- Starting a Business
- Growing a Business
- Business News
- Science & Technology
- Money & Finance
- Green Entrepreneur
- United States
- Asia Pacific
- Middle East
- South Africa
Copyright © 2023 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Entrepreneur® and its related marks are registered trademarks of Entrepreneur Media Inc.
Creativity Is Your Best Problem-Solving Tool -- Here's How to Harness It Your success as an entrepreneur is contingent on your ability to solve problems effectively, and one of the best tools you have for the job is your creativity.
By Timothy Carter • Sep 10, 2020
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Entrepreneurs are problem solvers at heart. Most businesses are designed to solve some kind of consumer problem; for example, you might sell a product that allows people to do something they'd otherwise be incapable of or sell a service that makes someone's life easier. And in the course of business leadership, you'll be responsible for solving a multitude of problems, from high-level challenges like how to become more profitable to low-level challenges like how to resolve an inter-employee conflict.
Related: Why Creativity is Key For The Post-Crisis Rebuild
Your success is contingent on your ability to solve problems effectively, and one of the best tools you have for the job is your creativity. But why is creativity so valuable in solving problems, and how can you make the best use of it?
Why creativity is your best problem-solving tool
Creativity is the ability to come up with original ideas. In other words, you can think in new ways, and come up with strategies that aren't conventional.
This is beneficial when problem solving for several reasons:
- Novel strategy discovery (and differentiation). You know that differentiating your business is vital if you want to stand out in the industry. Sometimes, coming up with unique solutions to common problems is the only way to achieve that differentiation. Is there a way you can serve your customers in a way that none of your competitors can? Is there a novel strategy that nobody has utilized to improve profitability? Creativity helps you stumble upon these unique, undiscovered tactics.
- Breaking past conventional barriers. Creativity is also important for breaking through conventional barriers to advancement. If you run into a complex problem that's always been solved a certain way, with a handful of disadvantages, you may be able to eliminate those disadvantages with a creative new approach.
- Finding optimal solutions. Coming up with original ideas is also a way to get closer to "optimal" solutions. If you generate one or two basic ideas, you'll have limited options for how to move forward. Through creativity, you can generate five or six ideas, and you'll have a much better chance at improving upon your "first instinct" approaches.
Related: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Talks Creativity, Collaboration and Other Fun Ways to Not Go Totally Insane
How to harness creativity
Here's the big issue with creativity: You can't force it . There's no way to sit down and simply power through a creative brainstorming session. Instead, the most impressive creative breakthroughs tend to happen spontaneously, and when people least expect them.
That said, there are some strategies you can use to boost your creative potential and allow yourself to think in more dynamic ways.
- Improve creativity in yourself and others. First, understand that you're not the only person on your team — and you're certainly not the only team member capable of coming up with creative ideas. You can easily boost your total creative potential by improving creativity in both yourself and the people around you. This means applying the same strategies to your team that you're applying to yourself and fostering an environment that both encourages and rewards creative thinking from employees.
- Give yourself more time. One of the best steps you can take is to give yourself more time. This isn't always possible; sometimes, you'll need to make an immediate decision or act immediately to start resolving a problem. But if you have a few days to think about something, give yourself each of those days. More time means you'll think through more variables, and you'll have more time to naturally stumble upon a solution, which leads to our next point.
- Get bored. Boredom has a negative connotation, but it's actually good for your mind . When we're bored, our minds aren't active, which means they can wander freely (and start connecting ideas in unique ways). This is why so many people claim to come up with great ideas in the shower, or while on a long drive; being bored helps you generate more creative concepts.
- Talk to others. No matter how naturally creative you are, your mind is still going to be limited based on your current knowledge, perspectives and experiences. If you want to expand your creative horizons, you need to talk to other people who have different sets of knowledge, perspectives and experiences. See the world through their eyes and ask what they think about your current dilemmas; they may have valuable insights that can lead you to a new solution.
- Stimulate yourself with creative work. It's also a good idea to creatively stimulate yourself with art and creative works from other people. Even simple measures, like hanging abstract art in your office or playing jazz music while you're working, can have a profound effect.
- Take inspiration from outside the box. Finally, look for inspiration in unconventional places. If you're trying to solve a problem in your specific industry, you might look at businesses like yours, including current competitors and similar businesses that have existed in the past. However, it may be better to look at how companies in other industries have solved the problem; they may have a fundamentally different approach that opens your mind to new possibilities.
With these strategies, you'll start thinking more creatively as an entrepreneur. Over time, creative modes of thinking will become more natural to you and you'll be able to come up with more novel solutions to the challenges you face regularly. Keep improving to see even better results and start solving your business problems from entirely new angles.
Related: Embracing Your Creativity in Uncertain Times
Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor
Chief Revenue Officer of SEO.co
Editor's Pick Red Arrow
Related topics red arrow, most popular red arrow, 'please feel free to correct me': mark cuban slams elon musk over 'free speech' on twitter.
Cuban has long been critical of Musk's decisions with the social media platform after purchasing it.
5 Things Every Small Business Should Be Doing This Year
If your small business is going to survive and thrive in 2023, there are specific things you need to be doing.
Take Your Network Global When You Learn a New Language With Babbel
This Memorial Day, save on a lifetime subscription for $189.97.
A Leader's Most Powerful Tool Is Executive Capital. Here's What It Is — and How to Earn It.
This skill is how leaders create something from nothing and leave a lasting legacy.
After Her Brother's Death in Iraq Became News, a PR Strategist Learned Firsthand Why the Way We Tell Stories Matters — and It Changed Her Career
Ami Neiberger, a communications strategist and media-relations expert for more than 20 years, says there's a "fine line to walk" when it comes to sharing our most vulnerable moments.
This Simple Hack Will Get You Into Costco Without A Membership Card
TikTokers have found a way to beat the system at the warehouse chain.
Successfully copied link
How it works
For Business
Join Mind Tools
Article • 10 min read
Creative Problem Solving
Finding innovative solutions to challenges.
By the Mind Tools Content Team
Imagine that you're vacuuming your house in a hurry because you've got friends coming over. Frustratingly, you're working hard but you're not getting very far. You kneel down, open up the vacuum cleaner, and pull out the bag. In a cloud of dust, you realize that it's full... again. Coughing, you empty it and wonder why vacuum cleaners with bags still exist!
Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of solving problems or identifying opportunities when conventional thinking has failed. It encourages you to find fresh perspectives and come up with innovative solutions, so that you can formulate a plan to overcome obstacles and reach your goals.
In this article, we'll explore what CPS is, and we'll look at its key principles. We'll also provide a model that you can use to generate creative solutions.
About Creative Problem Solving
Alex Osborn, founder of the Creative Education Foundation, first developed creative problem solving in the 1940s, along with the term "brainstorming." And, together with Sid Parnes, he developed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process. Despite its age, this model remains a valuable approach to problem solving. [2]
The early Osborn-Parnes model inspired a number of other tools. One of these is the 2011 CPS Learner's Model, also from the Creative Education Foundation, developed by Dr Gerard J. Puccio, Marie Mance, and co-workers. In this article, we'll use this modern four-step model to explore how you can use CPS to generate innovative, effective solutions.
Why Use Creative Problem Solving?
Dealing with obstacles and challenges is a regular part of working life, and overcoming them isn't always easy. To improve your products, services, communications, and interpersonal skills, and for you and your organization to excel, you need to encourage creative thinking and find innovative solutions that work.
CPS asks you to separate your "divergent" and "convergent" thinking as a way to do this. Divergent thinking is the process of generating lots of potential solutions and possibilities, otherwise known as brainstorming. And convergent thinking involves evaluating those options and choosing the most promising one. Often, we use a combination of the two to develop new ideas or solutions. However, using them simultaneously can result in unbalanced or biased decisions, and can stifle idea generation.
For more on divergent and convergent thinking, and for a useful diagram, see the book "Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making." [3]
Core Principles of Creative Problem Solving
CPS has four core principles. Let's explore each one in more detail:
- Divergent and convergent thinking must be balanced. The key to creativity is learning how to identify and balance divergent and convergent thinking (done separately), and knowing when to practice each one.
- Ask problems as questions. When you rephrase problems and challenges as open-ended questions with multiple possibilities, it's easier to come up with solutions. Asking these types of questions generates lots of rich information, while asking closed questions tends to elicit short answers, such as confirmations or disagreements. Problem statements tend to generate limited responses, or none at all.
- Defer or suspend judgment. As Alex Osborn learned from his work on brainstorming, judging solutions early on tends to shut down idea generation. Instead, there's an appropriate and necessary time to judge ideas during the convergence stage.
- Focus on "Yes, and," rather than "No, but." Language matters when you're generating information and ideas. "Yes, and" encourages people to expand their thoughts, which is necessary during certain stages of CPS. Using the word "but" – preceded by "yes" or "no" – ends conversation, and often negates what's come before it.
How to Use the Tool
Let's explore how you can use each of the four steps of the CPS Learner's Model (shown in figure 1, below) to generate innovative ideas and solutions.
Figure 1 – CPS Learner's Model
Explore the Vision
Identify your goal, desire or challenge. This is a crucial first step because it's easy to assume, incorrectly, that you know what the problem is. However, you may have missed something or have failed to understand the issue fully, and defining your objective can provide clarity. Read our article, 5 Whys , for more on getting to the root of a problem quickly.
Gather Data
Once you've identified and understood the problem, you can collect information about it and develop a clear understanding of it. Make a note of details such as who and what is involved, all the relevant facts, and everyone's feelings and opinions.
Formulate Questions
When you've increased your awareness of the challenge or problem you've identified, ask questions that will generate solutions. Think about the obstacles you might face and the opportunities they could present.
Explore Ideas
Generate ideas that answer the challenge questions you identified in step 1. It can be tempting to consider solutions that you've tried before, as our minds tend to return to habitual thinking patterns that stop us from producing new ideas. However, this is a chance to use your creativity .
Brainstorming and Mind Maps are great ways to explore ideas during this divergent stage of CPS. And our articles, Encouraging Team Creativity , Problem Solving , Rolestorming , Hurson's Productive Thinking Model , and The Four-Step Innovation Process , can also help boost your creativity.
See our Brainstorming resources within our Creativity section for more on this.
Formulate Solutions
This is the convergent stage of CPS, where you begin to focus on evaluating all of your possible options and come up with solutions. Analyze whether potential solutions meet your needs and criteria, and decide whether you can implement them successfully. Next, consider how you can strengthen them and determine which ones are the best "fit." Our articles, Critical Thinking and ORAPAPA , are useful here.
4. Implement
Formulate a plan.
Once you've chosen the best solution, it's time to develop a plan of action. Start by identifying resources and actions that will allow you to implement your chosen solution. Next, communicate your plan and make sure that everyone involved understands and accepts it.
There have been many adaptations of CPS since its inception, because nobody owns the idea.
For example, Scott Isaksen and Donald Treffinger formed The Creative Problem Solving Group Inc . and the Center for Creative Learning , and their model has evolved over many versions. Blair Miller, Jonathan Vehar and Roger L. Firestien also created their own version, and Dr Gerard J. Puccio, Mary C. Murdock, and Marie Mance developed CPS: The Thinking Skills Model. [4] Tim Hurson created The Productive Thinking Model , and Paul Reali developed CPS: Competencies Model. [5]
Sid Parnes continued to adapt the CPS model by adding concepts such as imagery and visualization , and he founded the Creative Studies Project to teach CPS. For more information on the evolution and development of the CPS process, see Creative Problem Solving Version 6.1 by Donald J. Treffinger, Scott G. Isaksen, and K. Brian Dorval. [6]
Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Infographic
See our infographic on Creative Problem Solving .
Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of using your creativity to develop new ideas and solutions to problems. The process is based on separating divergent and convergent thinking styles, so that you can focus your mind on creating at the first stage, and then evaluating at the second stage.
There have been many adaptations of the original Osborn-Parnes model, but they all involve a clear structure of identifying the problem, generating new ideas, evaluating the options, and then formulating a plan for successful implementation.
[1] Entrepreneur (2012). James Dyson on Using Failure to Drive Success [online]. Available here . [Accessed May 27, 2022.]
[2] Creative Education Foundation (2015). The CPS Process [online]. Available here . [Accessed May 26, 2022.]
[3] Kaner, S. et al. (2014). 'Facilitator′s Guide to Participatory Decision–Making,' San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
[4] Puccio, G., Mance, M., and Murdock, M. (2011). 'Creative Leadership: Skils That Drive Change' (2nd Ed.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
[5] OmniSkills (2013). Creative Problem Solving [online]. Available here . [Accessed May 26, 2022].
[6] Treffinger, G., Isaksen, S., and Dorval, B. (2010). Creative Problem Solving (CPS Version 6.1). Center for Creative Learning, Inc. & Creative Problem Solving Group, Inc. Available here .
You've accessed 1 of your 2 free resources.
Get unlimited access
Discover more content
What is problem solving.
Expert Interviews
The Power of Positive Deviance
Richard Pascale
Add comment
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment!
Get 25% off all membership plans!
Your development should be your top priority. Start feeling empowered to take ownership of your career and invest in learning the skills you need to excel in your role.
Sign-up to our newsletter
Subscribing to the Mind Tools newsletter will keep you up-to-date with our latest updates and newest resources.
Subscribe now
Business Skills
Personal Development
Leadership and Management
Most Popular
Newest Releases
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
How to Build Self-Confidence
Mind Tools Store
About Mind Tools Content
Discover something new today
Hybrid working video.
Video Transcript
Animated Video
Cognitive Load Theory
Helping People Learn Effectively
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
Boosting Your People Skills
Self-Assessment
What's Your Leadership Style?
Learn About the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Way You Like to Lead
Recommended for you
Aptitude testing.
Assessing the Potential for Success
What's Your Locus of Control?
Business Ethics and Values
Business Operations and Process Management
Customer Service
Handling Information and Data
Knowledge Management
Project Management
Strategy Tools
Career Skills
Communication Skills
Creativity Tools
Difficult Conversations
Learning Skills
Negotiation, Persuasion and Influence
Presentation Skills
Self-Development and Goal Setting
Self-Management
Stress Management and Well-Being
Time Management
Work-Life Balance
Working With Others
Change Management
Coaching and Mentoring
Decision Making
Delegation and Empowerment
Developing Your Team
Leadership Skills
Managing Conflict
Performance Management
Problem Solving
Talent Management
Team Management
- Business Essentials
- Leadership & Management
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Finance & Accounting
- Business in Society
- For Organizations
- Support Portal
- Media Coverage
- Founding Donors
- Leadership Team
- Harvard Business School →
- HBS Online →
- Business Insights →
Business Insights
Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.
- Career Development
- Communication
- Decision-Making
- Earning Your MBA
- Negotiation
- News & Events
- Productivity
- Staff Spotlight
- Student Profiles
- Work-Life Balance
- Alternative Investments
- Business Analytics
- Business Strategy
- Design Thinking and Innovation
- Disruptive Strategy
- Economics for Managers
- Entrepreneurship Essentials
- Financial Accounting
- Global Business
- Launching Tech Ventures
- Leadership Principles
- Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
- Leading with Finance
- Management Essentials
- Negotiation Mastery
- Organizational Leadership
- Power and Influence for Positive Impact
- Strategy Execution
- Sustainable Business Strategy
- Sustainable Investing
What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?
- 01 Feb 2022
One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown. Business leaders can overcome this barrier by mobilizing creative team members and providing space to innovate.
There are several tools you can use to encourage creativity in the workplace. Creative problem-solving is one of them, which facilitates the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems.
Here’s an overview of creative problem-solving and why it’s important in business.
What Is Creative Problem-Solving?
Research is necessary when solving a problem. But there are situations where a problem’s specific cause is difficult to pinpoint. This can occur when there’s not enough time to narrow down the problem’s source or there are differing opinions about its root cause.
In such cases, you can use creative problem-solving , which allows you to explore potential solutions regardless of whether a problem has been defined.
Creative problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes and encourages exploring open-ended solutions. It also focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity in the workplace . Its benefits include:
- Finding creative solutions to complex problems : User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation’s complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it.
- Adapting to change : Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt. Creative problem-solving helps overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.
- Fueling innovation and growth : In addition to solutions, creative problem-solving can spark innovative ideas that drive company growth. These ideas can lead to new product lines, services, or a modified operations structure that improves efficiency.
Creative problem-solving is traditionally based on the following key principles :
1. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking
Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a problem, while convergence narrows them down to a shortlist. It balances these two practices and turns ideas into concrete solutions.
2. Reframe Problems as Questions
By framing problems as questions, you shift from focusing on obstacles to solutions. This provides the freedom to brainstorm potential ideas.
3. Defer Judgment of Ideas
When brainstorming, it can be natural to reject or accept ideas right away. Yet, immediate judgments interfere with the idea generation process. Even ideas that seem implausible can turn into outstanding innovations upon further exploration and development.
4. Focus on "Yes, And" Instead of "No, But"
Using negative words like "no" discourages creative thinking. Instead, use positive language to build and maintain an environment that fosters the development of creative and innovative ideas.
Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking
Whereas creative problem-solving facilitates developing innovative ideas through a less structured workflow, design thinking takes a far more organized approach.
Design thinking is a human-centered, solutions-based process that fosters the ideation and development of solutions. In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar leverages a four-phase framework to explain design thinking.
The four stages are:
- Clarify: The clarification stage allows you to empathize with the user and identify problems. Observations and insights are informed by thorough research. Findings are then reframed as problem statements or questions.
- Ideate: Ideation is the process of coming up with innovative ideas. The divergence of ideas involved with creative problem-solving is a major focus.
- Develop: In the development stage, ideas evolve into experiments and tests. Ideas converge and are explored through prototyping and open critique.
- Implement: Implementation involves continuing to test and experiment to refine the solution and encourage its adoption.
Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.
Creative Problem-Solving Tools
While there are many useful tools in the creative problem-solving process, here are three you should know:
Creating a Problem Story
One way to innovate is by creating a story about a problem to understand how it affects users and what solutions best fit their needs. Here are the steps you need to take to use this tool properly.
1. Identify a UDP
Create a problem story to identify the undesired phenomena (UDP). For example, consider a company that produces printers that overheat. In this case, the UDP is "our printers overheat."
2. Move Forward in Time
To move forward in time, ask: “Why is this a problem?” For example, minor damage could be one result of the machines overheating. In more extreme cases, printers may catch fire. Don't be afraid to create multiple problem stories if you think of more than one UDP.
3. Move Backward in Time
To move backward in time, ask: “What caused this UDP?” If you can't identify the root problem, think about what typically causes the UDP to occur. For the overheating printers, overuse could be a cause.
Following the three-step framework above helps illustrate a clear problem story:
- The printer is overused.
- The printer overheats.
- The printer breaks down.
You can extend the problem story in either direction if you think of additional cause-and-effect relationships.
4. Break the Chains
By this point, you’ll have multiple UDP storylines. Take two that are similar and focus on breaking the chains connecting them. This can be accomplished through inversion or neutralization.
- Inversion: Inversion changes the relationship between two UDPs so the cause is the same but the effect is the opposite. For example, if the UDP is "the more X happens, the more likely Y is to happen," inversion changes the equation to "the more X happens, the less likely Y is to happen." Using the printer example, inversion would consider: "What if the more a printer is used, the less likely it’s going to overheat?" Innovation requires an open mind. Just because a solution initially seems unlikely doesn't mean it can't be pursued further or spark additional ideas.
- Neutralization: Neutralization completely eliminates the cause-and-effect relationship between X and Y. This changes the above equation to "the more or less X happens has no effect on Y." In the case of the printers, neutralization would rephrase the relationship to "the more or less a printer is used has no effect on whether it overheats."
Even if creating a problem story doesn't provide a solution, it can offer useful context to users’ problems and additional ideas to be explored. Given that divergence is one of the fundamental practices of creative problem-solving, it’s a good idea to incorporate it into each tool you use.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a tool that can be highly effective when guided by the iterative qualities of the design thinking process. It involves openly discussing and debating ideas and topics in a group setting. This facilitates idea generation and exploration as different team members consider the same concept from multiple perspectives.
Hosting brainstorming sessions can result in problems, such as groupthink or social loafing. To combat this, leverage a three-step brainstorming method involving divergence and convergence :
- Have each group member come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down to ensure the brainstorming session is productive.
- Continue the divergence of ideas by collectively sharing and exploring each idea as a group. The goal is to create a setting where new ideas are inspired by open discussion.
- Begin the convergence of ideas by narrowing them down to a few explorable options. There’s no "right number of ideas." Don't be afraid to consider exploring all of them, as long as you have the resources to do so.
Alternate Worlds
The alternate worlds tool is an empathetic approach to creative problem-solving. It encourages you to consider how someone in another world would approach your situation.
For example, if you’re concerned that the printers you produce overheat and catch fire, consider how a different industry would approach the problem. How would an automotive expert solve it? How would a firefighter?
Be creative as you consider and research alternate worlds. The purpose is not to nail down a solution right away but to continue the ideation process through diverging and exploring ideas.
Continue Developing Your Skills
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader, learning the ropes of design thinking can be an effective way to build your skills and foster creativity and innovation in any setting.
If you're ready to develop your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.
About the Author
Think Jar Collective
- About Think Jar Collective
- Contributors
- Individual Creativity
- Creative Collaboration
- Creative Organizational Culture
- Convergent Thinking
- Serious Play
- Creative Leadership
Creativity Techniques
- Creativity and Innovation Quotes
- Creativity Books
- Social Sector
- Keynotes, Workshops & Labs
- Innovation Consulting
- LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
Ben Weinlick
Essential creative problem solving tool.
As life and systems get more complex and change rapidly, I think as people and organizations we can often find ourselves secretly wishing to stumble upon a secret formula that if followed will solve all our problems we face. The uncertainty and stress on people and organizations in our complex times can cause us to lose confidence in our own creative abilities and then we can find ourselves looking outward for consultant saviours to solve our wicked problems for us. It’s understandable to wish for this, but it also reinforces that the locus of control is outside ourselves and can cause us to paint ourselves into a dark corner and do nothing. Even if you get a great consultant to come in and teach you a creative problem solving technique, if you don’t see how you can make a difference, spark innovation and help tame complexity then even a great consultant and creative problem solving tool won’t help. I mean don’t get me wrong, Think Jar Collective contributors do facilitate and help organizations develop creative cultures and learn techniques, but it is done less in a way to solve your problems for you and more in an empowering way that lays the foundation for sustainable and continued innovation over time.
So where does innovation begin?
To better navigate complexity and spark innovation we need creative problem solving and fresh thinking more than ever. In terms of where to start, you need to begin with your own mind and shake up stiff patterns of thinking first!
“According to a study by IBM and based on 1,500 corporate heads and public sector leaders across 60 nations and 33 industries, creativity is now the most important leadership quality for success in business, outweighing even integrity and global thinking” Fast Company , May 2010, Austin Carr
If there is one thing I’ve found makes a difference to navigate complexity and solve problems creatively, it is less around rigid tools and more around learning to think flexibly and to have well developed critical thinking skills. It’s a both-and approach of being able to move fluidly between divergent wild thinking and laser sharp practical questioning to converge on actionable solutions. And it takes lots of practice and lots of making yourself look like a fool. Lots of practice and lots of fails.
“If you don’t contradict yourself on a regular basis, then you’re not thinking.” Malcolm Gladwell
Buckle up, here we go!
1. Convene a rad group
2. Ready people to think differently (5 mins)
3. Set the rules of engagement (4 mins)
Yes, this is kind of like war, war where our enemy is habitual tendencies that derail creative possibilities. We need rules of engagement to support each others creativity, sustain trust and get to unexpected and innovative solutions. Post the rules of engagement in the room. Here are rules that have been adapted from Osborn-Parnes, Peter Senge and systems thinking and design thinking approaches.
4. Explain why some creativity is needed in your situation (5 mins)
“Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.” Man Ray
5. Discover and explore the challenge area (20 mins)
6. Frame the challenge a bit better (4 mins)
7. Get Divergent and weird (15 mins)
8. Converge on practical possibilities (15 mins)
9. Action steps (10 mins)
10. Wrap up (5 mins)
Keep this in mind
Throughout all of these phases encourage playfulness, curiosity, strengthen trust, and get a bit weird to think differently. Add your own style and flavour, realize these are not absolute rules to always follow and make sure you are also developing a creative culture in your workplace because simply injecting tools and skills will not work on their own for continued innovation.
“If there is one thing I’ve found makes a difference to navigate complexity and solve problems creatively, it is less around rigid tools and more around learning to think flexibly and to have well developed critical thinking skills. It’s a both-and approach of being able to move fluidly between divergent wild thinking and laser sharp practical questioning to converge on actionable solutions. And it takes lots of practice and lots of making yourself look like a fool”
Citizen Action Lab
Check out our Citizen Action Lab and the video in the link below to see what the creative process looks like as we apply it in the social sector
Enter the Citizen Action Lab
Further Learning
A 70 year old creativity technique that is still relevant today, avoiding the wet blanket in creative collaboration, 21 ways to kill creativity, creativity workshops .
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .
Creative Problem Solving And Its Techniques
Entrepreneurs need to script their own journeys, figure out their own things, and solve problems. If you keep running back…
Entrepreneurs need to script their own journeys, figure out their own things, and solve problems. If you keep running back to your mentor at the drop of your hat, you’re not an entrepreneur. A true entrepreneur is a risk-taker, problem-solver, a person who’s willing to face challenges and failures.
– Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson, and MD of Biocon
While scripting your own life and career journey, it is imperative to master the skill of creative problem-solving. Successful people and organizations recognize that the solutions to their problems lie within themselves. They try to find them with a creative problem-solving process.
Most professionals face problems at work. It could be meeting a sales target or fixing a technical glitch in a product. Learning how to solve problems efficiently is a key skill for success at work and life in general. Sometimes, you have to think out of the box to solve problems creatively.
What is creative problem-solving?
Have you noticed how some people have a knack for turning a problem into an opportunity? Take the stones people throw at you and use them to build a monument, said former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata. It was a fantastic way of expressing creative problem-solving at work.
Creative problem-solving involves approaching a problem or a challenge in an inventive way. It is a process that redefines problems and opportunities and helps us come up with innovative solutions.
Generally, the creative problem-solving process involves the following stages:
Identify the problem or the challenge
Generate ideas that may be possible solutions
Solve the problem with the help of generated ideas
Implement the solution plan and move to the next step
A well-planned and strategically executed creative problem-solving process brings team members together. It encourages proactive participation among colleagues.
Let’s look at an example. Seema was not happy with her career in the IT industry. She approached the problem by thinking about various options that appealed to her. Using her creative problem-solving skill, she decided to try her hand at travel blogging given her passion for travel and nose for digital marketing.
Let’s turn to some highly successful techniques of creative problem-solving.
Techniques of creative problem-solving
1. brainstorming.
Brainstorming is one of the most popular techniques of creative problem-solving. It is an individual as well as a group activity. When the city’s municipal corporation needs to come up with measures regarding safety and health, citizens are often asked to brainstorm and suggest innovative ideas. Brainstorming is a blend of creativity and problem-solving.
2. Mind-mapping
Mind-mapping is a useful creative problem-solving process. A mind map is a graphic representation of ideas and concepts. It is a visual tool for creativity and problem-solving. Mind maps help you categorize and structure information. They aid comprehension, analysis, and help generate innovative ideas. Seeing the problem and possible solutions represented in visual form helps many of us see the bigger picture and connect the dots.
3. Counterfactual Thinking
When Rosie has to take a call on a problem, she thinks about all her previous decisions. She thinks of the things that have gone wrong and the opportunities that she missed out on. Such counterfactual thinking helps her face the current problem and find a solution. Counterfactual thinking is one of the smartest examples of creative problem-solving at work. However, it is important not to channel negative emotions while going down the counterfactual thinking route. Use your past experiences to ensure you don’t repeat mistakes, seize opportunities, and measure how far you’ve come. Be present and future-focused, and don’t use counterfactual thoughts to get trapped in the “What ifs” of your past.
4. Abstraction
Abstraction is a great booster for creativity and problem-solving. When a creative director in an advertising agency has to design a campaign for a brand of fruit drinks or evening wear, he uses abstraction. He thinks about the emotions associated with the drink or the evening, such as camaraderie, romance, taste, health, joy, and so on.
You must have noticed many examples of creative problem-solving at work.
Deploying a thought experiment by using comparison or similarity as a tool
Breaking free from assumptions to think originally
Going beyond assigned tasks to experiment
Raising questions and seeking new viewpoints
Reapplying rules that have worked previously
Stepping out of your comfort zone and thinking differently
Go ahead and build a culture of creativity around you. Overcome your mental barriers and let your imagination run free. Navigate obstacles to solve problems and come up with innovative solutions.
Harappa Education’s Unleashing Creativity course teaches you how to generate, test, and refine new ideas. It empowers you with in-depth creativity and problem-solving skills by teaching you concepts such as the Disney Creative Tool framework involving three roles: including dreamers, realists, and critics. Assigning these roles to groups will help organizations brainstorm ideas, create plans, and identify roadblocks. to reach the desired goals successfully. Sign up and begin your creative problem-solving journey.
Explore topics such as Creative Thinking & How to be Creative at Work from our Harappa Diaries blog section and develop your strategic thinking skills .
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The six steps of problem solving involve problem definition, problem analysis, developing possible solutions, selecting a solution, implementing the solution and evaluating the outcome. Problem solving models are used to address issues that...
When multiplying or dividing different bases with the same exponent, combine the bases, and keep the exponent the same. For example, X raised to the third power times Y raised to the third power becomes the product of X times Y raised to th...
Your success as an entrepreneur is contingent on your ability to solve problems effectively, and one of the best tools you have for the job is your creativity. Signing out of account, Standby... Your success as an entrepreneur is contingent...
Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of solving problems or identifying opportunities when conventional thinking has failed. It encourages you to find fresh
Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a
from Design Thinking, from my own graduate research into fostering creativity
May be deliberate. As you learn CPS, you'll use specific tools and methods to foster deliberate creativity, problem solving, and innovation.
Creative Problem Solving, or CPS, refers to the use of imagination and innovation to find solutions to problems when formulaic or conventional processes have
Creative problem-solving helps businesses bring innovative solutions to their customers. It also helps identify unique opportunities for
'Think-Create-Learn' relies on open, accessible, and intuitive design-based tools, facing challenges through a creative, problem-solving approach;
Mind-mapping is a useful creative problem-solving process. A mind map is a graphic representation of ideas and concepts. It is a visual tool
Time: 3 Hours Participants: 8-20 Purpose: Explore the relationship of creative leadership and problem solving Gain insights from the creative process
Abstract—Learning creative problem solving (CPS) and programming helps children develop problem solving skills. Although previous research has focused on
4 What tools for fostering creative problem solving are applicable to Apple and from MGT 505 at University of Scranton.