Creative Problem Solving

Creative Problem SolvingJacque Melin - GVSU

Mess FindingMess Finding

MESS-FINDING MESS-FINDING Definition:

At the outset, we may not have any idea of what we would like to apply our creative thinking skills to. Or we may be faced with a "situation," a "hassle," something that bugs us. We don't quite know what to make of it, or are uncertain just what the situation is. It is an undefined situation, but one that carries a sense of need. Mess-Finding is the term given to this sort of situation. It is the beginning of awareness that something needs fixing, and it is an orientation towards the situation.

MESS-FINDINGMESS-FINDING OUTCOME:

A rough, sketched out statement of the situation we are faced with. The statement is expressed, and preferably written, in wish fulfillment language. It contains our thoughts, fantasies, wishes, desires, dreams, etc. about what we would like to see happen.

Tip! Hold at bay the temptation to define the problem prematurely.

DIVERGENT MESS-FINDINGDIVERGENT MESS-FINDING

Write a number of statements that begin with:

"I wish..." or "What I'd really like to see is..." or "Wouldn't it be cool if....“

____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

CONVERGENT MESS-FINDINGCONVERGENT MESS-FINDING

1.On your DIVERGENT list, star the items which:

bother you most are most important to you and important

others you most want to attain capture your imagination, curiosity and/or other

criteria________________________

CONVERGENT MESS-FINDINGCONVERGENT MESS-FINDING

2. From among those you starred, select one you would really like to work with immediately. Then, take a measure of the following:

MY DEGREE OF OWNERSHIP: 1__2__3__4__5__6__7__7__8__8__9__10 MY DEGREE OF WILLINGNESS TO WORK ON THE

SITUATION: 1__2__3__4__5__6__7__7__8__8__9__10 MY DEGREE OF INTEREST IN THIS SITUATION: 1__2__3__4__5__6__7__7__8__8__9__10 Is this situation something over which I have some

influence? YES ___ NO ___

If the answer is "No," you need to ally with those who have influence, find ways to obtain the influence, or make a wise decision to back off and choose some other situation.

Data FindingData Finding

DATA-FINDING DATA-FINDING OUTCOME:

A current description of the situation. A gathering of relevant facts that may act as jumping-off points for the thinking and idea-generating process. In the Four Stage map of the creative problem solving process, "Preparation --Incubation -- Illumination -- Verification," Data-Finding falls in the "Preparation" stage.

Tip! The temptation will be strong to jump to solutions before the problem has been well-defined. Resisting this temptation will allow for maximum novelty and appropriateness of your final solutions.

DATA-FINDING – STEP 1DATA-FINDING – STEP 1Step 1: Write your MESS STATEMENT

here: Wouldn't it be nice if... ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DATA-FINDING – STEP 2DATA-FINDING – STEP 2Step2: Ask yourself a number of questions about the

situation. Questions open up the perceptual and thinking processes. Examples:

Why is this important? Why can't this be ignored? What keeps me from getting past this? What will I lose if I don't do anything? Where, when how does this thing occur? Who could help me with this? Who stands to gain/lose when this is solved? When does this not seem to be a problem? What resources do I have? What information would I like to have? What sources of information are available? How did this come about? How does this situation affect me?

DATA-FINDING – STEP 3DATA-FINDING – STEP 3Step 3: Assign letters to the

information indicating the degree of relevance of the information:

H = Highly relevant M = Medium relevance L = Low relevance

PROBLEM-FINDING PROBLEM-FINDING

PROBLEM-FINDING PROBLEM-FINDING OUTCOME:

A focused, useful, problem-solving statement. NOTE: The problem definition/redefinition stage is

one of the most important steps of the whole process. Do not skip past this stage or shortchange it. Once you work with this step a few times, you will see the immense value in taking a little extra time here.

Below are three techniques for defining and redefining your problem statement. These are not the only possible techniques, but are tools that have been found to be highly effective in getting the process started. Give them a try, and make any modifications or adaptations that seem useful to you.

IWWMI...? KEY WORDS FIVE WHYS

"IWWMI...?""IWWMI...?" Brainstorm a list of possible problem statements that

begin with the sentence stem, "In what ways might I...?" This will prompt you to reorient your thinking from negative problem statements to positive ones. For example, a negative problem statement might be, "My problem is I don't have enough money." This statement leads the brain into a cul de sac by orienting its imagery and associations towards scarcity thinking. But stating the situation in a slightly different way leads to richer possibility thinking: "In what ways might I get more money?" The shift in thinking is subtle, yet profound.

In what ways might I _______________________________________________

In what ways might I _______________________________________________

In what ways might I _______________________________________________

In what ways might I _______________________________________________

In what ways might I _______________________________________________

KEY WORDSKEY WORDS

o Another way to approach the problem-definition activity is to write out an initial "In what ways might I" question and play with the key words in your sentence by substituting other words. Doing so will precipitate new thought combinations and patterns. For example, using the previous example, "In what ways might I get some money?" we could substitute other words for "I," "get," and "money," and see what happens. Let's assume someone wants money to buy stereo equipment:

Key Words - ContinuedKey Words - Continued In what ways might I beg for money? (Panhandlers sometimes

make a lot of money) In what ways might I borrow money? (Maybe my bank or Aunt

Martha will help) In what ways might I find money? (Hmmm, I could look under the

couch, check coin returns in vending machines and pay phones, or pick up soda bottles, or HEY! I just had an idea! Maybe I could put together found objects artistically and enter the art contest I just read about)

In what ways might I win money? (Lottery, bingo at church, hold a raffle for my house)

In what ways might I give away money? (Hmmm, this makes me think of becoming a fund raiser for worthwhile charities, and charging an ethical amount for my services)

In what ways might I cough up money? (Ah-Ha! That triggered a memory of Uncle Fred. He sure coughs a lot. Haven't thought about him in a while. He always said if I ever needed help, come see him.)

In what ways might I avoid the need for money? (Get a job at the stereo store so I can get the equipment I want at a discount. Hey! Maybe I can barter for it. Or maybe I can send an early Christmas list to my family and friends.)

The "FIVE WHYS" techniqueThe "FIVE WHYS" technique

It's a good idea to dig a little deeper once you have settled on a problem definition. If you have defined your task specifically and concretely, it can be extremely useful to retool your statement at a higher order of abstraction. The reverse is also true. If you have defined the problem abstractly, try to rethink it on a more concrete level. Doing so can often yield sudden insights, and reveal unsuspected solutions. One way to do this is a technique called Five Whys. You take your problem definition and ask, "Why do I want that?" And whatever answer you come up with, you again ask, "Why do I want that?" Do so five times. The outcome will be the distilled essence of your quest at a more abstract level of meaning, a higher point of view from which many more potential solutions can flow than you could have generated from the original problem definition.

The "FIVE WHYS" techniqueThe "FIVE WHYS" technique

The "FIVE WHYS" techniqueThe "FIVE WHYS" technique

Once you have peeled back the layers of motivation to a deeper level, you will begin to see that there may be many, many ways of satisfying the underlying need ("personal growth and sense of accomplishment") besides the one you started with ("I want some money.")

IDEA-FINDING IDEA-FINDING

IDEA-FINDING IDEA-FINDING OUTCOME:

A list of potential solutions which seem promising.

Tip! Avoid the tendency to judge your solution ideas too soon. (The opportunity to do so will come in the next step, wherein you apply criteria filters.)

There are many, many different tools available for jarring the brain out of its usual thought patterns, and provoking new ideas.

Mind-MappingMind-Mapping Mind Mapping is a brainstorming technique in

which you draw an oval in the center of the page and write a one or two-word phrase in the circle that expresses the central theme of your brainstorm. Then you free associate to that theme by writing ideas that pop into your mind on the page surrounding the central oval. As you scatter your thoughts around the page, draw ovals around each separate idea, thought, association, and connect them to the central oval. This technique helps you slip out of the limiting, structured process associated with outlining or even making lists. Let your mind flow fluidly as you work/play with random associations. Once you've covered your page with thoughts, you can go back and reorganize them in a linear fashion, if you wish.

BrainstormingBrainstorming See Handout

SOLUTION-FINDING SOLUTION-FINDING

SOLUTION-FINDING SOLUTION-FINDING OUTCOME:

A rank-ordered list of possible solutions.

At the Solution-Finding stage, we finally get to select what we consider the best ideas. Whew! An important attribute for creative thinking is a high degree of tolerance for ambiguity; i.e., the capacity to hang out in a state of unresolved tension long enough to consider lots of options. Well, we're finally here. Now we will filter our potential solutions through criteria we consider important. So we must first generate a list of criteria, select the ones we want to use, and apply them.

Solution FindingSolution Finding Step 1. Brainstorm a list of possible criteria

or standards against which you will measure your possible solutions. OR – Use the list of criteria ideas I gave you last time

Step 2. Insert your criteria in the appropriate slots on the Decision Grid (just shown). Insert your ideas in the Idea column. Rate each idea on a scale of 1 to 4 for each criteria. Total all points for each idea. This will give some sort of numerical ranking, which should be helpful in considering whether to implement an idea now, hold off until later, modify and implement, or reject any given idea.

Possible CriteriaPossible Criteria How practical will this be? How safe will this be? How effective will this be? How easily can this be carried out? How inexpensive will this be? How supportive will others be? How challenging will this be? (use only if

“challenge” means positive) How widespread will the support be? How far-reaching will the benefits be? How much attention will this get? How beneficial will this be? How satisfied will I be? How easy will it be to obtain the necessary

equipment?

Solution FindingSolution Finding

ACCEPTANCE-FINDING

ACCEPTANCE-FINDING

ACCEPTANCE-FINDING ACCEPTANCE-FINDING Acceptance Finding begins a new phase of

the CPS Process. We shift gears to the stage of implementation. The problem solver must turn ideas into realities, make what has been private public, transform the immaterial into the material, and shift from thought to action. The implementation stage involves (at least) four separate but interrelated factors: planning, activity, making adjustments in response to feedback from the environment, and selling others on the ideas.

ACCEPTANCE-FINDINGACCEPTANCE-FINDINGFollow these steps:

Envision the completed project. Brainstorm a list of EVENTS needed to

complete the project. Plan the EVENTS. Enhance probability of success.

ACCEPTANCE-FINDINGACCEPTANCE-FINDING Step 1.

Envision the completed project. This is simply a matter of looking forward to a time when we can look back and see the path that led to where we will be. Rather than start from the beginning, we start from where we want to be. This perceptual shift yields a different vantage point and a different set of mental patterns. It is useful to spend some time in painting a mental picture of the outcome state the way we would like it to be. Doing so will prompt new images, ideas, thoughts, and insights.

ACCEPTANCE-FINDINGACCEPTANCE-FINDING Step 2.

Brainstorm a list of EVENTS needed to complete the project in any order. EVENTS are those actions that need to occur in order to accomplish the project. It is much easier to brainstorm a list of EVENTS while suspending judgment than to generate the list in a logical, sequential order.

ACCEPTANCE-FINDINGACCEPTANCE-FINDING Step 3. Plan the EVENTS

Once you have listed the EVENTS, transfer each one to a "Post-It" note. You should rephrase each item to read in the past tense. For example, Brochure Text Written, Brochures Printed, Budget Approved, etc. then take the Post-It notes and arrange them on a large sheet of paper, such as a flip chart page or a sheet of butcher paper. Cluster the notes in natural groupings, and avoid the tendency to try to put them into linear sequences. You will see that there are actions which can take place more or less simultaneously. Finally, using any system of numbering, give each EVENT a number. The numbers are for identification and reference purposes only and they can be changed. So it would be a good idea to use pencil when you do your numbering.

ACCEPTANCE-FINDINGACCEPTANCE-FINDING Enhance probability of success.

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