds (@Linus__Torvalds)

4. Contribute to Open Source

Contributing to open-source projects is an excellent way to gain experience, improve your skills, and give back to the community. Explore repositories on GitHub, look for issues labeled “good first issue,” and start contributing.

Keeping Up with Industry Trends

The tech industry is constantly evolving, and it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies. Here are some ways to keep yourself informed:

1. Follow Tech News

Stay updated with the latest developments in the tech industry by following reputable tech news websites and blogs. Some popular sources include:

Hacker News

2. Enroll in Continued Learning Programs

Enroll in continued learning programs and workshops to keep your skills sharp and learn new technologies. Many universities and online platforms offer continued education programs tailored to professionals.

3. Experiment with New Technologies

Don’t be afraid to experiment with new languages, frameworks, and tools. Building small projects with new technologies can give you a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and help you stay versatile in your programming skills.

Building Soft Skills

While technical skills are crucial, soft skills are equally important for a successful programming career. Here are some soft skills to focus on:

1. Problem-Solving

Programming is fundamentally about solving problems. Develop a methodical approach to problem-solving by:

Breaking Down Problems: Divide complex problems into smaller, manageable parts.
Analyzing Requirements: Understand the problem requirements and constraints before jumping to a solution.
Iterating Solutions: Refine and improve your solutions through iteration and feedback.

2. Communication

Effective communication is essential for collaborating with team members, presenting ideas, and explaining your code. Improve your communication skills by:

Writing Clear Documentation: Document your code, projects, and processes clearly and concisely.
Presenting Ideas: Practice explaining your ideas and solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Active Listening: Listen to feedback and suggestions from others and be open to constructive criticism.

3. Time Management

Manage your time effectively to balance coding, learning, and other responsibilities. Use techniques like:

Pomodoro Technique: Work in focused intervals (typically 25 minutes) followed by short breaks.
Prioritization: Prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadlines.
Task Management Tools: Use tools like Trello , Asana , or Todoist to organize and track your tasks.

4. Adaptability

The tech industry is fast-paced, and the ability to adapt to new technologies and changing requirements is crucial. Stay flexible and open to learning new skills and technologies as needed.

Improving your programming skills is a continuous journey that involves mastering the basics, learning advanced topics, writing high-quality code, leveraging tools and resources, engaging with the community, staying updated with industry trends, and building soft skills. By following these strategies and maintaining a growth mindset, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a more proficient and successful programmer. Remember, practice, persistence, and passion are key to achieving excellence in programming.

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