CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

Creative Problem Solving is a proven method for approaching a problem or a challenge in an imaginative and innovative way. It’s a tool that helps people re-define the problems they face, come up with breakthrough ideas and then take action on these new ideas. Alex Osborn and Sidney Parnes conducted extensive research on the steps that are involved when people solve problems, the result of which is the following 6 steps that are broken down into 3 stages:

At the same time that CPS is a structured process, it’s also a very flexible one. When you begin to use and internalize the CPS process, you find that it’s cyclical. You begin to see how to move from step to step, and how to jump back and forth between steps. When CPS becomes part of your own way of thinking and working, you can use one step at a time, as you need it, when you need it. Once you understand the fundamentals of CPS, you can adapt this process to every situation you encounter, thereby realizing its power. One of the finest ways to learn about CPS, is through a real life example .In our class we were asked to solve a puzzle of taking the ring out of a toy.

Objective Finding - Identify Goal, Wish or Challenge  

This could be a wish or a goal. It might be the initial dissatisfaction or a desire that opens the door to using the CPS process. In our case the most important first step towards solving the puzzle was the clear and concise layout of the goal. Which was to take the ring out of the toy. In organizations any goal cannot be achieved without a proper layout of the organisation’s  goals. As discussed in the goal setting blog, the goals to be achieved have to be SMART.

Fact Finding - Gather Data

Assess and review all the data that pertains to the  situation at hand. Who’s involved, what’s involved, when, where, and why it’s important. Make a list of the facts and information, as well as the more visceral hunches, feelings, perceptions, assumptions and gossip around the situation. In this step, all the data is taken into consideration to review the objective and begin to innovate. In the case of the toy, in order to solve the problem we need to fully understand all its aspects before solving it. In this case the aim of our group is to understand that the toy is of the racket shape and it has a vertical slit. Apart from this it also has 2 square pieces  and 2 balls suspended by threads. This data is critical to handle the problem successfully.

Problem Finding - Clarify the Problem

In this step, explore the facts and data to find all the problems and challenges inherent in the situation, and all the opportunities they represent. This is about making sure you’re focusing on the right problem. It is possible to come up with the right answer to the wrong problem. Re-define what you want or what’s stopping you. In the case of the toy we have to clearly understand as to what is stopping us from finding the solution to the problem. The challenged to the taking out of the ring from the toy have to be clearly defined before progressing further. Here the challenge was that the ring was repeatedly getting stuck in the two square blocks .that was the main challenge.

Idea Finding - Generate Ideas

Generating ideas is much more than brainstorming. During this step, be vigilant about deferring judgment and coming up with wild, outrageous, out-of-the-box ideas. This is where you explore ideas that are possible solutions and have the most fun. It’s also where you need to stretch to make connections, take risks, and try new combinations to find potentially innovative solutions. The toy problem needs us to generate various possible combination of positions through which the problem can be solved. In organisatons too we have to understand that any problem requires every stakeholder to brainstorm and come up with out of the box ideas. Be it apple, or 3m , uncommon problems necceciate an uncommon solution.

Solution Finding – Select and Strengthen Solutions

First, try to strengthen and improve the best ideas generated. Next, generate the criteria that needs to be considered to evaluate the ideas for success. Apply that criteria to the top ideas and decide which are most likely to solve the redefined problem. The best idea needs to meet criteria that makes it actionable before it becomes the solution. A creative idea is not really useful if it won’t be implemented. In the case of the toy problem we came up with innovative solutions  and listed out a few ideas which are the most likely to solve the problem. It is at this stage that our decision making comes into the picture wherein we have to choose the best possible strategy to take the ring out of the toy. In organizations to it is imperative that the only those solutions are put into practice which give the maximum chance of success. The best possible strategy will then have to be put into action.

Acceptance Finding – Plan for Action

In this step, look at who’s responsible, what has to be done by when, and what resources are available in order to realize this idea as a full-fledged, activated solution. It is this stage when we really execute the plans to take the ring out of the toy. Based on the strategy decided in the previous method , we take out the ring out of the toy. We have to remember that an organization may have grand plans , but if they are not executed properly, they will not be of any use to the fulfillment of the organizations purpose.

Therefore the toy exercise proved to be a quintessential way to understand the nuisance of CPS, and get a better idea of its application in the real world .