Creative problem solving techniques

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Key Points

A full creative problem solving program will follow a process of broadening and narrowing focus across four stages of a project:

1. Problem definition
2. Idea generation
3. Solution selection
4. Implementation

At each stage of the process you broaden the focus by promoting new ideas, and then close down to a narrow focus by selecting one or two solutions.

The most difficult and critical parts of the process are problem definition and implementation. The area that has generated the most techniques is idea generation.

In more detail.....

Basics

For all creative problem solving techniques, the sessions have to be conducted in a spirit of generosity. Every person and every idea is valuable. This is particularly the case in the idea generation stage.

The team should therefore be discouraged from any direct criticism of any other members of the team, or their ideas. Rather, team members should be encouraged to say "How about if ........" and to offer additional or alternative ideas, rather than saying "I do not agree with ........" or "That will not work because ........."

1. Problem definition

The most crucial stage is to ensure that the problem is defined correctly (otherwise you come up with the potential solution to a different problem).

There are a series of tools which can be used to help problem definition, including:

• "Why's & consequences" or "laddering" - why is this a problem and what are the consequences of solving it?
• "Word replacement" - identify the key words within the problem and replace them with alternatives
• "Word diamond" - pull out four key words from the problem definition and "force-fit" them, whereby one word is placed on each point of the diamond and is contrasted with the other two words either side of it. If you do not like diamonds, try a square
• "50 questions" - apply 50 standard questions to the problem as sub-headings of "where?", "why?", "what?", "when?", "who?", "how?"
• "Stretch" - stretch the problem by exaggerating it, minimising it, and reversing it
• "Surfacing assumptions" - draw out the hidden assumptions behind the problem definition and inspect them

2. Idea generation

There are about 250 techniques you can apply here, but they can generally be split into:

• group vs. individual activity
• free association (brainstorming) vs. force-fit (morphology)
• verbal vs. mapping vs. imaging

The key thing is not to continue to apply any one technique if it is not generating heat. The same technique can work excellently one day and dreadfully the next.

Try some of these:

• "Fishbone" - map the issues within a "fishbone", with the problem at the "head", and potential solutions along each bone. This technique can also be used to help define the problem (above)
• "Mind maps" - draw free form "maps" to explore the problem and use this as a s "springboard" for potential solutions. Mind maps can also include arrows to show the impact of one area on another. Again, this can also be used to help define the problem (above)
• "Reversals" - list all the assumptions you have about a problem, and then reverse them, or exaggerate them, or in some way distort them
• "Analogies" - what situation or thing is analogous to the problem? People often take analogies from nature
• "Sayings" - apply famous sayings to the problem, e.g. "a stitch in time saves nine", "two many cooks spoil the broth"
• "Superheroes" - what would a famous person say about the situation, e.g. how would Bill Gates handle it?
• "Stating the ridiculous" - get one group of people to brainstorm the most ridiculous solutions they can think of. Get another group to rationalise and champion them
• "Storyboarding" - draw a physical picture of the situation in one or more "frames"
• "Writing a story" - get people to write a short fictional story based on the situation
• "Mind travel" - go on an "excursion" to a desert island, or somewhere similar, and develop an analogy for the problem
• "Modelling" - make a model of the problem/solution in dough, or other modelling materials

"Magazine collage" - illustrate the problem by cutting out pictures from magazines

• "Alternative scenarios" - use shortened scenario planning techniques
• "Walking" - go for a walk, literally or imaginatively. Use whatever you observe to trigger new thoughts
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• "Morphology" - "force-fit" attributes of the problem against each other. A car has speed and colour = "racing green". This is used particularly for new product ideas

3. Solution selection

Some voting techniques include:

• "Vote-discuss-champion-vote" - have an initial vote, discuss the outcome, get people to champion various solutions, and vote again
• "Dots" - give people 10 dots to vote on solutions. They can give all their dots to one solution, or share them around
• "Combining solutions" - see if several popular solutions can be combined in some way
• "First past the post" - whichever gets the most votes wins
• "Transferable vote" - complex, and there are lots of versions, but basically allow people to transfer votes if their first choice is not selected in the first round

4. Implementation

Try:

• "Bullet proofing" - what could possibly go wrong? What is the contingency plan?
• "Stakeholder analysis" - who are the various "stakeholders", and how will they react? How can they be activated, turned or neutralised?
• "PERT/critical path analysis" - what are the key stages of implementation in chronological sequence? Which activities can take place in parallel? Where are the bottlenecks?
• "Project management" - use standard project management techniques, such as Prince II, to map out the course of the implementation, and allocate tasks to resources

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