Creative Problem Solving

http://www.diegm.uniud.it/create/Handbook/techniques/List/CPS.php

Osborn’s original classical brainstorming is the root of creative problem solving (CPS). There are a variety of general structures: ‘define problem, generate possible solutions, select and implement the best’ which can be found extensively, in several different academic traditions.

However, the account illustrate here was formulated by Sidney J. Parnes in the 1950’s and has been build upon continuously since then by various authors, e.g. Isakesen and Treffinger (1985) Isaksen, Dorval and Treffinger (1994 and 1998).

The method can be used as a training programme and has a very extensive track record linked particularly with the Centre for Studies in Creativity of the State University College at Buffalo, New York, the Buffalo Creative problem Solving Group, and with the Centre for Creative Learning in Sarasota, Florida.

In it’s most extended and formalised form it has the six stages shown below, each with a divergent and a convergent phase. However, more recent publications seem more interested in focusing on procedure and technique issues, with less weight on the full elaboration of this structure.

The following, based on Van Gundy (1988’s) description, is a very brief skeleton of a very rich process, showing it in its full ‘6 x 2 stages’ form:

1. Stage 1: Mess finding: Sensitise yourself (scan, search) for issues (concerns, challenges, opportunities, etc.) that need to be tackled.
   
   • Divergent techniques include ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice If…’ (WIBNI) and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Awful If…’ (WIBAI) – brainstorming to identify desirable outcomes, and obstacles to be overcome.
   • Convergent techniques include the identification of hotspots (Highlighting), expressed as a list of IWWMs (‘In What Ways Might…’), and selection in terms of ownership criteria (e.g. problem-owner’s motivation and ability to influence it) and outlook criteria (e.g. urgency, familiarity, stability).
2. Stage 2: Data finding: Gather information about the problem.
   
   • Divergent techniques include Five Ws and H (Who, Why, What, When, Where and How) and listing of wants, sources and data: List all your information ‘wants’ as a series of question; for each, list possible sources of answers; then follow these up and for each source, list what you found.
   • Convergent techniques again include: identifying hotspots (Highlighting); Mind-mapping to sort and classify the information gathered; and also restating the problem in the light of your richer understanding of it.
3. Stage 3: Problem finding: convert a fuzzy statement of the problem into a broad statement more suitable for idea finding.
   
   • Divergent techniques include asking ‘Why?’ etc. – the repeatable questions and Five Ws and H.
   • Convergent techniques include Highlighting again, reformulation of problem-statements to meet the criteria that they contain only one problem and no criteria, and selection of the most promising statement (but NB that the mental ‘stretching’ that the activity gives to the participants can be as important as the actual statement chosen).
4. Stage 4: Idea Finding: generate as many ideas as possible
   
   • Divergence using any of a very wide range of idea-generating techniques. The general rules of classical brainstorming (such as deferring judgement) are likely to under-pin all of these.
   • Convergence can again involve hotspots or mind-mapping, the combining of different ideas, and the short-listing of the most promising handful, perhaps with some thought for the more obvious evaluation criteria, but not over-restrictively.
5. Stage 5: Solution finding: Generate and select obvious evaluation criteria (using an expansion/contraction cycle) and develop (which may include combining) the short-listed ideas from Idea Finding as much as you can in the light of these criteria. Then opt for the best of these improved ideas (e.g. using Comparison tables).
6. Stage 6: Acceptance finding: How can the suggestion you have just selected be made up to standard and put into practice? Shun negativity, and continue to apply deferred judgement – problems are exposed to be solved, not to dishearten progress. Action plans are better developed in small groups of 2 – 3 rather than in a large group (unless you particularly want commitment by the whole group). Particularly for ‘people’ problems it is often worth developing several alternative action plans. Possible techniques include 

Amazing True Story - How help comes back to you helping you.

Amazing True Story

This is a true story that had happened in 1892 at Stanford University. It's moral is still relevant today.

A young, 18 year old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. A friend and he decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.

They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2,000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck. And the boys began to work to make the concert a success.

The big day arrived. Paderewski performed at Stanford. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1,600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1,600, plus a cheque for the balance of $400. They promised to honour the cheque soonest possible.

"No" said Paderewski. "This is not acceptable" He tore up the cheque, returned the $1,600 and told the boys "Here's the $1,600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left" The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.

It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being. Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think "If I help them, what would happen to me?"

The truly great people think, "If I don't help them, what will happen to them?" They don't do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it's the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were over 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them.

Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.

The head was a man called Herbert Hoover - who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to fee the starving Polish people. A calamity was averted.

Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, "You shouldn't be thanking me, Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college in the US. I was one of them."

Make it a habit to help others. It is rightly said that you can achieve everything you want in life if only you help other people achieve what they want in their lives.

Do something unselfish today. Help someone! Just do it. And don’t expect anything in return. The world is a wonderful place. What goes around usually comes around.

Theory of Constraints + Change management

Theory of Constraints (TOC) provides a set of holistic processes and rules, all based on a systems approach that exploits the inherent simplicity within complex systems through focusing on the few "leverage points” as a way to synchronize the parts to achieve ongoing improvement in the performance of the system as a whole.

What prevents us from achieving the goal?

CONSTRAINTS – factors or elements that determine how much the system can accomplish.

Main types of constraints of a commercial system:

Capacity Constraint – a resource which cannot provide timely capacity the systems demands for it.

Market Constraint – the amount of customers’ orders is not sufficient to sustain the required growth of the system.

Time Constraint – The response time of the system to the requirement of the market is too long to the extent that it jeopardizes the system’s ability to meet its current commitment to its customers as well as the ability of winning new business.

THE FIVE FOCUSING STEPS OF TOC

1.       Identify (choose) the system’s constraint.

2.      Decide how to exploit the system’s constraint.

3.      Subordinate everything else to the above decision.

4.      Elevate the system’s constraint.

5.      If the constraint is broken go back to step one but do not allow Inertia to cause the system’s constraint.

TOC IS BASED ON 3 BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

Basic Assumption 1:

Everything within a system is connected by cause and effect relationships. Identification of the causes leads us to converge onto an apparent core problem/contradiction/conflict.

Manifestation: Search for a logical reasoning

The use of Cause & Effect relationships to structure our thinking, record our analysis and understand the suggested solution for any problem (based on Convergence)

Basic Assumption 2:

All contradictions can be resolved without compromise – our level of understanding and our assumptions hold the contradiction in place. A compromise is not usually a win-win solution.

Manifestation: Resolve conflicts

A strong belief that there should be no conceptual conflict within our reality – hence – striving to find a win-win solution to any perceived "no solution situation” (Local & Global)

Basic Assumption 3:

There is no resistance to improvement – people do not embrace change because we have not brought them to see the win for them.

Manifestation: Seek for collaboration and contribution

The use of TOC logical tools logic to communicate to ourselves and thereafter to the team with the view of working together to achieve the desired improvement (based on Respect)

The Leader of a system sees their role as to ever improve the performance of the system under their responsibility.

Improved performance is a result of implementing a new idea ("solution”) onto the existing system.

The manager who introduces the solution needs to know:

 1.     Which parts of the system are "erroneous” and have to be replaced

2.     The new parts must be introduced to replace the erroneous parts

3.     All the other parts of the system stay as they are!

Managers need a systematic approach to develop plans for the pursuit of a significant improvement of their systems. This systemic approach is about finding answers to the four questions of system improvement.

1.     WHAT to change?

  Pinpoint the core problem

2.     WHAT to change TO

  Construct simple practical solutions

3.     HOW to cause the change?

  Induce the proper people to make the change (to invent such solutions)

4.     What creates the process of ongoing improvement (POOGI)?

        Create a mechanism to determine what to improve next

 

Solution creation:

TOC enhances the ability of managers to develop or construct solutions for improving the performance of their systems. At the same time – TOC also enhances the ability to communicate the solution to the proper people that their support and collaborations is necessary for implementing the solution.

Answer these questions in this order:

1) State the change. Be very specific, what you are suggesting be changed?

2) What’s your alligator? What’s the negative of not changing? It is something bad or negative that exists today, and unless a change is made will not go away and will hurt you/us.

3) What’s your mermaid? What’s the positive to not changing for you? It is something good you/we have now, that because of your change you/we will likely lose.

4) What’s your pot of gold? What’s the positive to making the change for you? It is something good you/we don’t have now, but you/we want, and you think we can get if the change is made.

5) What’s your crutch? What the negative to making the change for you? It is something bad (for you/we) that doesn't exist today, but can and most likely will happen if the change is made.