Creative Problem Solving - Gabrielle Consulting, Inc.gabrielleconsulting.com/docs/DecisionMakingProblemSolvingHando… · Creative Problem Solving Activity: Napkin Hop The Problem

Questions? Contact [email protected]

1

Creative Problem Solving

Puccio, G. J., Murdock, M. C., & Mance, M. (2007) Creative Leadership: Skills that Drive Change. San Diego, CA: Sage.


2

10 Steps for Great Decisions

1. Enlist everyone: Invite hidden talent as well as visible talent, and avoid creating enemies.

2. Discover shared hopes: Multiply your prospects for success. 3. Uncover the real issues: Listen to thoughts and feelings. 4. Identify all options: See the whole tree before you go out on a limb. 5. Gather the right information: Look through the lens of your hopes. 6. Get everything on the table: 100 percent information, zero percent

debate. 7. Write down choices that support shared hopes: Take the

guesswork out of decisions. 8. Map the solutions: See clear results. 9. Look ahead: Be prepared with alternatives. 10. Stay charged up: Celebrate results and renew your hopes.

Maruska, D. (2003). How Great Decisions Get Made: 10 Easy Steps for Reaching

Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues. New York, NY: AMACOM.

GROW a Decision

G = Establish the GOAL Define desired outcomes.

R = Identify the REALITIES

List resources, what is happening now. O = List all the OPTIONS

Explore benefits and constraints of each.

W = Decide the WAY (and the who, what, when) Establish the “will” by gaining commitment.


3

6/6 Tool

Don’t forget to ask the basic questions first:

• Who and what problems relate to things, people, and roles. • When problems relate to scheduling and timing. • Where problems related to direction and how things fit together. • Why problems relate to seeing the big picture. • How problems relate to how things influence one another. • How much problems involve measuring and counting


4

SQVID Tool

• Simple vs. Elaborate • Quality vs. Quantity • Vision vs. Execution (or in other words, where we want to be vs. how we

would get there) • Individual Attributes vs. Comparison • Delta vs. Status Quo (or in other words, how things might be if they

change vs. how things are now)

The SQVID and the 6/6 tools are both from the following recommended books:

Roam, D. (2008). The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas

with Pictures. London, England: Penguin Books, Ltd. Roam, D. (2009). Unfolding the Napkin: The Hands-On Method for Solving

Complex Problems with Simple Pictures. New York, NY: Penguin Books, Ltd.


5

Creative Problem Solving Activity: Napkin Hop The Problem to Solve There are an odd number of stepping napkins and one less number of people than napkins. Half the people are standing on the left-hand napkins, facing the center, and on the other side, half stand on the right-hand napkins, also facing the center. The center napkin is not occupied. The Challenge: Exchanging Roles Everyone must move so that the people originally standing on the right-hand stepping napkins are on the left-hand napkins, and those originally standing on the left-hand stepping napkins are on the right-hand napkins, with the center napkin again unoccupied. Each team should try to solve the problem with the least number of moves. Rules for Finding the Solution

1. After each move, each person must be standing on a stepping napkin. 2. If you start on the left, you may only move to the right. If you start on the

right, you may only move to the left. 3. You may "jump" another person if there is an empty napkin on the other

side. 4. You may not "jump" more than one person. 5. Only one person can move at a time.

Try It:

______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

Great Decisions Assessment 0 = Never 5 = Sometimes 10 = Always

Rate Your Organization. Using the scale above, please honestly circle the number that best describes your assessment of each statement.

1. We involve all people who have a stake in or knowledge about the topic.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. We expressly state our hopes for the organization and specific hopes for each major project or decision.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. We listen to each person’s thoughts and feelings about a decision to understand the real issue(s).

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4. All the options for a project or decision get out on the table. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5. We focus our information gathering on how the options help us realize our hopes.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6. When we review our choices, we listen to everyone’s negatives and positives on each option before deciding.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7. Each person expresses her or his candid judgment on which choices would best advance the team’s hopes.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8. We summarize the individual conclusions and identify the most desirable course of action as well as other acceptable choices.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9. We monitor whether our decisions are working and promptly modify them as needed.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10. We celebrate the team’s success and the fulfillment of our hopes.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Add the numbers above, then enter the total to determine your Ten-Step Quotient Score:

Documents

Creative Problem Solving - Gabrielle Consulting, Inc.gabrielleconsulting.com/docs/DecisionMakingProblemSolvingHando… · Creative Problem Solving Activity: Napkin Hop The Problem