creative problem solving tools & techniques resource guide

Creative Problem Solving Tools & Techniques Resource Guide

“We can all create a desired future instead of merely accepting what life offers.”— Sidney Parnes “ Imagination is more importCEFant than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.”— ALBERT EINSTEIN Table of Contents

Special Thanks & Acknowledgments...... 6 How To Use this Manual – Tool Index...... 8 About the Creative Education Foundation...... 10 Why Creative Problem Solving (CPS)...... 11 Setting the Stage ...... 12 Definition of Creativity ...... 12 Barriers and Bridges to Creativity...... 13 What is Creative Problem Solving?...... 15 Core Principles of Creative Problem Solving...... 16 Divergent and Convergent Thinking: The Dynamic Balance of Creativity...... 17 Roles in Group Facilitation and Ownership...... 20 CPS Process & Model...... 21 • Clarify – Explore the Vision...... 23 • Clarify – Gather Data...... 24 • Clarify – Formulate the Challenge...... 25 • Ideate – Explore Ideas...... 26 • Develop – Formulate Solutions...... 27 • Implement – Formulate a Plan...... 28 Divergent Tools...... 30 • 5 “W”s and an “H”...... 31 • 50 Aspirations...... 32 • Action Plan...... 35 • Assisters & Resisters...... 36 • Assumption Reversal...... 37 • Brainstorming...... 38 • Brainstorming – Stick ’Em Up...... 39 • Brainwriting...... CEF 40 • Collage...... 41 • Context Mapping...... 42 • DRIVE ...... 44 • Empathy Map...... 46 • Forced Connections...... 48 • Give & Take...... 49 • Group Doodle...... 50 • Invitational Language Stems...... 52 • Mindmapping...... 53

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 3 • Morphological Analysis...... 55 • Pictures as Metaphors...... 57 • POINt...... 58 • Post & Cluster...... 59 • SCAMPER...... 60 • Storytelling...... 61 • Storyboarding...... 62 • Visual Excursions...... 63 • Visualization...... 64 • Wall of Don’t...... 65 • Why? What’s Stopping You?...... 66 • Word Dance...... 68 Convergent Tools...... 69 • 3 “I”s...... 70 • ALU (Advantages, Limitations, and Unique Potential)...... 71 • Dot Voting (Hits)...... 72 • Evaluation Matrix...... 73 • Highlighting...... 75 • How-How Diagram...... 76 • Pair & Share...... 78 • PPCO (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns, Overcoming concerns)...... 80 • Problem Police...... 81 • Targeting...... 82 Facilitator Tools...... 83 • Session Facilitation Tools...... 84 • Techniques for Setting the Climate...... 84 • Introduction/Icebreaker Games...... 86 - Have You Ever?...... 87 - My Name is...... 88 - Roving Reporter...... CEF 89 • Energizers...... 91 - 1-2-3...... 92 - Bear, Hunter, Lady...... 93 - Big Booty...... 94 - Clap Focus...... 95 - Driver’s Seat...... 96 - Dynamic Duos...... 97 - Glue...... 98

4 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. - Paparazzi...... 99 - Recognizing Patterns...... 100 - Red Ball, Thank You...... 101 - Song Circle...... 102 - Squirrel House...... 103 - Which Side Are You On?...... 104 - Yes, Let’s!...... 105 - Zip, Zap, Zop...... 106 • Grouping Games...... 107 - Animals with Attitudes...... 108 - Atom Group...... 109 - Continuum...... 110 - Genres...... 111 - Hum Group...... 112 - Lookalikes...... 113 Resources...... 114 References...... 116 Origins of Creative Problem Solving...... 117 CEF

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 5 Special Thanks & Acknowledgements The Creative Education Foundation (CEF) is deeply grateful to those whose efforts made this guide possible. In particular, we acknowledge the groundbreaking work of Alex Osborn, Sidney Parnes, PhD; and Ruth Noller, PhD. Alex Osborn helped us learn that it is “easier to tone down a wild idea than it is to think up a new one.” He also crafted creative thinking techniques that are now used worldwide. Osborn founded CEF in 1954 and launched the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI). Parnes joined him the next year and became a guiding force for both CEF and CPSI.

Parnes partnered with Osborn beginning in the 1950s to develop methods for teaching creative thinking and problem-solving. After founding the Creative Problem Solving Institute, CEF sponsored, with Parnes and Noller teaching, the nation’s first creative studies graduate courses at SUNY Buffalo State. Parnes’ work focused on helping people learn and practice deliberate creativity in their personal and professional lives as well as in academic settings. This assemblage of tools and techniques represents the collective wisdom of many gifted and generous trainers, facilitators, and authors. We are tremendously grateful for their time, efforts, talents and devotion to the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) and the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process.

Much gratitude go to the contributions of Roger Firestien, PhD; Scott Isaksen, PhD; Marie Mance, MS; Blair Miller, MS; Mary Murdock, PhD; Dorte Nielsen, MS; Sarah Thurber, MS; Don Treffinger, PhD; Gerard Puccio, PhD; and Jonathan Vehar, MS.

We also thank the 2015 CPSI Tools & Techniques team members who sculpted this guide into its current iteration: Jean Bakk, Ana Castelan, MS; Jody Fisher, MS; Karen Lynch, Alison Murphy, MS; and Susan Newhouse.

CEF also thanks its dedicated volunteers who continue to refine the materials used to teach Creative Problem Solving as the craft evolves. The background information around CPS was pulled together by the CEF Training & Materials Committee and CEF staff: Beth Barclay, Dan Bigonesse, Stephen Brand, PhD; Clare Dus, Gert Garman, Sunil Gupta, PhD; Karen Lynch, Dimis Michaelides, MBA, MA; CEFSuzie Nussel, Kristen Peterson, MS; Elizabeth Power, MEd; Rosemary Rein, PhD; Beth Slazac, MS. Previous versions were developed through the efforts of a number of people including Tony Billoni, Cyndi Burnett, EdD; Suzanne Chamberlain, Jeanne Chatigney, Roger Firestien, PhD; Diane Foucar-Szocki, EdD; John Frederick, Paul Groncki, PhD; Bill Hartwell, Chris Heinz, Tim Hurson, Hedria Lunken, Siri Lynn, Blair Miller, MS; Cheryl Nee-Gieringer, MA; Russ Schoen, MS; Bill Shephard, Sarah Thurber, MS; and Jonathan Vehar, MS.

Special thanks also goes to the International Center for Studies in Creativity at SUNY Buffalo State College, FourSight LLC, Blair Miller, MS; Gerard Puccio, PhD; and Sarah Thurber, MS for their contributions to the field and specifically for their help with permissions, production, and process.

6 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Finally, appreciation to the generosity and thought leadership of the CEF and CPSI community in sharing best practices and evolving work in creative studies.

RESOURCES Here are just a few of the amazing resources that are frequently tapped by CPSI leaders and impacted the creation of this guide:

• Creativity Unbound: An Introduction to Creative Process by Blair Miller, Jonathan Vehar, Roger Firestien • Mindmapping by Joyce Wyckoff • Moderating To The Max: A Full-Tilt Guide to Creative, Insightful, Focus Groups and Depth Interviews by Jean Bystedt, Siri Lynn, Deborah Potts • The Creative Marketer, by S. Majaro • What A Great Idea by Chic Thompson • Think Better by Tim Hurson • Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers and Changemakers by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanufo • Innovation to the Core by Peter Skarzynski and Rowan Gibson • Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers and Challengers by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur • Synectics: The Development of Creative Capacity by William Gordon • The Practice of Creativity by George Prince CEF

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 7 How to Use this Manual - Tool Index This manual was written for someone relatively new to CPS and with limited experience in facilitation. The tools are described from the point of view of a facilitator working with a problem owner/stakeholder or a resource group. Many of the tools included in the manual can also be used when working with one individual or when self-facilitating a personal challenge by adapting the instructions.

If you’re in… Consider using this tool:

STAGE STEP DIVERGE CONVERGE

ALL STAGES Brainstorming Dot Voting (Hits) Brainstorming - StickEm Up Highlighting Brainwriting PPCO PPCO

CLARIFY Explore the Vision 50 Aspirations 3 I’s Collage DRIVE DRIVE Post & Cluster Forced Connections Give & Take Group Doodle Invitational Language Stems Mindmapping Pictures as Metaphors Storyboarding Storytelling Visualization Gather Data CEFContext Map Post & Cluster Empathy Map Mindmapping Pictures as Metaphors Storyboarding Storytelling Visualization 5 “W”s and an “H”

Formulate Why, What’s Stopping You? 3 “I”s the Challenge Word Dance Post & Cluster Problem Police

IDEATE Explore Ideas Assumption Reversal 3 “I”s Group Doodle Post & Cluster Forced Connections Mindmapping Pictures as Metaphors Morphological Analysis SCAMPER Visual Excursion Visualization Wall of Don’t

DEVELOP Formulate Solutions DRIVE ALU Mindmapping DRIVE POINt Evaluation Matrix Storyboarding How-How Diagram Storytelling Pair & Share Pictures as Metaphors Post & Cluster Targeting Visualization

IMPLEMENT Formulate a Plan Assisters & Resisters Action Plan CEF Post & Cluster

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 9 Where brainstorming begins — The Creative Education Foundation. Our mission is to “Engage and develop the next generation of creative thinkers and innovators.” As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we connect leading creativity experts and practitioners with beginners from across diverse backgrounds and fields. Our dream is that all people — regardless of economic background, education, or culture — have access to the tools to solve challenges and create a better world. Founded in 1954, The Creative Education Foundation (CEF) has a rich legacy. Our founder, Alex Osborn, and Dr. Sidney J. Parnes were leaders of the deliberate creativity movement. Their passion extended to many contributions, including:

• Osborn co-founded the advertising firm BBDO and invented “brainstorming” • Osborn wrote the classic book Applied Imagination (1953) • Osborn and Parnes developed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process • Osborn and Parnes establsihed the longest-running creativity conference (CPSI) For more than 60 years, CEF has worked closely with leading corporations, academic institutions and community organizations. We invite you to join us. CEF Alex Osborn Dr. Sidney Parnes 1888-1966 1922-2013

• Create an environment in which creativity and innovation thrive • Use a broad set of tools and methods to foster key behaviors conducive to creative thinking • Engage personal, organizational, and social benefits of CPS • Use tools for divergent and convergent thinking • Practice specific CPS methods in the service of personal, organizational, and social challenges • Practice deliberate creativity as an integral part of work and life • Apply core principles of the Creative Problem Solving process in multiple settings.

Some definitions of creativity:

• “Novelty that is useful.” First referenced in 1724 in the text, The Irish Historical Library, and later stated by Stan Gryshiewicz, PhD, Center for Creative Leadership. • “Creativity is the production of novel and useful ideas in any domain.” Professor Teresa M. Amabile, PhD, Harvard Business School. • “Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being.” Psychologist Rollo May, PhD.

Being aware of your own definition is helpful, since it impacts your approach to the process. Because creativity is subjective, there is no “wrong” definition.

CEF uses a shared understanding that has common characteristics. Creativity is thinking that:

• Is imaginative • Includes the new and novel • Focuses on the process • May be deliberate

As you learn CPS, you’ll use specific tools and methods to foster deliberate creativity, problem solving, and innovation. Through the process, you’ll (re)discover and unleash your creativity. CEF

12 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Barriers and Bridges to Creativity Saying that creativity may be “deliberate” means that it is intentional — something done with thought and the application of specific processes. The more the tools and skills associated with creative thinking and Creative Problem Solving are used, the more ingrained the habit of creative thinking becomes and the easier it is to utilize in many contexts.

Of course, there are both barriers and bridges to the practice of deliberate creativity.

BARRIERS As with any practice of effort, some barriers are quite common. When people feel they are being judged negatively for their efforts, these barriers can also become self-protective statements:

• “We don’t have time!” • “It takes too many resources.” • “I’m just not the creative type.” • “In this culture? You’ve got to be kidding.” • “Not me! I’m not hanging myself out to dry like that.” • “I don’t have a creative bone in my body. Not my skill-set.” • “Don’t we have an art department that does that?” • “I don’t want to look stupid.” • “We tried that before. It won’t work.”

Notice that all of these focus on time, resources, culture, internal and external judgment, and perceptions of talent or skill. Whether these are external statements or internal self-talk, they have a dramatic impact: they help others believe that they aren’t, can’t be, or shouldn’t be creative — and that simplyCEF isn’t the case. So, remember that everyone has tremendous creative potential that can be unlocked and harnessed. The challenge is to identify the factors that affect awareness and use of creativity. Once an individual knows those, it’s easier to make productive choices about how to use, improve, and refine skills that support creativity.

“Learn the craft of knowing how to open your heart and to turn on your creativity. There’s a light inside of you.”— JUDITH JAMISON

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 13 BRIDGES Along with the barriers that inhibit the ability to express creativity, there are also bridges. These key elements support deliberate creativity and creative thinking. They include the choice to:

• Shift from “Yes, but” to “Yes, and” thinking • Foster a “What if?” outlook (remaining curious) • Suspend or defer judgments to maintain openness to new ideas • Recognize that every experience informs creativity • Embrace incubation and letting the brain work “out of awareness” on ideas • Develop a climate for creativity; changing the physical environment or mental/ emotional outlook to be open to new ideas • Use Creative Problem Solving tools to hone practice • Work ideas instead of using them (allowing them to change and develop) • Balance the use of imagination, knowledge, and evaluation • Develop an internal observing “wise self.” CEF

It helps people re-define the problems and opportunities they face, come up with new, innovative responses and solutions, and then take action. The tools and techniques used make the process fun, engaging, and collaborative. CPS not only helps create better solutions, it creates a positive experience that helps speed the adoption of new ideas.

Noted CPS educator and practitioner, Ruth Noller, PhD, described CPS as the sum of its parts:

Creative specifies elements of newness, innovation, and novelty.

Problem refers to any situation that presents a challenge, offers an opportunity, or represents a troubling concern.

Solving means devising ways to answer, to meet, or to satisfy a situation by changing self or situation.

Ruth Noller also created a symbolic equation for Creative Problem Solving1: C = fa(K,I,E) Creativity is the Function of combining Knowledge, Imagination, and Evaluation, all of which are tempered by “attitude.” Fostering a positive belief that each person is creative is the key to engaging knowledge, imagination, and evaluation.

“Creative Problem Solving” generates variationsCEF on the method can be traced back to the work of Alex Osborn in the 1940s, developed with Sid Parnes in the 1950s, and nurtured at SUNY Buffalo State and the Creative Education Foundation. Osborn noted in his breakthrough book, Applied Imagination, that Hindu teachers had been using brainstorming for over 400 years and Walt Disney2 encouraged it among his artists in the 1920s (later called “dreaming as a team”). Osborn formalized the tool in the 40s. The Creative Education Foundation focuses on an evolution of Osborn-Parnes’ CPS model, called the CPS Model.

Everyone is creative. Creative skills can be learned and enhanced. The core principles are:

Divergent and convergent thinking must be balanced. Keys to creativity are learning ways to identify and balance expanding and contracting thinking (done separately) and knowing when to practice them.

Ask problems as questions. Solutions are more readily invited and developed when challenges and problems are restated as open-ended questions with multiple possibilities. Such questions generate lots of rich information, while closed-ended questions tend to elicit confirmation or denial. Statements tend to generate limited or no response at all.

Defer or suspend judgment. As Osborn learned in his early work on brainstorming, the instantaneous judgment in response to an idea shuts down idea generation. There is an appropriate and necessary time to apply judgment when converging.

Focus on “Yes, and ...” rather than “No, but.” When generating information and ideas, language matters. “Yes, and” allows continuation and expansion, which is necessary in certain stages of CPS. The use of the word “but”—whether preceded by “yes” or “no”— closes down conversation,CEF negating everything that has come before it.

“It is easier to tame a wild idea than it is to push a closer-in idea further out.”— ALEX OSBORN

1616 | | ©2015 ©2015 Creative Creative Education Education Foundation. Foundation. All All rights rights reserved. reserved. Divergent and Convergent Thinking: The Dynamic Balance of Creativity In Applied Imagination, Alex Osborn noted two distinct kinds of thinking that are essential to being creative:

Divergent Thinking: Generating lots of ideas and options Convergent Thinking: Evaluating ideas and options, and making decisions

People engage in both kinds of thinking on a daily basis. The secret to creating new ideas, however, is to separate divergent thinking from convergent thinking. This means generating lots and lots of options before evaluating them.

DIVERGENT THINKING GUIDELINES Both Osborn and Parnes note the importance of removing the barriers to divergent thinking in their book Visionizing. They suggest that criticism is taboo, free-wheeling is desirable, quantity breeds quality, and combinations and improvement are sought.

These suggestions have been condensed into guidelines for divergent thinking:

Defer Judgment – Deferring judgment isn’t the same as having no judgment. It just says, “hold off for a while.” Avoid judging ideas as either bad or good in the divergent- thinking phase.

Deferring judgment is a key component to any successful problem-solving session. Without it, generating novel solutions becomes almost impossible.

Combine and Build – Use one idea as a springboard for another. Build, combine, and improve ideas.

Seek Wild Ideas – Stretch to create wild ideas. While these may not work directly, getting way outside the box allows the spaceCEF needed to discover extraordinary ideas. Go for Quantity – Take the time necessary and use the tools in this guide to generate a long list of potential options.

To make it easier to generate a long list, set a concrete goal such as at least 50 ideas in 7 minutes for groups or 30 ideas in 7 minutes if solo before going to the next step. This sharpens focus and prompts the changes the brain needs to get moving. It also supports “deferring judgment.”

Divergent • Defer Judgment • Seek Wild Ideas Thinking Guidelines • Combine and Build • Go for Quantity

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 1711 In the 1970s, Sid Parnes and Ruth Noller conducted a ground-breaking research study called the Creative Studies Project3. This research demonstrated that students trained in divergent thinking techniques were able to produce twice as many quality ideas as those who did not have creativity training.

“The best way to have good ideas is to have lots of ideas… and then throw the bad ones away.”— LINUS PAULING

To select the best of the divergent options, determine their potential value. In the convergent thinking process, choice is deliberate and conscious. Criteria are purposefully applied to screen, select, evaluate, and refine the options, all the while knowing that raw ideas still need development.

Scott Isaksen, PhD and Don Treffinger, PhD proposed convergent thinking guidelines in Creative Problem Solving, the Basic Course (1982).

Use the guidelines that follow when it’s time to make decisions about the ideas generated by divergent thinking.

Be Deliberate – Allow decision-making the time and respect it requires. Avoid snap decisions or harsh judgments. Give every option a fair chance.

Check Your Objectives – Verify choices against objectives in each step. This is a reality check – are the choices on track?

Improve Your Ideas – Not all ideas are workable solutions. Even promising ideas must be honed and strengthened. Take the time to improve ideas.

Be Affirmative – Even in convergence, it’s important to first consider what’s good about an idea and judge for the purpose of improving, rather than eliminating, ideas.

Consider Novelty – Do not dismiss novel or original ideas. Consider ways to tailor, rework, or tame. CEF Convergent • Be Deliberate • Be Affirmative Thinking Guidelines • Check Your Objectives • Consider Novelty • Improve Your Ideas

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 19 Roles in Group Facilitation and Ownership Effective brainstorming comes by setting up distinct roles. In Applied Imagination, Alex Osborn was the first to address the role and responsibility of the facilitator (or leader of the “brainstorming panel”). Later, the roles of client and resource group were identified by Treffinger, Isaksen, and Firestien in Creative Problem Solving: The Basic Course.

THREE KEY ROLES: THE CLIENT, THE FACILITATOR & THE RESOURCE GROUP The Client:

• Owns the “problem” and defines the challenge to be worked on • Is the key decision-maker or implementer • Selects the group to work on the challenge • Provides direction throughout session • Is responsible for or approves all convergence

The Facilitator:

• Is responsible for managing the CPS process • Manages logistics, idea flow, and group development • Makes sure the client gets what he/she needs from the group • Meets with the client before gathering the resource group and afterward to debrief and apply back learnings from the session

The Resource Group:

• Serves the needs of the client • Provides energy, ideas, insights, andCEF diverse points of view during all divergent phases • Adds new perspectives, especially if they represent members not directly involved with the situation

EVOLUTION OF CPS Creative Problem Solving has changed and evolved over the past 60 years. Many organizations and individuals have contributed to this evolution. Through continuous research, development, and training related to CPS, the International Center for Studies in Creativity at SUNY Buffalo State has been, and continues to be, a primary contributor to this evolution. The changes that have taken place relate to the steps in the model and the language used to describe them.

Over time many divergent and convergent tools have been developed, which greatly enhance innovation and design thinking . During all CEF training, tools are presented at the appropriate steps but may also be used at other times.

THE STAGES IN CPS MIRROR THE WAY PEOPLE NATURALLY SOLVE PROBLEMS At the same time that CPS is a structured process, it’s also a flexible one. CPS is cyclical, and as users move from step to step, it becomes possible to jump back and forth between the four stages. When CPS becomes a regular and frequently used way of thinking and working, each step can be used as needed,CEF when needed. Mastery of the fundamentals of CPS enables adapting the process to every situation encountered.

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 21 CPS Model In the most recent iteration of the CPS Model, there are four stages with six explicit steps. Within each stage, each step uses divergent and convergent thinking.

STAGE STEP PURPOSE

CLARIFY Explore the Vision Identify the goal, wish, or challenge. Gather Data Describe and generate data to enable a clear understandingCEF of the challenge. Formulate the Sharpen awareness of the challenge and create Challenge challenge questions that invite solutions.

IDEATE Explore Ideas Generate ideas that answer the challenge questions.

DEVELOP Formulate Solutions To move from ideas to solutions. Evaluate, strengthen, and select solutions for best “fit.”

IMPLEMENT Formulate a Plan Explore acceptance and identify resources and actions that will support implementation of the selected solution(s).

CPS Model based on work of G.J. Puccio, M. Mance, M.C. Murdock, B. Miller, J. Vehar, R. Firestien, S. Thurber, & D. Nielsen (2011).

Purpose Identify the goal, wish, or challenge.

Diverge • Generate goal or wish statements. • Ask participants in ways that allow narrative (use an invitational language stem): “I wish...” and “It would be great if....” Sample Diverging Questions • What are goals you’d like to accomplish? • What’s been on your mind? Why? • What do you wish worked better? What are the challenges? • What would you like to do differently? • What have you never done that you would like to do? • Imagine yourself one year from today. What goals, dreams, or visions have you accomplished? • If you had unlimited time, funds, and support, what would you accomplish? • What is going on at home or in our communities that should change?

Tools for Diverging: Brainstorming, Brainwriting

Converge Choose the goal/wish/challenge using the tool, 3 “I”s: 1. Is it Important? 2. Do you have Influence? CEF 3. Do you need new Ideas? Tools for Converging: Dot Voting, Highlighting (Hits, Cluster, Restate)

Outcome Statement of key goal, wish, or challenge to address.

Purpose Describe and generate data to enable a clear understanding of the challenge.

Diverge • Generate as much data/facts/feelings as possible. • Ask questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?

Sample Diverging Questions • Ask yourself, “What do I know about this challenge?” • What is a brief history of the situation? • What is the origin of this challenge? When did it become a challenge? • How does this challenge make you feel? • Who else is involved? What is their role? Who are the key decision-makers? • Why is this a challenge? • What is your influence over the situation? • What are the different components of the challenge? • What have you already tried? • What does your gut tell you? What is your ideal outcome? • What are the success criteria? Tools for Diverging: Brainstorming, Brainwriting, 5 “W”s & an H

Converge • Review and select the most important data that best helps you understand your challenge statement. CEF • Take all the data that you have checked and group it into clusters with the same theme. You can make as many clusters as necessary. • Take a moment and use one or two words to restate or label each cluster. Tools for Converging: Dot Voting, Highlighting (Hits, Cluster, Restate)

Outcome Significant data, information, and success criteria to enable a clear understanding of the challenge.

Purpose Sharpen awareness of the challenge and create challenge questions that invite solutions.

Diverge • Generate a long list of challenge statements phrased as questions. Look at your challenge from as many directions as you can imagine. • Use the invitational language stems with: “How to ...” (H2), “How might I ...” (HMI), and “In what ways might we ...” (IWWMW).

Sample Diverging Questions • Rephrase challenge statement from Explore the Vision as a HMI question. • Rephrase key data as questions. • Rephrase barriers to success as questions. • Phrase questions from other perspectives: stakeholders, a child, a mentor, or a famous person. Tools for Diverging: Brainstorming, Write Data as Questions, Word Dance, Ladder of Abstraction

Converge • Select the challenge statement that addresses what really needs to be addressed or solved. • Set aside questions that are really ideas and revisit them in the next step. • Check to make sure the challenge statement is brief, focused, and beneficial. Tools for Converging: Dot Voting, HighlightingCEF (Hits, Cluster, Restate), 3 “I”s

Outcome A refined challenge question (reframed problem) that invites solution and stimulates new thinking.

Purpose Generate ideas that answer the challenge questions.

Diverge • Using short phrases or headlines, generate ideas to answer your challenge question. • Stretch for as many ideas as possible, then generate more.

Sample Diverging Questions • What ideas immediately come to mind to answer your challenge question? • What are all the ideas you can imagine for solving this? • What ideas would key stakeholders have? • Imagine you are (a child, the CEO, a movie star, etc.). What ideas do you have? • What are the worst ideas, the ones that will get you fired? Now reverse them. • SCAMPER: What can you Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, or Rearrange? Tools for Diverging: Brainstorming, Excursions, Forced Connections, SCAMPER

Converge • Generate a long list of ideas; mark them as “workable,” “innovative,” and “may solve the challenge.” • Stretch for novelty at this point. • Keep some of the wild and unusual ideas in the mix. • Group the ideas you have chosen into thematic clusters representing paths to solving the challenge. When you are done, give each cluster a 1-2 word name that captures its essence. CEF • Choose the cluster(s) that appears to be the best path to take. Restate it as an idea, adding the starter phrase, “What I see myself doing is ...” to the beginning of the cluster title. • If more than one cluster is appealing, you can use the criteria generated in the next stage (Develop) to choose the strongest solution. Tools for Converging: Dot Voting, Highlighting (Hits, Cluster, Restate)

Outcome List of ideas or alternative actions that may solve the challenge. “What I see myself doing is ....”

Purpose Move from ideas to solutions. Evaluate, strengthen, and select solutions for best “fit.”

Diverge • Generate a list of options to strengthen the idea(s) and categorize them by level of potential.

Sample Divergent Questions • What do you like about the solution? What are its advantages or positive points? • What would become possible in the future if this came to pass? • What are the spin-offs or possible future gains? (Use the statement starter, “It might ...”) • What are possible limitations? (Be sure to pose these as questions: “How to ...,” “How might I ...,” and “In what ways might we ...”) • Generate ways to overcome concerns one at a time, in order of their importance. Tools for Diverging: Brainstorming or PPCO (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns, ways to Overcome concerns)

Converge • If you have multiple solutions, use an Evaluation Matrix to help select and further refine. • Revisit the success criteria from the second step, Clarify – Gather Data. Clarify to be as specific as possible. For example: “Will it be operational in three months?” is more specific than “Will it be ready soon?” CEF • Review your solution statement along with your lists from PPCO. • Select the most important options to incorporate and create a more robust solution that starts with, “NOW what I see myself doing is ....” Tools for Converging: Dot Voting, Evaluation Matrix

Outcome Solution to be implemented. Restate (“NOW what we see ourselves doing is ...”).

Purpose Explore acceptance and identify resources and actions that will support implementation of the selected solution(s).

Diverge • Generate a list of “assisters” who can help make your solution a reality. Include ways to enlist their help. • Generate a list of “resisters” and ways to overcome their resistance. • Generate a long list of short statements of all the actions needed to make your solution a reality.

Sample Diverging Questions • Who might assist you with your solution? • What resources are available (people, materials, money)? • How can you gain acceptance for this solution? • How can you build enthusiasm? • Who might resist or need to be convinced? • What are some things you might need to work to overcome? • What are some contingencies you might develop for your solution? • What steps might you take to put your solution into action? • Where might you start? • What short-term actions do you need to take? What mid-term actions do you need to take? What long-term actions do you need to take? • How can you maintain enthusiasm for this solution? • What can you do in the next 24 hours? Tools for Diverging: Brainstorming, CEFBrainwriting, Assisters/Resisters

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” — WALT DISNEY

28 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Converge • Review your list and select all actions needed to ensure success. • Create a plan: What to do? Who will do it? By when will it be done? Who will check or who needs to know when it’s done? • Arrange your actions according to when they need to be completed, from soonest to latest. • Assign each action to a person, affix specific dates, and make sure someone is checking to ensure that all actions are getting done. • Assign at least one “jump start” action that can be completed in the next few hours and then the next 24 hours. Tools for Converging: Dot Voting, Highlighting (Hits, Cluster, Restate), Action Plan

Outcome Use the tool Action Plan. List resources and action steps needed to sell or implement selected solution. Sort the action steps by short-, mid-, and long-term and specify what, who, by when, and who checks the step.

What? Who? By When? Who Checks?

Mid-term Long-term CEF

“Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.” — HENRY J. KAISER

Benefit • Helps you gather data effectively Instructions Ask questions using each of the 5 ”W”s and an H: 1. Who? • Who is involved? Who else? Who makes the decisions? • Who benefits from the problem being solved? Who loses? 2. What? • How can you summarize the problem? What has happened until now? • How have you already tried to solve the problem? • What has already worked? What hasn’t worked? • What do you think of the situation personally? • What is your attitude toward the problem? • What results would be satisfying? • What has helped you so far? What obstacles have you encountered? 3. Where? • Where does this happen? Where doesn’t it happen? • Where have you found help? Where have you encountered obstacles? 4. When? • When did the problem arise? • When does this problem happen? • When do you want to take measuresCEF to solve this problem? • Since when has the problem been a major concern? 5. Why? • Why is this problem important to you? • Why might it be an opportunity for you? • Why did you get help? Why have others not helped? • Why did you encounter obstacles?

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 31 6. How? • How are you involved in this problem? How do you “own” it? • How has this evolved? In what ways? • How long has this been a concern/goal/wish?

Use to: Gather Data

Origin: This is credited to Hermagoras of Temnos, a 1st century BC Greek rhetorician. It is also credited to W. Edwards Deming and to Sakichi Toyoda of Toyota in association with the management of process and quality. How and sometimes How Much are generally credited to GM Saturn, Toyota, and the Kaizen process.

“We can all create a desiredCEF future instead of merely accepting what life offers.”— Sidney Parnes

• Generates many potential opportunities to explore

Instructions 1. Set-up: This is an individual, timed exercise. The time you allow depends upon the individuals involved, but setting a time limit pushes people to stretch and go for quantity. Give resource group/participants paper/form and pens. 2. Remind people of the Divergent Thinking Guidelines. 3. Everyone will have 10 minutes to write down 50 different goals, aspirations, challenges, problems, or dreams that they have. These may be big things or little things, near term or way out in the future. All should be personally relevant. Option: Use the form to encourage brainstorming to 50. 4. If people are getting stuck, encourage them to restate some of the interesting aspirations they already have. 5. When time is up, have everyone review their list and highlight or mark with a star 5 different goals, aspirations, challenges, etc., that are important to them.

Use in: Explore the Vision

Origin: Unknown.

______CEF ______

“Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you can imagine it.” – GEORGE LUCAS

Benefit • Helps break down one big idea into discrete, manageable steps

Instructions Diverge: 1. Begin with a solution statement beginning with “What I see myself doing is ....” 2. Using sticky notes, generate a list of all the possible actions (one action per sticky note) that might be taken in order to make your solution a reality. Generate possible sources of assistance (assisters) and possible sources of resistance (resisters). Generate actions to leverage your assisters or overcome resisters. Converge: 4. Arrange the actions into clusters of “short-term,” “medium-term,” and “long- term” actions. You determine the time frames based upon your situation. 5. Within each cluster, arrange the steps in order. 6. For each action, specify who will be responsible and when it will be completed. Each step should also have someone who will check to ensure things are getting done. Make sure you create at least one action that can be completed in the next 24 hours – this will jump-start the process, making your proposed solution a reality. 7. Transfer the What, Who, By When, and Who Checks to a table for tracking. Add additional criteria as needed: “How,” “With Whom” (who else will be helping), “Why,” “Start Date,” and “Success Indicators.”

Use to: Formulate a Plan

What?CEF Who? By When? Who Checks?

Origin: Noller, R. B., Parnes, S. J., & Biondi, A. M. (1976). Creative Action Book. New York: Scribners.

• Get a picture of who or what will help and / or hinder the challenge owner in the implementation of an idea

Instructions 1. For each idea your group wants to review, ask the group to generate a list of the Assisters: people who can help make the idea a reality or a success. Also, list resources your group or others have in place that can help move the idea forward. 2. Generate a list of the Resisters to an idea: people or things that can hinder the progress of the idea, things that limit the idea from smoothly moving forward.

Use in: Formulate a Plan

• Generates novel and breakthrough ideas when ideas are listed then assumptions are systematically reversed

Instructions 1. Have the group generate a list of challenge statements and record them at the top of a flipchart page. 2. Generate a list of 6-10 assumptions about the idea (the more basic the assumption the more likely you are to create a breakthrough idea). 3. For each assumption, ask what is the reverse of the assumption and list new insights. 4. Have the group use these insights as a springboard to generate new ideas.

Use in: Explore Ideas Origin: Unknown.

What might be the next big restaurant concept? List your assumptions about restaurants. Reverse your assumptions to create breakthrough ideas for a new restaurant concept. Food is cooked for you You cook the food Order food from a menu Order attributes (indulgence, adventure) Sit at a table in a chair LivingCEF room furniture in eating areas Food comes on a plate Serve food on a frisbee Go there with a group Singles dining

Benefits • Offers versatility for working with groups (or alone), especially to solve problems • Equalizes the room - allowing all group members to give input • Promotes creative collaboration by groups

Instructions 1. Write down a statement of the challenge so it is visible to all. 2. Remind the group of the Divergent Thinking Guidelines. 3. Set a quota of ideas (options) and keep going until you meet it. 4. Gather and record concise and specific ideas. 5. Ideas should be stated in “headline” form and be recorded in written form so that all participants can see and read them. Record ideas as they are stated (do not edit!). 6. Periodically (every 15 ideas or so) check with the client or the group to make sure the ideas are going in the right direction. 7. Proceed until you have met your quota, or you have enough ideas to answer the challenge.

Use in: All steps of CPS when engaging divergent thinking

Origin: Brainstorming, as invented by Alex Osborn (Applied Imagination, 1953/1963), was defined as a “group’s attempt to find a solution for a specificCEF problem by amassing ideas.”

Benefits • Offers versatility for working with groups • Equalizes the room - allowing all group members to give input • Promotes creative collaboration by groups • Increases speed and efficiency

Instructions 1. Start with the challenge or question being brainstormed. 2. Use 3”x 5” sticky notes and a dark, felt-tipped marker. 3. Write one idea per sticky note in headline form (2-5 words). Do not go into detail. 4. Write legibly! Others will need to read what you’ve written. 5. Call out your idea once you’ve written it or when you hand it in. 6. Keep an ear open for what others are calling out. If a build on someone else’s idea occurs to you, write it down. If not, just move on with your own thinking. 7. Remember, the more ideas, the better! CEF

Origin: Isaakson, A. & Dorval, K. et al. (1994/2000). Creative Approaches to Problem Solving: A Framework for Change. Kendall Hunt Pub. Co.

Benefits • Equalizes the contribution of the resource group and allows for more introverted people to communicate their thoughts/ideas • Allows for time to reflect and incubate on ideas without the pace of the session feeling slow • Provides opportunities for deliberate builds on others’ thoughts/ideas • Allows for a change of pace during a loud, raucous meeting (a silent process)

Instructions 1. Give each participant a Brainwriting form. 2. Have participants write the statement of the challenge at the top of the form. 3. Review the Divergent Thinking Guidelines. 4. Ask participants to think of three ideas and write them down, one in each box in the first row (complete only one row). 5. Have participants exchange their Brainwriting forms. 6. On the new form, ask participants to write three ideas, on the second row — either new ideas or a build on the ideas written in row one. 7. Swap forms again. 8. Continue to swap forms until all the forms are full. 9. Provide additional forms, if needed. Note: As an option to exchanging forms, each participant puts their form in the center of the table when done, then selects one from center to write on next.

Use in: All steps of CPS when engagingCEF divergent thinking Origin: Geschka, H. (1980). Methods and Organization of Idea Generation. S. Gryskiewicz.

• Creates a collection of pictures, words, symbols, or other materials that when combined create an image or an overall feeling about the topic at hand

Instructions 1. Setup: Collect and organize the following: • Large mural paper or easel sheets taped together on a wall or table for a group collage; large paper or an easel sheet for each person for individual collages. • Many magazines – enough so people have a choice to work from. Select magazines that are unrelated to the topic so as to force metaphorical thinking. • Scissors, glue, markers for completing the collage. • Organize all the materials with adequate work space. 2. Explain that they’ll be creating a collage that visually represents the images, feelings, and associations they have about the topic at hand. 3. Encourage them to use symbols or metaphors rather than literal depictions, expanding their rational thinking into more expansive thinking. 4. Allow a total of 15-20 minutes for creating the collage, and give everyone a 5-minute warning when time is almost up. 5. When finished, ask them to title their collage. This provides them with an opportunity to reflect upon their work and summarize their intentions. 6. Ask people to describe their collage, including the meaning and significance of the words, pictures, and symbols selected.CEF Use in: Explore the Vision

• Achieves a better understanding of external factors and trends around an industry and/ or organization. • Provides a canvas on which to paint a picture of the environment and explore areas for possible insights and opportunities.

Instructions 1. Set-up: Gather a group of interested participants ranging from 5-20. Expect to engage for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Hang 6 flip charts on the wall and draw the following topic areas in them (1 per flip chart). Draw a relevant graphic next to each title to visually support the topic. 2. Explain to the group that the goal is to populate the map in order to get a sense of the big picture in which their organization functions. 3. Saving the two “trends” pages for last, ask participants which area they’d like to discuss first. • Have a discussion and share ideas, comments, and information about what is happening in that area. • Write the insights down on that flip chart. 4. Move through and populate each of the other areas based on intuition or the guidance of the group. 4. When you’re down to the last two “trends” pages, ask the group what trends they’d like to discuss. Label each easel sheet and capture relevant comments on each. 5. Summarize the overall findings with the group and ask for observations, insights, “aha’s,” and concerns about the contextCEF map.

“One of the great joys of life is creativity. Information goes in, gets shuffled about, and comes out in new and interesting ways.” — PETER MCWILLIAMS

Origin: Game Storming by Grey, Brown & Macanufo (image from their website) and Innovation to the Core by Skazynski and Gibson.

Benefit • Generate observable criteria by defining the characteristics of a successful outcome and allowing you to recognize your goal once you’ve achieved it

Instructions 1. Set-up: You’ll be asking the group the following questions, the keyword in each adding to an acrostic for the word DRIVE. D: What do you want your eventual solution to DO? What must it achieve? R: What are the RESTRICTIONS, the changes or impacts must you avoid? I: What is your INVESTMENT? What resources are you willing to allocate? What are your “not-to-exceeds?” V: What VALUES must you live by in achieving your solutions? E: What are the ESSENTIAL OUTCOMES? What are the nonnegotiable elements of success? What measurable targets must be met? 2. Put a long sheet of paper on the wall and divide it into five columns. 3. Label each column with the letters from the word DRIVE (each letter has its own column). 4. Make lists in each column using Divergent Thinking: • In the D column: List all the outcomes /potential solutions you can think of. • In the R column: List all the things your solution must NOT do. What must you prevent from happening? • In the In I column: List all the resources you are willing to invest in your target future. Be rigorous and list “not-to-exceed” criteria. • In the V column: List all the valuesCEF your organization shares that cannot be comprised by your solution. What are you willing to live with? What are you not willing to live with? Be realistic. • In the E column: List all things that absolutely must happen for the solution to be a success. What specific targets must be met? What is measurable? 5. Step back and review the grid. Do not worry if there are redundancies. DRIVE is designed to reveal redundancies and overlap. Where necessary, transfer items to appropriate columns.

44 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. 6. Use Convergent Thinking by choosing the most important success criteria (found in all columns, but most likely there will be many found in column E). 7. Use the important success criteria you select to evaluate your outcomes/potential solutions.

Use in: Explore the Vision, Formulate Solutions

Origin: Hurson, Tim. (2008). Think Better: The Innovators Guide to Productive Thinking. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

D R I V E Do - Potential Restrictions Investment Values Essential Outcomes What NOT to do of Resources Outcomes CEF

Benefits • Engage challenge owners in conversation and begin the search for relevant insights • Quickly develop a customer or user profile and identify the unarticulated needs of customers and users • Provides participants with a level of empathy and understanding of their customers/ users or reveals the need to acquire that information

Instructions 1. Set-up: Gather the problem owners together in a group of 3-10 participants. Expect 10-20 minutes per map. You can break larger groups into multiple smaller groups and have them explore either the same map or a variety of them. Ask them to identify their customers, users, or anyone else they may find some value in better understanding. 2. Take a flip chart or large piece of paper and draw a head in the center with enough space for writing inside of it; a circle with a couple eyes, mouth, nose, and ears on the side is sufficient (see the center “smiley-face” in the image below). 3. Ask the group to name the person, give them a title, and identify their demographics (age, gender, socio-economic status, etc.). The more detail they provide the easier it will be to get into their mindset. 4. Draw the rest of the flip chart to look like the one below. 5. Ask the group to discuss and answer each of the questions/categories. a. Be sure the group is comfortable checking against each other’s understanding and perceptions of the person in the empathy map. 6. When they are finished, ask the group questions to explore the space of both understanding the person better andCEF possibly finding insights or opportunities where innovation might occur. • How does this person interact with our offering (product, service, experience, outcomes)? • What feelings might we provide them that they are not getting and would like? • What might they like to see when interacting with our product, service, etc.? Hear? Touch? Think? Say? • How might we improve upon this person’s experience in ways that they wouldn’t think of, but addresses their needs, pain, etc.? 7. Repeat the process with different customers or users.

Origin: Adapted from Game Storming by Grey, Brown, and Macanufo. Business Model Generation written by Osterwalder & Pigneur, the connection to using this tool to explore customer insights was inspired by the insight topic area of “Understanding Unarticulated Needs” from Innovation to the Core by Skazynski and Gibson.

Think & Feel What does this person think and feel? Hear What does this person hear? See CEFWhat does this person see? Say & Do What is this person saying?

Gain Pain What solves their problems? What causes them problems or pain?

Benefit • Generates unusual and unexpected ideas

Instructions Choose a random object (toy, orange, rubber band, table cloth), mental image (train, beach), or picture (zebra, a Monet, flower). There are two approaches you can use to generate ideas. Approach 1: Relationships 1. Ask, “When you look at (or think of) this thing, what ideas come to mind for addressing this challenge?” 2. Ask, “In what ways is the challenge like (the object, image or picture)?” 3. After you come up with some relationships, generate ideas these relationships stimulate. For example: “The challenge is like an orange because it has a number of inter-connected sections.” This might stimulate ideas to discover what holds the section together, look at each of the sections individually, or remove the barriers and create a seamless whole.

Approach 2: Characteristics 1. Brainstorm characteristics of the object. For example: Ask yourselves, “What are the elements of this item and what else does it make me think of?” Response: “A table cloth may be smooth, white, foldable, soft, stain-resistant, woven, etc.” The more characteristics you can CEFgenerate, the better. 2. Think about how each characteristic can stimulate new thinking around your challenge. For example: “What new ideas can you create if you think about folding your challenge to make it smaller or adding a resistant characteristic to make it stronger?”

Use to: Explore Ideas

Origin: Parnes, S. Gordon, W.J.J. (1971). The Basic Course in Synectics. Cambridge, MA: Porpoise Books. Geschka, H. (1980). Methods and Organization of Idea Generation. S. Gryskiewicz.

• Provides an opportunity for a team to discuss their goals for the session and what they hope to take-away from it • Helps with teambuilding since exercise is done in pairs

Instructions 1. Have participants form teams of two. 2. Each team draws a line down the middle of an 8.5 x 11 piece of card stock to create two columns. 3. At the top of the first column write “take.” 4. At the top of the second column write “give.” 5. Allow each team three minutes to brainstorm and list everything they hope to “take” from the session. 6. At the three-minute mark, refocus the teams to list everything they hope to “give” to the session. 7. Facilitator debriefs the larger group by fist listing the “gives” on an easel. 8. Facilitator then lists the “takes” on an easel. 9. The gives and takes should be prominently displayed in the room during the session. 10. At session wrap-up, the facilitator returns to the “takes” and debriefs the groups by asking what areas they feel have been successfully covered and what areas need to be considered for future sessions.

Use in: Explore the Vision CEF Origin: Tim Hurson.

Benefits • Creates an abstract, participant-generated image from which to access feelings or ideas • Allows participants to use visual stimuli as a springboard for reflection and discussion • Adds energy to the process through the use of a creative, kinesthetic activity

Instructions 1. Invite participants to spread out around the writing surface and grab a writing implement/color that appeals to them. 2. At your signal, participants should simply begin doodling anything (a favorite drawing, a scribble, an icon, sudden inspiration, etc.). • After about two minutes, have participants move 2 places to their right and doodle on and around what’s in front of them. • After about one minute, rotate 2 more places to the right, and continue doodling. • Continue (adding variations as desired) until the surface is covered. Make sure you stop when energy is high…don’t drag it on too long. 3. Have participants stand back and look at the doodle to find something in it that reminds them of the topic (either shows how they think or feel about it), and then share those feelings. 4. Capture new ideas/thoughts on post-its or an easel for easy review. 5. Variations: Encourage participants to think differently: • Doodle small; doodle big. • Doodle with your “other” hand. • Change colors or implements. • Fill in some white space; make someCEF connections between doodles.

Use in: Explore the Vision and Explore Ideas

50 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. “Of all the gifts we have as humans, the one that stands out, giant-like above all the rest, is our ability to be creative. It is responsible for all the progress we enjoy today.”— SIDNEYCEF PARNES

Benefits • Orients the brain to generate options • Frames the situation by inviting solutions to explore options and ideas, rather than shutting down conversations with a traditional statement • Uses stems that ask for open-ended information to start responses while generating or diverging when using the Creative Problem Solving process For example: By starting the concern about cost with “How to ...,” you naturally begin to generate ways to overcome the concern about cost: “How to make it less expensive?” or “How to obtain funding from other sources?”

Use when you need to:

Explore the Vision • It would be great if…(IWBGI) • I wish…(IW)

Formulate the Challenge • How to…(H2) • How might…(HM) • In what ways might we…(IWWMW)

Explore Ideas • Will it…(WI) • Does it…(DI) • What I see myself doing is…(WISMDI) • What I see us doing is…(WISUDI)

Formulate Solutions •CEF Now what I see myself doing is…(NWISMDI) • Now what I see us doing is…(NWISUDI)

Origin: Isaakson, A. Treffinger, D. (1985). Creative Problem Solving: The Basic Course. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited.

Benefits • Encourages an explosion of associations by creating a nonlinear diagram that shows how items are linked to and radiate from a central thought through associations, feelings, and ideas • Can be done as an individual or group exercise, or a group of individuals

Instructions 1. In a circle in the middle of the page, write the topic. • Draw a short line radiating out from this circle and ask yourself or your group “what do you think of when you think of this?” – put the responses at the end of that line. • Draw another short line radiating out from the center circle, and ask yourself or your group “what else do I think of?” Do this a few more times, pushing in different directions. 2. At any time, go to one of the thoughts written down, and ask “what do you associate with this?” and draw a line radiating out from this word and write this new thought down. 3. Continue encouraging your group to add more associations, connected with a radiating line from whatever sparked that thought, anywhere on the mindmap they want. The goal is to build chains and connections stemming from the central topic. Prompts: • Free associate. Don’t censor your thoughts. Keep adding. Go! Go! Go! • Take each branch out as far as possible, with at least a few connections built on each main thought. • Fill your paper; fill the white space.CEF • Try using a different color. Create your own code. • Use icons or stick figures instead of words. • What emotions are you connecting with thoughts/ideas on your map? • What people do you connect with the thoughts/ideas on your map? 4. Ask the group to take a step back: Review the map. Circle or highlight an area of the map that is intriguing, that offers a new connection, or you’d like to think more about 5. Variations: • Explore the Vision: Put the ideal future state in the center circle (I am 30

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 53 lbs. thinner; sales are up 30%; I am an entrepreneur). Learn how that goal is dimensionalized. • Gather Data: Put the situation in the center (I feel fat; sales are flat; I hate my job). Prompt yourself with WWWWW&H. Learn more about the situation. • Explore Ideas: Put the challenge statement in the center (how to stick to a diet; how to gain new customers; how to own my own business). Let your mind go with possible ideas, and connections/builds on those ideas. • Formulate Solution: Put an idea in the center. Learn your reactions, fears, excitement and even some new challenges or new ideas associated with the first idea.

Use in: Explore the Vision, Gather Data, Explore Ideas, and Formulate Solutions

Origin: Mind Mapping, Mindmap and Mind Map are registered trademarks of the Buzan Organization.

“Mind Maps are the meta-language of the human race.” — TONY BUZANCEF

Benefit • Helps group develop additional/novel ideas by combining the output in random or not so random ways

Instructions 1. Have the group select the challenge (“How to...” or “What might be all the...”). 2. Have the group ideate on the parameters (for example: guy stuff, flavor directions, drink type) listing them in different columns. 3. Have the group diverge and list variations or options under each parameter. 4. Using Highlighting, have the group converge on each list to pick the top, most interesting or intriguing options.

Use in: Explore Ideas

New ideas for packaged, alcoholic beverage geared toward young males: Pamplona Punch and Lemon Stinger.

“Guy Stuff” Flavor Ideas Drinking Words Extreme Sports Hot Pepper Imbibe

Cigars Meaty, Beefy Mixer

Dirty Jokes Vodka Punch

Harleys Beer Chiller

Leather Jackets Fruity Dew

Tools Salty Nuectar

Minty Fizz Running with the Bulls in Pamplona Spicy Ripple

Skydiving Indulgent Creme Hydrate

Deep Sea Fishing Coffee / Expresso Sauce

Dirty Harry Citrus Slush

Big Game Hunting Sangria CEFSip

Workbench Ice Cream Venom

Fast Cars Sweet Savory Ade

Benefit • Explores a wish, idea, or solution in more depth

Instructions 1. Set-up: Select an assortment of pictures for the group to use that represent a wide range of images, emotions, or feelings. Remember that a metaphor allows someone to use one thing (in this case what’s represented in a picture) to explain his or her perception of another thing (a wish, idea, or solution). The pictures you choose set the parameters for participants’ connections, care should be taken to ensure the set of pictures is objective and broad: • Represent a wide range of possibilities. For each picture you choose, challenge yourself to find an opposite image or feeling to insure a broad spectrum. • Choose pictures that evoke emotions or stories. • Avoid choosing pictures that are related to the topic in any way (e.g., avoid pictures of children or kitchens when exploring play kitchens), as these will produce only literal or rational responses. 2. Tell participants that they will be looking at a collection of pictures that represent a wide variety of feelings, attitudes, and/or images. 3. Invite everyone to review all the pictures and choose one that best represents the topic to them. What it represents should be changed based upon the topic being explored. (See Applications.) 4. Allow each person to describe the picture they chose, and what they perceive the connection is to the topic. 5. Variations: Participants may choose two pictures to represent two different sides of the topic, such as a picture that representsCEF the present and one that represents the future.

Use in: Explore the Vision, Explore Ideas, and Formulate Solutions

Benefit • Helps group objectively evaluate and develop the full potential of an idea

Instructions 1. Ask the group to choose one idea that best meets the criteria that was established for selection to star. Note: Its encouraged to repeat this process with subsequent ideas.) 2. First, have the group create a list of “Pluses” – what you like about the idea, its strengths, positives, good points, all the pros NOT the cons 3. Next, have the group generate a list of “Opportunities” – ask the group what possibilities might this new idea open up? What might be potential spin-offs in the future? What are the most novel aspects of this idea? What serendipitous thing might happen if we implement this idea? 4. Then, record a list of “Issues” or concerns they may have with the idea, weaknesses, trouble spots, the cons – but be sure to express your concerns as open-ended questions that start with “How to … “ or “How might we … “ or “In what ways might we … “ so that you open-yourself up to problem-solving these concerns if the idea shows great potential 5. Finally, it’s time for “New thinking”: • Review your list of issues/concerns and choose the most critical. • Brainstorm ways you could overcome that issue. • Repeat sub-steps a and b for each issue recorded in Step 4 until you’ve generated several ways to overcome critical concerns. 6. Repeat this entire process (Steps 1 – 5) for each idea that you converged upon when you ideated. Ultimately, you’ll need to CEFdetermine if you are going to move forward with or table each idea you develop.

Use in: Formulate Solutions

Origin: Miller, Vehar, and Firestien, 2001.

Benefit • Helps group generate ideas in a way that makes converging easier to accomplish

Instructions 1. Instruct participants that only one piece of data or idea is allowed per sticky note. All ideas should be written in headline form, limited to a maximum of 5-6 words. 2. Ask for one Post-It to be read out loud, and then post it. 3. Ask if anyone else has something very similar to the first one. If so, ask that it be called out and post it next to the first one. 4. Continue until no more data/ideas of that topic are expressed. Watch out: Keep topic areas tight; don’t allow data/ideas that are only somewhat related to be added. Start a new cluster for data/ideas you feel are sufficiently different. 5. Ask for a sticky note on a different topic and add to it as described above until all Post-its are posted. 6. Name each cluster such that the name summarizes the data/ideas contained within. 7. Variation: If data/ideas are already posted, send individuals or small groups to the boards where posted and ask them to group similar data/ideas and name the cluster.

Origin: Unknown. Notes: CEF ______

Benefits • Helps groups break out of ruts during divergence • Generates more ideas • Combines easily with other divergent tools

Instructions 1. Use SCAMPER (the mnemonic for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Rearrange) to stimulate new ideas while facilitating brainstorming. Substitute: What can we substitute? Are there parts, materials, ingredients, or segments that can be swapped in? Who else might be included instead? What other process might be used instead? Might we substitute something that doesn’t belong here?

Combine: What might be combined or blended? What sort of ensemble could be used or created? Might we combine parts or materials? How might we combine purposes? What products or processes will fit well together? How might we combine applications?

Adapt: Can something be brought over to work in this context? Can we borrow an idea from a competitor or another industry? Does the past offer a similar situation?

Modify (Magnify or Minimize): How might we change the form (color, size, weight, shape)? What might we add, lengthen, strengthen, or subtract? How might we increase the value? What might we streamline? What might we change from the process, price, strategy, or offering? What might we increase or decrease the significance of?

Put to other uses: What else might it be used for? How might the product be used to work for a different market? WhatCEF might we take somewhere else to improve life? Eliminate: What might we get rid of or omit? What might we stop doing instead of fixing it? How might we simplify the process by removing steps? What might we get rid of to reduce complexity?

Rearrange: What other patterns, arrangement, or layout might work? What might we reverse or transpose? How might we reverse engineer it? How might we change the focus to look at it backwards first? What if we turned it inside out or upside down?

Origin: Eberle, R. (1971). SCAMPER: Games for Imagination Development. Buffalo, NY: D. O. K. Publishers.

Benefit • Hear/learn how stakeholders think or feel about their current reality or desired future state

Instructions 1. Invite participants to tell a story about “X” (what life is like now; your current situation; what you’re facing; what you’re challenged with; how you’d like things to be; what would be ideal; what you’re working toward; where you see yourself “X” years from now). 2. Specify a story length (e.g., not less than a paragraph but not longer than two pages) and/or the amount of time that should be taken to write (15 min, an hour). 3. Specify elements to include: • People involved • Sense of place (setting/location) • Happenings (occurrences/action) • Thoughts and feelings relative to the above 4. Direct participants need to be as specific as possible (i.e., include events and specific outcomes, not simply generalities).

Use in: Explore the Vision, Gather Data, Formulate Solutions

Notes: ______CEF ______

“The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.” — MARY CATHERINE BATESON

Benefit • Hear/learn how stakeholders think or feel about their current reality or desired future state in terms of a sequence of events

Instructions 1. Set-up: Create a full-page template containing 3-6 frames:

2. Have stakeholder(s) describe/illustrate the life/current situation in the first frame. 3. Have stakeholder(s) describe/illustrate the goal/ ideal future state in the last frame. 4. In the frames in-between, describe/illustrate what it will take to move from the first to the last frame. 5. Specify elements to include: • People involved • Sense of place (setting/location) • Happenings (occurrences/action) • Thoughts and feelings relative to the above 6. Direct stakeholder(s) to be as specificCEF as possible (i.e., include events and specific outcomes, not simply generalities).

Use in: Explore the Vision, Gather Data, and Formulate Solutions

• A useful tool to reenergize a group during a brainstorming session and continue to elicit new ideas • Generates novel and unusual ideas by working with metaphors

Instructions 1. Collect a series of intriguing visuals to use as stimuli. Use toys, objects in the room, or pictures. Pictures should not be readily identifiable. 2. Ask participants to relax and go on a mental excursion. Script: “Allow your mind to drift away from the challenge and float to your favorite vacation spot. Focus on what it looks like, smells like, sounds like, and feels like. Notice the rich colors and beautiful weather.” 3. Come back and focus on the object. Write down any three observations, impressions, reactions, or thoughts about the object. Don’t edit yourself. Record your observations. Prompts: “What do you see? What do you feel like? What would it be like if you were here? What memories have you had like this? What experiences have you had like this? What might this taste/sound/smell/feel like?” 4. Repeat step 3 with each visual stimulus. 5. Take each of your observations and make a connection to the challenge. Each connection should answer, “My challenge is like (name of stimulus) because....” Record your connection on post-its (one connection per post-it).

Origin: Parnes, S. Gordon, W.J.J. (1971). The BasicCEF Course in Synectics. Cambridge, MA: Porpoise Books. Geschka, H. (1980). Methods and Organization of Idea Generation. S. Gryskiewicz.

Benefit • Reflect upon experience, present state, wishes, goals and ideas

Instructions 1. Setup: Play soft music for mood setting. 2. Tell participants that you are going to guide them through visualization – in order that they may reflect on things happening in their lives and/or their hopes for the future. 3. Ask them to get as comfortable as possible, to close their eyes or to look down if that is more comfortable for them, and to relax (include suggestions re: deep breathing and decreasing muscle tension). 4. Use a script or outline that walks participants through various issues to consider. Speak slowly, allowing time between prompts for reflection. 5. After, ask them to spend a minute writing down any piece of the experience that was particularly significant, or that they don’t want to forget. Alternatively, give periodic breaks during the visualization to allow them to write down significant thoughts or feelings.

Use in: Explore the Vision, Gather Data, and Explore Ideas

“Dare to visualize a world in which your most treasured dreams have become true.” — RALPH MARSTON

Benefits • Generate ideas by exploring the opposites • Useful when idea production has slowed down

Instructions 1. Direct the participants to approach the wall and pick up a colored marker. 2. Ask participants to write down ideas that would NEVER work to solve the challenge – the exact opposite of what they think would be a good idea. Ask them to write down REALLY BAD ideas! 3. After a few minutes ask them to move one place to the right, pick up a different colored marker, and build off their neighbor’s bad ideas. 4. After a few rotations, have participants pick up a pack of sticky notes and springboard off the bad ideas to make good, workable ideas – turn lemons into lemonade!

Benefit • Helps you develop additional challenge questions by getting to root cause and effect

Instructions After generating a number of challenge questions or when production of challenge questions slows down:

1. Direct the challenge owner to look over the list and identify one challenge question of particular interest – one that seems to address his/her issue. Label the question as “A” and ask: • Why is this an important challenge to solve? • What would be the outcome if it were solved? 2. Turn each response into another “how to” question. For the newly resulting “how to” question, repeat the above questions, such that you are generating even more “how to’s.” 3. Continue this line of probing until response becomes too abstract and/or too far removed from the issue. 4. Return to the original challenge question (“A”) and ask the challenge owner: • What’s stopping you from doing/achieving that now? 5. Turn each response into another “how to” question. For the newly resulting “how to” question, repeat the above question, such that you are generating even more “how to’s.” 6. Continue line of probing until responseCEF is too far removed from the issue. 7. Return to the original list of questions and repeat for another question that the challenge owner identifies as interesting/meaningful. Use to: Formulate the Challenge

Origin: The notion of extracting different levels of abstraction can be traced to the work of S.I. Hayakawa in 1978, which was based on the work of A. Korzybski in 1933. Further work done by: Parnes, S. (1997). Optimize the Magic of Your Mind. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited. Isaksen, S., Dorval, B., & Treffinger, D. (2000). Creative Approaches to Problem Solving: A Framework for Change (2nd. Ed.). Williamsville, NY: Creative Problem Solving Group-Buffalo.

Basadur, M. (1995). The Power of Innovation. London, Great Britain: Pitman Publishing.

A sense of accomplishment builds my business confidence -> How to build my business confidence?

Why is it important?

Being more productive will help me feel a sense of accomplishment each day -> How to feel a sense of accomplishment each day?

Because I will be more productive in an organized office -> How to be more productive in my home office?

A. How to better organize my office?

What’s stopping you?

Because I don’t have an organizational system in place -> How to find an organizational system for my home office? What’sCEF stopping you? I don’t have time to research the best system -> How to carve out time to research home office systems?

I’m completely over-extended with my current project load -> How to build more time into my schedule?

Benefits • Generates more challenge questions and stronger challenge questions • Reveals assumptions and generates alternative views

Instructions 1. Rewrite the challenge question at the top of a sheet of paper. 2. Circle the verb or action in the question. 3. Write that word below, then generate a list of alternates. 4. Circle the object or outcome in the question. 5. Write that word below, then generate a list of alternates. 6. Mix and match to make new challenge questions with the verbs and objects to create a better version of the challenge question that invites even more ideas.

Example Challenge Question: How might I open a restaurant?

Open: launch, revive, begin, start, embark upon, initiate, kick off, set in motion, start the ball rolling

Restaurant: dining experience, business establishment serving food, cafeteria, eatery, grill, greasy spoon, luncheonette

Alternate Challenge Statements: • How might I embark upon a business establishment serving food? • How might I launch an eatery? CEF • How might I initiate a luncheonette?

Use to: Formulate the Challenge

Origin: Parnes, S. (1967). Creative Behavior Guidebook. New York: Scribner.

Benefit • Helps evaluate whether a goal, wish, challenge, or opportunity is appropriate for you or your group to address

Instructions 1. Do you (or your group) have Influence over the challenge? If the challenge is something completely out of your control or authority, you may not want to spin your wheels on it. 2. Is the challenge of Importance to you (or your group)? Are you motivated to address it, and will you have the energy to carry your solution through? 3. Does the challenge require Imagination? Will it call for new thinking or an innovative solution? If you can answer “yes” to all three of these questions (Influence, Importance, Imagination), the situation will probably benefit from CPS.

If your answer to any of these questions is “no,” you may want to think about redefining your challenge in a way that does meet the 3 “I”s criteria, or perhaps working on a different challenge.

Use to: Generate Ideas, Explore the Vision, and Formulate the Challenge

Origin: Based on the work of Bill Shephard, Roger Firestien, Don Treffinger, and Scott Isaksen.

CEF— HENRY J. KAISER “Creativity takes courage.”

Benefit • Quickly select between two strong ideas

Instructions Taking a closer look at each of two ideas your group might move forward with: 1. Starting with one of the two ideas, create a quick list of “Advantages.” List only the pros and NOT the cons. • What do you like about the idea? • What are its strengths? Its positive attributes? 2. Record a quick list of “Limitations” but be sure to express the concerns as open-ended questions that start with “How to … “ or “How might we … “ or “In what ways might we …” so that the group is open to problem-solving these concerns if the idea shows great potential. • What are the issues or concerns with the idea? • What are the weaknesses? Trouble spots? Cons? 3. Have the group generate a list of “Unique Connections.” • What is the blue sky potential of this idea? • What greater connection can you make into the world of “what if” and possibilities? 4. Repeat Steps 1-3 with the other idea under consideration. 5. Consider the “Unique Connections” and use that possibility to determine which idea to implement. • What compelling potential does one idea possess that the other does not? 6. Repeat Steps 1 – 3 with the other ideaCEF under consideration. Finally, consider the “Unique connections” – ask the group what compelling potential does one idea possess that the other does not? Use that possibility to determine which idea to implement.

Origin: Treffinger and Isaksen (1985).

Benefit • Useful when you have a large group of people who need to work together to build consensus and converge on options

Instructions 1. Review all items that were generated to ensure a shared understanding. 2. Give each person dot stickers. Everyone should have the same number of dots (or you can instruct everyone to make a mark). 3. Have everyone place a dot (or make a mark) beside the option they like best. (Ask people to choose first, then write them down, before they go up to place their dots beside their favorite ideas/options to avoid “group think”). 4. Look for clusters with the most dots or “Hits.” The clusters with the most “Hits” are the options that should be worked on first.

Hits are items that

Are on target Jump off the page

Are relevant Excite you

Are clear Sparkle at you

Are interesting Feel right Intrigue you Solve the challengeCEF Seem workable Go in the right direction

Use in: All steps of CPS when engaging convergent thinking

Origin: The characteristics of a “Hit” were first presented by Roger Firestien and Donald Treffinger in the Journal of Creative Behavior (Vol 17, no. 1, 198).

Benefits • Creates a systematic way to analyze multiple solutions • Helps build consensus as it allows the group to select and evaluate a variety of promising solutions against selected criteria

Instructions After generating a number of possible solutions: 1. Generate criteria. Make a list of criteria to use to evaluate potential solutions (i.e., within our budget or will appeal to the target). 2. Choose the criteria that are most important or most influential for your decision. 3. Put the criteria into positive question form, so that answering YES gives the criteria a positive response. For example: The answer should be YES when asked, “Will it be ___?” Write it as “Will it be within our budget?” rather than “Will it be too expensive?”) 4. Create a matrix, with the key criteria heading various columns. Simple challenges might have 3-4 criteria; more complex challenges might have more.

Will it be Will it be Is is within budget? finished on time? revolutionary?

Option B CEF

5. Use a simple rating system to indicate how well an idea satisfies each criterion. Potential rating systems: • Smiley faces: a frown doesn’t satisfy; a horizontal line sort of satisfies; a smile satisfies a lot. • Scale of 1-5 where 1 doesn’t satisfy the criterion and 5 completely satisfies it. • Satisfies = +; in the middle = o; doesn’t satisfy = –.

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 73 6. Fill in the matrix one column at a time, comparing the solutions to each other against one criterion. This leads to increased objectivity and focus. 7. When you have filled in the entire matrix, you can get a sense of how your ideas stack up against each other. You are not conducting a mathematical exercise; you are looking for an overview. 8. Go back again, column by column, and see how you can strengthen each idea to improve its rating. Once you have gone through the matrix a second time, select those ideas that perform best against the criteria for further development.

Use to: Formulate Solutions

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”— SCOTT ADAMS

Benefits • Helps you narrow down and focus on what is important • Helps to screen, select, and sort ideas that are interesting, intriguing, or useful • Gives a first pass-through for converging a list of ideas • Condenses a large number of ideas into more meaningful or manageable categories Instructions 1. Review all the ideas generated during the divergent steps. Keep in mind the Convergent Thinking Guidelines. 2. Have each participant mark the ideas that are “hits” (exciting, interesting, jump off the page) with either sticky dots, a magic marker, or by removing the sticky note (with the idea on it) to another location. Tip: Give guidelines about how many ideas should be marked based on: • The total number of ideas you’re working with. • The depth and breadth of ideas. • Tow many you want to consider taking into the next step. For example: With 100 ideas, you might ask each person to mark 3-5; with 20 ideas, you might ask everyone to mark 1-2. 3. Identify all the ideas that relate to each other thematically and group them together on a clean page in clusters. Create a short 1-3 work headline for each cluster. 5. Restate the hot spots appropriately (as a problem statement, an idea, etc.). 6. Make sure that the cluster is restated specifically enough to be useful. If you are looking for ideas, make sure the restatement is stated as an idea. If it’s a challenge question, make sure it has an appropriateCEF “How to...” or similar stem on it.

Origin: Highlighting is a form of clustering. Driver, H. Kroeber, A. (1932) Anthropology. New York: Brace and Company.

Benefit • Generate steps or actions needed to implement a solution

Instructions 1. Place a solution on the left side of a piece of paper, with plenty of room to work to the right. 2. Have the group identify the initial steps needed to implement the solution and write them to the right of the solution. 3. Consider each step individually, breaking it down into its detailed stages by repeatedly asking how it might be achieved. Record each stage in the appropriate place to the right of the diagram. 4. Continue the process until each step has been drawn out to its logical limit. 5. Examine the complete diagram for recurring elements that tend to indicate the most crucial stages in the process of implementation.

“It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.” — VACLAV HAVEL

Benefit • Helps develop ideas that appear to have promise for further discussion or development

Instructions 1. Set-up: Allow 30-60 minutes for this tool. Each participant reviews the list of ideas (or wishes or questions) that have been generated and selects the three that seem most important or worth pursuing by having each participant write his or her top three ideas on an individual notepad. Depending on how many people are participating, adjust the exercise until each team doubles each round until the whole group is together. Once that happens, the whole group votes on the top three ideas. 2. Ask participants pair up to form dyads. (Or use a grouping exercise to create pairs.) • In those dyads, the participants discuss their collective six ideas. • Together, they choose between them the three ideas they agree are most important or worth pursuing. • Each dyad writes their top three ideas on a notepad. 3. Each dyad then pairs up with another dyad to form quads. • In those quads, they discuss their collective six ideas. • Together, they choose between them the three ideas they agree are most important or worth pursuing. • Each quad writes their top three ideas on a notepad. 4. Each quad then partners up with another quad to form groups of eight. • Each group of eight discusses their collective six ideas. • Together, they choose between them the three ideas they agree are most important or worth pursuing. CEF • Each group of eight then writes their top three ideas on a notepad. 5. Depending on how many people are participating, continue until the whole group is together. If there are only 16 people participating, it’s time for the group to discuss then choose the top three ideas. If there are more than 16 people participating, you might need to conduct a few more iterations before the entire group has come together and agreed on its top three ideas.

Origin: Sid Parnes, Horst Goeschka, and Marcia Steele.

“A smile is the light in your window that tells others that thereCEF is a caring, sharing person inside.” — DENIS WAITLEY

Benefit • Strengthens or evaluates an idea • Avoids premature idea-killing by using the principle of “Praise First” • Develops ways to overcome an idea’s weaknesses • Works on single ideas • Creates motivation by looking at ways to overcome challenges

Instructions 1. Pluses: Make a list of at least three pluses, likes, or specific strengths of your idea by answering: What is good or unique about your idea now? 2. Potentials: Make a list of at least three opportunities starting with, “It might ...” What are speculations, spin-offs, or possible future gains from your idea? What are the ultimate potentials of this idea/what could it eventually lead to? What opportunities might result if your idea were implemented? 3. Concerns: Make a list of all concerns you have about your idea by answering “What concerns are there about this idea?” Phrase your answers in the form of a question starting with, “How to ...,” or “How might ...,” or “In what ways might ...” This invites solutions for how to overcome each one of these concerns, eliminates negative words/phrases. For example: If you’re concerned about the idea being too costly, say: “How to make it affordable?”not “It’ll cost too much” or “How not to make it so expensive?” This allows for improvement of the idea. 4. Overcome: Generate ways to overcome concerns one at a time, in order of their importance. 5. Modify and strengthen the original ideaCEF by leveraging the Pluses and Potentials, and incorporating the newly brainstormed ideas to Overcome the Concerns. 6. Write an improved statement of your solution: “Now what I see myself (us) doing is ...”

Use to: Diverge/Converge, Explore Ideas, Refine Preemptive Feedback

Origin: PPC was developed by Diane Foucar-Szocki, Bill Shepard, and Roger Firestein, although it dates back to Aristotle, who advocated looking at pluses and minuses of any ideas. It later was evolved by Hedria Lunken who added the “O” to PPC — to deliberately include brainstorming ideas to overcome each concern.

Benefit • Ensures effective, workable problem statements

Instructions 1 For each problem statement ask the group the following: • Is the problem stated affirmatively. • Is the problem not burdened with criteria (Note: Criteria may be concerns that can be overcome later in the process. Having too many criteria in the problem statement can limit Divergent Thinking. If there are criteria, turn them into affirmative problem statements using How to…or How might we…statements). • Contains an owner, an action, and an objective/area of concern.

“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have.” — EMILE CHARTIER

Benefit • Helps group compare a current state of affairs to an ideal state and to identify what needs to happen in order to reach that goal

Instructions 1. Draw a target. 2. Put each solution generated by the participants on a sticky note. 3. Have them define the ideal outcome, i.e., the bull’s eye. 4. Have them evaluate each solution based upon how close they come to the ideal. Physically place each option on the target relative to how close they come. 5. Have them identify what pulls each solution toward the ideal. 6. Have them explore what pushes each solution away from the idea, and seek to overcome these problems. You may move the solutions on the target to reflect this additional thinking.

©2015©2015 Creative Creative Education Education Foundation. Foundation. All All rights rights reserved. reserved. | | 83 83 Session Facilitation Tools The following tools represent tools that might used throughout a CPS session to help with team-building, energizing the group and imaginative ways to break up a group into sub- groups. All of these tools help to give a session forward momentum and keep participants engaged in the process.

TECHNIQUES FOR SETTING THE CLIMATE: STEALTH TOOLS THAT MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE Homework Pre-session homework jumpstarts incubation, warms-up the group, generates excitement and helps participants make new connections before even starting the session. Example: When developing a new customer service model for a manufacturing firm, the homework included sending clients to a wide variety of venues (luxury hotel, retail store, etc.) to have a customer service experience. They listed the elements of their experience on a worksheet that eventually formed the basis of a forced connections exercise.

Creative Venue Don’t underestimate the power of an interesting venue for holding your sessions. If you can get off-site, do it! Here are some ideas: a nature preserve center, an art museum, a college campus, a culinary school, an art and design school, a hotel, a private room at a restaurant, a unique focus group facility with special rooms, a high school, a cabin in the woods, a country club, the zoo, heck, even a Bison ranch. Most of these venues have private rooms and are accustom to hosting groups. Make sure you check it out before booking and be aware of hidden fees. By hosting your session at one of these venues, you’ve heightened anticipation and started creativity flowing.

Windows, Windows, Windows The actual room in which you hold a session contributes greatly to creative thinking. Ideal rooms have plenty of windows, are largeCEF enough for teams to move around, feature small tables (forget the over-powering board room style table), chairs on wheels. When setting up the room, think about ways you might energize it – posters, inspirational quotes, fresh flowers, chocolate on the tables, etc. And, remember to check the temperature.

Coffee, Fruit and Chocolate Great food is the key to great thinking. Splurge when it comes to snacks and meals. Clients walk into the room and see a great spread of goodies and they are ready to go. Ideas: coffee, fruit, yogurt and pastry in the morning, a boxed lunch and cookies in the afternoon. It is amazing what a little sugar can do to boost thinking. Put little candies/chocolates and fresh fruit on the tables. And, plenty of water, creativity is thirsty work.

84 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Music Music is a sure-fire way to get a group excited. Play something energizing as people first walk in. Use music intermediately throughout your session. Be careful not to overdo it and stay away from lyrics that are suggestive!

Color Adding color to a CPS session creates visual interest, suggests fun and playfulness and is a welcome difference from the mundane black and white world of text, one of the goals of a creative session. Enhance your CPS sessions with colored pencils and markers, colored Post- it notes, even bright, colorful toys on table tops for the tactile learners in the group.

“To be prepared is halfCEF the victory.” — MIGUEL DE CERVANTES

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 85 Introduction/Icebreaker Games As a facilitator, part of your role is to take a collection of individuals, who may or may not know each other and turn them into a resource group or team. Introduction Games, or Icebreakers, are a great way to open the session and allow people to feel comfortable with each other and prepare them for the work they’re about to do. Use these games as a way of setting a tone of openness in your session and allowing even the people who know each other to work together in a different way.

“For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate.”— MARGARET HEFFERNAN CEF

Benefit • Allows a new group of participants to get to know each other and helps group formation prior to beginning the session

Instructions 1. Give participants a sticky note and ask them to form a circle with the you as the facilitator in the middle. 2. Participants are to place the sticky note note in front of their feet – these represent ‘designated spaces.’ 3. Set up how to play Have You Ever? … all will introduce themselves, state their role, and include any other information that they would like all participants to share. 4. Then ask the group a question beginning with ‘Have you ever…’ (for example, ‘Have you ever eaten sushi?’). 5. If participants have ever done what was asked, they have to run and find another spot in the circle. 6. There will always be someone stuck in the middle of the circle; this person introduces themselves next and gets to ask the next question. 7. Repeat until everyone has taken a turn – if you end up in the middle and have already introduced yourself, someone else must pop in and take your place. 8. A few considerations: • When finding another spot, tell participants they can’t pick a spot on either side of where they are currently standing. • Questions can be about anything or must be related to the overall category (for example, ‘Snacking’). CEF Use in: Introductions / Icebreakers

Benefits • Helps team form rapport and get comfortable working together • Alternate: Helps energize and warm-up a group before a divergent thinking exercise, producing better results

Instructions 1. Have participants form a circle and join them in it. 2. Explain that you are going to introduce yourselves in a creative way that involves rhythm. 3. Explain that “everyone has rhythm (we hope)” then ask everyone to take one step to their right and then step together. 4. Then everyone will take one step to their left and then step together. 5. Repeat until everyone is stepping right-together, left-together smoothly. 6. Next everyone will add a clap when their feet come together – step-clap, step-clap. 7. Start a rhythmic chant that states their name and something they like to do + a motion or sound that goes with it…’My name is Susan and I like to laugh…HA-HA-HA, HA-HA-HA’. 8. Still moving left to right, everyone in the group will then repeat ‘Her name is Susan and she likes to laugh….HA-HA-HA, HA-HA-HA!’ 9. Repeat around the circle until everyone has gone.

Use in: Introductions / Icebreakers Origin: Unknown. CEF Notes:

Benefit • Quickly engages a group and gets them interacting with each other in an inquisitive manner

Instructions 1. Set-up: As participants enter the room, give everyone a clipboard, something to write with and a sheet of paper with a question at the top. 2. Explain that their job is to roam around the room, introducing themselves to other people as they arrive. After they introduce themselves, they need to ask the person the question on their sheet. Prompts: • You’ve got 10 min. to flee. After photos, important papers, and survival stuff – what do you take? • What did you think you’d be when you grew up? • Childhood nickname? • Gutsiest thing you’ve ever done? • What makes someone a CPSI-ite? • Best advice you’ve been given? • Worst advice you’ve been given? • In a dream world, who would you like to write/act/sing/dance/play like? • Have you ever collected anything – what? • Who are you a secret groupie for? • If you could give someone a piece ofCEF your mind, who would it be and what you say? • If you had a soapbox for an hour, what would your cause be? • Do you have any tattoos? • What’s your remedy for a tough day? • What’s in your pockets right now? • Who’s your creative hero? • Name one thing that’s over-rated. • Name one embarrassing thing you hide when guests are coming over. • What do you do every day that I might not expect?

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 89 • If you could have a super power, what would it be? • What was your best vacation? • What’s the top thing on your bucket list? • What’s your favorite dessert? • Share something you are very proud of doing. • What’s the most interesting form of transportation you’ve ever taken? • Who would you like to dress like for a costume party – if you had a costume designer at your disposal? • Best place you’ve lived and why? 3. Participants write down the person’s name, their answer, and thank them. 4. They continue playing the ‘roving reporter’ until all their sheets are filled. 5. Bring everyone back to the circle. Go around the room as each person introduces themselves to the group (e.g., name, title, where they’re from, what they hope to get out of the week, etc.). 6. Before moving on, ask, “What else do we know about….?” A few people will provide answers that they got from their interviews. Many times they are very insightful and funny! 7. After 3-4 people share, move on to the next person in the group.

Use in: Introductions / Icebreakers

90 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Energizers A wide variety of Energizers should be in your Facilitator’s toolbox used liberally whenever needed. Energizers are just what the name implies; the goal is to do a short activity that lasts for a few minutes that increases the energy level of the group. There are some natural low points in every session that are predictable (i.e., after lunch) and can be scheduled in your session agenda. Tip: It’s always good to have a few simple energizers in mind that aren’t on the schedule, just in case.

You’ll want to make your participants comfortable, but also stretch them before working on the client’s problem. Energizers can help people feel comfortable working together while also helping them access the more imaginative part of their mind.

Note: Use your judgment when selecting an energizer for your group taking into account physical limitations and comfort zone of participants.

“Enjoyment is an incredible energizer to the human spirit.” — JOHN C. MAXWELL CEF

Benefit • Helps facilitator assess the comfort zone of the group

Instructions 1. Ask participants to find a partner and face each other. This must be done in pairs, so if you have an odd number, the facilitator participates to make the number even. 2. This is done in four rounds: • Round 1: Participants count to three by taking turns. Partner A says ‘1’, Partner B says ‘2,’ Partner A says ‘3’, Partner B says ‘1’, etc. Have them repeat the 1-2-3-1-2-3 pattern for a while. • Round 2:: Participants now count to three by exchanging the ‘1’ for a CLAP. CLAP- 2-3-CLAP-2-3, etc. (This should be a bit harder!) • Round 3: Participants now count to three by using a clap for ‘1’ and a SNAP for ‘2’. CLAP-SNAP-3-CLAP-SNAP-3, etc. (This will become even more challenging and they will really slow down.) • Round 4: Participants now count to three by using a CLAP for ‘1’, a ‘SNAP’ for ‘2’ and a ‘STOMP’ for ‘3’. CLAP-SNAP-STOMP-CLAP-SNAP-STOMP, etc. Note: People will really slow down by the end, but it’s really fun for participants.

Use in: Energizing the Group

Benefit • Helps raise the energy level and/or stretch divergent thinking muscles

Instructions 1. Direct participants to get into pairs and line up back to back. 2. On the count of three, they need to turn around and strike the pose of either a hunter, a bear, or a lady. The poses for each are as follows: • Bear – pretending to attack with paws up. • Hunter – pretending to shoot a rifle. • Lady – posing with one hand on hip, one hand behind head. 3. The hunter wins over the bear, the bear wins over the lady, and the lady wins over the hunter (á la rock, paper, scissors). 4. This game should be played as a best of three with the original pairs. 5. Winner of this match will go on to find the winner from another pair. 6. This is played as a single elimination game until there is only one winner left. 7. Variation: Pirate-Sailor-Mermaid.

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” — ERICH FROMM

Benefit • Energizes the group with a simple call and response format

Instructions 1. Direct participants to form a circle. 2. Ask participants to number off, ending with Facilitator as ‘Big Booty.’ 3. Explain this exercise has movements and a song: ‘Aaaah Big Booty…Aaaah Big Booty… Big Booty-Big Booty-Big Booty.’ 4. This is a call and response game – Big Booty starts by calling own name and a number (Big Booty, Number 3). 5. Then Number 3 calls own name and another number (Number 3, Number 7) 6. Continue around circle (Number 7, Number 9…Number 9, Big Booty). 7. Every time Big Booty is called, everyone sings the song again. 8. When someone messes up, they become Big Booty and everyone’s number changes (this gets comlpicated!).

Benefit • Helps group focus again after returning from a break

Instructions 1. Direct participants to form a circle. 2. Explain that one person in the circle should pick a random person in the circle and claps at them (take a half-step into the circle when you clap). 3. The person who was singled out picks another random person and claps at them. 4. The oalsg is to have the clapping flying back and forth across the circle, until there is a constant clapping noise. 5. Variation: Participants form a circle. Facilitator turns to the person on their right and they have to clap at the same time. That person then turns to the person to their right and they have to clap at the same time. Continue around the circle. Once it gets back to the Facilitator, it continues but begins to speed up until the team is working together as a well-oiled machine.

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” —BO BENNETT

Benefit • Helps energize while building trust, which you can use to facilitate team bonding in a group

Instructions 1. Direct participants form into pairs and designate a Partner A and Partner B. 2. Partner A is the Driver; Partner B is the Vehicle. 3. Vehicles have to come up with a horn sound – practice it out loud! 4. Drivers get behind their Vehicles and place their hands on Vehicles’ shoulders. 5. Vehicles close their eyes and Drivers navigate them around the room. 6. Every time the Driver comes close to bumping into another Vehicle, they squeeze the shoulders of their own Vehicle – Vehicle sounds their alarm and they keep going. 7. You pass the driver’s test if you avoid any collisions!

“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” — EDWIN LAND

Benefit • Energizes group in a fun, competitive way

Instructions 1. Direct participants to divide into two teams – each team has 1 minute to come up with a team name. 2. Hold a bag full of ‘Dynamic Duos’ – these are famous pairs or things that go together well. 3. For the first round, each team designates someone who will give clues; the rest of the team gets to guess. 4. Teams each have 2 minutes to guess as many Dynamic Duos as possible. 5. Clue givers can use any words or descriptions, but cannot: • Use rhyming words. • Say any part of the word or give the first letter of the word. • Show the team the paper! 6. If someone from the team answers it, the paper is dropped on the floor and counted as a point. 7. After the end of 2-3 rounds per team, the team with the highest score wins.

Use in: Energizing the Group, Grouping Exercise

Notes: CEF ______

Benefit • Gets the group physically moving and helps participants to further stretch their divergent muscles

Instructions 1. Direct participants to form into a circle. 2. Call two individuals into the circle. 3. These individuals have to cross the circle and pretend as if there were glue substance in the middle of the circle impacting how they cross. 4. Continue a few times and then change up the substance in the middle to: • Jell-O • Feathers • No gravity • Hurricane-strength winds • Water up to chin

Benefits • Allows participants to move around and stretch their improvisation muscles • Gets the group to deepen bonding

Instructions 1. Gather everyone in the center – explain that they are all celebrities and the paparazzi has been in hot pursuit of them. 2. Explain that unfortunately, our celebrities are having a bad hair day and they are trying desperately to dodge the paparazzi – they need their bodyguards! 3. Without pointing or saying any names out loud, participants need to designate someone else in the circle who is their paparazzi and someone who is their bodyguard. 4. Participants start moving around the room – the goal is to keep their bodyguard between themselves and the paparazzi. 5. It’s always fun at the end to see if everyone knew who picked them to be their paparazzi and bodyguard.

Benefit • Gets group moving again after a break or to increase group bonding

Instructions 1. Setup: Gather 5-6 different items that are somewhat easy to catch (e.g., squishy ball, rubber chicken, large block, etc.). 2. Facilitator grabs 5-6 different items. 3. Participants form a circle and hold their hands out to receive. 4. Facilitator passes one of the items to someone in the circle, and each person passes it on to someone else – once you have caught the item, you put your hands down. 5. The object must be passed to everyone in the circle at least once – no repeating in a single round. 6. Once everyone has received the object, they toss the object again, repeating the same pattern. 7. The object continues to get passed along and Facilitator introduces a new object – again following the same pattern that was established in the beginning. 8. The oalg is to get all 5-6 objects passing simultaneously without anyone dropping it. 9. As more objects get introduced, it becomes apparent that participants need to stay focused, look out for anything coming their way, and to let others know when they are getting ready to pass them an object.

Use in: Energizing the Group Origin: Unknown. CEF Notes:

Benefits • Helps new groups form effectively and learn each other’s names • Reduces stress of individuals new to each other or facilitated sessions

Instructions 1. Direct participants to form a circle. 2. Facilitator passes an imaginary red ball to someone in the circle by saying ‘Sam, Red Ball’ – then Sam must ‘catch’ the ball and respond by saying ‘Red Ball, Thank You.’ 3. Now Sam must pass the ball to someone else – ‘Laura, Red Ball,’ and Laura will ‘catch’ the ball and say ‘Red Ball, Thank You.’ 4. Once the Red Ball has been passed several times, Facilitator will pass out a different colored ball. 5. The oalg is to get several balls moving in the circle. 6. Game is ended when Facilitator asks everyone who’s holding a ball to hold it up for everyone to see. 7. Participants call out which colored ball they have – hopefully; only one ball in each color is called out!

Benefit • Helps intact teams stretch divergent muscles further

Instructions 1. Instruct the participants to form a circle. 2. Choose a general theme, like ‘transportation’ or ‘love.’ 3. Once you’ve chosen a theme, tell players to jump into the center of the circle and start to sing any song related to the theme. 4. Once a player gets stuck on the song, another player must jump in the center and start a new song. 5. The reviousp person in the center then steps out. 6. The point is not to embarrass the player in the center, but to support them; other players should jump in quickly when the player in the center starts to have trouble.

Benefit • Helps get the group moving again, especially after a lunch or long break

Instructions 1. Direct the participants to form into teams of three. 2. Two participants need to face each other and put their hands up in the air to form a ‘house’ – the other participant gets inside the house and is the ‘Squirrel’ (make them act it out to get in the spirit). 3. Facilitator asks everyone who is on the Squirrel’s right side to wave – these people are ‘right side house.’ 4. Facilitator asks everyone who is on the Squirrel’s left side to wave – these people are ‘left side house.’ 5. Facilitator stands in the middle and can call out one of three things: ‘Squirrel,’ ‘Right Side House’ or ‘Left Side House.’ 6. Whatever Facilitator calls, those people have to run and find another position – the goal is for the middle person to grab a spot, leaving someone else in the middle. 7. Continue along until people are moving, then add a new choice: Earthquake. 8. When anyone yells ‘Earthquake’ everyone must run and find another spot.

“Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.” — WILLIAM PLOMER

Benefit • Helps a new group learn more about each other and become more comfortable working together

Instructions 1. The facilitator should explain that there are two sides of the room. 2. When the facilitator calls out each of two choices, participants must quickly run to either side of the room. Consider clarifying that the first thing called equates to the right hand side of the room. • City or country? • Beach or mountain? • Left-handed or right-handed? • Half empty or half full? • Yes or no? • Healthy food or comfort food? • North or south? • High-brow or low-brow? • Easy-going or high-strung? • Country or rock-n-roll? • Silly or serious? 3. People always have the choice of staying in the middle. 4. You can select choices that fit the CEFchallenge, if appropriate. Use in: Energizing the Group

Benefit • Helps people practice deferred judgement with an easy call-response activity

Instructions 1. Direct everyone to walk about the room and listen … when an activity is called out, everyone should respond, “Yes, Let’s,” and mime that activity until someone else suggests and activity. 2. The acilitatorf should start and loudly suggests an activity for everyone to mime. For example: “Let’s rake leaves.” 3. Everyone should respond, “Yes, let’s” and start to do the activity. 4. Once the activity has been mimed for a while, anyone can shout out another activity. 5. The cycle continues until someone yells out “Let’s finish this game,” or “Let’s all sit down.” 6. All should feel free to use sound effects.

Benefit • Helps energize a group in fast-paced activity

Instructions 1. Direct participants to form a circle. 2. Explain that there are only 3 words to this game – Zip, Zap or Zop. 3. As the facilitator, you start by making eye contact with someone in the circle – step forward to that person, point and says ‘Zip.’ 4. That person then has to make eye contact and move towards someone else saying ‘Zap’ – and the next person has to say ‘Zop.’ 5. The ameg must move quickly; only those 3 words in that exact order can be used. 6. Whenever someone messes up, they are removed from the circle. 7. The ameg continues until there are only 2 people and rapid-fire Zip-Zap-Zopping occurs until someone loses. 8. Hand out prizes for the final contenders.

“We have no hope of solving our problems without harnessing the diversity, the energy, and the creativity of all our people.” — ROGER WILKINS

106 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Grouping Games To accommodate different energy levels and personality styles, great CPS sessions balance large group, small group and individual activities. Each allows individuals with different preferences to share and contribute in a way that they feel most comfortable. For example, an extrovert often enthusiastically shares in large group activities, but an introvert might prefer small group or individual activities.

To divide large groups into smaller ones, say three smaller groups, you could simply have participants count off by threes. Then, after they’ve done so, you can ask all the ones to work together, all the twos to work together, and all the threes to work together. However in a CPS session, consider breaking large groups into smaller ones in new and innovative ways by stocking your toolbox with the grouping games like the ones on the following pages.

Note: Use your judgment when selecting an grouping game for your participants, taking into account physical limitations and comfort zone of participants.

Benefit • Separates one larger group into smaller ones in a fun and dynamic way

Instructions 1. Pass out slips of paper to each individual. 2. On each paper there is an ‘animal with attitude,’ such as: • Excited Elephants • Grumpy Gorillas • Dancing Dogs • Sleepy Snakes • Curious Cats 3. Without saying any words, participants must act out the animal on their sheet to find their partners.

Use in: Breaking One Group into Many

“Controversy is part of the nature of art and creativity.” — YOKO ONO

Instructions 1. Direct participants to begin moving quickly around the room like tiny little atoms. 2. Facilitator yells out ‘Atom 3’ and participants need to form quickly into teams of three (getting very close, like when atoms bond). 3. Facilitator instructs them to move around again and calls out another number – ‘Atom 5’ and participants form into groups of 5. 4. Continue several times with different groupings and for the last ‘Atom group’ they will be grouped the way you want them to be.

Use in: Breaking One Group into Many Origin: Unknown.

Instructions 1. Tell participants that this exercise must be done without saying any words. 2. Direct participants to form a single line according to any category of your choosing: • Birthday • Shoe size • Height • Hair length • How far you traveled to get there 3. Participants must do this without saying any words. 4. Then ask participants to number off into the number of groups you want.

“Creativity makes a leap, then looks to see where it is.” — MASON COOLEY

Instructions 1. Ask participants to get in the groups according to genres you’ve selected: • Heavy Metal • Country • Bubblegum Pop • Opera • Hip-Hop 2. The umbern of genres depends on how many groups you want to form. 3. If the groups are uneven, ask people to move until they are even.

Instructions 1. Pass out slips of paper to each individual. 2. On the paper there is a familiar song. • Old MacDonald • Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star • For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow • Star Spangled Banner • Jimmy Crack Corn 3. Without saying any words, participants must hum the melody of the song on their piece of paper and find their partners.

“Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.” — BILL MOYERS

Instructions 1. Ask participants to get into groups based on people who look the most like them. 2. Participants may self-select by: • Color of clothing • Type of clothing • Hair color • Height 3. Limit group number to no more than 3-4 individuals.

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 113 “Everybody born comes from the Creator trailing wisps of glory. We come from the Creator with creativity. I think that each one of us is born with creativity. — MAYA ANGELOU

RESOURCES Books and Articles

Amabile, T., Kramer, S. (2011). The progress principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Basadur, M. (1995). The power of innovation. London, Great Britain: Pitman Publishing.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Davis, G. A. (2004). Creativity is forever. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Eberle, R. (1971). SCAMPER: Games for imagination development. Buffalo, NY: DOK Publishers.

Fraley, G. (2008). Jack’s notebook: A business novel about creative problem solving. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Gordon, W. (1961). Synectics: The development of creative capacity. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers Publishers. Grivas, C., & Puccio, G. J. (2012). The innovativeCEF team: Unleashing creative potential for breakthrough results. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hurson, Tim. (2008). Think Better: The innovators guide to productive thinking. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Isaakson, A. & Dorval, K. et al. (1994/2000). Creative approaches to problem solving: A Framework for change. Kendall Hunt Pub. Co.

Kaner, S., & Lind, L. (1996). Facilitator’s guide to participatory decision-making. Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publishers.

Michalko, Michael. (2006). Thinkertoys: A handbook of creative thinking techniques. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.

114 | ©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Miller, B., Vehar, J., Firestien, Thurber, S., & Nielsen, D. (2011). Creativity unbound: An introduction to creative process. Evanston, Il: FourSight.

Noller, R. B., Parnes, S. J., & Biondi, A. M. (1976). Creative action book. New York: Scribners. (out of print, can be found at Butler Library, SUNY Buffalo State)

Osborn, A. F. (1963). Applied imagination: Principles and procedures of creative problem solving (3d rev. ed.). New York, NY: Scribner.

Parnes, S. (1967). Creative behavior guidebook. New York: Scribner. (out of print, can be found at Butler Library, SUNY Buffalo State)

Parnes, S. (1997). Optimize the magic of your mind. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited.

Parnes, S. (Ed.). (1992). Source book for creative problem solving: A fifty year digest of proven innovation processes. Amherst, MA: Creative Education Foundation Press.

Parnes, S. (1987). The creative studies project. In Scott G. Isaksen (Ed.), Frontiers of creativity research: Beyond the basics (pp. 156-188). Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited.

Parnes, S. (2nd Ed.). (2004). Visionizing: Innovating your opportunities. Creative Education Foundation.

Puccio, G., Mance, M., Murdock, M. (2011). Creative leadership: Skills that drive change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Puccio, G., Mance, M., Switalski, L., Reali, P. (2012). Creativity rising: Creative thinking and creative problem solving in the 21st century. Buffalo, NY: ICSC Press.

Websites Creative Education Foundation http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.orgCEF The Creative Problem Solving Institute http://www.cpsiconference.com

The International Center for Studies in Creativity http://www.buffalostate.edu/centers/creativity

“The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty Yes to your adventure.” — JOSEPH CAMPBELL

CPS Model. Based on the work of Puccio, G.J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. C. (2011). Creative leadership: Skills that drive change (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: California and Miller, B., Vehar, J., Firestien, Thurber, S., & Nielsen, D. (2011). Creativity unbound: An introduction to creative process. Evanston, Il: FourSight.

Eberle, R. (1971). SCAMPER: Games for imagination development. Buffalo, NY: D. O. K. Publishers.

Ekvall, G. (1996). Organizational climate for creativity and innovation. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 5 (1), pp. 105-123.

Ekvall, G. (1987). The climate metaphor in organizational theory. In Bass, Bernard M. Drenth, Pieter J.D. (Eds.), Advances in Organizational Psychology (pp. 177-190). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Gordon, W.J.J. (1971). The basic course in synectics. Cambridge, MA: Porpoise Books.

Guilford, J.P. (1977). Way beyond the IQ: Guide to improving intelligence and creativity. Buffalo, NY: Creative Education Foundation.

Guilford, J.P. (1983) Transformation abilitiesCEF or functions. Journal of Creative Behavior, 17:75-83.

Hurson, Tim. (2008). Think Better: The innovators guide to productive thinking. New York, NY: McGraw- Hill.

Isaksen, S., Dorval, B., & Treffinger, D. (2000). Creative approaches to problem solving: A framework for change (2nd. Ed.) . Williamsville, NY: Creative Problem Solving Group-Buffalo.

Isaksen, S., & Treffinger, D. (2004). Celebrating 50 years of reflective practice: Versions of creative problem solving. Journal of Creative Behavior, 38 (2).

Isaksen, S., & Treffinger, D. (1985). Creative problem solving: The basic course. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited.

O’Quinn, K., & Besemer, S. (1989). The development, reliability, and validity of the revised creative product semantic scale. Creativity Research Journal, 2, pp. 267-278.

Osborn, A.F. (1953/1963). Applied imagination: Principles and procedures of creative problem-solving. New York: Scribner. Parnes, S. ( 2nd Ed.). (2004). Visionizing: Innovating your opportunities. Creative Education Foundation.

Parnes, S. (1967). Creative behavior guidebook. New York: Scribner.

Rhodes, M. (1961). An analysis of creativity. Phi Delta Kappan, 42, pp. 305-310.

Treffinger, D., Isaksen, S., & Firestien, R. (1983). Theoretical perspectives on creative learning and its facilitation: An overview. Journal of Creative Behavior, 17 (1), pp. 9-17.

Treffinger, D., Isaksen, S., & Firestien, R. (1982). Handbook of creative learning (Vol. 1) . Williamsville, NY: Center for Creative Learning.

1 Noller, R. B. Symbolic equation for creative problem solving. Retrieved from http://russellawheeler. com/resources/learning_zone/creativity_formula/

2 Gabler, N. (2006). Walt Disney: The triumph of the american imagination (p 187). Random House.

3 Parnes, S. & Noller, R. (1972). Applied creativity: The creative studies project. Part II — Results of the two-year program. The Journal of Creative Behavior,CEF 6(3), 164-186. “If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.”— JOHN F. KENNEDY

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 117 Origins of Creative Problem Solving Alex Osborn, the O in the international advertising agency BBDO, formalized brainstorming in 1939 as a problem-solving tool at BBDO. Brainstorming was the first of many nominal group techniques for generating ideas.

Osborn studied creative people to identify the natural process of how they intuitively create good ideas. With the goal of approaching problems with greater imagination, he incorporated his learnings into the first versions of the CPS process, helping people learn how to be more deliberately creative.

A natural educator, Osborn believed that if people were going to be creative in business, they needed to learn creative thinking skills when they were in school. Osborn’s Applied Imagination, published in 1953, was the first creativity textbook.

In 1954, Osborn created the Creative Education Foundation, which was sustained by royalties earned from his books. Along with Dr. Sidney Parnes, Osborn developed the “Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process” (commonly referred to as CPS). That same year, launched the Creative Problem Solving Institute, the world’s longest-running international creativity conference.

In 1967, Dr. Parnes started a pilot program in creativity at Buffalo State and became the founding director of what is now the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC).

Despite the death of Osborn in 1966, Dr. Parnes continued to develop and modify Osborn’s original seven stage CPS model. After numerous adaptations the Osborn-Parnes Five Stage CPS model was born. This model’s stages were Fact Finding, Problem Finding, Idea Finding, Solution Finding, and Acceptance Finding. The advantage of this model was the depiction of the alternating process known as divergent and convergent thinking. This notion of divergent and convergent thinking occurs in every stage of this model.

In the early 1970s, Parnes launched the Creative Studies Project with colleague Dr. Ruth Noller. This truly pioneering initiativeCEF validated that creative studies content could indeed be taught and learned effectively. This allowed for creativity studies to gain traction and academic support.

Drs. Parnes and Noller continued teaching creative studies and in 1981 Dr. Scott Isaksen joined the faculty to assist in the now formalized Masters of Science degree in Creative Studies. In 1982 Dr. Parnes turned over the directorship of the center to Dr. Isaksen. With many fond memories and a tremendous sense of satisfaction, Dr. Sid Parnes retired in 1984 as a Professor Emeritus from Buffalo State College. Today Dr. Gerard Puccio heads ICSC, which continues to enrich the field with an evolving model and new research.

©2015 Creative Education Foundation. All rights reserved. | 119 CPS Model In the most recent iteration of the CPS Model, there are four stages with six explicit steps. Within each stage, each step uses divergent and convergent thinking.

CLARIFY Explore the Vision Identify the goal, wish, or challenge. Gather Data Describe and generate data to enable a clear understanding of the challenge. Formulate the SharCEFpen awareness of the challenge and create Challenge challenge questions that invite solutions.

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creative problem solving tools & techniques resource guide

Parnes Gift Announcement

The Creative Education Foundation is honored to announce a $100,000 gift from the Parnes Family to provide on-going support for its operations and programs. We are deeply grateful for this gift and honored to continue to serve Sidney J. Parnes’ legacy.

Creative Problem Solving (CPS)?

Learn more about cps, creative education foundation.

For more than 65 years, Creative Education Foundation ( CEF ) has been teaching adults and children in organizations, schools, and communities how to use the proven Creative Problem Solving process to develop new ideas, solve problems, and implement solutions. In 1954, Alex Osborn – legendary advertising executive, coiner of the term “brainstorming”, and author of the ground-breaking book Applied Imagination – founded CEF. Osborn, along with Professor Sidney Parnes, developed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process. CEF introduced its comprehensive educational program at the first Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) at the University of Buffalo in 1955.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CEF

Creative problem solving institute (cpsi).

Every year, Creative Education Foundation produces the Creative Problem Solving Institute ( CPSI ), the world’s longest-running creativity conference. CPSI offers several experiential programs to learn or improve your knowledge of the CPS method as well as a youth program for children of ages eight to 17.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CPSI

The vision of the creative education foundation is to unlock the creative genius in everyone. , our mission.

The mission of the Creative Education Foundation is to spark personal and professional transformation by empowering people with the skill set, tool set, and mindset of deliberate creativity.

35 problem-solving techniques and methods for solving complex problems

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How do you identify problems?

How do you identify the right solution.

Tips for more effective problem-solving

Complete problem-solving methods

Problem-solving techniques to identify and analyze problems
Problem-solving techniques for developing solutions

Problem-solving warm-up activities

Closing activities for a problem-solving process.

Before you can move towards finding the right solution for a given problem, you first need to identify and define the problem you wish to solve.

Here, you want to clearly articulate what the problem is and allow your group to do the same. Remember that everyone in a group is likely to have differing perspectives and alignment is necessary in order to help the group move forward.

Identifying a problem accurately also requires that all members of a group are able to contribute their views in an open and safe manner. It can be scary for people to stand up and contribute, especially if the problems or challenges are emotive or personal in nature. Be sure to try and create a psychologically safe space for these kinds of discussions.

Remember that problem analysis and further discussion are also important. Not taking the time to fully analyze and discuss a challenge can result in the development of solutions that are not fit for purpose or do not address the underlying issue.

Successfully identifying and then analyzing a problem means facilitating a group through activities designed to help them clearly and honestly articulate their thoughts and produce usable insight.

With this data, you might then produce a problem statement that clearly describes the problem you wish to be addressed and also state the goal of any process you undertake to tackle this issue.

Finding solutions is the end goal of any process. Complex organizational challenges can only be solved with an appropriate solution but discovering them requires using the right problem-solving tool.

After you’ve explored a problem and discussed ideas, you need to help a team discuss and choose the right solution. Consensus tools and methods such as those below help a group explore possible solutions before then voting for the best. They’re a great way to tap into the collective intelligence of the group for great results!

Remember that the process is often iterative. Great problem solvers often roadtest a viable solution in a measured way to see what works too. While you might not get the right solution on your first try, the methods below help teams land on the most likely to succeed solution while also holding space for improvement.

Every effective problem solving process begins with an agenda . A well-structured workshop is one of the best methods for successfully guiding a group from exploring a problem to implementing a solution.

In SessionLab, it’s easy to go from an idea to a complete agenda . Start by dragging and dropping your core problem solving activities into place . Add timings, breaks and necessary materials before sharing your agenda with your colleagues.

The resulting agenda will be your guide to an effective and productive problem solving session that will also help you stay organized on the day!

Tips for more effective problem solving

Problem-solving activities are only one part of the puzzle. While a great method can help unlock your team’s ability to solve problems, without a thoughtful approach and strong facilitation the solutions may not be fit for purpose.

Let’s take a look at some problem-solving tips you can apply to any process to help it be a success!

Clearly define the problem

Jumping straight to solutions can be tempting, though without first clearly articulating a problem, the solution might not be the right one. Many of the problem-solving activities below include sections where the problem is explored and clearly defined before moving on.

This is a vital part of the problem-solving process and taking the time to fully define an issue can save time and effort later. A clear definition helps identify irrelevant information and it also ensures that your team sets off on the right track.

Don’t jump to conclusions

It’s easy for groups to exhibit cognitive bias or have preconceived ideas about both problems and potential solutions. Be sure to back up any problem statements or potential solutions with facts, research, and adequate forethought.

The best techniques ask participants to be methodical and challenge preconceived notions. Make sure you give the group enough time and space to collect relevant information and consider the problem in a new way. By approaching the process with a clear, rational mindset, you’ll often find that better solutions are more forthcoming.

Try different approaches

Problems come in all shapes and sizes and so too should the methods you use to solve them. If you find that one approach isn’t yielding results and your team isn’t finding different solutions, try mixing it up. You’ll be surprised at how using a new creative activity can unblock your team and generate great solutions.

Don’t take it personally

Depending on the nature of your team or organizational problems, it’s easy for conversations to get heated. While it’s good for participants to be engaged in the discussions, ensure that emotions don’t run too high and that blame isn’t thrown around while finding solutions.

You’re all in it together, and even if your team or area is seeing problems, that isn’t necessarily a disparagement of you personally. Using facilitation skills to manage group dynamics is one effective method of helping conversations be more constructive.

Get the right people in the room

Your problem-solving method is often only as effective as the group using it. Getting the right people on the job and managing the number of people present is important too!

If the group is too small, you may not get enough different perspectives to effectively solve a problem. If the group is too large, you can go round and round during the ideation stages.

Creating the right group makeup is also important in ensuring you have the necessary expertise and skillset to both identify and follow up on potential solutions. Carefully consider who to include at each stage to help ensure your problem-solving method is followed and positioned for success.

Document everything

The best solutions can take refinement, iteration, and reflection to come out. Get into a habit of documenting your process in order to keep all the learnings from the session and to allow ideas to mature and develop. Many of the methods below involve the creation of documents or shared resources. Be sure to keep and share these so everyone can benefit from the work done!

Bring a facilitator

Facilitation is all about making group processes easier. With a subject as potentially emotive and important as problem-solving, having an impartial third party in the form of a facilitator can make all the difference in finding great solutions and keeping the process moving. Consider bringing a facilitator to your problem-solving session to get better results and generate meaningful solutions!

Develop your problem-solving skills

It takes time and practice to be an effective problem solver. While some roles or participants might more naturally gravitate towards problem-solving, it can take development and planning to help everyone create better solutions.

You might develop a training program, run a problem-solving workshop or simply ask your team to practice using the techniques below. Check out our post on problem-solving skills to see how you and your group can develop the right mental process and be more resilient to issues too!

Design a great agenda

Workshops are a great format for solving problems. With the right approach, you can focus a group and help them find the solutions to their own problems. But designing a process can be time-consuming and finding the right activities can be difficult.

Check out our workshop planning guide to level-up your agenda design and start running more effective workshops. Need inspiration? Check out templates designed by expert facilitators to help you kickstart your process!

In this section, we’ll look at in-depth problem-solving methods that provide a complete end-to-end process for developing effective solutions. These will help guide your team from the discovery and definition of a problem through to delivering the right solution.

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing method or problem-solving model, these processes are a great place to start. They’ll ask your team to challenge preconceived ideas and adopt a mindset for solving problems more effectively.

Six Thinking Hats
Lightning Decision Jam
Problem Definition Process
Discovery & Action Dialogue

Design Sprint 2.0

Open Space Technology

1. Six Thinking Hats

Individual approaches to solving a problem can be very different based on what team or role an individual holds. It can be easy for existing biases or perspectives to find their way into the mix, or for internal politics to direct a conversation.

Six Thinking Hats is a classic method for identifying the problems that need to be solved and enables your team to consider them from different angles, whether that is by focusing on facts and data, creative solutions, or by considering why a particular solution might not work.

Like all problem-solving frameworks, Six Thinking Hats is effective at helping teams remove roadblocks from a conversation or discussion and come to terms with all the aspects necessary to solve complex problems.

2. Lightning Decision Jam

Featured courtesy of Jonathan Courtney of AJ&Smart Berlin, Lightning Decision Jam is one of those strategies that should be in every facilitation toolbox. Exploring problems and finding solutions is often creative in nature, though as with any creative process, there is the potential to lose focus and get lost.

Unstructured discussions might get you there in the end, but it’s much more effective to use a method that creates a clear process and team focus.

In Lightning Decision Jam, participants are invited to begin by writing challenges, concerns, or mistakes on post-its without discussing them before then being invited by the moderator to present them to the group.

From there, the team vote on which problems to solve and are guided through steps that will allow them to reframe those problems, create solutions and then decide what to execute on.

By deciding the problems that need to be solved as a team before moving on, this group process is great for ensuring the whole team is aligned and can take ownership over the next stages.

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

3. Problem Definition Process

While problems can be complex, the problem-solving methods you use to identify and solve those problems can often be simple in design.

By taking the time to truly identify and define a problem before asking the group to reframe the challenge as an opportunity, this method is a great way to enable change.

Begin by identifying a focus question and exploring the ways in which it manifests before splitting into five teams who will each consider the problem using a different method: escape, reversal, exaggeration, distortion or wishful. Teams develop a problem objective and create ideas in line with their method before then feeding them back to the group.

This method is great for enabling in-depth discussions while also creating space for finding creative solutions too!

Problem Definition #problem solving #idea generation #creativity #online #remote-friendly A problem solving technique to define a problem, challenge or opportunity and to generate ideas.

4. The 5 Whys

Sometimes, a group needs to go further with their strategies and analyze the root cause at the heart of organizational issues. An RCA or root cause analysis is the process of identifying what is at the heart of business problems or recurring challenges.

The 5 Whys is a simple and effective method of helping a group go find the root cause of any problem or challenge and conduct analysis that will deliver results.

By beginning with the creation of a problem statement and going through five stages to refine it, The 5 Whys provides everything you need to truly discover the cause of an issue.

The 5 Whys #hyperisland #innovation This simple and powerful method is useful for getting to the core of a problem or challenge. As the title suggests, the group defines a problems, then asks the question “why” five times, often using the resulting explanation as a starting point for creative problem solving.

5. World Cafe

World Cafe is a simple but powerful facilitation technique to help bigger groups to focus their energy and attention on solving complex problems.

World Cafe enables this approach by creating a relaxed atmosphere where participants are able to self-organize and explore topics relevant and important to them which are themed around a central problem-solving purpose. Create the right atmosphere by modeling your space after a cafe and after guiding the group through the method, let them take the lead!

Making problem-solving a part of your organization’s culture in the long term can be a difficult undertaking. More approachable formats like World Cafe can be especially effective in bringing people unfamiliar with workshops into the fold.

World Cafe #hyperisland #innovation #issue analysis World Café is a simple yet powerful method, originated by Juanita Brown, for enabling meaningful conversations driven completely by participants and the topics that are relevant and important to them. Facilitators create a cafe-style space and provide simple guidelines. Participants then self-organize and explore a set of relevant topics or questions for conversation.

6. Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)

One of the best approaches is to create a safe space for a group to share and discover practices and behaviors that can help them find their own solutions.

With DAD, you can help a group choose which problems they wish to solve and which approaches they will take to do so. It’s great at helping remove resistance to change and can help get buy-in at every level too!

This process of enabling frontline ownership is great in ensuring follow-through and is one of the methods you will want in your toolbox as a facilitator.

Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD) #idea generation #liberating structures #action #issue analysis #remote-friendly DADs make it easy for a group or community to discover practices and behaviors that enable some individuals (without access to special resources and facing the same constraints) to find better solutions than their peers to common problems. These are called positive deviant (PD) behaviors and practices. DADs make it possible for people in the group, unit, or community to discover by themselves these PD practices. DADs also create favorable conditions for stimulating participants’ creativity in spaces where they can feel safe to invent new and more effective practices. Resistance to change evaporates as participants are unleashed to choose freely which practices they will adopt or try and which problems they will tackle. DADs make it possible to achieve frontline ownership of solutions.

7. Design Sprint 2.0

Want to see how a team can solve big problems and move forward with prototyping and testing solutions in a few days? The Design Sprint 2.0 template from Jake Knapp, author of Sprint, is a complete agenda for a with proven results.

Developing the right agenda can involve difficult but necessary planning. Ensuring all the correct steps are followed can also be stressful or time-consuming depending on your level of experience.

Use this complete 4-day workshop template if you are finding there is no obvious solution to your challenge and want to focus your team around a specific problem that might require a shortcut to launching a minimum viable product or waiting for the organization-wide implementation of a solution.

8. Open space technology

Open space technology- developed by Harrison Owen – creates a space where large groups are invited to take ownership of their problem solving and lead individual sessions. Open space technology is a great format when you have a great deal of expertise and insight in the room and want to allow for different takes and approaches on a particular theme or problem you need to be solved.

Start by bringing your participants together to align around a central theme and focus their efforts. Explain the ground rules to help guide the problem-solving process and then invite members to identify any issue connecting to the central theme that they are interested in and are prepared to take responsibility for.

Once participants have decided on their approach to the core theme, they write their issue on a piece of paper, announce it to the group, pick a session time and place, and post the paper on the wall. As the wall fills up with sessions, the group is then invited to join the sessions that interest them the most and which they can contribute to, then you’re ready to begin!

Everyone joins the problem-solving group they’ve signed up to, record the discussion and if appropriate, findings can then be shared with the rest of the group afterward.

Open Space Technology #action plan #idea generation #problem solving #issue analysis #large group #online #remote-friendly Open Space is a methodology for large groups to create their agenda discerning important topics for discussion, suitable for conferences, community gatherings and whole system facilitation

Techniques to identify and analyze problems

Using a problem-solving method to help a team identify and analyze a problem can be a quick and effective addition to any workshop or meeting.

While further actions are always necessary, you can generate momentum and alignment easily, and these activities are a great place to get started.

We’ve put together this list of techniques to help you and your team with problem identification, analysis, and discussion that sets the foundation for developing effective solutions.

Let’s take a look!

The Creativity Dice
Fishbone Analysis
Problem Tree
SWOT Analysis
Agreement-Certainty Matrix
The Journalistic Six
LEGO Challenge
What, So What, Now What?
Journalists

Individual and group perspectives are incredibly important, but what happens if people are set in their minds and need a change of perspective in order to approach a problem more effectively?

Flip It is a method we love because it is both simple to understand and run, and allows groups to understand how their perspectives and biases are formed.

Participants in Flip It are first invited to consider concerns, issues, or problems from a perspective of fear and write them on a flip chart. Then, the group is asked to consider those same issues from a perspective of hope and flip their understanding.

No problem and solution is free from existing bias and by changing perspectives with Flip It, you can then develop a problem solving model quickly and effectively.

Flip It! #gamestorming #problem solving #action Often, a change in a problem or situation comes simply from a change in our perspectives. Flip It! is a quick game designed to show players that perspectives are made, not born.

10. The Creativity Dice

One of the most useful problem solving skills you can teach your team is of approaching challenges with creativity, flexibility, and openness. Games like The Creativity Dice allow teams to overcome the potential hurdle of too much linear thinking and approach the process with a sense of fun and speed.

In The Creativity Dice, participants are organized around a topic and roll a dice to determine what they will work on for a period of 3 minutes at a time. They might roll a 3 and work on investigating factual information on the chosen topic. They might roll a 1 and work on identifying the specific goals, standards, or criteria for the session.

Encouraging rapid work and iteration while asking participants to be flexible are great skills to cultivate. Having a stage for idea incubation in this game is also important. Moments of pause can help ensure the ideas that are put forward are the most suitable.

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.

11. Fishbone Analysis

Organizational or team challenges are rarely simple, and it’s important to remember that one problem can be an indication of something that goes deeper and may require further consideration to be solved.

Fishbone Analysis helps groups to dig deeper and understand the origins of a problem. It’s a great example of a root cause analysis method that is simple for everyone on a team to get their head around.

Participants in this activity are asked to annotate a diagram of a fish, first adding the problem or issue to be worked on at the head of a fish before then brainstorming the root causes of the problem and adding them as bones on the fish.

Using abstractions such as a diagram of a fish can really help a team break out of their regular thinking and develop a creative approach.

Fishbone Analysis #problem solving ##root cause analysis #decision making #online facilitation A process to help identify and understand the origins of problems, issues or observations.

12. Problem Tree

Encouraging visual thinking can be an essential part of many strategies. By simply reframing and clarifying problems, a group can move towards developing a problem solving model that works for them.

In Problem Tree, groups are asked to first brainstorm a list of problems – these can be design problems, team problems or larger business problems – and then organize them into a hierarchy. The hierarchy could be from most important to least important or abstract to practical, though the key thing with problem solving games that involve this aspect is that your group has some way of managing and sorting all the issues that are raised.

Once you have a list of problems that need to be solved and have organized them accordingly, you’re then well-positioned for the next problem solving steps.

Problem tree #define intentions #create #design #issue analysis A problem tree is a tool to clarify the hierarchy of problems addressed by the team within a design project; it represents high level problems or related sublevel problems.

13. SWOT Analysis

Chances are you’ve heard of the SWOT Analysis before. This problem-solving method focuses on identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is a tried and tested method for both individuals and teams.

Start by creating a desired end state or outcome and bare this in mind – any process solving model is made more effective by knowing what you are moving towards. Create a quadrant made up of the four categories of a SWOT analysis and ask participants to generate ideas based on each of those quadrants.

Once you have those ideas assembled in their quadrants, cluster them together based on their affinity with other ideas. These clusters are then used to facilitate group conversations and move things forward.

SWOT analysis #gamestorming #problem solving #action #meeting facilitation The SWOT Analysis is a long-standing technique of looking at what we have, with respect to the desired end state, as well as what we could improve on. It gives us an opportunity to gauge approaching opportunities and dangers, and assess the seriousness of the conditions that affect our future. When we understand those conditions, we can influence what comes next.

14. Agreement-Certainty Matrix

Not every problem-solving approach is right for every challenge, and deciding on the right method for the challenge at hand is a key part of being an effective team.

The Agreement Certainty matrix helps teams align on the nature of the challenges facing them. By sorting problems from simple to chaotic, your team can understand what methods are suitable for each problem and what they can do to ensure effective results.

If you are already using Liberating Structures techniques as part of your problem-solving strategy, the Agreement-Certainty Matrix can be an invaluable addition to your process. We’ve found it particularly if you are having issues with recurring problems in your organization and want to go deeper in understanding the root cause.

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.

Organizing and charting a team’s progress can be important in ensuring its success. SQUID (Sequential Question and Insight Diagram) is a great model that allows a team to effectively switch between giving questions and answers and develop the skills they need to stay on track throughout the process.

Begin with two different colored sticky notes – one for questions and one for answers – and with your central topic (the head of the squid) on the board. Ask the group to first come up with a series of questions connected to their best guess of how to approach the topic. Ask the group to come up with answers to those questions, fix them to the board and connect them with a line. After some discussion, go back to question mode by responding to the generated answers or other points on the board.

It’s rewarding to see a diagram grow throughout the exercise, and a completed SQUID can provide a visual resource for future effort and as an example for other teams.

SQUID #gamestorming #project planning #issue analysis #problem solving When exploring an information space, it’s important for a group to know where they are at any given time. By using SQUID, a group charts out the territory as they go and can navigate accordingly. SQUID stands for Sequential Question and Insight Diagram.

16. Speed Boat

To continue with our nautical theme, Speed Boat is a short and sweet activity that can help a team quickly identify what employees, clients or service users might have a problem with and analyze what might be standing in the way of achieving a solution.

Methods that allow for a group to make observations, have insights and obtain those eureka moments quickly are invaluable when trying to solve complex problems.

In Speed Boat, the approach is to first consider what anchors and challenges might be holding an organization (or boat) back. Bonus points if you are able to identify any sharks in the water and develop ideas that can also deal with competitors!

Speed Boat #gamestorming #problem solving #action Speedboat is a short and sweet way to identify what your employees or clients don’t like about your product/service or what’s standing in the way of a desired goal.

17. The Journalistic Six

Some of the most effective ways of solving problems is by encouraging teams to be more inclusive and diverse in their thinking.

Based on the six key questions journalism students are taught to answer in articles and news stories, The Journalistic Six helps create teams to see the whole picture. By using who, what, when, where, why, and how to facilitate the conversation and encourage creative thinking, your team can make sure that the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the are covered exhaustively and thoughtfully. Reporter’s notebook and dictaphone optional.

The Journalistic Six – Who What When Where Why How #idea generation #issue analysis #problem solving #online #creative thinking #remote-friendly A questioning method for generating, explaining, investigating ideas.

18. LEGO Challenge

Now for an activity that is a little out of the (toy) box. LEGO Serious Play is a facilitation methodology that can be used to improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

The LEGO Challenge includes giving each member of the team an assignment that is hidden from the rest of the group while they create a structure without speaking.

What the LEGO challenge brings to the table is a fun working example of working with stakeholders who might not be on the same page to solve problems. Also, it’s LEGO! Who doesn’t love LEGO!

LEGO Challenge #hyperisland #team A team-building activity in which groups must work together to build a structure out of LEGO, but each individual has a secret “assignment” which makes the collaborative process more challenging. It emphasizes group communication, leadership dynamics, conflict, cooperation, patience and problem solving strategy.

19. What, So What, Now What?

If not carefully managed, the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the problem-solving process can actually create more problems and misunderstandings.

The What, So What, Now What? problem-solving activity is designed to help collect insights and move forward while also eliminating the possibility of disagreement when it comes to identifying, clarifying, and analyzing organizational or work problems.

Facilitation is all about bringing groups together so that might work on a shared goal and the best problem-solving strategies ensure that teams are aligned in purpose, if not initially in opinion or insight.

Throughout the three steps of this game, you give everyone on a team to reflect on a problem by asking what happened, why it is important, and what actions should then be taken.

This can be a great activity for bringing our individual perceptions about a problem or challenge and contextualizing it in a larger group setting. This is one of the most important problem-solving skills you can bring to your organization.

W³ – What, So What, Now What? #issue analysis #innovation #liberating structures You can help groups reflect on a shared experience in a way that builds understanding and spurs coordinated action while avoiding unproductive conflict. It is possible for every voice to be heard while simultaneously sifting for insights and shaping new direction. Progressing in stages makes this practical—from collecting facts about What Happened to making sense of these facts with So What and finally to what actions logically follow with Now What . The shared progression eliminates most of the misunderstandings that otherwise fuel disagreements about what to do. Voila!

20. Journalists

Problem analysis can be one of the most important and decisive stages of all problem-solving tools. Sometimes, a team can become bogged down in the details and are unable to move forward.

Journalists is an activity that can avoid a group from getting stuck in the problem identification or problem analysis stages of the process.

In Journalists, the group is invited to draft the front page of a fictional newspaper and figure out what stories deserve to be on the cover and what headlines those stories will have. By reframing how your problems and challenges are approached, you can help a team move productively through the process and be better prepared for the steps to follow.

Journalists #vision #big picture #issue analysis #remote-friendly This is an exercise to use when the group gets stuck in details and struggles to see the big picture. Also good for defining a vision.

Problem-solving techniques for developing solutions

The success of any problem-solving process can be measured by the solutions it produces. After you’ve defined the issue, explored existing ideas, and ideated, it’s time to narrow down to the correct solution.

Use these problem-solving techniques when you want to help your team find consensus, compare possible solutions, and move towards taking action on a particular problem.

Improved Solutions
Four-Step Sketch
15% Solutions
How-Now-Wow matrix
Impact Effort Matrix

21. Mindspin

Brainstorming is part of the bread and butter of the problem-solving process and all problem-solving strategies benefit from getting ideas out and challenging a team to generate solutions quickly.

With Mindspin, participants are encouraged not only to generate ideas but to do so under time constraints and by slamming down cards and passing them on. By doing multiple rounds, your team can begin with a free generation of possible solutions before moving on to developing those solutions and encouraging further ideation.

This is one of our favorite problem-solving activities and can be great for keeping the energy up throughout the workshop. Remember the importance of helping people become engaged in the process – energizing problem-solving techniques like Mindspin can help ensure your team stays engaged and happy, even when the problems they’re coming together to solve are complex.

MindSpin #teampedia #idea generation #problem solving #action A fast and loud method to enhance brainstorming within a team. Since this activity has more than round ideas that are repetitive can be ruled out leaving more creative and innovative answers to the challenge.

22. Improved Solutions

After a team has successfully identified a problem and come up with a few solutions, it can be tempting to call the work of the problem-solving process complete. That said, the first solution is not necessarily the best, and by including a further review and reflection activity into your problem-solving model, you can ensure your group reaches the best possible result.

One of a number of problem-solving games from Thiagi Group, Improved Solutions helps you go the extra mile and develop suggested solutions with close consideration and peer review. By supporting the discussion of several problems at once and by shifting team roles throughout, this problem-solving technique is a dynamic way of finding the best solution.

Improved Solutions #creativity #thiagi #problem solving #action #team You can improve any solution by objectively reviewing its strengths and weaknesses and making suitable adjustments. In this creativity framegame, you improve the solutions to several problems. To maintain objective detachment, you deal with a different problem during each of six rounds and assume different roles (problem owner, consultant, basher, booster, enhancer, and evaluator) during each round. At the conclusion of the activity, each player ends up with two solutions to her problem.

23. Four Step Sketch

Creative thinking and visual ideation does not need to be confined to the opening stages of your problem-solving strategies. Exercises that include sketching and prototyping on paper can be effective at the solution finding and development stage of the process, and can be great for keeping a team engaged.

By going from simple notes to a crazy 8s round that involves rapidly sketching 8 variations on their ideas before then producing a final solution sketch, the group is able to iterate quickly and visually. Problem-solving techniques like Four-Step Sketch are great if you have a group of different thinkers and want to change things up from a more textual or discussion-based approach.

Four-Step Sketch #design sprint #innovation #idea generation #remote-friendly The four-step sketch is an exercise that helps people to create well-formed concepts through a structured process that includes: Review key information Start design work on paper, Consider multiple variations , Create a detailed solution . This exercise is preceded by a set of other activities allowing the group to clarify the challenge they want to solve. See how the Four Step Sketch exercise fits into a Design Sprint

24. 15% Solutions

Some problems are simpler than others and with the right problem-solving activities, you can empower people to take immediate actions that can help create organizational change.

Part of the liberating structures toolkit, 15% solutions is a problem-solving technique that focuses on finding and implementing solutions quickly. A process of iterating and making small changes quickly can help generate momentum and an appetite for solving complex problems.

Problem-solving strategies can live and die on whether people are onboard. Getting some quick wins is a great way of getting people behind the process.

It can be extremely empowering for a team to realize that problem-solving techniques can be deployed quickly and easily and delineate between things they can positively impact and those things they cannot change.

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.

25. How-Now-Wow Matrix

The problem-solving process is often creative, as complex problems usually require a change of thinking and creative response in order to find the best solutions. While it’s common for the first stages to encourage creative thinking, groups can often gravitate to familiar solutions when it comes to the end of the process.

When selecting solutions, you don’t want to lose your creative energy! The How-Now-Wow Matrix from Gamestorming is a great problem-solving activity that enables a group to stay creative and think out of the box when it comes to selecting the right solution for a given problem.

Problem-solving techniques that encourage creative thinking and the ideation and selection of new solutions can be the most effective in organisational change. Give the How-Now-Wow Matrix a go, and not just for how pleasant it is to say out loud.

How-Now-Wow Matrix #gamestorming #idea generation #remote-friendly When people want to develop new ideas, they most often think out of the box in the brainstorming or divergent phase. However, when it comes to convergence, people often end up picking ideas that are most familiar to them. This is called a ‘creative paradox’ or a ‘creadox’. The How-Now-Wow matrix is an idea selection tool that breaks the creadox by forcing people to weigh each idea on 2 parameters.

26. Impact and Effort Matrix

All problem-solving techniques hope to not only find solutions to a given problem or challenge but to find the best solution. When it comes to finding a solution, groups are invited to put on their decision-making hats and really think about how a proposed idea would work in practice.

The Impact and Effort Matrix is one of the problem-solving techniques that fall into this camp, empowering participants to first generate ideas and then categorize them into a 2×2 matrix based on impact and effort.

Activities that invite critical thinking while remaining simple are invaluable. Use the Impact and Effort Matrix to move from ideation and towards evaluating potential solutions before then committing to them.

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.

27. Dotmocracy

If you’ve followed each of the problem-solving steps with your group successfully, you should move towards the end of your process with heaps of possible solutions developed with a specific problem in mind. But how do you help a group go from ideation to putting a solution into action?

Dotmocracy – or Dot Voting -is a tried and tested method of helping a team in the problem-solving process make decisions and put actions in place with a degree of oversight and consensus.

One of the problem-solving techniques that should be in every facilitator’s toolbox, Dot Voting is fast and effective and can help identify the most popular and best solutions and help bring a group to a decision effectively.

Dotmocracy #action #decision making #group prioritization #hyperisland #remote-friendly Dotmocracy is a simple method for group prioritization or decision-making. It is not an activity on its own, but a method to use in processes where prioritization or decision-making is the aim. The method supports a group to quickly see which options are most popular or relevant. The options or ideas are written on post-its and stuck up on a wall for the whole group to see. Each person votes for the options they think are the strongest, and that information is used to inform a decision.

All facilitators know that warm-ups and icebreakers are useful for any workshop or group process. Problem-solving workshops are no different.

Use these problem-solving techniques to warm up a group and prepare them for the rest of the process. Activating your group by tapping into some of the top problem-solving skills can be one of the best ways to see great outcomes from your session.

Check-in/Check-out
Doodling Together
Show and Tell
Constellations
Draw a Tree

28. Check-in / Check-out

Solid processes are planned from beginning to end, and the best facilitators know that setting the tone and establishing a safe, open environment can be integral to a successful problem-solving process.

Check-in / Check-out is a great way to begin and/or bookend a problem-solving workshop. Checking in to a session emphasizes that everyone will be seen, heard, and expected to contribute.

If you are running a series of meetings, setting a consistent pattern of checking in and checking out can really help your team get into a groove. We recommend this opening-closing activity for small to medium-sized groups though it can work with large groups if they’re disciplined!

Check-in / Check-out #team #opening #closing #hyperisland #remote-friendly Either checking-in or checking-out is a simple way for a team to open or close a process, symbolically and in a collaborative way. Checking-in/out invites each member in a group to be present, seen and heard, and to express a reflection or a feeling. Checking-in emphasizes presence, focus and group commitment; checking-out emphasizes reflection and symbolic closure.

29. Doodling Together

Thinking creatively and not being afraid to make suggestions are important problem-solving skills for any group or team, and warming up by encouraging these behaviors is a great way to start.

Doodling Together is one of our favorite creative ice breaker games – it’s quick, effective, and fun and can make all following problem-solving steps easier by encouraging a group to collaborate visually. By passing cards and adding additional items as they go, the workshop group gets into a groove of co-creation and idea development that is crucial to finding solutions to problems.

Doodling Together #collaboration #creativity #teamwork #fun #team #visual methods #energiser #icebreaker #remote-friendly Create wild, weird and often funny postcards together & establish a group’s creative confidence.

30. Show and Tell

You might remember some version of Show and Tell from being a kid in school and it’s a great problem-solving activity to kick off a session.

Asking participants to prepare a little something before a workshop by bringing an object for show and tell can help them warm up before the session has even begun! Games that include a physical object can also help encourage early engagement before moving onto more big-picture thinking.

By asking your participants to tell stories about why they chose to bring a particular item to the group, you can help teams see things from new perspectives and see both differences and similarities in the way they approach a topic. Great groundwork for approaching a problem-solving process as a team!

Show and Tell #gamestorming #action #opening #meeting facilitation Show and Tell taps into the power of metaphors to reveal players’ underlying assumptions and associations around a topic The aim of the game is to get a deeper understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives on anything—a new project, an organizational restructuring, a shift in the company’s vision or team dynamic.

31. Constellations

Who doesn’t love stars? Constellations is a great warm-up activity for any workshop as it gets people up off their feet, energized, and ready to engage in new ways with established topics. It’s also great for showing existing beliefs, biases, and patterns that can come into play as part of your session.

Using warm-up games that help build trust and connection while also allowing for non-verbal responses can be great for easing people into the problem-solving process and encouraging engagement from everyone in the group. Constellations is great in large spaces that allow for movement and is definitely a practical exercise to allow the group to see patterns that are otherwise invisible.

Constellations #trust #connection #opening #coaching #patterns #system Individuals express their response to a statement or idea by standing closer or further from a central object. Used with teams to reveal system, hidden patterns, perspectives.

32. Draw a Tree

Problem-solving games that help raise group awareness through a central, unifying metaphor can be effective ways to warm-up a group in any problem-solving model.

Draw a Tree is a simple warm-up activity you can use in any group and which can provide a quick jolt of energy. Start by asking your participants to draw a tree in just 45 seconds – they can choose whether it will be abstract or realistic.

Once the timer is up, ask the group how many people included the roots of the tree and use this as a means to discuss how we can ignore important parts of any system simply because they are not visible.

All problem-solving strategies are made more effective by thinking of problems critically and by exposing things that may not normally come to light. Warm-up games like Draw a Tree are great in that they quickly demonstrate some key problem-solving skills in an accessible and effective way.

Draw a Tree #thiagi #opening #perspectives #remote-friendly With this game you can raise awarness about being more mindful, and aware of the environment we live in.

Each step of the problem-solving workshop benefits from an intelligent deployment of activities, games, and techniques. Bringing your session to an effective close helps ensure that solutions are followed through on and that you also celebrate what has been achieved.

Here are some problem-solving activities you can use to effectively close a workshop or meeting and ensure the great work you’ve done can continue afterward.

One Breath Feedback
Who What When Matrix
Response Cards

How do I conclude a problem-solving process?

All good things must come to an end. With the bulk of the work done, it can be tempting to conclude your workshop swiftly and without a moment to debrief and align. This can be problematic in that it doesn’t allow your team to fully process the results or reflect on the process.

At the end of an effective session, your team will have gone through a process that, while productive, can be exhausting. It’s important to give your group a moment to take a breath, ensure that they are clear on future actions, and provide short feedback before leaving the space.

The primary purpose of any problem-solving method is to generate solutions and then implement them. Be sure to take the opportunity to ensure everyone is aligned and ready to effectively implement the solutions you produced in the workshop.

Remember that every process can be improved and by giving a short moment to collect feedback in the session, you can further refine your problem-solving methods and see further success in the future too.

33. One Breath Feedback

Maintaining attention and focus during the closing stages of a problem-solving workshop can be tricky and so being concise when giving feedback can be important. It’s easy to incur “death by feedback” should some team members go on for too long sharing their perspectives in a quick feedback round.

One Breath Feedback is a great closing activity for workshops. You give everyone an opportunity to provide feedback on what they’ve done but only in the space of a single breath. This keeps feedback short and to the point and means that everyone is encouraged to provide the most important piece of feedback to them.

One breath feedback #closing #feedback #action This is a feedback round in just one breath that excels in maintaining attention: each participants is able to speak during just one breath … for most people that’s around 20 to 25 seconds … unless of course you’ve been a deep sea diver in which case you’ll be able to do it for longer.

34. Who What When Matrix

Matrices feature as part of many effective problem-solving strategies and with good reason. They are easily recognizable, simple to use, and generate results.

The Who What When Matrix is a great tool to use when closing your problem-solving session by attributing a who, what and when to the actions and solutions you have decided upon. The resulting matrix is a simple, easy-to-follow way of ensuring your team can move forward.

Great solutions can’t be enacted without action and ownership. Your problem-solving process should include a stage for allocating tasks to individuals or teams and creating a realistic timeframe for those solutions to be implemented or checked out. Use this method to keep the solution implementation process clear and simple for all involved.

Who/What/When Matrix #gamestorming #action #project planning With Who/What/When matrix, you can connect people with clear actions they have defined and have committed to.

35. Response cards

Group discussion can comprise the bulk of most problem-solving activities and by the end of the process, you might find that your team is talked out!

Providing a means for your team to give feedback with short written notes can ensure everyone is head and can contribute without the need to stand up and talk. Depending on the needs of the group, giving an alternative can help ensure everyone can contribute to your problem-solving model in the way that makes the most sense for them.

Response Cards is a great way to close a workshop if you are looking for a gentle warm-down and want to get some swift discussion around some of the feedback that is raised.

Response Cards #debriefing #closing #structured sharing #questions and answers #thiagi #action It can be hard to involve everyone during a closing of a session. Some might stay in the background or get unheard because of louder participants. However, with the use of Response Cards, everyone will be involved in providing feedback or clarify questions at the end of a session.

Save time and effort discovering the right solutions

A structured problem solving process is a surefire way of solving tough problems, discovering creative solutions and driving organizational change. But how can you design for successful outcomes?

With SessionLab, it’s easy to design engaging workshops that deliver results. Drag, drop and reorder blocks to build your agenda. When you make changes or update your agenda, your session timing adjusts automatically , saving you time on manual adjustments.

Collaborating with stakeholders or clients? Share your agenda with a single click and collaborate in real-time. No more sending documents back and forth over email.

Explore how to use SessionLab to design effective problem solving workshops or watch this five minute video to see the planner in action!

Over to you

The problem-solving process can often be as complicated and multifaceted as the problems they are set-up to solve. With the right problem-solving techniques and a mix of creative exercises designed to guide discussion and generate purposeful ideas, we hope we’ve given you the tools to find the best solutions as simply and easily as possible.

Is there a problem-solving technique that you are missing here? Do you have a favorite activity or method you use when facilitating? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!

thank you very much for these excellent techniques

Certainly wonderful article, very detailed. Shared!

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Master High Performance, Innovation & Impact

What is Creative Problem Solving?

“Every problem is an opportunity in disguise.” — John Adams

Imagine if you come up with new ideas and solve problems better, faster, easier?

Imagine if you could easily leverage the thinking from multiple experts and different points of view?

That’s the promise and the premise of Creative Problem Solving.

As Einstein put it, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

Creative problem solving is a systematic approach that empowers individuals and teams to unleash their imagination , explore diverse perspectives, and generate innovative solutions to complex challenges.

Throughout my years at Microsoft, I’ve used variations of Creative Problem Solving to tackle big, audacious challenges and create new opportunities for innovation.

I this article, I walkthrough the original Creative Problem Solving process and variations so that you can more fully appreciate the power of the process and how it’s evolved over the years.

On This Page

Innovation is a Team Sport What is Creative Problem Solving? What is the Creative Problem Solving Process? Variations of Creative Problem Solving Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Criticisms of Creative Problem Solving Creative Problem Solving 21st Century FourSight Thinking Profiles Basadur’s Innovative Process Synetics SCAMPER Design Thinking

Innovation is a Team Sport

Recognizing that innovation is a team sport , I understood the importance of equipping myself and my teams with the right tools for the job.

By leveraging different problem-solving approaches, I have been able to navigate complex landscapes , think outside the box, and find unique solutions.

Creative Problem Solving has served as a valuable compass , guiding me to explore uncharted territories and unlock the potential for groundbreaking ideas.

With a diverse set of tools in my toolbox, I’ve been better prepared to navigate the dynamic world of innovation and contribute to the success and amplify impact for many teams and many orgs for many years.

By learning and teaching Creative Problem Solving we empower diverse teams to appreciate and embrace cognitive diversity to solve problems and create new opportunities with skill.

Creative problem solving is a mental process used to find original and effective solutions to problems.

It involves going beyond traditional methods and thinking outside the box to come up with new and innovative approaches.

Here are some key aspects of creative problem solving:

Divergent Thinking : This involves exploring a wide range of possibilities and generating a large number of ideas, even if they seem unconventional at first.
Convergent Thinking : Once you have a pool of ideas, you need to narrow them down and select the most promising ones. This requires critical thinking and evaluation skills.
Process : There are various frameworks and techniques that can guide you through the creative problem-solving process. These can help you structure your thinking and increase your chances of finding innovative solutions.

Benefits of Creative Problem Solving:

Finding New Solutions : It allows you to overcome challenges and achieve goals in ways that traditional methods might miss.
Enhancing Innovation : It fosters a culture of innovation and helps organizations stay ahead of the curve.
Improved Adaptability : It equips you to handle unexpected situations and adapt to changing circumstances.
Boosts Confidence: Successfully solving problems with creative solutions can build confidence and motivation.

Here are some common techniques used in creative problem solving:

Brainstorming : This is a classic technique where you generate as many ideas as possible in a short period of time.
SCAMPER: This is a framework that prompts you to consider different ways to Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Magnify/Minify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, and Rearrange elements of the problem.
Mind Mapping: This technique involves visually organizing your ideas and connections between them.
Lateral Thinking: This approach challenges you to look at the problem from different angles and consider unconventional solutions.

Creative problem solving is a valuable skill for everyone, not just artists or designers.

You can apply it to all aspects of life, from personal challenges to professional endeavors.

What is the Creative Problem Solving Process?

The Creative Problem Solving (CPS) framework is a systematic approach for generating innovative solutions to complex problems.

It’s effectively a process framework.

It provides a structured process that helps individuals and teams think creatively, explore possibilities, and develop practical solutions.

The Creative Problem Solving process framework typically consists of the following stages:

Clarify : In this stage, the problem or challenge is clearly defined, ensuring a shared understanding among participants. The key objectives, constraints, and desired outcomes are identified.
Generate Ideas : During this stage, participants engage in divergent thinking to generate a wide range of ideas and potential solutions. The focus is on quantity and deferring judgment, encouraging free-flowing creativity.
Develop Solutions : In this stage, the generated ideas are evaluated, refined, and developed into viable solutions. Participants explore the feasibility, practicality, and potential impact of each idea, considering the resources and constraints at hand.
Implement : Once a solution or set of solutions is selected, an action plan is developed to guide the implementation process. This includes defining specific steps, assigning responsibilities, setting timelines, and identifying the necessary resources.
Evaluate : After implementing the solution, the outcomes and results are evaluated to assess the effectiveness and impact. Lessons learned are captured to inform future problem-solving efforts and improve the process.

Throughout the Creative Problem Solving framework, various creativity techniques and tools can be employed to stimulate idea generation, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse), and others.

These techniques help break through traditional thinking patterns and encourage novel approaches to problem-solving.

What are Variations of the Creative Problem Solving Process?

There are several variations of the Creative Problem Solving process, each emphasizing different steps or stages.

Here are five variations that are commonly referenced:

Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving : This is one of the earliest and most widely used versions of Creative Problem Solving. It consists of six stages: Objective Finding, Fact Finding, Problem Finding, Idea Finding, Solution Finding, and Acceptance Finding. It follows a systematic approach to identify and solve problems creatively.
Creative Problem Solving 21st Century : Creative Problem Solving 21st Century, developed by Roger Firestien, is an innovative approach that empowers individuals to identify and take action towards achieving their goals, wishes, or challenges by providing a structured process to generate ideas, develop solutions, and create a plan of action.
FourSight Thinking Profiles : This model introduces four stages in the Creative Problem Solving process: Clarify, Ideate, Develop, and Implement. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the problem, generating a range of ideas, developing and evaluating those ideas, and finally implementing the best solution.
Basadur’s Innovative Process : Basadur’s Innovative Process, developed by Min Basadur, is a systematic and iterative process that guides teams through eight steps to effectively identify, define, generate ideas, evaluate, and implement solutions, resulting in creative and innovative outcomes.
Synectics : Synectics is a Creative Problem Solving variation that focuses on creating new connections and insights. It involves stages such as Problem Clarification, Idea Generation, Evaluation, and Action Planning. Synectics encourages thinking from diverse perspectives and applying analogical reasoning.
SCAMPER : SCAMPER is an acronym representing different creative thinking techniques to stimulate idea generation. Each letter stands for a strategy: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Rearrange. SCAMPER is used as a tool within the Creative Problem Solving process to generate innovative ideas by applying these strategies.
Design Thinking : While not strictly a variation of Creative Problem Solving, Design Thinking is a problem-solving approach that shares similarities with Creative Problem Solving. It typically includes stages such as Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. Design Thinking focuses on understanding users’ needs, ideating and prototyping solutions, and iterating based on feedback.

These are just a few examples of variations within the Creative Problem Solving framework. Each variation provides a unique perspective on the problem-solving process, allowing individuals and teams to approach challenges in different ways.

Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving (CPS)

The original Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process, developed by Alex Osborn and Sidney Parnes, consists of the following steps:

Objective Finding : In this step, the problem or challenge is clearly defined, and the objectives and goals are established. It involves understanding the problem from different perspectives, gathering relevant information, and identifying the desired outcomes.
Fact Finding : The objective of this step is to gather information, data, and facts related to the problem. It involves conducting research, analyzing the current situation, and seeking a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the problem.
Problem Finding : In this step, the focus is on identifying the root causes and underlying issues contributing to the problem. It involves reframing the problem, exploring it from different angles, and asking probing questions to uncover insights and uncover potential areas for improvement.
Idea Finding : This step involves generating a wide range of ideas and potential solutions. Participants engage in divergent thinking techniques, such as brainstorming, to produce as many ideas as possible without judgment or evaluation. The aim is to encourage creativity and explore novel possibilities.
Solution Finding : After generating a pool of ideas, the next step is to evaluate and select the most promising solutions. This involves convergent thinking, where participants assess the feasibility, desirability, and viability of each idea. Criteria are established to assess and rank the solutions based on their potential effectiveness.
Acceptance Finding : In this step, the selected solution is refined, developed, and adapted to fit the specific context and constraints. Strategies are identified to overcome potential obstacles and challenges. Participants work to gain acceptance and support for the chosen solution from stakeholders.
Solution Implementation : Once the solution is finalized, an action plan is developed to guide its implementation. This includes defining specific steps, assigning responsibilities, setting timelines, and securing the necessary resources. The solution is put into action, and progress is monitored to ensure successful execution.
Monitoring and Evaluation : The final step involves tracking the progress and evaluating the outcomes of the implemented solution. Lessons learned are captured, and feedback is gathered to inform future problem-solving efforts. This step helps refine the process and improve future problem-solving endeavors.

The CPS process is designed to be iterative and flexible, allowing for feedback loops and refinement at each stage. It encourages collaboration, open-mindedness, and the exploration of diverse perspectives to foster creative problem-solving and innovation.

Criticisms of the Original Creative Problem Solving Approach

While Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving is a widely used and effective problem-solving framework, it does have some criticisms, challenges, and limitations.

These include:

Linear Process : CPS follows a structured and linear process, which may not fully capture the dynamic and non-linear nature of complex problems.
Overemphasis on Rationality : CPS primarily focuses on logical and rational thinking, potentially overlooking the value of intuitive or emotional insights in the problem-solving process.
Limited Cultural Diversity : The CPS framework may not adequately address the cultural and contextual differences that influence problem-solving approaches across diverse groups and regions.
Time and Resource Intensive : Implementing the CPS process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, requiring significant commitment and investment from participants and organizations.
Lack of Flexibility : The structured nature of CPS may restrict the exploration of alternative problem-solving methods, limiting adaptability to different situations or contexts.
Limited Emphasis on Collaboration : Although CPS encourages group participation, it may not fully leverage the collective intelligence and diverse perspectives of teams, potentially limiting the effectiveness of collaborative problem-solving.
Potential Resistance to Change : Organizations or individuals accustomed to traditional problem-solving approaches may encounter resistance or difficulty in embracing the CPS methodology and its associated mindset shift.

Despite these criticisms and challenges, the CPS framework remains a valuable tool for systematic problem-solving.

Adapting and supplementing it with other methodologies and approaches can help overcome some of its limitations and enhance overall effectiveness.

Creative Problem Solving 21st Century

Roger Firestien is a master facilitator of the Creative Problem Solving process. He has been using it, studying it, researching it, and teaching it for 40 years.

According to him, the 21st century requires a new approach to problem-solving that is more creative and innovative.

He has developed a program that focuses on assisting facilitators of the Creative Problem Solving Process to smoothly and confidently transition from one stage to the next in the Creative Problem Solving process as well as learn how to talk less and accomplish more while facilitating Creative Problem Solving.

Creative Problem Solving empowers individuals to identify and take action towards achieving their goals, manifesting their aspirations, or addressing challenges they wish to overcome.

Unlike approaches that solely focus on problem-solving, CPS recognizes that the user’s objective may not necessarily be framed as a problem. Instead, CPS supports users in realizing their goals and desires, providing a versatile framework to guide them towards success.

Why Creative Problem Solving 21st Century?

Creative Problem Solving 21st Century addresses challenges with the original Creative Problem Solving method by adapting it to the demands of the modern era. Roger Firestien recognized that the 21st century requires a new approach to problem-solving that is more creative and innovative.

The Creative Problem Solving 21st Century program focuses on helping facilitators smoothly transition between different stages of the problem-solving process. It also teaches them how to be more efficient and productive in their facilitation by talking less and achieving more results.

Unlike approaches that solely focus on problem-solving, Creative Problem Solving 21st Century acknowledges that users may not always frame their objectives as problems. It recognizes that individuals have goals, wishes, and challenges they want to address or achieve. Creative Problem Solving provides a flexible framework to guide users towards success in realizing their aspirations.

Creative Problem Solving 21st Century builds upon the foundational work of pioneers such as Osborn, Parnes, Miller, and Firestien. It incorporates practical techniques like PPC (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns) and emphasizes the importance of creative leadership skills in driving change.

Stages of the Creative Problem Solving 21st Century

Clarify the Problem
Generate Ideas
Develop Solutions
Plan for Action

Steps of the Creative Problem Solving 21st Century

Here are stages and steps of the Creative Problem Solving 21st Century per Roger Firestien:

CLARIFY THE PROBLEM

Start here when you are looking to improve, create, or solve something. You want to explore the facts, feelings and data around it. You want to find the best problem to solve.

IDENTIFY GOAL, WISH OR CHALLENGE Start with a goal, wish or challenge that begins with the phrase: “I wish…” or “It would be great if…”

Diverge : If you are not quite clear on a goal then create, invent, solve or improve.

Converge : Select the goal, wish or challenge on which you have Ownership, Motivation and a need for Imagination.

GATHER DATA

Diverge : What is a brief history of your goal, wish or challenge? What have you already thought of or tried? What might be your ideal goal?

Converge : Select the key data that reveals a new insight into the situation or that is important to consider throughout the remainder of the process.

Diverge : Generate many questions about your goal, wish or challenge. Phrase your questions beginning with: “How to…?” “How might…?” “What might be all the ways to…?” Try turning your key data into questions that redefine the goal, wish or challenge.

Mark the “HITS” : New insight. Promising direction. Nails it! Feels good in your gut.
Group the related “HITS” together.
Restate the cluster . “How to…” “What might be all the…”

GENERATE IDEAS

Start here when you have a clearly defined problem and you need ideas to solve it. The best way to create great ideas is to generate LOTS of ideas. Defer judgment. Strive for quantity. Seek wild & unusual ideas. Build on other ideas.

Diverge : Come up with at least 40 ideas for solving your problem. Come up with 40 more. Keep going. Even as you see good ideas emerge, keep pushing for novelty. Stretch!

Mark the “HITS”: Interesting, Intriguing, Useful, Solves the problem. Sparkles at you.
Restate the cluster with a verb phrase.

DEVELOP SOLUTIONS

Start here when you want to turn promising ideas into workable solutions.

DEVELOP YOUR SOLUTION Review your clusters of ideas and blend them into a “story.” Imagine in detail what your solution would look like when it is implemented.

Begin your solution story with the phrase, “What I see myself doing is…”

PPCo EVALUATION

PPCo stands for Pluses, Potentials, Concerns and Overcome concerns

Review your solution story .

List the PLUSES or specific strengths of your solution.
List the POTENTIALS of your solution. What might be the result if you were to implement your idea?
Finally, list your CONCERNS about the solution. Phrase your concerns beginning with “How to…”
Diverge and generate ideas to OVERCOME your concerns one at a time until they have all been overcome
Converge and select the best ideas to overcome your concerns. Use these ideas to improve your solution.

PLAN FOR ACTION

Start here when you have a solution and need buy-in from others. You want to create a detailed plan of action to follow.

Diverge : List all of the actions you might take to implement your solution.

What might you do to make your solution easy to understand?
What might you do to demonstrate the advantages of your solution?
How might you gain acceptance of your solution?
What steps might you take to put your solution into action?

Converge : Select the key actions to implement your solution. Create a plan, detailing who does what by when.

Credits for the Creative Problem Solving 21st Century

Creative Problem Solving – 21st Century is based on the work of: Osborn, A.F..(1953). Applied Imagination: Principles and procedures of Creative Problem Solving. New York: Scribner’s. Parnes, S.J, Noller, R.B & Biondi, A. (1977). Guide to Creative Action. New York: Scribner’s. Miller, B., Firestien, R., Vehar, J. Plain language Creative Problem-Solving Model, 1997. Puccio, G.J., Mance, M., Murdock, M.C. (2010) Creative Leadership: Skills that drive change. (Second Edition), Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA. Miller, B., Vehar J., Firestien, R., Thurber, S. Nielsen, D. (2011) Creativity Unbound: An introduction to creative process. (Fifth Edition), Foursight, LLC., Evanston, IL. PPC (Pluses, Potentials & Concerns) was invented by Diane Foucar-Szocki, Bill Shepard & Roger Firestien in 1982

Where to Go for More on Creative Problem Solving 21st Century

Here are incredible free resources to ramp up on Creative Problem Solving 21st Century:

PDF of Creative Problem Solving 21st Edition (RogerFirestien.com)
PDF Worksheets for Creative Problem Solving (RogerFirestien.com)
Video: Roger Firestien on 40 Years of Creative Problem Solving

Video Walkthroughs

Video 1: Introduction to Creative Problem Solving
Video 2: Identify your Goal/Wish/Challenge
Video 3: Gather Data
Video 4: Clarify the Problem: Creative Questions
Video 5: Clarify the Problem: Why? What’s Stopping Me?
Video 6: Selecting the Best Problem
Video 7: How to do a Warm-up
Video 8: Generate Ideas: Sticky Notes + Forced Connections
Video 9: Generate Ideas: Brainwriting
Video 10: Selecting the Best Ideas
Video 11: Develop Solutions: PPCO
Video 12: Generating Action Steps
Video 13: Create Your Action Plan
Video 14: CPS: The Whole Process

FourSight Thinking Profiles

The FourSight Thinking Skills Profile is an assessment tool designed to measure an individual’s thinking preferences and skills.

It focuses on four key thinking styles or stages that contribute to the creative problem-solving process.

The assessment helps individuals and teams understand their strengths and areas for development in each of these stages.

Why FourSight Thinking Profiles?

The FourSight method was necessary to address certain limitations or challenges that were identified in the original CPS method.

Thinking Preferences : The FourSight model recognizes that individuals have different thinking preferences or cognitive styles. By understanding and leveraging these preferences, the FourSight method aims to optimize idea generation and problem-solving processes within teams and organizations.
Overemphasis on Ideation : While ideation is a critical aspect of CPS, the original method sometimes focused too heavily on generating ideas without adequate attention to other stages, such as problem clarification, solution development, and implementation. FourSight offers a more balanced approach across all stages of the CPS process.
Enhanced Problem Definition : FourSight places a particular emphasis on the Clarify stage, which involves defining the problem or challenge. This is an important step to ensure that the problem is well-understood and properly framed before proceeding to ideation and solution development.
Research-Based Approach : The development of FourSight was influenced by extensive research on thinking styles and creativity. By incorporating these research insights into the CPS process, FourSight provides a more evidence-based and comprehensive approach to creative problem-solving.

Stages of FourSight Creative Problem Solving

FourSight Creative Problem Solving consists of four thinking stages, each associated with a specific thinking preference:

Clarify : In this stage, the focus is on gaining a clear understanding of the problem or challenge. Participants define the problem statement, gather relevant information, and identify the key objectives and desired outcomes. This stage involves analytical thinking and careful examination of the problem’s context and scope.
Ideate : The ideation stage involves generating a broad range of ideas and potential solutions. Participants engage in divergent thinking, allowing for a free flow of creativity and encouraging the exploration of unconventional possibilities. Various brainstorming techniques and creativity tools can be utilized to stimulate idea generation.
Develop : Once a pool of ideas has been generated, the next stage is to develop and refine the selected ideas. Participants shift into a convergent thinking mode, evaluating and analyzing the feasibility, practicality, and potential impact of each idea. The emphasis is on refining and shaping the ideas into viable solutions.
Implement : The final stage is focused on implementing the chosen solution. Participants develop an action plan, define specific steps and timelines, assign responsibilities, and identify the necessary resources. This stage requires practical thinking and attention to detail to ensure the successful execution of the solution.

Throughout the FourSight framework, it is recognized that individuals have different thinking preferences. Some individuals naturally excel in the Clarify stage, while others thrive in Ideate, Develop, or Implement.

By understanding these preferences, the FourSight framework encourages collaboration and diversity of thinking styles, ensuring a well-rounded approach to problem-solving and innovation.

The FourSight process can be iterative, allowing for feedback loops and revisiting previous stages as needed. It emphasizes the importance of open communication, respect for different perspectives, and leveraging the collective intelligence of a team to achieve optimal results.

4 Thinking Profiles in FourSight

In the FourSight model, there are four preferences that individuals can exhibit. These preferences reflect where individuals tend to focus their energy and time within the creative problem-solving process.

The four preferences in FourSight are:

Clarifier : Individuals with a Clarifier preference excel in the first stage of the creative problem-solving process, which is about gaining clarity and understanding the problem. They are skilled at asking questions, gathering information, and analyzing data to define the problem accurately.
Ideator : Individuals with an Ideator preference thrive in the second stage, which involves generating a wide range of ideas. They are imaginative thinkers who excel at brainstorming, thinking outside the box, and generating creative solutions. Ideators are known for their ability to explore multiple perspectives and come up with diverse ideas.
Developer : Individuals with a Developer preference excel in the third stage of the process, which focuses on refining and developing ideas. They are skilled at evaluating ideas, analyzing their feasibility, and transforming them into actionable plans or solutions. Developers excel in taking promising ideas and shaping them into practical and effective strategies.
Implementer : Individuals with an Implementer preference shine in the final stage of the process, which is about planning for action and executing the chosen solution. Implementers are skilled at organizing tasks, creating action plans, and ensuring successful implementation. They focus on turning ideas into tangible outcomes and are known for their ability to execute projects efficiently.

It’s important to note that while individuals may have a primary preference, everyone is capable of participating in all stages of the creative problem-solving process.

However, the FourSight model suggests that individuals tend to have a natural inclination or preference towards one or more of these stages. Understanding one’s preferences can help individuals leverage their strengths and work effectively in a team by appreciating the diversity of thinking preferences.

Right Hand vs. Left Hand

The FourSight model is a way to understand how people approach the creative process. It measures our preferences for different stages of creativity.

A good analogy for this is writing with your right or left hand. Think about writing with your right or left hand. Most of us have a dominant hand that we use for writing. It’s the hand we’re most comfortable with and it comes naturally to us. But it doesn’t mean we can’t write with our non-dominant hand. We can still do it, but it requires more effort and focus.

Similarly, in the creative process, we have preferred stages or parts that we enjoy and feel comfortable in. These are our peak preferences. However, it doesn’t mean we can’t work on the other stages. We can make a conscious effort to spend time and work on those stages, even if they don’t come as naturally to us.

Combinations of FourSight Profiles

Your FourSight profile is determined by four scores that represent your preferences in the creative process. Your profile reveals where you feel most energized and where you may struggle.

If you have a single peak in your profile, refer back to the description of that preference. If you have two or more peaks, continue reading to understand your tendencies when engaging in any kind of innovation.

Here are how the combinations show up, along with their labels:

2-Way Combinations

High Clarifier & High Ideator = “Early Bird
High Clarifier & High Developer = “Analyst”
High Clarifier & High Implementer = “Accelerator”
High Ideator & High Developer = “Theorist”
High Ideator & High Implementer = “Driver”
High Developer & High Implementer = “Finisher”

3-Way Combinations

High Clarifier, Ideator & Developer = “Hare”
High Clarifier, Ideator & Implementer = “Idea Broker”
High Clarifier, Developer & Implementer = “Realist”
High Ideator, Developer & Implementer = “Optimist”

4-Way Combination Nearly Equal for All Four Preferences = “Integrator”

Where to Go for More On FourSight

FourSight Home
FourSight Thinking Profile Interpretive Guide PDF
FourSight Technical Manual PDF

Basadur’s Innovative Process

The Simplex Process, developed by management and creativity expert Min Basadur, gained recognition through his influential book “The Power of Innovation” published in 1995.

It consists of a sequence of eight steps organized into three distinct stages:

Problem Formulation
Solution Formulation
Solution Implementation

You might hear Bsadur’s Innovative Process referred to by a few variations:

Simplex Creative Problem Solving
Basadur SIMPLEX Problem Solving Process
Basadur System of innovation and creative problem solving
Simplexity Thinking Process

What is Basadur’s Innovative Process

Here is how Basadur.com explains Basadur’s Innovation Process :

“The Basadur Innovation Process is an innovative thinking & creative problem solving process that separates innovation into clearly-defined steps, to take you from initial problem-finding right through to implementing the solutions you’ve created.

Its beauty is that it enables everyone to participate in an unbiased, open-minded way.

In the absence of negativity, people can think clearly and logically, building innovation confidence. A wide range of ideas can be proposed and the best ones selected, refined and executed in a spirit of openness and collaboration.

“That’s a great idea, but…”

How often have you heard this phrase? In most group decision-making processes, ideas are killed off before they’ve even got off the ground. With The Basadur Process on the other hand, judgment is deferred. Put simply, opinions on ideas don’t get in the way of ideas.”

3 Phases and 8 Steps of Basadur’s Innovative Process

The Basadur’s Innovative Process consists of three phases, subdivided into eight steps:

Phase 1: Problem Formulation

Problem Formulation : This phase focuses on understanding and defining the problem accurately. It involves the following steps:

Step 1 : Problem Finding . Actively anticipate and seek out problems, opportunities, and possibilities. Maintain an open mind and view problems as opportunities for proactive resolution. Identify fuzzy situations and recognize that they can open new doors.
Step 2 : Fact Finding . Gather relevant information and facts related to the fuzzy situation. Seek multiple viewpoints, challenge assumptions, listen to others, and focus on finding the truth rather than personal opinions. Utilize different lines of questioning to clarify the situation.
Step 3 : Problem Definition . Define the problem accurately and objectively. View the problem from different angles and consider new perspectives. Uncover fresh challenges and recognize that the perceived problem might not be the real issue.

Phase 2: Solution Formulation

Solution Formulation . Once the problem is well-defined, this phase revolves around generating and evaluating potential solutions. The steps involved are:

Step 4 : Idea Finding . Generate ideas to solve the defined problem. Continuously seek more and better ideas, build upon half-formed ideas, and consider ideas from others. Fine-tune seemingly radical or impossible ideas to make them workable solutions.
Step 5 : Evaluate & Select . Evaluate and select the most promising ideas to convert them into practical solutions. Consider multiple criteria in an unbiased manner, creatively improve imperfect solutions, and re-evaluate them.

Phase 3: Solution Implementation

Solution Implementation . In the final phase, the focus shifts to implementing and executing the selected solution effectively. The steps in this phase include:

Step 6 : Plan Devise specific measures and create a concrete plan for implementing the chosen solution. Visualize the end result and motivate others to participate and support the plan.
Step 7 : Acceptance Gain acceptance for the solutions and plans. Communicate the benefits of the solution to others, address potential concerns, and continuously revise and improve the solution to minimize resistance to change.
Step 8 : Action Implement the solutions and put the plan into action. Avoid getting stuck in unimportant details, adapt the solutions to specific circumstances, and garner support for the change. Emphasize the need for follow-up to ensure lasting and permanent changes.

The SIMPLEX process recognizes that implementing a solution can reveal new problems, opportunities, and possibilities, leading back to Step 1 and initiating the iterative problem-solving and innovation cycle again.

Where to Go for More on Basadur’s Innovation Process

Basadur’s Innovative Process Home
Simplexity Thinking Explained
Ambasadur Affiliate Program

Synectics is a problem-solving and creative thinking approach that emphasizes the power of collaboration, analogy, and metaphorical thinking. It was developed in the 1960s by George M. Prince and William J.J. Gordon.

Synectics is based on the belief that the most innovative ideas and solutions arise from the integration of diverse perspectives and the ability to make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.

The Story of Synetics

Here is the story of Syentics according to SyneticsWorld.com:

“Back in the 1950s, our founders Bill Gordon, George Prince and their team studied thousands of hours of tape recorded innovation sessions to find the answer to

‘What is really going on between the people in the group to help them create and implement successfully?’

They called the answer the Synectics Creative-Problem-Solving Methodology, which has expanded into the Synecticsworld’s expertise on how people work creatively and collaboratively to create innovative solutions to some of the world’s most difficult challenges.

The unique Synecticsworld innovation process to the art of problem solving has taken us to many different destinations. We have worked on assignments in both the public and private sectors, in product and service innovation, business process improvement, cost reduction and the reinvention of business models and strategies.

It is our on-going goal to guide and inspire our clients to engage the Synectics innovation process to create innovative ideas, innovative solutions, and activate new, powerful, and innovative solutions.”

Why Synetics?

Synectics addresses challenges of the original Creative Problem Solving process by introducing a unique set of tools and techniques that foster creative thinking and overcome mental barriers.

Here’s how Synectics addresses some common challenges of the original Creative Problem Solving process:

Breaking Mental Barriers : Synectics recognizes that individuals often have mental blocks and preconceived notions that limit their thinking. It tackles this challenge by encouraging the use of analogies, metaphors, and connections to break through these barriers. By exploring unrelated concepts and drawing parallels, participants can generate fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.
Promoting Divergent Thinking : The original CPS process may sometimes struggle to foster a truly divergent thinking environment where participants feel comfortable expressing unconventional ideas. Synectics creates a safe and non-judgmental space for participants to freely explore and share their thoughts, regardless of how unusual or unconventional they may seem. This encourages a wider range of ideas and increases the potential for breakthrough solutions.
Enhancing Collaboration : Synectics emphasizes the power of collaboration and the integration of diverse perspectives. It recognizes that innovation often emerges through the interaction of different viewpoints and experiences. By actively engaging participants in collaborative brainstorming sessions and encouraging them to build upon each other’s ideas, Synectics enhances teamwork and collective problem-solving.
Stimulating Creative Connections : While the original CPS process focuses on logical problem-solving techniques, Synectics introduces the use of analogy and metaphorical thinking. By encouraging participants to find connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, Synectics stimulates creative thinking and opens up new possibilities. This approach helps overcome fixed thinking patterns and encourages participants to explore alternative perspectives and solutions.
Encouraging Unconventional Solutions : Synectics acknowledges that unconventional ideas can lead to breakthrough solutions. It provides a framework that supports the exploration of unorthodox approaches and encourages participants to think beyond traditional boundaries. By challenging the status quo and embracing innovative thinking, Synectics enables the generation of unique and impactful solutions.

Synectics complements and expands upon the original CPS process by offering additional tools and techniques that specifically address challenges related to mental barriers, divergent thinking, collaboration, creative connections, and unconventional solutions.

It provides a structured approach to enhance creativity and problem-solving in a collaborative setting.

Synetic Sessions

In the Synectics process, individuals or teams engage in structured brainstorming sessions, often referred to as “synectic sessions.”

These sessions encourage participants to think beyond conventional boundaries and explore novel ways of approaching a problem or challenge.

The approach involves creating an open and non-judgmental environment where participants feel free to express their ideas and build upon each other’s contributions.

Synectics incorporates the use of analogies and metaphors to stimulate creative thinking. Participants are encouraged to make connections between unrelated concepts, draw parallels from different domains, and explore alternative perspectives.

This approach helps to break mental barriers, unlock new insights, and generate innovative ideas.

Steps of the Synetics Process

The Synectics process typically involves the following steps:

Problem Identification : Clearly defining the problem or challenge that needs to be addressed.
Idea Generation: Engaging in brainstorming sessions to generate a wide range of ideas, including both conventional and unconventional ones.
Analogy and Metaphor Exploration : Encouraging participants to explore analogies, metaphors, and connections to stimulate new ways of thinking about the problem.
Idea Development: Refining and developing the most promising ideas generated during the brainstorming process.
Solution Evaluation : Assessing and evaluating the potential feasibility, effectiveness, and practicality of the developed ideas.
Implementation Planning : Creating a detailed action plan to implement the chosen solution or ideas.

Synectics has been used in various fields, including business, design, education, and innovation. It is particularly effective when addressing complex problems that require a fresh perspective and the integration of diverse viewpoints.

Example of How Synetics Explores Analogies and Metaphors

Here’s an example of how Synectics utilizes analogy and metaphor exploration to stimulate new ways of thinking about a problem:

Let’s say a team is tasked with improving customer service in a retail store. During a Synectics session, participants may be encouraged to explore analogies and metaphors related to customer service. For example:

Analogy : The participants might be asked to think of customer service in terms of a restaurant experience. They can draw parallels between the interactions between waitstaff and customers in a restaurant and the interactions between retail associates and shoppers. By exploring this analogy, participants may uncover insights and ideas for enhancing the customer experience in the retail store, such as personalized attention, prompt service, or creating a welcoming ambiance.
Metaphor : Participants could be prompted to imagine customer service as a journey or a road trip. They can explore how different stages of the journey, such as initial contact, assistance during the shopping process, and follow-up after purchase, can be improved to create a seamless and satisfying experience. This metaphorical exploration may lead to ideas like providing clear signage, offering assistance at every step, or implementing effective post-purchase support.

Through analogy and metaphor exploration, Synectics encourages participants to think beyond the immediate context and draw inspiration from different domains .

By connecting disparate ideas and concepts , new perspectives and innovative solutions can emerge.

These analogies and metaphors serve as creative triggers that unlock fresh insights and generate ideas that may not have been considered within the confines of the original problem statement.

SCAMPER is a creative thinking technique that provides a set of prompts or questions to stimulate idea generation and innovation. It was developed by Bob Eberle and is widely used in problem-solving, product development, and brainstorming sessions.

SCAMPER provides a structured framework for creatively examining and challenging existing ideas, products, or processes.

Recognizing the value of Alex Osterman’s original checklist, Bob Eberle skillfully organized it into meaningful and repeatable categories. This thoughtful refinement by Eberle has made SCAMPER a practical and highly effective tool for expanding possibilities, breaking through creative blocks, and sparking new insights.

By systematically applying each prompt, individuals or teams can generate a wide range of possibilities and discover innovative solutions to problems or opportunities.

What Does SCAMPER Stand For?

Each letter in the word “SCAMPER” represents a different prompt to encourage creative thinking and exploration of ideas.

Here’s what each letter stands for:

S – Substitute : Consider substituting a component, material, process, or element with something different to generate new ideas.
C – Combine : Explore possibilities by combining or merging different elements, ideas, or features to create something unique.
A – Adapt : Identify ways to adapt or modify existing ideas, products, or processes to fit new contexts or purposes.
M – Modify : Examine how you can modify or change various attributes, characteristics, or aspects of an idea or solution to enhance its functionality or performance.
P – Put to another use : Explore alternative uses or applications for an existing idea, object, or resource to uncover new possibilities.
E – Eliminate : Consider what elements, features, or processes can be eliminated or removed to simplify or streamline an idea or solution.
R – Reverse or Rearrange : Think about reversing or rearranging the order, sequence, or arrangement of components or processes to generate fresh perspectives and uncover innovative solutions.

Example of SCAMPER

Let’s take a simple and relatable challenge of improving the process of making breakfast sandwiches. We can use SCAMPER to generate ideas for enhancing this routine:

S – Substitute : What can we substitute in the breakfast sandwich-making process? For example, we could substitute the traditional bread with a croissant or a tortilla wrap to add variety.
C – Combine : How can we combine different ingredients or flavors to create unique breakfast sandwiches? We could combine eggs, bacon, and avocado to create a delicious and satisfying combination.
A – Adapt: How can we adapt the breakfast sandwich-making process to fit different dietary preferences? We could offer options for gluten-free bread or create a vegan breakfast sandwich using plant-based ingredients.
M – Modify : How can we modify the cooking method or preparation techniques for the breakfast sandwich? We could experiment with different cooking techniques like grilling or toasting the bread to add a crispy texture.
P – Put to another use : How can we repurpose breakfast sandwich ingredients for other meals or snacks? We could use the same ingredients to create a breakfast burrito or use the bread to make croutons for a salad.
E – Eliminate : What unnecessary steps or ingredients can we eliminate to simplify the breakfast sandwich-making process? We could eliminate the need for butter by using a non-stick pan or omit certain condiments to streamline the assembly process.
R – Reverse or Rearrange : How can we reverse or rearrange the order of ingredients for a unique twist? We could reverse the order of ingredients by placing the cheese on the outside of the sandwich to create a crispy cheese crust.

These are just a few examples of how SCAMPER prompts can spark ideas for improving the breakfast sandwich-making process.

The key is to think creatively and explore possibilities within each prompt to generate innovative solutions to the challenge at hand.

Design Thinking

Design thinking provides a structured framework for creative problem-solving, with an emphasis on human needs and aspirations .

It’s an iterative process that allows for continuous learning , adaptation , and improvement based on user feedback and insights.

Here are some key ways to think about Design Thinking:

Design thinking is an iterative and human-centered approach to problem-solving and innovation. It’s a methodology that draws inspiration from the design process to address complex challenges and create innovative solutions.
Design thinking places a strong emphasis on understanding the needs and perspectives of the end-users or customers throughout the problem-solving journey.
Design thinking is a collaborative and interdisciplinary process . It encourages diverse perspectives and cross-functional collaboration to foster innovation. It can be applied to a wide range of challenges, from product design and service delivery to organizational processes and social issues.

What is the Origin of Design Thinking

The origin of Design Thinking can be traced back to the work of various scholars and practitioners over several decades.

While it has evolved and been influenced by multiple sources, the following key influences are often associated with the development of Design Thinking:

Herbert A. Simon : In the 1960s, Nobel laureate Herbert A. Simon emphasized the importance of “satisficing” in decision-making and problem-solving. His work focused on the iterative nature of problem-solving and the need for designers to explore various alternatives before arriving at the optimal solution.
Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber : In the 1970s, Rittel and Webber introduced the concept of “wicked problems,” which are complex and ill-defined challenges that do not have clear solutions. They highlighted the need for a collaborative and iterative approach to tackling these wicked problems, which aligns with the principles of Design Thinking.
David Kelley and IDEO : Design firm IDEO, co-founded by David Kelley, played a significant role in popularizing Design Thinking. IDEO embraced an interdisciplinary and human-centered approach to design, focusing on empathy, rapid prototyping, and iteration. IDEO’s successful design projects and methodologies have influenced the development and adoption of Design Thinking across various industries.
Stanford University : Stanford University’s d.school (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design) has been instrumental in advancing Design Thinking. The d.school has developed educational programs and frameworks that emphasize hands-on experiential learning, collaboration, and empathy in problem-solving. It has played a significant role in spreading the principles of Design Thinking globally.

While these influences have contributed to the emergence and development of Design Thinking, it’s important to note that Design Thinking is an evolving and multidisciplinary approach.

It continues to be shaped by practitioners, scholars, and organizations who contribute new ideas and insights to its principles and methodologies.

Key Principles of Design Thinking

Here are key principles of Design Thinking:

Empathy : Design thinking begins with developing a deep understanding of the needs, emotions, and experiences of the people for whom you are designing solutions. Empathy involves active listening, observation, and engaging with users to gain insights and uncover unmet needs.
Define the Problem : In this phase, the problem is defined and reframed based on the insights gained through empathy. The focus is on creating a clear problem statement that addresses the users’ needs and aspirations.
Ideation : The ideation phase involves generating a wide range of ideas without judgment or criticism. It encourages divergent thinking, creativity, and the exploration of various possibilities to solve the defined problem.
Prototyping : In this phase, ideas are translated into tangible prototypes or representations that can be tested and evaluated. Prototypes can be physical objects, mock-ups, or even digital simulations. The goal is to quickly and cost-effectively bring ideas to life for feedback and iteration.
Testing and Iteration : Prototypes are tested with end-users to gather feedback, insights, and validation. The feedback received is used to refine and iterate the design, making improvements based on real-world observations and user input.
Implementation : Once the design has been refined and validated through testing, it is implemented and brought to life. This phase involves planning for execution, scaling up, and integrating the solution into the intended context.

Where to Go for More on Design Thinking

There are numerous resources available to learn more about design thinking. Here are three highly regarded resources that can provide a solid foundation and deeper understanding of the subject:

“Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work” (Book) – Nigel Cross: This book offers a comprehensive overview of design thinking, exploring its history, principles, and methodologies. Nigel Cross, a renowned design researcher, delves into the mindset and processes of designers, providing insights into their approaches to problem-solving and creativity.
IDEO U : IDEO U is an online learning platform created by IDEO, a leading design and innovation firm. IDEO U offers a range of courses and resources focused on design thinking and innovation. Their courses provide practical guidance, case studies, and interactive exercises to deepen your understanding and application of design thinking principles.
Stanford d.school Virtual Crash Course : The Stanford d.school offers a free Virtual Crash Course in design thinking. This online resource provides an introduction to the principles and process of design thinking through a series of videos and activities. It covers topics such as empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing. The Virtual Crash Course is a great starting point for beginners and offers hands-on learning experiences.

These resources offer diverse perspectives and practical insights into design thinking, equipping learners with the knowledge and tools to apply design thinking principles to their own projects and challenges.

Additionally, exploring case studies and real-life examples of design thinking applications in various industries can further enhance your understanding of its effectiveness and potential impact.

Dr. John Martin on “Psychological” vs. “Procedural” Approach

Dr. John Martin of the Open University in the UK offers an insightful perspective on how various Creative Problem Solving and Brainstorming techniques differ.

In his notes for the Creative Management module of their MBA Course in 1997, he states:

“In practice, different schools of creativity training borrow from one another. The more elaborate forms of creative problem-solving, such as the Buffalo CPS method (basically brainstorming), incorporate quite a number of features found in Synectics.

However there is still a discernible split between the ‘psychological’ approaches such as Synectics that emphasize metaphor, imagery, emotion, energy etc. and ‘procedural’ approaches that concentrate on private listings, round robins etc.. Of course practitioners can combine these techniques, but there is often a discernible bias towards one or other end of the spectrum”

Brainstorming was the original Creative Problem-solving Technique, developed in the 1930s by Alex Osborn (the O of the advertising agency BBDO) and further developed by Professor Sidney Parnes of the Buffalo Institute.

The Osborn-Parnes model is the most widely practised form of brainstorming, though the word has become a generic term for any attempt to generate new ideas in an environment of suspending judgement. It may include elements of other techniques, such as de Bono’s Lateral Thinking.”

Creative Problem Solving vs. Brainstorming vs. Lateral Thinking

Creative Problem Solving, brainstorming, and lateral thinking are distinct approaches to generating ideas and solving problems. Here’s a summary of their differences:

Creative Problem Solving:

Involves a systematic approach to problem-solving, typically following stages such as problem identification, idea generation, solution development, and implementation planning.
Focuses on understanding the problem deeply, analyzing data, and generating a wide range of potential solutions.
Encourages both convergent thinking (evaluating and selecting the best ideas) and divergent thinking (generating multiple ideas).
Incorporates structured techniques and frameworks to guide the problem-solving process, such as the Osborn-Parnes model.

Brainstorming:

A specific technique within Creative Problem Solving, developed by Alex Osborn, which aims to generate a large quantity of ideas in a short amount of time.
Involves a group of individuals openly sharing ideas without judgment or criticism.
Emphasizes quantity over quality, encouraging participants to build upon each other’s ideas and think creatively.
Typically involves following guidelines, such as deferring judgment, encouraging wild ideas, and combining and improving upon suggestions.

Lateral Thinking (Edward de Bono’s Lateral Thinking):

Introduced by Edward de Bono, lateral thinking is a deliberate and structured approach to thinking differently and generating innovative ideas.
Involves deliberately challenging traditional thinking patterns and assumptions to arrive at unconventional solutions.
Encourages the use of techniques like random stimulation, provocative statements, and deliberate provocation to shift perspectives and break fixed thought patterns.
Focuses on generating out-of-the-box ideas that may not arise through traditional problem-solving methods.

While there can be overlaps and combinations of these approaches in practice, each approach has its distinct emphasis and techniques.

Creative Problem Solving provides a structured framework for problem-solving, brainstorming emphasizes idea generation within a group setting, and lateral thinking promotes thinking outside the box to arrive at unconventional solutions.

Creative Problem Solving Empowers You to Change Your World

The Creative Problem Solving process is a valuable framework that enables individuals and teams to approach complex problems with a structured and creative mindset.

By following the stages of clarifying the problem, generating ideas, developing solutions, implementing the chosen solution, and evaluating the outcomes, the process guides participants through a systematic and iterative journey of problem-solving.

Throughout this deep dive, we’ve explored the essence of Creative Problem Solving, its key stages, and variations. We’ve seen how different methodologies, such as Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving, FourSight Thinking Profiles, Basadur’s Innovative Process, Synectics, SCAMPER, and Design Thinking, offer unique perspectives and techniques to enhance the creative problem-solving experience.

By embracing these frameworks and techniques, individuals and teams can tap into their creative potential , break free from conventional thinking patterns, and unlock innovative solutions.

Creative Problem Solving empowers us to approach challenges with curiosity, open-mindedness, and a collaborative spirit , fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Remember, creative problem solving is a skill that can be developed and honed over time. By adopting a flexible and adaptable mindset , embracing diverse perspectives, and applying various creativity tools, we can navigate the complexities of problem-solving and uncover solutions that drive positive change.

Let’s enjoy our creative problem-solving journey by embracing the unknown and transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

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12 Powerful Creative Problem-Solving Techniques That Work

No one likes the feeling of being stuck.

It creates internal tension. That tension seeks resolution.

Thankfully, there are many creative problem-solving techniques for resolving this tension and revealing new solutions.

In this guide, we’ll explore 12 creative ways to solve problems with a variety of techniques, tools, and methods that be used for personal use and in the workplace.

Let’s dive in…

How to Approach Creative Problem-Solving Techniques

All of the creative problem-solving techniques discussed below work some of the time .

While it’s fine to have a favorite “go-to” creative problem-solving technique, the reality is each problem has some unique elements to it.

The key to is mix and match various techniques and methodologies until you get a workable solution.

When faced with a difficult challenge, try a combination of the problem-solving techniques listed below.

The Power of Divergent Thinking

Creativity is everyone’s birthright.

One study with 1,500 participants, found that 98 percent of children around the age of five qualify as geniuses. 1 George Land and Beth Jarman, Breakpoint and Beyond , 1998.

That is, virtually all children are gifted with divergent thinking— the ability to see many possible answers to a question.

For example, how many uses can you think of for a paper clip?

The average adult might offer 10 to 15 answers. Those skilled in divergent thinking divine closer to 200 answers.

Yet, something happens along the way because by adulthood, how many people score at the genius level? Only 2 percent!

That is, we see a complete inversion: from 98% being geniuses in early childhood to only 2% in adulthood.

What causes this debilitating drop in creativity?

According to creativity researcher Sir Ken Robinson, the answer is our schooling. 2 Sir Ken Robinson, Do schools kill creativity? TED Talk , 2006. Through 13 years of “education” our innate creativity is stripped out of us!

Conditioning Yourself for Creative Solutions

So to improve the efficacy of these creative problem-solving techniques, it helps to re-condition ourselves to use divergent thinking.

The key is to learn how to remove our prior conditioning and restore our natural creative abilities. You’ll notice that many of the creative problem-solving techniques below help us do just that.

Thankfully, divergent thinking is a skill and we can develop it like a muscle. So the more we use divergent thinking, the more second nature it becomes.

For this reason, when you’re presented with personal, professional, or business-related problems, celebrate them as an opportunity to exercise your creative abilities.

12 Powerful Creative Problem-Solving Techniques

Now, we’re going to cover 12 creative problem-solving techniques with examples that you can apply right away to get results.

These creative problem-solving methods are:

Use “What If” Scenarios
Focus on Quantity Over Quality
Switch Roles
Use the Six Thinking Hats Technique
Explore Different Contexts
Take a 30,000-Foot View
Ask Your Subconscious
Mind Map Your Problem
Adopt a Beginner’s Mind
Alter Your State of Consciousness
Find Your Center

Then, we’ll quickly review a series of problem-solving tools you can experiment with.

1 – Use “What If” Scenarios

Use “what if?” questions to project different scenarios into the future.

In A Whack on the Side of the Head , Roger Von Oech, says,

“In the imaginative phase, you ask questions such as: What if? Why not? What rules can we break? What assumptions can we drop? How about if we looked at this backwards? Can we borrow a metaphor from another discipline? The motto of the imaginative phase is: Thinking something different.”

Using this creative problem-solving technique challenges you to allow your mind to play out different scenarios without judgment or criticism .

(Judgment always comes after the creative problem-solving process—not before.)

2 – Focus on Quantity Over Quality

Creativity research shows that focusing on generating more ideas or solutions instead of on the quality of the ideas ultimately produces better results. 3 Paulus, Paul & Kohn, Nicholas & ARDITTI, LAUREN. (2011). Effects of Quantity and Quality Instructions on Brainstorming. The Journal of Creative Behavior. 45. 10.1002/j.2162-6057.2011.tb01083.x .

This phenomenon is known as the “Equal-Odds rule.” Nobel laureate Linus Pauling instinctively suggested a similar process: 4 The Evening Sentinel , Priestley Award Winner Says Deployment of ABM’s “Silly”, Start Page 1, Quote Page 6, Column 1, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. March 28, 1969.

I was once asked ‘How do you go about having good ideas?’ and my answer was that you have a lot of ideas and throw away the bad ones.

When I used to facilitate meetings and brainstorming sessions with leadership teams in large organizations, this was an invaluable creative problem-solving technique. By consciously focusing on generating more ideas first instead of evaluating the quality of the ideas, you avoid shifting into a critical mindset that often stops the ideation process.

3 – Switch Roles

Our minds tend to get locked in habitual patterns, leading to what’s called “paradigm blindness.” Another related term is the “curse of knowledge,” a common cognitive bias observed in so-called “experts” in their field. 5 Hinds, Pamela J. (1999). “The curse of expertise: The effects of expertise and debiasing methods on prediction of novice performance”. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. 5 (2): 205–221. doi:10.1037/1076-898X.5.2.205 . S2CID 1081055

This cognitive bias is another illustration of how divergent thinking was conditioned out of us during our formative years.

Switching roles helps us “wear a different hat” where we momentarily shift away from our conditioning.

For example, if you have a marketing-related problem, try putting on an engineer’s hat—or even a gardener’s hat. If you have a problem as an entrepreneur, put yourself in the customer’s mindset. See the world from their point of view.

The idea is to shift your perspective so you can approach the problem from a new angle. Your ability to shift perspectives quickly—without privileging any one perspective—doesn’t only help you solve problems. It also helps you become a stronger leader .

4 – Use the Six Thinking Hats Technique

Speaking of hats, creativity researcher Edward de Bono developed an effective creative problem-solving technique called the Six Thinking Hats.

The Six Thinking Hats provides you and your team with six different perspectives to utilize when tackling a problem. (You can use these six hats on your own too.)

creative problem-solving techniques six hats

Each hat serves a different function. For creative problem solving, you start with the blue hat to clearly define the problem.

You then move to the white hat where you outline all of the existing and known data regarding the issue. Next, you put on the green hat and generate as many ideas as you can (similar to the “quantity over quality” technique above).

Then, you put on the yellow hat, which represents what de Bono calls “value sensitivity.” The yellow hat is used to build on the ideas generated from the green hat phase. Finally, you put on the black hat to evaluate your solutions and play Devil’s Advocate.

The Six Thinking Hats is an excellent technique for group brainstorming and creative problem-solving.

5 – Explore Different Contexts

Many problems arise because we neglect to zoom out from the problem and examine the larger context.

For example, long-term investments are often based on an “investment thesis.” This thesis might be based on trends in the market, consumer demands, brand recognition, dominant market share, strength in innovation, or a combination of factors. But sometimes the assumptions you base your thesis on are wrong.

So if you’re facing a problem at home or work, examine your assumptions.

If sales are down, for example, instead of revisiting your sales strategy investigate the context of your overall industry:

Has your industry changed?
Is your business disconnected from your customer’s needs?
Is your product or service becoming obsolete?

We can often find creative solutions to our problems by shifting the context.

6 – Take a 30,000-Foot View

Often, when we’re stuck in a problem, it’s because we’re “missing the forest for the trees.”

Zoom out and take a “30,000-foot view” of the situation. See your problem from above with a detached, neutral mindset. Take an expansive viewpoint before narrowing in on the specific problem.

This problem-solving technique is another variation of changing the context.

Sometimes you’ll find this to be a powerful creative problem-solving technique where the right solution spontaneously presents itself. (You’ll think to yourself: Why didn’t I see this before? )

creative problem-solving techniques mozart quote

7 – Walk Away

Most often, the best problem-solving technique is to stop trying to solve it —and walk away.

Yet, our minds often don’t like this technique. The mind likes to be in control. And walking away means letting go of control.

I spent five years researching creative geniuses trying to better understand the source of inspiration for a book I was writing years ago. 6 Scott Jeffrey, Creativity Revealed: Discovering the Source of Inspiration , 2008.

In studying dozens of creative geniuses, from Mozart to William Blake, a clear pattern emerged.

Creative geniuses know when to walk away from the problems they are facing. They instinctively access what can be called the Wanderer archetype.

More recent studies show that deliberate “mind-wandering” supports creativity. 7 Henriksen D, Richardson C, Shack K. Mindfulness and creativity: Implications for thinking and learning. Think Skills Creat. 2020 Sep;37:100689. doi: 10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100689 . Epub 2020 Aug 1. PMID: 32834868; PMCID: PMC7395604. Great ideas come to use when we’re not trying. 8 Kaplan, M. Why great ideas come when you aren’t trying. Nature (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2012.10678

Wandering and reverie are essential to the creative process because they allow us to hear our Muse. The key is knowing when to let go of trying to solve the problem. Creativity problem-solving can, in this way, become an effortless process.

8 – Ask Your Subconscious

When we’re stuck on a problem and we need a creative solution, it means our conscious mind is stuck.

It does not, however, mean that we don’t already know the answer. The creative solution is often known below our conscious awareness in what can be termed our subconscious mind, or our unconscious.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung realized that dreams are a bridge from the wisdom of our unconscious to our conscious minds. As Jungian analyst Marie-Louise von Franz explains, 9 Fraser Boa, The Way of the Dream: Conversations on Jungian Dream Interpretation With Marie-Louise Von Franz , 1994.

Dreams are the letters of the Self that the Self writes us every night.

One of the most powerful creative problem-solving techniques is to ask your subconscious mind to solve the problem you’re facing before you go to sleep. Then, keep a journal and pen on your nightstand and when you awaken, record whatever comes to mind.

This is a powerful technique that will improve with practice. It’s used by many geniuses and inventors.

Another variation of this creative problem-solving technique that doesn’t require sleeping is to ask your inner guide. I provide a step-by-step creative technique to access your inner guide here .

9 – Mind Map Your Problem

Another way to get unstuck in solving problems is to access the visual side of our brain. In left/right hemisphere parlance, the left brain is dominated by logic, reason, and language while the right brain is dominated by images, symbols, and feelings. (I realize that the “science” behind this distinction is now questionable, however, the concept is still useful.)

Our problems arise largely in our “thinking brain” as we tend to favor our thoughts over other modes of processing information. In the language of Jung’s Psychological Types , most of us have a dominant thinking function that rules over our feelings, intuition, and sensing functions.

Mind mapping is a powerful creative problem-solving technique that deploys visual brainstorming.

I learned about mind mapping in the 1990s from Tony Buzan’s The Mind Map Book and used this method for many years.

In the context of problem-solving, you draw the problem in the center of the page and then start ideating and connecting ideas from the center. Think of mind mapping as a visual outline.

You don’t need to be a skilled artist to use mind mapping. Nowadays, there are also numerous apps for mind mapping including Mind Meister and Miro, but I would still recommend using a blank piece of paper and some colored pencils or markers.

10 – Adopt a Beginner’s Mind

Our early “education” conditions us with what psychologists call functional fixedness where we look at problems from a familiar viewpoint.

Numerous creative problem-solving techniques we discussed above—like switching the context, changing our roles, wearing the Six Thinking Hats, and taking a 30,000-foot view—are designed to overcome functional fixedness.

Another technique is found in Zen philosophy called a Beginner’s Mind .

With a beginner’s mind, we empty our minds and forget what we think we know. In doing so, we enter a more playful, childlike state. Instead of being serious and “attacking the problem,” we can tinker and play with different ideas and scenarios without any fears of “getting it wrong.”

It can be a liberating experience. Psychologist Abraham Maslow found that self-actualizing individuals enter a state like the Beginner’s Mind where they get fully absorbed in whatever they are doing.

11 – Alter Your State of Consciousness

Another thing I noticed in my examination of artists and creative geniuses is that virtually all of them used various substances to alter their state of consciousness when producing creative work and solving intellectual problems .

The substances vary widely including stimulants like coffee and/or cigarettes, alcohol (like absinthe), and all manner of psychedelic substances like LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and peyote.

I’m not suggesting you should “take drugs” to solve your problems. The point is that it’s incredibly useful to alter your state of consciousness to help find creative solutions.

While using various substances is one way to accomplish this, there are many other methods like:

Stanislav Grof’s Holotropic Breathing Technique (similar to pranayama breathing)
The WIM Hof Method (ice cold showers)
Brainwave entrainment programs (binaural beats and isochronic tones)
The Silva Method (also uses brainwave entrainment)
Kasina Mind Media System by Mindplace (light stimulation and binaural beats)

Many of these types of programs shift your brain from a beta-dominant state to an alpha-dominated state which is more conducive for creativity. See, for example, Brain Awake by iAwake Technologies.

12 – Access Your Center

Perhaps the easiest and safest way of altering your state of consciousness is via meditation . Studies show that people experience improved brainstorming and higher creativity after only twenty minutes of meditation—even if they’re inexperienced meditators. 10 Colzato, L.S., Szapora, A., Lippelt, D. et al. Prior Meditation Practice Modulates Performance and Strategy Use in Convergent- and Divergent-Thinking Problems. Mindfulness 8, 10–16 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0352-9

When we’re stuck on a problem, or feeling confused about what we should do, we’re usually experiencing internal resistance. Different parts of us called archetypes hijack our minds and give us conflicting wants, beliefs, attitudes, and perspectives. These parts keep us from thinking clearly to find workable solutions.

As such, when you’re stuck, it helps to find your center first . It can also be highly beneficial to ground yourself on the earth . Both of these methods can help you quiet your mind chatter and shift into a more alpha-dominant brain pattern.

Getting in the habit of centering yourself before approaching a problem is perhaps the most powerful creative problem-solving technique. It can greatly assist you in taking a 30,000-foot view of our problem as well.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

We referenced numerous problem-solving tools in the above examples including:

Roger von Oech’s Creative Whack Pack (a deck of cards with 64 creative strategies)
Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats method
Mind mapping (see Tony Buzan’s How to Mind Map or research online)
Brainwave entrainment (download free samples on iAwake or try your luck online)
All of the mind-altering methods under “Alter Your State of Consciousness”

If you’re looking for problem-solving tools for a business/group context, in addition to the Six Thinking Hats, you might also try:

SWOT Analysis

Brainwriting.

Let’s have a quick look at each of these tools.

SWOT analysis is an excellent tool for business owners to help them understand their competitive landscape and make important business decisions. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. SWOT analysis is a practical strategic planning tool for businesses and it can be an effective problem-solving tool for your business.

Five Whys sometimes helps identify the root cause of the problem when it’s not clearly understood. You start by stating the problem as you understand it. Then you ask, “Why?” (For example, why is this occurring? ) As the tool’s name implies, you ask Why questions five times in total.

Brainwriting is a form of brainstorming where individuals generate ideas on their own before meeting to discuss them as a group. For a host of psychological reasons, this is often a superior way of approaching problem-solving in the workplace. Combining brainwriting with the Six Thinking Hats method can be even more powerful.

Using These Creative Problem-Solving Tools

All of the techniques and tools above represent creative problem-solving methods.

These examples illustrate that there are numerous pathways to get the answers we seek.

Some pathways, however, are more effective than others. The key is to experiment with various methods to uncover which ones work best for you .

Different methods will be more effective in different contexts.

Here, wisdom and intuition come into play. Over time, your connection with your inner guide improves and creative problem-solving becomes a more spontaneous process.

Recap: Creative Problem-Solving Techniques

Creative problem-solving is a skill based on the development of divergent thinking combined with altering our state of consciousness.

Due to our early conditioning, our “normal” waking state of consciousness is often filled with biases, limitations, blind spots, and negativity. This causes us to perceive problems rigidly.

When we get “stuck” it’s because our minds are fixed on a limited number of options.

To get “unstuck,” we just need to alter our state of consciousness and examine our problems from various perspectives, which is what the above creative problem-solving techniques are designed to do.

The more you play with these techniques, the more they become second nature to you.

You may find that each technique begins to play off the other. Then, the art and subtleties of the discovery process begin to emerge.

Enjoy solving your next problem!

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About the Author

Scott Jeffrey is the founder of CEOsage, a self-leadership resource publishing in-depth guides read by millions of self-actualizing individuals. He writes about self-development, practical psychology, Eastern philosophy, and integrated practices. For 25 years, Scott was a business coach to high-performing entrepreneurs, CEOs, and best-selling authors. He's the author of four books including Creativity Revealed .

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Some great ideas here. I am particularly intrigued by the "walk away" idea fulfilling the wanderer archetype. While counter intuitive, in my experience, walking away lets my mind develop subconcious connections that are sometimes the best. Sort of like letting my brain do the work instead of me! Bravo!

Todd Alexander

Thanks for your comments, Todd. It seems as though he need to train and remind ourselves to "walk away" because the mind thinks it can push its way through the problem.

How many times does it take for us to "absolutely know" that answers answer themselves when we take a break from forceful problem-solving and walk into the creative nature zone?! ;) The solution presents itself when we let go.

Great Post, Scott!

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?

Business team using creative problem-solving

01 Feb 2022

One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown. Business leaders can overcome this barrier by mobilizing creative team members and providing space to innovate.

There are several tools you can use to encourage creativity in the workplace. Creative problem-solving is one of them, which facilitates the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Here’s an overview of creative problem-solving and why it’s important in business.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving?

Research is necessary when solving a problem. But there are situations where a problem’s specific cause is difficult to pinpoint. This can occur when there’s not enough time to narrow down the problem’s source or there are differing opinions about its root cause.

In such cases, you can use creative problem-solving , which allows you to explore potential solutions regardless of whether a problem has been defined.

Creative problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes and encourages exploring open-ended solutions. It also focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity in the workplace . Its benefits include:

Finding creative solutions to complex problems : User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation’s complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it.
Adapting to change : Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt. Creative problem-solving helps overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.
Fueling innovation and growth : In addition to solutions, creative problem-solving can spark innovative ideas that drive company growth. These ideas can lead to new product lines, services, or a modified operations structure that improves efficiency.

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Creative problem-solving is traditionally based on the following key principles :

1. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a problem, while convergence narrows them down to a shortlist. It balances these two practices and turns ideas into concrete solutions.

2. Reframe Problems as Questions

By framing problems as questions, you shift from focusing on obstacles to solutions. This provides the freedom to brainstorm potential ideas.

3. Defer Judgment of Ideas

When brainstorming, it can be natural to reject or accept ideas right away. Yet, immediate judgments interfere with the idea generation process. Even ideas that seem implausible can turn into outstanding innovations upon further exploration and development.

4. Focus on "Yes, And" Instead of "No, But"

Using negative words like "no" discourages creative thinking. Instead, use positive language to build and maintain an environment that fosters the development of creative and innovative ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Whereas creative problem-solving facilitates developing innovative ideas through a less structured workflow, design thinking takes a far more organized approach.

Design thinking is a human-centered, solutions-based process that fosters the ideation and development of solutions. In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar leverages a four-phase framework to explain design thinking.

The four stages are:

The four stages of design thinking: clarify, ideate, develop, and implement

Clarify: The clarification stage allows you to empathize with the user and identify problems. Observations and insights are informed by thorough research. Findings are then reframed as problem statements or questions.
Ideate: Ideation is the process of coming up with innovative ideas. The divergence of ideas involved with creative problem-solving is a major focus.
Develop: In the development stage, ideas evolve into experiments and tests. Ideas converge and are explored through prototyping and open critique.
Implement: Implementation involves continuing to test and experiment to refine the solution and encourage its adoption.

Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

While there are many useful tools in the creative problem-solving process, here are three you should know:

Creating a Problem Story

One way to innovate is by creating a story about a problem to understand how it affects users and what solutions best fit their needs. Here are the steps you need to take to use this tool properly.

1. Identify a UDP

Create a problem story to identify the undesired phenomena (UDP). For example, consider a company that produces printers that overheat. In this case, the UDP is "our printers overheat."

2. Move Forward in Time

To move forward in time, ask: “Why is this a problem?” For example, minor damage could be one result of the machines overheating. In more extreme cases, printers may catch fire. Don't be afraid to create multiple problem stories if you think of more than one UDP.

3. Move Backward in Time

To move backward in time, ask: “What caused this UDP?” If you can't identify the root problem, think about what typically causes the UDP to occur. For the overheating printers, overuse could be a cause.

Following the three-step framework above helps illustrate a clear problem story:

The printer is overused.
The printer overheats.
The printer breaks down.

You can extend the problem story in either direction if you think of additional cause-and-effect relationships.

4. Break the Chains

By this point, you’ll have multiple UDP storylines. Take two that are similar and focus on breaking the chains connecting them. This can be accomplished through inversion or neutralization.

Inversion: Inversion changes the relationship between two UDPs so the cause is the same but the effect is the opposite. For example, if the UDP is "the more X happens, the more likely Y is to happen," inversion changes the equation to "the more X happens, the less likely Y is to happen." Using the printer example, inversion would consider: "What if the more a printer is used, the less likely it’s going to overheat?" Innovation requires an open mind. Just because a solution initially seems unlikely doesn't mean it can't be pursued further or spark additional ideas.
Neutralization: Neutralization completely eliminates the cause-and-effect relationship between X and Y. This changes the above equation to "the more or less X happens has no effect on Y." In the case of the printers, neutralization would rephrase the relationship to "the more or less a printer is used has no effect on whether it overheats."

Even if creating a problem story doesn't provide a solution, it can offer useful context to users’ problems and additional ideas to be explored. Given that divergence is one of the fundamental practices of creative problem-solving, it’s a good idea to incorporate it into each tool you use.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a tool that can be highly effective when guided by the iterative qualities of the design thinking process. It involves openly discussing and debating ideas and topics in a group setting. This facilitates idea generation and exploration as different team members consider the same concept from multiple perspectives.

Hosting brainstorming sessions can result in problems, such as groupthink or social loafing. To combat this, leverage a three-step brainstorming method involving divergence and convergence :

Have each group member come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down to ensure the brainstorming session is productive.
Continue the divergence of ideas by collectively sharing and exploring each idea as a group. The goal is to create a setting where new ideas are inspired by open discussion.
Begin the convergence of ideas by narrowing them down to a few explorable options. There’s no "right number of ideas." Don't be afraid to consider exploring all of them, as long as you have the resources to do so.

Alternate Worlds

The alternate worlds tool is an empathetic approach to creative problem-solving. It encourages you to consider how someone in another world would approach your situation.

For example, if you’re concerned that the printers you produce overheat and catch fire, consider how a different industry would approach the problem. How would an automotive expert solve it? How would a firefighter?

Be creative as you consider and research alternate worlds. The purpose is not to nail down a solution right away but to continue the ideation process through diverging and exploring ideas.

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Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader, learning the ropes of design thinking can be an effective way to build your skills and foster creativity and innovation in any setting.

If you're ready to develop your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

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Learn Creative Problem Solving Techniques to Stimulate Innovation in Your Organization

By Kate Eby | October 20, 2017 (updated August 27, 2021)

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In today’s competitive business landscape, organizations need processes in place to make strong, well-informed, and innovative decisions. Problem solving - in particular creative problem solving (CPS) - is a key skill in learning how to accurately identify problems and their causes, generate potential solutions, and evaluate all the possibilities to arrive at a strong corrective course of action. Every team in any organization, regardless of department or industry, needs to be effective, creative, and quick when solving problems.

In this article, we’ll discuss traditional and creative problem solving, and define the steps, best practices, and common barriers associated. After that, we’ll provide helpful methods and tools to identify the cause(s) of problematic situations, so you can get to the root of the issue and start to generate solutions. Then, we offer nearly 20 creative problem solving techniques to implement at your organization, or even in your personal life. Along the way, experts weigh in on the importance of problem solving, and offer tips and tricks.

What Is Problem Solving and Decision Making?

Problem solving is the process of working through every aspect of an issue or challenge to reach a solution. Decision making is choosing one of multiple proposed solutions — therefore, this process also includes defining and evaluating all potential options. Decision making is often one step of the problem solving process, but the two concepts are distinct.

Collective problem solving is problem solving that includes many different parties and bridges the knowledge of different groups. Collective problem solving is common in business problem solving because workplace decisions typically affect more than one person.

Problem solving, especially in business, is a complicated science. Not only are business conflicts multifaceted, but they often involve different personalities, levels of authority, and group dynamics. In recent years, however, there has been a rise in psychology-driven problem solving techniques, especially for the workplace. In fact, the psychology of how people solve problems is now studied formally in academic disciplines such as psychology and cognitive science.

Joe Carella is the Assistant Dean for Executive Education at the University of Arizona . Joe has over 20 years of experience in helping executives and corporations in managing change and developing successful business strategies. His doctoral research and executive education engagements have seen him focus on corporate strategy, decision making and business performance with a variety of corporate clients including Hershey’s, Chevron, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Intel, DP World, Essilor, BBVA Compass Bank.

He explains some of the basic psychology behind problem solving: “When our brain is engaged in the process of solving problems, it is engaged in a series of steps where it processes and organizes the information it receives while developing new knowledge it uses in future steps. Creativity is embedded in this process by incorporating diverse inputs and/or new ways of organizing the information received.”

Laura MacLeod is a Professor of Social Group Work at City University of New York, and the creator of From The Inside Out Project® , a program that coaches managers in team leadership for a variety of workplaces. She has a background in social work and over two decades of experience as a union worker, and currently leads talks on conflict resolution, problem solving, and listening skills at conferences across the country.

MacLeod thinks of problem solving as an integral practice of successful organizations. “Problem solving is a collaborative process — all voices are heard and connected, and resolution is reached by the group,” she says. “Problems and conflicts occur in all groups and teams in the workplace, but if leaders involve everyone in working through, they will foster cohesion, engagement, and buy in. Everybody wins.”

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What Is the First Step in Solving a Problem?

Although problem solving techniques vary procedurally, experts agree that the first step in solving a problem is defining the problem. Without a clear articulation of the problem at stake, it is impossible to analyze all the key factors and actors, generate possible solutions, and then evaluate them to pick the best option.

Dr. Elliott Jaffa is a behavioral and management psychologist with over 25 years of problem solving training and management experience. “Start with defining the problem you want to solve,” he says, “And then define where you want to be, what you want to come away with.” He emphasizes these are the first steps in creating an actionable, clear solution.

Bryan Mattimore is Co-Founder of Growth Engine, an 18-year old innovation agency based in Norwalk, CT. Bryan has facilitated over 1,000 ideation sessions and managed over 200 successful innovation projects leading to over $3 billion in new sales. His newest book is 21 Days to a Big Idea . When asked about the first critical component to successful problem solving, Mattimore says, “Defining the challenge correctly, or ‘solving the right problem’ … The three creative techniques we use to help our clients ‘identify the right problem to be solved’ are questioning assumptions, 20 questions, and problem redefinition. A good example of this was a new product challenge from a client to help them ‘invent a new iron. We got them to redefine the challenge as first: a) inventing new anti-wrinkle devices, and then b) inventing new garment care devices.”

What Are Problem Solving Skills?

To understand the necessary skills in problem solving, you should first understand the types of thinking often associated with strong decision making. Most problem solving techniques look for a balance between the following binaries:

Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking: Convergent thinking is bringing together disparate information or ideas to determine a single best answer or solution. This thinking style values logic, speed, and accuracy, and leaves no chance for ambiguity. Divergent thinking is focused on generating new ideas to identify and evaluate multiple possible solutions, often uniting ideas in unexpected combinations. Divergent thinking is characterized by creativity, complexity, curiosity, flexibility, originality, and risk-taking.
Pragmatics vs. Semantics: Pragmatics refer to the logic of the problem at hand, and semantics is how you interpret the problem to solve it. Both are important to yield the best possible solution.
Mathematical vs. Personal Problem Solving: Mathematical problem solving involves logic (usually leading to a single correct answer), and is useful for problems that involve numbers or require an objective, clear-cut solution. However, many workplace problems also require personal problem solving, which includes interpersonal, collaborative, and emotional intuition and skills.

The following basic methods are fundamental problem solving concepts. Implement them to help balance the above thinking models.

Reproductive Thinking: Reproductive thinking uses past experience to solve a problem. However, be careful not to rely too heavily on past solutions, and to evaluate current problems individually, with their own factors and parameters.
Idea Generation: The process of generating many possible courses of action to identify a solution. This is most commonly a team exercise because putting everyone’s ideas on the table will yield the greatest number of potential solutions.

However, many of the most critical problem solving skills are “soft” skills: personal and interpersonal understanding, intuitiveness, and strong listening.

Mattimore expands on this idea: “The seven key skills to be an effective creative problem solver that I detail in my book Idea Stormers: How to Lead and Inspire Creative Breakthroughs are: 1) curiosity 2) openness 3) a willingness to embrace ambiguity 4) the ability to identify and transfer principles across categories and disciplines 5) the desire to search for integrity in ideas, 6) the ability to trust and exercise “knowingness” and 7) the ability to envision new worlds (think Dr. Seuss, Star Wars, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc.).”

“As an individual contributor to problem solving it is important to exercise our curiosity, questioning, and visioning abilities,” advises Carella. “As a facilitator it is essential to allow for diverse ideas to emerge, be able to synthesize and ‘translate’ other people’s thinking, and build an extensive network of available resources.”

MacLeod says the following interpersonal skills are necessary to effectively facilitate group problem solving: “The abilities to invite participation (hear all voices, encourage silent members), not take sides, manage dynamics between the monopolizer, the scapegoat, and the bully, and deal with conflict (not avoiding it or shutting down).”

Furthermore, Jaffa explains that the skills of a strong problem solver aren’t measurable. The best way to become a creative problem solver, he says, is to do regular creative exercises that keep you sharp and force you to think outside the box. Carella echoes this sentiment: “Neuroscience tells us that creativity comes from creating novel neural paths. Allow a few minutes each day to exercise your brain with novel techniques and brain ‘tricks’ – read something new, drive to work via a different route, count backwards, smell a new fragrance, etc.”

What Is Creative Problem Solving? History, Evolution, and Core Principles

Creative problem solving (CPS) is a method of problem solving in which you approach a problem or challenge in an imaginative, innovative way. The goal of CPS is to come up with innovative solutions, make a decision, and take action quickly. Sidney Parnes and Alex Osborn are credited with developing the creative problem solving process in the 1950s. The concept was further studied and developed at SUNY Buffalo State and the Creative Education Foundation.

The core principles of CPS include the following:

Balance divergent and convergent thinking
Ask problems as questions
Defer or suspend judgement
Focus on “Yes, and…” rather than “No, but…”

According to Carella, “Creative problem solving is the mental process used for generating innovative and imaginative ideas as a solution to a problem or a challenge. Creative problem solving techniques can be pursued by individuals or groups.”

When asked to define CPS, Jaffa explains that it is, by nature, difficult to create boundaries for. “Creative problem solving is not cut and dry,” he says, “If you ask 100 different people the definition of creative problem solving, you’ll get 100 different responses - it’s a non-entity.”

Business presents a unique need for creative problem solving. Especially in today’s competitive landscape, organizations need to iterate quickly, innovate with intention, and constantly be at the cutting-edge of creativity and new ideas to succeed. Developing CPS skills among your workforce not only enables you to make faster, stronger in-the-moment decisions, but also inspires a culture of collaborative work and knowledge sharing. When people work together to generate multiple novel ideas and evaluate solutions, they are also more likely to arrive at an effective decision, which will improve business processes and reduce waste over time. In fact, CPS is so important that some companies now list creative problem solving skills as a job criteria.

MacLeod reiterates the vitality of creative problem solving in the workplace. “Problem solving is crucial for all groups and teams,” she says. “Leaders need to know how to guide the process, hear all voices and involve all members - it’s not easy.”

“This mental process [of CPS] is especially helpful in work environments where individuals and teams continuously struggle with new problems and challenges posed by their continuously changing environment,” adds Carella.

Problem Solving Best Practices

By nature, creative problem solving does not have a clear-cut set of do’s and don’ts. Rather, creating a culture of strong creative problem solvers requires flexibility, adaptation, and interpersonal skills. However, there are a several best practices that you should incorporate:

Use a Systematic Approach: Regardless of the technique you use, choose a systematic method that satisfies your workplace conditions and constraints (time, resources, budget, etc.). Although you want to preserve creativity and openness to new ideas, maintaining a structured approach to the process will help you stay organized and focused.
View Problems as Opportunities: Rather than focusing on the negatives or giving up when you encounter barriers, treat problems as opportunities to enact positive change on the situation. In fact, some experts even recommend defining problems as opportunities, to remain proactive and positive.
Change Perspective: Remember that there are multiple ways to solve any problem. If you feel stuck, changing perspective can help generate fresh ideas. A perspective change might entail seeking advice of a mentor or expert, understanding the context of a situation, or taking a break and returning to the problem later. “A sterile or familiar environment can stifle new thinking and new perspectives,” says Carella. “Make sure you get out to draw inspiration from spaces and people out of your usual reach.”
Break Down Silos: To invite the greatest possible number of perspectives to any problem, encourage teams to work cross-departmentally. This not only combines diverse expertise, but also creates a more trusting and collaborative environment, which is essential to effective CPS. According to Carella, “Big challenges are always best tackled by a group of people rather than left to a single individual. Make sure you create a space where the team can concentrate and convene.”
Employ Strong Leadership or a Facilitator: Some companies choose to hire an external facilitator that teaches problem solving techniques, best practices, and practicums to stimulate creative problem solving. But, internal managers and staff can also oversee these activities. Regardless of whether the facilitator is internal or external, choose a strong leader who will value others’ ideas and make space for creative solutions. Mattimore has specific advice regarding the role of a facilitator: “When facilitating, get the group to name a promising idea (it will crystalize the idea and make it more memorable), and facilitate deeper rather than broader. Push for not only ideas, but how an idea might specifically work, some of its possible benefits, who and when would be interested in an idea, etc. This fleshing-out process with a group will generate fewer ideas, but at the end of the day will yield more useful concepts that might be profitably pursued.” Additionally, Carella says that “Executives and managers don’t necessarily have to be creative problem solvers, but need to make sure that their teams are equipped with the right tools and resources to make this happen. Also they need to be able to foster an environment where failing fast is accepted and celebrated.”
Evaluate Your Current Processes: This practice can help you unlock bottlenecks, and also identify gaps in your data and information management, both of which are common roots of business problems.

MacLeod offers the following additional advice, “Always get the facts. Don’t jump too quickly to a solution – working through [problems] takes time and patience.”

Mattimore also stresses that how you introduce creative problem solving is important. “Do not start by introducing a new company-wide innovation process,” he says. “Instead, encourage smaller teams to pursue specific creative projects, and then build a process from the ground up by emulating these smaller teams’ successful approaches. We say: ‘You don’t innovate by changing the culture, you change the culture by innovating.’”

Barriers to Effective Problem Solving

Learning how to effectively solve problems is difficult and takes time and continual adaptation. There are several common barriers to successful CPS, including:

Confirmation Bias: The tendency to only search for or interpret information that confirms a person’s existing ideas. People misinterpret or disregard data that doesn’t align with their beliefs.
Mental Set: People’s inclination to solve problems using the same tactics they have used to solve problems in the past. While this can sometimes be a useful strategy (see Analogical Thinking in a later section), it often limits inventiveness and creativity.
Functional Fixedness: This is another form of narrow thinking, where people become “stuck” thinking in a certain way and are unable to be flexible or change perspective.
Unnecessary Constraints: When people are overwhelmed with a problem, they can invent and impose additional limits on solution avenues. To avoid doing this, maintain a structured, level-headed approach to evaluating causes, effects, and potential solutions.
Groupthink: Be wary of the tendency for group members to agree with each other — this might be out of conflict avoidance, path of least resistance, or fear of speaking up. While this agreeableness might make meetings run smoothly, it can actually stunt creativity and idea generation, therefore limiting the success of your chosen solution.
Irrelevant Information: The tendency to pile on multiple problems and factors that may not even be related to the challenge at hand. This can cloud the team’s ability to find direct, targeted solutions.
Paradigm Blindness: This is found in people who are unwilling to adapt or change their worldview, outlook on a particular problem, or typical way of processing information. This can erode the effectiveness of problem solving techniques because they are not aware of the narrowness of their thinking, and therefore cannot think or act outside of their comfort zone.

According to Jaffa, the primary barrier of effective problem solving is rigidity. “The most common things people say are, ‘We’ve never done it before,’ or ‘We’ve always done it this way.’” While these feelings are natural, Jaffa explains that this rigid thinking actually precludes teams from identifying creative, inventive solutions that result in the greatest benefit.

“The biggest barrier to creative problem solving is a lack of awareness – and commitment to – training employees in state-of-the-art creative problem-solving techniques,” Mattimore explains. “We teach our clients how to use ideation techniques (as many as two-dozen different creative thinking techniques) to help them generate more and better ideas. Ideation techniques use specific and customized stimuli, or ‘thought triggers’ to inspire new thinking and new ideas.”

MacLeod adds that ineffective or rushed leadership is another common culprit. “We're always in a rush to fix quickly,” she says. “Sometimes leaders just solve problems themselves, making unilateral decisions to save time. But the investment is well worth it — leaders will have less on their plates if they can teach and eventually trust the team to resolve. Teams feel empowered and engagement and investment increases.”

Strategies for Problem Cause Identification

As discussed, most experts agree that the first and most crucial step in problem solving is defining the problem. Once you’ve done this, however, it may not be appropriate to move straight to the solution phase. Rather, it is often helpful to identify the cause(s) of the problem: This will better inform your solution planning and execution, and help ensure that you don’t fall victim to the same challenges in the future.

Below are some of the most common strategies for identifying the cause of a problem:

Root Cause Analysis: This method helps identify the most critical cause of a problem. A factor is considered a root cause if removing it prevents the problem from recurring. Performing a root cause analysis is a 12 step process that includes: define the problem, gather data on the factors contributing to the problem, group the factors based on shared characteristics, and create a cause-and-effect timeline to determine the root cause. After that, you identify and evaluate corrective actions to eliminate the root cause.

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Problem Solving Techniques and Strategies

In this section, we’ll explain several traditional and creative problem solving methods that you can use to identify challenges, create actionable goals, and resolve problems as they arise. Although there is often procedural and objective crossover among techniques, they are grouped by theme so you can identify which method works best for your organization.

Divergent Creative Problem Solving Techniques

Brainstorming: One of the most common methods of divergent thinking, brainstorming works best in an open group setting where everyone is encouraged to share their creative ideas. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible – you analyze, critique, and evaluate the ideas only after the brainstorming session is complete. To learn more specific brainstorming techniques, read this article .

Mind Mapping: This is a visual thinking tool where you graphically depict concepts and their relation to one another. You can use mind mapping to structure the information you have, analyze and synthesize it, and generate solutions and new ideas from there. The goal of a mind map is to simplify complicated problems so you can more clearly identify solutions.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI): The basic assumption of AI is that “an organization is a mystery to be embraced.” Using this principle, AI takes a positive, inquisitive approach to identifying the problem, analyzing the causes, and presenting possible solutions. The five principles of AI emphasize dialogue, deliberate language and outlook, and social bonding.

Lateral Thinking: This is an indirect problem solving approach centered on the momentum of idea generation. As opposed to critical thinking, where people value ideas based on their truth and the absence of errors, lateral thinking values the “movement value” of new ideas: This means that you reward team members for producing a large volume of new ideas rapidly. With this approach, you’ll generate many new ideas before approving or rejecting any.

Problem Solving Techniques to Change Perspective

Constructive Controversy: This is a structured approach to group decision making to preserve critical thinking and disagreement while maintaining order. After defining the problem and presenting multiple courses of action, the group divides into small advocacy teams who research, analyze, and refute a particular option. Once each advocacy team has presented its best-case scenario, the group has a discussion (advocacy teams still defend their presented idea). Arguing and playing devil’s advocate is encouraged to reach an understanding of the pros and cons of each option. Next, advocacy teams abandon their cause and evaluate the options openly until they reach a consensus. All team members formally commit to the decision, regardless of whether they advocated for it at the beginning. You can learn more about the goals and steps in constructive controversy here .

Carella is a fan of this approach. “Create constructive controversy by having two teams argue the pros and cons of a certain idea,” he says. “It forces unconscious biases to surface and gives space for new ideas to formulate.”

Abstraction: In this method, you apply the problem to a fictional model of the current situation. Mapping an issue to an abstract situation can shed extraneous or irrelevant factors, and reveal places where you are overlooking obvious solutions or becoming bogged down by circumstances.

Analogical Thinking: Also called analogical reasoning , this method relies on an analogy: using information from one problem to solve another problem (these separate problems are called domains). It can be difficult for teams to create analogies among unrelated problems, but it is a strong technique to help you identify repeated issues, zoom out and change perspective, and prevent the problems from occurring in the future. .

CATWOE: This framework ensures that you evaluate the perspectives of those whom your decision will impact. The factors and questions to consider include (which combine to make the acronym CATWOE):

Customers: Who is on the receiving end of your decisions? What problem do they currently have, and how will they react to your proposed solution?
Actors: Who is acting to bring your solution to fruition? How will they respond and be affected by your decision?
Transformation Process: What processes will you employ to transform your current situation and meet your goals? What are the inputs and outputs?
World View: What is the larger context of your proposed solution? What is the larger, big-picture problem you are addressing?
Owner: Who actually owns the process? How might they influence your proposed solution (positively or negatively), and how can you influence them to help you?
Environmental Constraints: What are the limits (environmental, resource- and budget-wise, ethical, legal, etc.) on your ideas? How will you revise or work around these constraints?

Complex Problem Solving

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM): For extremely complex problems, SSM can help you identify how factors interact, and determine the best course of action. SSM was borne out of organizational process modeling and general systems theory, which hold that everything is part of a greater, interconnected system: This idea works well for “hard” problems (where logic and a single correct answer are prioritized), and less so for “soft” problems (i.e., human problems where factors such as personality, emotions, and hierarchy come into play). Therefore, SSM defines a seven step process for problem solving:

Begin with the problem or problematic situation
Express the problem or situation and build a rich picture of the themes of the problem
Identify the root causes of the problem (most commonly with CATWOE)
Build conceptual models of human activity surrounding the problem or situation
Compare models with real-world happenings
Identify changes to the situation that are both feasible and desirable
Take action to implement changes and improve the problematic situation

SSM can be used for any complex soft problem, and is also a useful tool in change management .

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA): This method helps teams anticipate potential problems and take steps to mitigate them. Use FMEA when you are designing (redesigning) a complex function, process, product, or service. First, identify the failure modes, which are the possible ways that a project could fail. Then, perform an effects analysis to understand the consequences of each of the potential downfalls. This exercise is useful for internalizing the severity of each potential failure and its effects so you can make adjustments or safeties in your plan.

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Problem Solving Based on Data or Logic (Heuristic Methods)

TRIZ: A Russian-developed problem solving technique that values logic, analysis, and forecasting over intuition or soft reasoning. TRIZ (translated to “theory of inventive problem solving” or TIPS in English) is a systematic approach to defining and identifying an inventive solution to difficult problems. The method offers several strategies for arriving at an inventive solution, including a contradictions matrix to assess trade-offs among solutions, a Su-Field analysis which uses formulas to describe a system by its structure, and ARIZ (algorithm of inventive problem solving) which uses algorithms to find inventive solutions.

Inductive Reasoning: A logical method that uses evidence to conclude that a certain answer is probable (this is opposed to deductive reasoning, where the answer is assumed to be true). Inductive reasoning uses a limited number of observations to make useful, logical conclusions (for example, the Scientific Method is an extreme example of inductive reasoning). However, this method doesn’t always map well to human problems in the workplace — in these instances, managers should employ intuitive inductive reasoning , which allows for more automatic, implicit conclusions so that work can progress. This, of course, retains the principle that these intuitive conclusions are not necessarily the one and only correct answer.

Process-Oriented Problem Solving Methods

Plan Do Check Act (PDCA): This is an iterative management technique used to ensure continual improvement of products or processes. First, teams plan (establish objectives to meet desired end results), then do (implement the plan, new processes, or produce the output), then check (compare expected with actual results), and finally act (define how the organization will act in the future, based on the performance and knowledge gained in the previous three steps).

Means-End Analysis (MEA): The MEA strategy is to reduce the difference between the current (problematic) state and the goal state. To do so, teams compile information on the multiple factors that contribute to the disparity between the current and goal states. Then they try to change or eliminate the factors one by one, beginning with the factor responsible for the greatest difference in current and goal state. By systematically tackling the multiple factors that cause disparity between the problem and desired outcome, teams can better focus energy and control each step of the process.

Hurson’s Productive Thinking Model: This technique was developed by Tim Hurson, and is detailed in his 2007 book Think Better: An Innovator’s Guide to Productive Thinking . The model outlines six steps that are meant to give structure while maintaining creativity and critical thinking: 1) Ask “What is going on?” 2) Ask “What is success?” 3) Ask “What is the question?” 4) Generate answers 5) Forge the solution 6) Align resources.

Control Influence Accept (CIA): The basic premise of CIA is that how you respond to problems determines how successful you will be in overcoming them. Therefore, this model is both a problem solving technique and stress-management tool that ensures you aren’t responding to problems in a reactive and unproductive way. The steps in CIA include:

Control: Identify the aspects of the problem that are within your control.
Influence: Identify the aspects of the problem that you cannot control, but that you can influence.
Accept: Identify the aspects of the problem that you can neither control nor influence, and react based on this composite information.

GROW Model: This is a straightforward problem solving method for goal setting that clearly defines your goals and current situation, and then asks you to define the potential solutions and be realistic about your chosen course of action. The steps break down as follows:

Goal: What do you want?
Reality: Where are you now?
Options: What could you do?
Will: What will you do?

OODA Loop: This acronym stands for observe, orient, decide, and act. This approach is a decision-making cycle that values agility and flexibility over raw human force. It is framed as a loop because of the understanding that any team will continually encounter problems or opponents to success and have to overcome them.

There are also many un-named creative problem solving techniques that follow a sequenced series of steps. While the exact steps vary slightly, they all follow a similar trajectory and aim to accomplish similar goals of problem, cause, and goal identification, idea generation, and active solution implementation.

MacLeod offers her own problem solving procedure, which echoes the above steps:

“1. Recognize the Problem: State what you see. Sometimes the problem is covert. 2. Identify: Get the facts — What exactly happened? What is the issue? 3. and 4. Explore and Connect: Dig deeper and encourage group members to relate their similar experiences. Now you're getting more into the feelings and background [of the situation], not just the facts. 5. Possible Solutions: Consider and brainstorm ideas for resolution. 6. Implement: Choose a solution and try it out — this could be role play and/or a discussion of how the solution would be put in place. 7. Evaluate: Revisit to see if the solution was successful or not.”

Many of these problem solving techniques can be used in concert with one another, or multiple can be appropriate for any given problem. It’s less about facilitating a perfect CPS session, and more about encouraging team members to continually think outside the box and push beyond personal boundaries that inhibit their innovative thinking. So, try out several methods, find those that resonate best with your team, and continue adopting new techniques and adapting your processes along the way.

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Nine essential problem solving tools: The ultimate guide to finding a solution

October 26, 2023 by MindManager Blog

Problem solving may unfold differently depending on the industry, or even the department you work in. However, most agree that before you can fix any issue, you need to be clear on what it is, why it’s happening, and what your ideal long-term solution will achieve.

Understanding both the nature and the cause of a problem is the only way to figure out which actions will help you resolve it.

Given that most problem-solving processes are part inspiration and part perspiration, you’ll be more successful if you can reach for a problem solving tool that facilitates collaboration, encourages creative thinking, and makes it easier to implement the fix you devise.

The problem solving tools include three unique categories: problem solving diagrams, problem solving mind maps, and problem solving software solutions.

They include:

Fishbone diagrams
Strategy maps
Mental maps
Concept maps
Layered process audit software
Charting software
MindManager

In this article, we’ve put together a roundup of versatile problem solving tools and software to help you and your team map out and repair workplace issues as efficiently as possible.

Let’s get started!

Problem solving diagrams

Mapping your way out of a problem is the simplest way to see where you are, and where you need to end up.

Not only do visual problem maps let you plot the most efficient route from Point A (dysfunctional situation) to Point B (flawless process), problem mapping diagrams make it easier to see:

The root cause of a dilemma.
The steps, resources, and personnel associated with each possible solution.
The least time-consuming, most cost-effective options.

A visual problem solving process help to solidify understanding. Furthermore, it’s a great way for you and your team to transform abstract ideas into a practical, reconstructive plan.

Here are three examples of common problem mapping diagrams you can try with your team:

1. Fishbone diagrams

Fishbone diagrams are a common problem solving tool so-named because, once complete, they resemble the skeleton of a fish.

With the possible root causes of an issue (the ribs) branching off from either side of a spine line attached to the head (the problem), dynamic fishbone diagrams let you:

Lay out a related set of possible reasons for an existing problem
Investigate each possibility by breaking it out into sub-causes
See how contributing factors relate to one another

Fishbone diagrams are also known as cause and effect or Ishikawa diagrams.

2. Flowcharts

A flowchart is an easy-to-understand diagram with a variety of applications. But you can use it to outline and examine how the steps of a flawed process connect.

Made up of a few simple symbols linked with arrows indicating workflow direction, flowcharts clearly illustrate what happens at each stage of a process – and how each event impacts other events and decisions.

3. Strategy maps

Frequently used as a strategic planning tool, strategy maps also work well as problem mapping diagrams. Based on a hierarchal system, thoughts and ideas can be arranged on a single page to flesh out a potential resolution.

Once you’ve got a few tactics you feel are worth exploring as possible ways to overcome a challenge, a strategy map will help you establish the best route to your problem-solving goal.

Problem solving mind maps

Problem solving mind maps are especially valuable in visualization. Because they facilitate the brainstorming process that plays a key role in both root cause analysis and the identification of potential solutions, they help make problems more solvable.

Mind maps are diagrams that represent your thinking. Since many people struggle taking or working with hand-written or typed notes, mind maps were designed to let you lay out and structure your thoughts visually so you can play with ideas, concepts, and solutions the same way your brain does.

By starting with a single notion that branches out into greater detail, problem solving mind maps make it easy to:

Explain unfamiliar problems or processes in less time
Share and elaborate on novel ideas
Achieve better group comprehension that can lead to more effective solutions

Mind maps are a valuable problem solving tool because they’re geared toward bringing out the flexible thinking that creative solutions require. Here are three types of problem solving mind maps you can use to facilitate the brainstorming process.

4. Mental maps

A mental map helps you get your thoughts about what might be causing a workplace issue out of your head and onto a shared digital space.

Because mental maps mirror the way our brains take in and analyze new information, using them to describe your theories visually will help you and your team work through and test those thought models.

5. Idea maps

Idea maps let you take advantage of a wide assortment of colors and images to lay down and organize your scattered thought process. Idea maps are ideal brainstorming tools because they allow you to present and explore ideas about the best way to solve a problem collaboratively, and with a shared sense of enthusiasm for outside-the-box thinking.

6. Concept maps

Concept maps are one of the best ways to shape your thoughts around a potential solution because they let you create interlinked, visual representations of intricate concepts.

By laying out your suggested problem-solving process digitally – and using lines to form and define relationship connections – your group will be able to see how each piece of the solution puzzle connects with another.

Problem solving software solutions

Problem solving software is the best way to take advantage of multiple problem solving tools in one platform. While some software programs are geared toward specific industries or processes – like manufacturing or customer relationship management, for example – others, like MindManager , are purpose-built to work across multiple trades, departments, and teams.

Here are three problem-solving software examples.

7. Layered process audit software

Layered process audits (LPAs) help companies oversee production processes and keep an eye on the cost and quality of the goods they create. Dedicated LPA software makes problem solving easier for manufacturers because it helps them see where costly leaks are occurring and allows all levels of management to get involved in repairing those leaks.

8. Charting software

Charting software comes in all shapes and sizes to fit a variety of business sectors. Pareto charts, for example, combine bar charts with line graphs so companies can compare different problems or contributing factors to determine their frequency, cost, and significance. Charting software is often used in marketing, where a variety of bar charts and X-Y axis diagrams make it possible to display and examine competitor profiles, customer segmentation, and sales trends.

9. MindManager

No matter where you work, or what your problem-solving role looks like, MindManager is a problem solving software that will make your team more productive in figuring out why a process, plan, or project isn’t working the way it should.

Once you know why an obstruction, shortfall, or difficulty exists, you can use MindManager’s wide range of brainstorming and problem mapping diagrams to:

Find the most promising way to correct the situation
Activate your chosen solution, and
Conduct regular checks to make sure your repair work is sustainable

MindManager is the ultimate problem solving software.

Not only is it versatile enough to use as your go-to system for puzzling out all types of workplace problems, MindManager’s built-in forecasting tools, timeline charts, and warning indicators let you plan, implement, and monitor your solutions.

By allowing your group to work together more effectively to break down problems, uncover solutions, and rebuild processes and workflows, MindManager’s versatile collection of problem solving tools will help make everyone on your team a more efficient problem solver.

Download a free trial today to get started!

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Article • 5 min read

Understanding Creativity

Tools and techniques for creative thinking.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

It is important to start with a clear definition of what we mean by creativity, as there are two completely different types. The first is technical creativity , where people create new theories, technologies or ideas. This is the type of creativity we discuss here. The second is artistic creativity , which is more born of skill, technique and self-expression. Artistic creativity is beyond the scope of these articles.

Many of the techniques in this chapter have been used by great thinkers to drive their creativity. Albert Einstein, for example, used his own informal variant of Provocation to trigger ideas that led to the Theory of Relativity. But anyone can learn to be technically creative, and use these tools. They are designed to help you devise creative and imaginative solutions to problems, and help you to spot opportunities that you might otherwise miss.

Approaches to Creativity

There are two main strands to technical creativity: programmed thinking and lateral thinking. Programmed thinking relies on logical or structured ways of creating a new product or service. Examples of this approach are Morphological Analysis and the Reframing Matrix .

The other main strand uses "Lateral Thinking." Examples of this are Brainstorming , Random Input and Provocation. Lateral Thinking has been developed and popularized by Edward de Bono, whose books you can find in the appropriate articles.

Programmed Thinking and Lateral Thinking

Lateral thinking recognizes that our brains are pattern recognition systems, and that they do not function like computers. It takes years of training before we learn to do simple arithmetic – something that computers do very easily. On the other hand, we can instantly recognize patterns such as faces, language, and handwriting. The only computers that begin to be able to do these things do it by modeling the way that human brain cells work. Even then, computers will need to become more powerful before they approach our ability to handle patterns.

The benefit of good pattern recognition is that we can recognize objects and situations very quickly. Imagine how much time would be wasted if you had to do a full analysis every time you came across a cylindrical canister of effervescent fluid. Most people would just open their can of fizzy drink. Without pattern recognition, we would starve or be eaten. We could not cross the road safely.

Unfortunately, we get stuck in our patterns. We tend to think within them. Solutions we develop are based on previous solutions to similar problems. Normally it does not occur to us to use solutions belonging to other patterns.

We use lateral thinking techniques to break out of this patterned way of thinking.

Lateral thinking techniques help us to come up with startling, brilliant and original solutions to problems and opportunities.

It is important to point out that each type of approach has its strength. Logical, disciplined thinking is enormously effective in making products and services better. It can, however, only go so far before all practical improvements have been carried out. Lateral thinking can generate completely new concepts and ideas, and brilliant improvements to existing systems. In the wrong place, however, it can be sterile or unnecessarily disruptive.

Taking the Best of Each

A number of techniques fuse the strengths of the two different strands of creativity. Techniques such as the Concept Fan use a combination of programmed and lateral thinking. DO IT and Min Basadur's Simplex embed the two approaches within problem-solving processes. While these may be considered 'overkill' when dealing with minor problems, they provide excellent frameworks for solving difficult and serious ones.

The Creative Frame of Mind

Often the only difference between creative and uncreative people is self-perception. Creative people see themselves as creative and give themselves the freedom to create. Uncreative people do not think about creativity and do not give themselves the opportunity to create anything new.

Being creative may just be a matter of setting aside the time needed to take a step back and allow yourself to ask yourself if there is a better way of doing something. Edward de Bono calls this a "Creative Pause." He suggests that this should be a short break of maybe only 30 seconds, but that this should be a habitual part of thinking. This needs self-discipline, as it is easy to forget.

Another important attitude shift is to view problems as opportunities for improvement. While this is something of a cliché, it is true. Whenever you solve a problem, you have a better product or service to offer afterward.

Using Creativity

Creativity is sterile if action does not follow from it. Ideas must be evaluated, improved, polished and marketed before they have any value. Other sections of Mind Tools lay out the evaluation, analysis and planning tools needed to do this. They also explain the time and stress management techniques you will need when your creative ideas take off.

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Comparing Creative Problem Solving Techniques for Best Results

Introduction.

Problem-solving is a crucial skill in both personal and professional settings. Whether it’s addressing a complex issue at work or finding creative solutions to everyday challenges, effective problem-solving leads to better outcomes and increased productivity. However, not all problems can be approached in the same way. Different techniques are available to tackle various problems, and choosing the right approach is essential for optimal results.

In this article, we will explore and compare different creative problem-solving techniques to help you identify the best approach for your specific needs. By understanding the various techniques and their advantages and disadvantages, you can make an informed decision on which approach to implement and increase your chances of successful problem resolution.

Let’s begin by examining the technique of design thinking.

Technique 1: Design Thinking

Design Thinking is a problem-solving approach that prioritizes empathy and user-centered design. It emphasizes understanding the needs and desires of the end-users and applying creative solutions to meet those needs effectively. This technique is widely used in various fields, including product design, business strategy, and social innovation.

Components of Design Thinking

Design thinking consists of several key components, each contributing to the overall problem-solving process. These components are:

Empathy : Design thinking starts by empathizing with the users and gaining a deep understanding of their experiences, frustrations, and desires. This involves conducting user research, interviews, and observations to gather insights.

Ideation : Once the user needs are understood, the ideation phase begins. This involves brainstorming and generating a wide range of ideas to address the identified problems. The goal is to encourage creativity and divergent thinking to explore multiple possibilities.

Prototyping : After generating ideas, the next step is to create prototypes or mock-ups that represent potential solutions. Prototypes can be physical models, digital simulations, sketches, or storyboards. Prototyping allows for quick iteration and feedback before investing in the final solution.

Testing : The prototypes are then tested with the end-users to gather feedback and insights. This feedback helps refine and improve the solutions. Testing can be done through user interviews, surveys, or usability testing. The iterative nature of design thinking allows for continuous improvement based on user feedback.

Examples of Successful Problem-Solving using Design Thinking

Design thinking has been successfully applied to various real-world problems. For example:

Airbnb : To address the challenge of trust between hosts and guests, Airbnb conducted extensive user research to understand user concerns. They then iteratively tested and improved their user interface and policies to build trust and confidence in the platform.

PepsiCo : PepsiCo used design thinking to develop a sustainable packaging solution for its Frito-Lay snacks division. By empathizing with users and understanding their environmental concerns, PepsiCo designed a compostable packaging material that reduced waste and aligned with consumer preferences.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Design Thinking

Design thinking offers several advantages in problem-solving:

User-centered approach : By focusing on the needs and desires of users, design thinking ensures that the solutions are tailored to meet their specific requirements, resulting in higher user satisfaction.

Encourages Creativity : Design thinking encourages divergent thinking, enabling teams to explore a wide range of ideas and solutions. This creative approach often leads to innovative problem-solving.

Promotes Collaboration : Design thinking involves multidisciplinary teams working together, fostering collaboration and a diversity of perspectives. This collaborative approach encourages teamwork and facilitates holistic problem-solving.

However, there are also some challenges and limitations associated with design thinking:

Time and Resource Intensive : Conducting comprehensive user research, ideation, prototyping, and testing can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Organizations with limited time or budget constraints may find it challenging to fully embrace design thinking.

Subjectivity and Bias : Design thinking relies on empathy and user insights, which can be subjective and influenced by biased interpretations. It is crucial to mitigate biases through rigorous research and involve a diverse range of users to avoid overlooking important perspectives.

Despite these limitations, design thinking remains a powerful problem-solving technique that can drive innovation, improve user experiences, and lead to successful outcomes.

Technique 2: Six Thinking Hats

Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats technique is a powerful tool for creative problem-solving. It provides a framework for exploring different perspectives and generating innovative solutions. The technique is based on the idea that our thinking can be categorized into six different modes, each represented by a different colored hat. By using these hats metaphorically, individuals or teams can deliberately switch between different modes of thinking and enhance their problem-solving abilities.

The Six Hats

The White Hat: This hat represents neutral and objective thinking. When wearing the white hat, individuals focus on gathering and analyzing data and information. They strive to separate facts from opinions or biases. The white hat allows for an objective assessment of the current situation and helps identify any gaps in knowledge.

The Red Hat: The red hat symbolizes emotions and intuition. When wearing the red hat, individuals are encouraged to express their feelings, intuitions, and gut reactions. This mode of thinking allows for an exploration of emotions and personal perspectives without the need for justification or evidence.

The Black Hat: The black hat represents critical and cautious thinking. When wearing the black hat, individuals adopt a skeptical mindset and focus on identifying potential risks, weaknesses, and drawbacks. This mode of thinking helps in anticipating possible challenges and avoiding hasty decisions.

The Yellow Hat: The yellow hat embodies optimistic and positive thinking. When wearing the yellow hat, individuals focus on identifying the benefits, possibilities, and advantages of various options. This mode of thinking encourages the exploration of opportunities and potential positive outcomes.

The Green Hat: The green hat represents creative and innovative thinking. When wearing the green hat, individuals engage in brainstorming and generate new ideas, concepts, and alternatives. This mode of thinking encourages thinking outside the box, exploring multiple perspectives, and considering unconventional solutions.

The Blue Hat: The blue hat symbolizes control and organization of the thinking process. When wearing the blue hat, individuals take on the role of a facilitator or a moderator. They guide the thinking process, manage time, and ensure that all the other hats are used effectively. The blue hat helps in setting the agenda, establishing goals, and directing the overall problem-solving process.

Real-life Examples

The Six Thinking Hats technique has been successfully applied in various fields and industries. One notable example is the healthcare sector. In a hospital setting, a team of doctors and nurses can use the six hats to analyze a complex patient case. The white hat helps them gather and review objective medical data. The red hat allows them to express their emotional concerns and personal views. The black hat aids in identifying potential risks and contraindications. The yellow hat enables them to consider positive treatment outcomes. The green hat facilitates the generation of novel treatment options. Lastly, the blue hat ensures that the team stays focused and follows a systematic problem-solving approach.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The Six Thinking Hats technique offers several advantages. Firstly, it promotes effective teamwork by allowing individuals to switch between different thinking modes and consider multiple perspectives. This encourages a more comprehensive and well-rounded approach to problem-solving. Secondly, it enhances creativity by providing a structured framework for generating innovative ideas. The different hats create a balance between analytical and intuitive thinking. Additionally, the technique is easy to understand and apply, making it accessible to individuals with varying levels of expertise.

However, there are also some potential disadvantages of using the Six Thinking Hats technique. Firstly, it may not be suitable for all types of problems. Some complex issues may require in-depth analysis and expertise that cannot be fully addressed using the six hats alone. Secondly, the technique heavily relies on active participation and engagement from all team members. If not everyone actively contributes or if there is a dominant individual, the effectiveness of the technique may be compromised. Lastly, some individuals may find it challenging to switch between different modes of thinking, particularly if they are more inclined towards a specific thinking style.

In conclusion, the Six Thinking Hats technique is a valuable tool for enhancing creative problem-solving. By incorporating different modes of thinking, individuals or teams can approach problems from multiple perspectives and generate innovative solutions. While the technique has its advantages and disadvantages, it remains a popular and widely used approach in various industries and sectors.

Technique 3: Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a popular and effective creative problem-solving technique that encourages the generation of a wide range of ideas. It involves a group of individuals working together to brainstorm, share ideas, and build upon each other’s suggestions. The goal of brainstorming is to promote free thinking and generate as many ideas as possible, without judgment or criticism.

Traditional Brainstorming

One commonly used method of brainstorming is traditional brainstorming. In this approach, a group of people comes together and freely shares their ideas on a specific problem or topic. These ideas are then written down on a board or a piece of paper for everyone to see.

Traditional brainstorming encourages active participation from all participants and fosters the exploration of various perspectives. It allows for the development of a diverse set of ideas, which can lead to innovative solutions. The lack of judgment or criticism during this process creates an open and non-threatening environment, which can boost creativity.

However, traditional brainstorming also has its disadvantages. The sheer number of ideas generated can be overwhelming and difficult to manage. Some ideas may be irrelevant, impractical, or repetitive. Additionally, certain individuals may dominate the conversation, hindering the input from quieter or introverted team members.

Brainwriting 6-3-5

To address some of the challenges of traditional brainstorming, a structured method called Brainwriting 6-3-5 can be used. This technique involves a group of six participants who write down three ideas each within five minutes, hence the name. After the initial round, the ideas are passed on to the next person, who builds upon them or generates new ideas based on the existing ones. This process continues until all participants have contributed to each idea.

Brainwriting 6-3-5 allows for a more systematic and organized approach to brainstorming. It ensures that everyone’s ideas are heard and considered, reducing the risk of dominant voices overpowering the discussion. The structured nature of this technique also helps manage the volume of ideas and prevents repetition.

However, Brainwriting 6-3-5 may not be as effective for fostering spontaneous creativity as traditional brainstorming. The time limit for generating ideas can restrict the flow of creative thinking, and some participants may feel pressured to come up with ideas quickly. It may also lack the energy and collaborative spirit that can be found in traditional brainstorming sessions.

Successful Problem-Solving Using Brainstorming

Brainstorming has been successfully used in various problem-solving scenarios. For example, in a marketing team, brainstorming sessions are often conducted to generate new and innovative ideas for product promotions. The diverse perspectives and shared creativity of team members can lead to breakthrough ideas that resonate with the target audience.

Additionally, brainstorming has been applied in the field of technology and innovation. Companies like Google and Apple have famously adopted brainstorming as part of their problem-solving processes. These sessions have led to the development of groundbreaking products and software.

Comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Brainstorming

When comparing the advantages and disadvantages of brainstorming, it becomes clear that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Brainstorming promotes open communication, stimulates creative thinking, and generates a variety of ideas. It encourages collaboration and teamwork, fostering a sense of ownership and engagement among participants.

However, the disadvantages of brainstorming should not be overlooked. Traditional brainstorming can be chaotic and unstructured, resulting in a large number of ideas that may be difficult to manage. Dominant individuals may overshadow others, and some ideas may not be fully explored or developed.

Brainwriting 6-3-5, on the other hand, provides a more structured approach that encourages equal participation and manages the flow of ideas effectively. However, it may lack the spontaneity and energy that can be present in traditional brainstorming sessions.

In conclusion, brainstorming is a valuable technique in creative problem-solving. Whether using traditional brainstorming or a structured method like Brainwriting 6-3-5, it promotes the generation of diverse ideas and fosters collaboration. The choice between traditional brainstorming and structured methods depends on the specific problem, the dynamics of the group, and the desired outcomes.

Technique 4: TRIZ

TRIZ, short for the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, is a highly structured approach to problem-solving that was developed in Russia by Genrich Altshuller in the 1940s. TRIZ is based on the idea that there are universal patterns in the development of inventive solutions, and that these patterns can be identified and used to overcome contradictions and find innovative solutions.

Overview of TRIZ

TRIZ is built on the principle that every problem has an underlying contradiction that prevents an ideal solution from being achieved. The goal of TRIZ is to identify and resolve these contradictions in order to find the most effective solution.

TRIZ provides a systematic framework that consists of several tools and techniques for problem analysis, idea generation, and evaluation. These tools include the “40 Inventive Principles,” the “Contradiction Matrix,” and the “Su-Field Analysis.”

Key Principles and Tools of TRIZ

Contradiction Matrix : The Contradiction Matrix is one of the key tools in TRIZ. It consists of a table that matches specific types of contradictions with corresponding inventive principles. By identifying the specific contradictions at play in a problem, TRIZ practitioners can then apply the most relevant inventive principles to solve the problem.

40 Inventive Principles : The 40 Inventive Principles are a set of general principles that have been derived from the analysis of thousands of patents and successful inventions. These principles provide guidelines for generating innovative ideas and solutions. Examples of these principles include “segmentation,” “extraction,” and “transition to a new dimension.”

Su-Field Analysis : Su-Field Analysis is a technique used in TRIZ to analyze the relationships between the system (Su), the object being acted upon (Field), and the action or effect produced (Result). By understanding these relationships, TRIZ practitioners can gain insights into the underlying contradictions and identify potential solutions.

Examples of Successful Problem-Solving using TRIZ

One example of successful problem-solving using TRIZ is the development of the non-stick frying pan. The contradiction in this case was the desire to have food easily released from the pan while also ensuring even heat distribution for optimal cooking. By analyzing the contradiction using the Contradiction Matrix and applying the “Segregation Principle” (one of the 40 Inventive Principles), the solution of using a Teflon coating on the pan’s surface was discovered. This solution addressed the contradiction by creating a non-stick surface that allowed for easy food release without compromising heat distribution.

Another example of TRIZ in action is the development of the barcode scanner. The contradiction in this case was the need to accurately read barcodes of varying sizes and orientations. By using Su-Field Analysis and applying the “Dynamics” principle (another inventive principle), the solution of creating a laser-based scanner that could dynamically adjust to different barcode types was developed.

Advantages and Disadvantages of TRIZ

Like any problem-solving technique, TRIZ has both advantages and disadvantages.

Some advantages of TRIZ include:

Provides a systematic and structured approach to problem-solving
Offers a wide range of tools and techniques for problem analysis and idea generation
Enables the identification of underlying contradictions and the generation of innovative solutions
Provides a knowledge base of principles and patterns derived from successful inventions

However, TRIZ also has some potential disadvantages:

Requires a deep understanding and knowledge of the TRIZ principles and tools, which can be time-consuming to acquire
May not be suitable for all types of problems, especially those that are more subjective or ambiguous
Can be rigid and may not allow for a high degree of creativity or intuition in the problem-solving process

In conclusion, TRIZ is a powerful problem-solving technique that offers a structured and systematic approach to overcoming contradictions and finding innovative solutions. While it may not be suitable for every problem, it can be an effective tool for generating breakthrough ideas and solving complex problems in various domains.

Technique 5: Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis is a problem-solving technique that aims to identify the underlying cause of a problem rather than just treating its symptoms. By understanding and addressing the root cause, organizations can prevent the recurrence of similar issues in the future.

Introduction to Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a systematic approach used to identify the primary cause of a problem or an event. It involves a thorough investigation and analysis of the problem, aiming to determine the underlying factors that contributed to its occurrence. Rather than focusing solely on the immediate and visible causes, RCA aims to dig deeper and uncover the fundamental reasons behind the problem.

Steps to Conducting Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis typically involves several sequential steps to ensure a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the problem:

Identify the Problem : The first step is to clearly define and articulate the problem. This includes identifying the symptoms, impacts, and consequences of the problem.

Gather Data : Collect relevant data and information related to the problem. This may include incident reports, historical records, process documentation, and input from individuals involved.

Ask “Why?” : Start with the problem statement and ask “why” the problem occurred. Repeat this questioning process to drill down to the underlying reasons and identify contributing factors. This technique, known as the “5 Whys,” helps in identifying the root cause by repeatedly asking why until the fundamental issue is revealed.

Analyze the Causes : Once the root cause has been identified, analyze the contributing causes that led to its occurrence. This may involve performing a cause-and-effect analysis, using tools like fishbone diagrams or fault tree analysis.

Develop Solutions : Based on the identified root cause and contributing factors, brainstorm and develop potential solutions to address the problem. These solutions should target the root cause rather than merely addressing the symptoms.

Implement and Monitor : Implement the selected solution and closely monitor its effectiveness. Track the progress and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that the problem does not recur.

Real-Life Examples of Successful Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis has been successfully applied across various industries and sectors. Here are a few examples:

Airline Industry : Following an aircraft accident, root cause analysis was used to identify systemic issues within an airline’s maintenance processes, leading to changes in training, procedures, and safety protocols.

Healthcare Sector : Root cause analysis is commonly used to investigate medical errors, patient safety incidents, and adverse events. It helps identify failures in processes, communication, and healthcare systems that contributed to the incidents.

Manufacturing Sector : When a product defect occurred in a manufacturing facility, root cause analysis helped identify a flaw in the production process. By addressing the underlying issue, the company was able to improve product quality and minimize defects.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis offers several advantages that make it a valuable problem-solving technique:

Prevention of Recurrence : By identifying and addressing the root cause, organizations can prevent the recurrence of similar problems or events.

Comprehensive Understanding : Root cause analysis provides a deeper understanding of the problem, helping organizations develop targeted and effective solutions.

Systemic Improvement : RCA often reveals underlying issues in processes, systems, or organizational culture, enabling organizations to implement broader improvements beyond the immediate problem.

However, root cause analysis also has some limitations:

Time and Resource Intensive : Conducting a thorough root cause analysis requires time, resources, and expertise. This may not always be feasible, particularly in urgent or time-sensitive situations.

Subjectivity and Bias : The process of identifying the root cause relies on human judgment, which can introduce subjectivity and biases. This emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and diverse perspectives in RCA.

Complexity : Identifying the root cause can be challenging, especially in complex systems where multiple factors may contribute to a problem. It requires careful analysis and consideration of various interdependencies.

In conclusion, root cause analysis is a powerful problem-solving technique that aims to uncover the underlying causes of a problem. By understanding the root cause, organizations can implement targeted and effective solutions, preventing future occurrences. However, it is essential to consider the time, resources, and complexity involved in conducting a comprehensive root cause analysis.

In this article, we have discussed and compared various creative problem-solving techniques with the goal of determining the best approach for optimal results.

Design thinking, which emphasizes empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing, offers a human-centric and collaborative approach to problem-solving. It encourages innovative thinking and has been successfully applied in various industries and fields. However, design thinking may require significant time and resources to implement and may not always be suitable for complex or technical problems.

Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats technique provides a structured approach to problem-solving by encouraging different perspectives and viewpoints. Each hat represents a different mode of thinking, enabling the exploration of different angles and potential solutions to a problem. This technique is particularly effective in fostering creativity and collaboration but may lack a systematic approach for problem analysis and evaluation.

Brainstorming, whether in its traditional form or with variations like Brainwriting 6-3-5, fosters a free flow of ideas and encourages participants to think outside the box. It is a versatile technique that can be applied in different contexts and can lead to innovative solutions. However, brainstorming sessions can sometimes be dominated by a few individuals, and the sheer volume of ideas generated may require additional time and effort to evaluate and refine.

TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, introduces a systematic and analytical approach to problem-solving. It provides a comprehensive set of principles and tools for identifying and resolving contradictions in complex problems. TRIZ has been successful in various industries and has a strong focus on innovation. However, applying TRIZ may require advanced training and expertise, and it may not be suitable for simpler or more straightforward problems.

Root cause analysis offers a structured approach to problem-solving by identifying and addressing the underlying causes of a problem. It helps prevent recurring issues and drives continuous improvement. By understanding the root causes, organizations can implement effective solutions that tackle the problem at its source. However, root cause analysis requires time, resources, and a thorough understanding of the problem to achieve accurate results.

When choosing the best technique for problem-solving, it is essential to consider the specific problem and context. Each technique has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and what works well in one situation may not be the best fit for another. It is crucial to assess the problem’s complexity, the available resources, and the desired outcome before selecting the most appropriate technique.

In conclusion, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for creative problem-solving. The best results are achieved when the right technique is chosen based on the problem’s nature and context. By understanding and comparing various creative problem-solving techniques like design thinking, Six Thinking Hats, brainstorming, TRIZ, and root cause analysis, individuals and organizations can make informed decisions and apply the most suitable approach to achieve optimal problem-solving results.

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PDF Creative Problem Solving Resource Guide
Foundation's (CEF) annual Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI), this book is your go-to resource guide. It contains methods, tools, and techniques for use in your coursework, studies, and continued application of Creative Problem Solving. Why is it important to learn Creative Problem Solving skills?
Creative Problem Solving Tools & Techniques Resource Guide
Solving means devising ways to answer, to meet, or to satisfy a situation by changing self or situation. Ruth Noller also created a symbolic equation for Creative Problem Solving1: C = fa (K,I,E) Creativity is the Function of combining Knowledge, Imagination, and Evaluation, all of which are tempered by "attitude.".
PDF Creative Problem Solving (CPS): The 5‐Minute Guide
ones you have the time are resources to pursue, and you strengthen them ‐ you make them better. U s ef ul to: wh n rg i,ay d vk ( G I); PONC S E M x and Paired Comparison Analysis for convergent thinking. Explore Acceptance A t hen dof is ag: y u wlv r , c.
Creative Problem Solving
Key Points. Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of using your creativity to develop new ideas and solutions to problems. The process is based on separating divergent and convergent thinking styles, so that you can focus your mind on creating at the first stage, and then evaluating at the second stage.
PDF Creative Problem Solving
CPS is a comprehensive system built on our own natural thinking processes that deliberately ignites creative thinking and produces innovative solutions. Through alternating phases of divergent and convergent thinking, CPS provides a process for managing thinking and action, while avoiding premature or inappropriate judgment. It is built upon a ...
PDF Creative Problem Solving Participant Guide
Creative Problem Solving Participant Guide ... • Assumptions and Principles of Creative Problem Solving..... 6 • Divergent and Convergent Thinking: The ... IMPLEMENTormulate a Plan F Explore acceptance and identify resources and actions that will support implementation of the selected solution(s).
TRIZ
TRIZ, however, is a problem-solving philosophy based on logic, data and research, rather than on intuition. It draws on the past knowledge and ingenuity of thousands of engineers to speed up creative problem solving for project teams. Its approach brings repeatability, predictability and reliability to the problem-solving process and delivers a ...
Creative Education Foundation
Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a proven method for approaching a problem, challenge, or opportunity in an imaginative and innovative way. The process helps you redefine problems and opportunities to come up with new, innovative responses and solutions - and then take action. The tools and techniques make it fun, engaging, and collaborative.
35 problem-solving techniques and methods for solving complex problems
The problem-solving process can often be as complicated and multifaceted as the problems they are set-up to solve. With the right problem-solving techniques and a mix of creative exercises designed to guide discussion and generate purposeful ideas, we hope we've given you the tools to find the best solutions as simply and easily as possible.
PDF Creative Problem Solving (CPS)
What is Creative Problem Solving? Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a structured process for solving problems or finding opportunities, used when you want to go beyond conventional thinking and arrive at creative (novel and useful) solutions. A primary difference between CPS and other problem‐solving
Creative approaches to problem solving: A framework for innovation and
This text provides a comprehensive and contemporary overview and description of Creative Problem Solving (CPS). Accessible and highly practical for a broad base of researchers and practitioners, the book provides a framework, a language, guidelines, and a set of easy-to-use tools for understanding challenges, generating ideas, and transforming promising ideas into action.
What is Creative Problem Solving?
The Creative Problem Solving (CPS) framework is a systematic approach for generating innovative solutions to complex problems. It's effectively a process framework. It provides a structured process that helps individuals and teams think creatively, explore possibilities, and develop practical solutions.
12 Powerful Creative Problem-Solving Techniques That Work
Here, wisdom and intuition come into play. Over time, your connection with your inner guide improves and creative problem-solving becomes a more spontaneous process. Recap: Creative Problem-Solving Techniques. Creative problem-solving is a skill based on the development of divergent thinking combined with altering our state of consciousness.
Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Tools
We define a tool as something you use to help accomplish a task. There are many tools available to the CPS practitioner, but you don't have to use any of them. CPS mirrors our natural creative process, so you may find that for some CPS tasks, your natural divergent or convergent ability works just fine. If you find you need some help, there are ...
What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?
Its benefits include: Finding creative solutions to complex problems: User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation's complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it. Adapting to change: Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt.
PDF Tools and Techniques for Project Managers : Facilitating Creative
Facilitating Creative Problem Solving! Instructor(s): Teresa Lawrence , PMP ... Subtopics: Resource Management, Problem- Solving . Training Description: Projects come with problems. Now more than ever, the problems that project managers encounter demand that ... • Practice creativity tools and techniques described in A Guide to the Project ...
Definitive Guide to Problem Solving Techniques
Defer or suspend judgement. Focus on "Yes, and…" rather than "No, but…". According to Carella, "Creative problem solving is the mental process used for generating innovative and imaginative ideas as a solution to a problem or a challenge. Creative problem solving techniques can be pursued by individuals or groups.".
9 essential problem solving tools: the ultimate guide
The problem solving tools include three unique categories: problem solving diagrams, problem solving mind maps, and problem solving software solutions. They include: Fishbone diagrams. Flowcharts. Strategy maps. Mental maps. Idea maps. Concept maps. Layered process audit software.
Understanding Creativity
A number of techniques fuse the strengths of the two different strands of creativity. Techniques such as the Concept Fan use a combination of programmed and lateral thinking. DO IT and Min Basadur's Simplex embed the two approaches within problem-solving processes. While these may be considered 'overkill' when dealing with minor problems, they ...
Comparing Creative Problem Solving Techniques for Best Results
Technique 1: Design Thinking. Design Thinking is a problem-solving approach that prioritizes empathy and user-centered design. It emphasizes understanding the needs and desires of the end-users and applying creative solutions to meet those needs effectively. This technique is widely used in various fields, including product design, business ...
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These web-based tools give you instantly online access to a variety of creative problem-solving and brainstorming techniques. Because these platforms are located online, they can transcend the ...
ERIC
The creative problem solving (CPS) based on genetic mutation module provides students with an opportunity to identify problems, design a problem-solving plan, choose the right path, and effectively evaluate the solution. This research aims to examine the effectiveness of CPS-based genetic mutation module to improve problem-solving skills in undergraduate students of biological education.
Tools and Techniques for Project Managers: Facilitating Creative
The Value in Explicitly Learning Creativity Tools Described in the PMBOK ® Guide/Standards ; The CPS Process ; The Three Overarching Traits of the Creative Problem-Solver ; The Seven Cognitive and Affective Thinking Skills Associated With Problem-Solving ; The Seven Steps of the Problem-Solving Process and Their Objectives