Problem Solving and Creativity

Learning Objectives

• Increase proficiency in analytical problem-solving.
• Recognize personal conceptual blocks.
• Enhance creativity by overcoming conceptual blocks.
• Foster innovation among others.

A Model of Problem-Solving

• Step 1: Define the Problem
  • Differentiate fact from opinion.
  • Specify underlying causes of the problem.
  • Gather information from everyone involved.
  • Explicitly state the problem.
  • Identify which standard is being violated.
  • Determine who owns the problem.
  • Avoid phrasing the problem as a disguised solution.
• Step 2: Generate Alternative Solutions
  • Postpone evaluating alternatives initially.
  • Ensure all involved generate alternatives.
  • Alternatives should be consistent with goals.
  • Specify both short- and long-term solutions.
  • Build on the ideas of others.
  • Specify alternatives that directly solve the problem.
• Step 3: Evaluate and Select an Alternative
  • Evaluate relative to an optimal standard.
  • Evaluate systematically.
  • Evaluate relative to the goals.
  • Evaluate both main and side effects.
  • Explicitly state the selected alternative.
• Step 4: Implement and Follow Up on the Solution
  • Implement at the proper time and in the right sequence.
  • Provide opportunities for feedback.
  • Engender acceptance of the solution.
  • Establish an ongoing monitoring system.
  • Evaluate based on the problem solution effectiveness.

Constraints on Analytical Problem-Solving

• Step 1: Defining the Problems
  • Lack of consensus on what the problem is.
  • Lack of acceptance of the problem definition.
  • Symptoms are often mistaken for the actual problem.
  • Presence of confusing information.
• Step 2: Generating Alternatives
  • Alternatives tend to get evaluated as they are proposed.
  • The number of possible known alternatives are few in number.
  • The first acceptable solution is often the one selected.
  • Reliance on alternatives that have been successful in the past.
• Step 3: Evaluating and Selecting an Alternative
  • Having limited information on alternatives.
  • The search for information tends to occur close to home.
  • The type of information is restricted by other factors.
  • Gathering information can be costly.
  • Preferences for the best alternatives is not always known.
• Step 4: Implementation and Follow Up
  • Acceptance of the solution isn't always guaranteed.
  • Resistance to change can occur.
  • There can be uncertainty about which aspect of the solution to monitor.
  • Political and organizational processes need managing.
  • Implementing a solution can be time consuming.

Impediments to Creative Problem-Solving

• Most people assume that creativity is one-dimensional.
• Almost everyone has mental blocks reducing creativity.

Conceptual Blocks

• Each of the 4 approaches to creativity can be inhibited.
• Mental obstacles constrain problem definition.
• Examples of overcoming a block:
  • Percy Spencer's Magnetron led to the invention of the microwave.
  • Spence Silver's Glue led to the development of Post-It Notes.
• Constancy can hinder problem-solving, emphasizing that consistency can stifle creativity.
• Commitment can lead to viewing current issues as mere variations of previous ones.
• Compression involves failing to filter out irrelevant information.
• Complacency, similar to compression, involves failing to filter out irrelevant information and setting too narrow boundaries for problems.

De Bono's Ways of Thinking

• Vertical Thinking
  • Emphasizes continuity and stability.
  • Involves making choices and searching for what is right through analysis.
  • Focuses on the origin and development of an idea.
• Lateral Thinking
  • Embraces discontinuity and change.
  • Seeks out what is different and provokes new perspectives.
  • Concentrates on where an idea is going, aiming to discover it.

Multiple Thinking Languages

• Creativity in problem-solving is enhanced by the availability of more thinking languages:
  • Words
  • Symbols
  • Sensory input (smell)
  • Feelings and emotions
  • Visual imagery

Ways to Improve Problem Definition

• Make the strange familiar/familiar strange by using synectics
  • Use personal, direct, symbolic, and fantasy analogies
• Elaborate the definition by creating 2 different plausible definitions while thinking in the plural.
• Reverse the definition by considering the opposite perspective.

Ways to Generate More Alternatives

• Defer judgement and encourage brainstorming.
• Expand current alternatives by subdivision.
• Combine unrelated attributes to facilitate relational algorithm and morphological synthesis.

Rules of Brainstorming

• No evaluation of ideas is permitted during the session.
• Wild and unconventional ideas are encouraged.
• Focus on quantity of ideas over quality during the session.
• Build on the ideas of others to create synergistic solutions.

Morphological Synthesis Steps

• The problem is written down clearly.
• The attributes and dimension of the problem are listed.
• Alternatives to each attribute is listed.
• Different alternatives from the attributes are combined.

Relational Algorithm

• Applies connecting words to force a relationship between two elements in a problem.

Hints to Facilitate Creative Problem-Solving

• Give yourself relaxation time to clear your mind.
• Find a place where you can think without distractions.
• Talk to other people about your ideas to gain new perspectives.
• Ask others for their suggestions and insights on your problems.
• Read extensively to broaden your knowledge and inspire new ideas.
• Protect yourself from "idea-killers" or negative influences that stifle creativity.

Three Principles for Fostering Creativity

• Pull people apart, and then put them together.
• Monitor and prod.
• Reward multiple roles within a team.

Explore analytical problem-solving, recognize conceptual blocks, and enhance creativity. Learn to define problems, generate alternative solutions, and foster innovation. Improve your problem-solving approach.