Creative Problem Solving

workbook
MBA/MSc Technology Management MA Change Management
Paul Levy CENTRIM University of Brighton (C) 1997

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

PART 1 Key Ideas

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

What is Creativity ?

"Creativity is that thinking which results in the production of ideas that are both novel and worthwhile." D.W. Taylor "...the human process that leads to new and valuable insights." Tudor Rickards "Creativity is one of those things that is much easier to detect than to define." Stephen Bayley "Creation - the concept of making something out of nothing, of bringing things into existence for the first time" Winston Fletcher "To arrive at the simplest truth, as Newton knew and practised, requires years of contemplation. Not activity. Not reasoning. Not calculating. Not busy behaviour of any kind. Not reading. Not talking. Simply bearing in mind what it is one needs to know." G. Spencer Brown "Generally speaking, the germ of a future composition comes suddenly and unexpectedly... it takes root with extra-ordinary force and rapidity, shoots up through the earth, puts forth branches and leaves, and finally blossoms. I cannot define the creative process in any way but by this simile." Tchaikovsky "I do not like the word 'creativity' because it is too vague, too value laden and too associated with artistic talent." Edward de Bono

How would you define 'creativity' ? How would you define 'problem' and 'problem solving' ? What do you think best defines a creative approach to problem solving ?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

Theories of Creativity Tudor Rickards suggests that...

"...creativity is a gift which we all possess, and which can be developed by appropriate training and application."

"A poor climate for creativity would be one which leads people to avoid risks, be over-critical of new ideas, and resist attempts to introduce change. A creative climate would be one in which people trust each other so that they can take the psychological risks of being open and revealing their deeper needs and fears."

He goes on to state:

"Hundreds of definitions have been suggested. In this book we have taken the simple one of 'escape from mental stuckness'. Many of the more formal definitions imply a process which leads to a sudden and significant discovery. Novelty and usefulness of the product are emphasised."

Rickards also suggests a basic definition of creativity:

In pairs, discuss the relevance of the ideas above to current problems in your organisation. then work through the questions below.

What causes some people to be more creative than others ? How does creative behaviour help or hinder your organisation ? How do you measure creative behaviour? What formal and informal systems are in place to encourage creativity in your organisation ?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

Types of Creativity Take a look at the model of ways of working with problems below
1. The Explorer explore ideas from other fields give them a twist seek out and borrow ideas expand horizons take risks use your imagination 'what if' questioning question the roles create visions and goals check out: practicality, timing how to assess, measure success weigh up choices focus on positives negotiate find ways to implement present your case identify causes of resistance

2. The Artist

3. The Judge

4. The Lawyer

What is your preferred style of working? How does creativity vary with each style? In which sequence are the styles best suited for problem solving?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

Creativity and Innovation

Two types of creative person are often identified:

Adapters (how to do the same things better) Innovators (how to do things differently)
Identify key adaptations and innovations that will help your organisation solve major problems

Which type do you prefer and why?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

How Creative Are You ?

"The more you work at being creative the easier it becomes." (Birch and Clegg 1995)

- you are creative at work - you are creative in the way you solve problems - you use creativity to innovate at work - you could be more creative - you identify and analyse problems - you look for ways to do things differently - you questions your assumptions and beliefs - you have fun at work - you encourage others to be creative

Identify ways in which:

How does your current approach to work inhibit your own creativity and the creativity of others?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

Kolb, Individual Learning and Creativity

"Then slowly, very slowly, it dawned on me that I was mistaken. I see the world as it is. It is the world that is grotesque, funny, and paradoxical, not my view of it. It is the world that is distorted, not my vision. I am the sober observer, objective and matter-of-fact. It is the world that is crazy" How to be a Guru, by George Mikes Penguin Books 1988

Using Kolb's learning cycle (experiment experience reflect conceptualise) generate ideas about how creativity can contribute to better learning

What methods do you know for conceptualising problems? How can people's experience be creatively tapped? How can experimenting generate learning about problems? How can reflection be made as open and creative as possible?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

What is a Problem ?

Take a look at the list of definitions of a problem below:

"Doubtful or difficult question" "Thing hard to understand" "Proposition in which something has to be done" (Oxford Illustrated Dictionary) "Any thing, matter, or person that is difficult to deal with" "A puzzle or question set for solution" "A statement requiring a solution, usually by means of several operations" (Collins Pocket Dictionary) "A source of perplexity" (Chambers Concise Dictionary) "A deviation from a norm or expectation of unknown cause" (Kepner and Tregoe)

Which definition do you like best and why? Which definition best describes the major problems you face at work?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

Types of Problem
"problems with one answer are rarer than most people imagine, as they have to be quite unambiguously defined and stable over time" "problems which turn out to have unexpected answers which are sometimes discover through the classic ('eureka!') moment of insight. They may have one or various solutions. The result may be a new perspective on the nature of the problem and the assumptions that have been made." "these problems are ones for which the potential solution cannot be proved until the problem has been tackled. the test of the solution is in its execution." "a bit like wicked problems. here the problems involve people, and they may appear to have obvious answers. However, when conventional remedies are applied they turn out to produce solutions which in turn create even bigger problems than the ones that were there originally. The opportunity for creative approaches is great." "fuzzy problems have very unclear boundaries which make them difficult to resolve using logical analytical approaches, but well suited to attack by creative problem solving. Wicked and vicious problems are also examples of fuzzy problems" (Rickards 1990)

One right answer problems Insight or 'aha' problems

Wicked problems

Vicious problems

Fuzzy problems

Identify problems from your own life and from work which fit into each category

Which problems do you deal with best? How do you deal with problems at the fuzzier end of the scale?

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Another model of problem types Kepner and Tregoe identify two types of problem
PS problems -problems to solve PF problems -problems to find

PS problems involve identifying the unknown cause of some malfunction or difficulty PF problems involve analysis of uncertainty in cause-effect relationships in wider contexts

Identify key problems you're working with in terms of the two types mentioned above

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What is Your Problem ?

Open (goals to be achieved) vs Closed Problems (deviations from norms) Easy vs Difficult Problems Owned vs Unowned Problems Simple vs Complex Problems Single facet vs Multi-faceted Problems

List the key problems associated with doing your job as effectively as possible.

*boundaries or constraints may change during problem solving * process of problem solving can involve production of novel and unexpected ideas * process may involve creative thinking of an unpredictable kind * solutions often outside the bounds of logic: can neither be proved nor disproved * boundaries or constraints are fixed during problem-solving * process marked by predictability of final solution * process usually conscious, controllable and logically constructable * solutions often provable and logically correct (Rickards and Moger 1995)

Open Problems

Closed Problems

What blocks you from inside yourself ? How do other people block you ? What blocks does the current organisation structure and culture put in your way? What types of problem have you listed ? What problems are caused by forces outside of the organisation ? Who owns these problems ? How open or closed are they ?How simple or complex ? How many facets to the problem can you identify ?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Creativity and Thinking

vertical and lateral thinking

vertical thinking chooses, looks for what is right, maintains that one thing must follow directly from another, concentrates on relevance, and moves in the most likely directions lateral thinking changes, looks for what is different, makes deliberate jumps, welcomes chance intrusions, and explores the least likely.
(from "Creative People" by Winston Fletcher) Identify situations in which each type of thinking can help or hinder progress

Do you prefer vertical or lateral thinking?

Take a look at the works of Edward de Bono, e.g. Serious Creativity by Edward de Bono, 1992, Harper and Row London

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Put On Your Thinking Cap

The Six Thinking Caps

White Cap: facts, figures, data, evidence Red Cap: 'hot' emotional judgements, Black Cap: evaluation, concentrating on why something will not work Yellow Cap: looking on the bright side, focus on the positive, 'yes and...' thinking Green Cap: creating new and valuable ideas Blue Cap: managing the other caps, deciding which cap to wear (adapted from Rickards and Moger 1995)

If you work with an identified problem at work, how does your view of the problem change when you put on a different thinking cap? Which cap or caps do you wear most at work and how does this help or hinder problem solving?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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PART 2
Approaches to Creative Problem Solving

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The problem solving cycle

Definition of problem solving: "The Analysis of cause-effect processes in situations of uncertainty with potential or actual sub-optimal outcomes. (Gareth Lewis)

The basic model of problem solving in any situation

* Understand the problem * Ask questions * Gather information * Analyze * Decision * Implementation * Review

Work through the above model in relation to a live problem in your organisation.

Which stage are you at ? Which stages may cause further problems ?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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The 4A Model of Problem Solving

Agenda Getting a feel for the territory surrounding the problem, which results in a detailed problem statement (defining the problem - a closing down activity) Audit The process of clarifying the major elements and dimensions of the problem - acquiring information, defining the plan of attack (clarifying and building models of the cause-effect processes - an opening up activity) Analysis The evaluation-stage, sometimes involving scientific processes of testing and verification, sometimes involving breaking down (analysis), and sometimes involving putting the parts back together (Logical examination and testing of the processes involved - a closing down activity) Action The enabling stage where a plan of action is formulated to complete the cycle (enabling final completion - and possibly opening up new problems) (Lewis 1995)

Work with the above model in relation to problems you're currently working on. apply all of the stages of the model.

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Systems Approaches to Problem Solving

Viewing problems in systemic terms is a useful way of applying a structured approach to problem solving.
The simplest method is to identify the key process and then list: - the main inputs to the process and any associated problems - the main outputs of the process and any associated problems - key information feedback mechanisms and any data collection opportunities - any performance problems associated with the process itself

Identify a live problem at work and carry out a system approach to it as listed above

inputs

process

outputs

feedback

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Symptoms or Causes ?

do not disturb !

A man goes to the doctor, complaining of having difficulty sleeping. The doctor asks a few questions and then prescribes sleeping pills. The man goes away and soon finds the sleeping pills don't work very well. Frustrated with the first doctor, the man approaches another doctor. This doctor asks a lot of questions and after detailed analysis discovers that the man has a poor diet. She prescribes a complete diet change and regular fresh air. The result is positive, in fact, the man sleeps even less now.

Having identified one or more problems at work, try to look beyond the symptoms to the root causes

What are the dangers of only treating the symptoms of problems? What methods are used at work to get at root causes?

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How to know if you've found the root cause of a problem

To be a true root cause, "it must pass ALL the tests. If the results of these evaluations aren't conclusive, continue working until the tests are passed." Dead end You ran into a dead end when asking 'What caused the proposed root cause?' Conversation All conversation has come to a positive end Feels Good Everyone involved feels good, is motivated, and uplifted emotionally Agreement All agree it is the root cause that keeps the problem from resolution Explains The root cause fully explains why the problem exists from all points of view Beginnings The earliest beginnings of the situation have been explored and understood Logical The root cause is logical, makes sense, and dispels all confusion Control The root cause is something you can influence, control and deal with realistically Hope Finding the root cause has returned hope that something constructive can be done about the situation Workable Solution Suddenly workable solutions, not outrageous demands, that deal with all symptoms begin to appear Stable Resolution A stable, long-term, once and for all resolution of the situation now appears feasible

Work through the above checklist for a problem at work.

(from Systematic Problem Solving and Decision-Making, by Sandy Pokras, Kogan Page London, 1989, ISBN 0-7494-0159-1)

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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'How

To' Statements

Select one or two problems from the previous activity and rewrite them as "How to..." statements. This helps you to frame positively the problem in terms of a solution.
For example PROBLEM: Customer complaints have increased in 1996 HOW TO STATEMENT: How to reduce customer complaints in 1997

Your 'how to' statements Problem How to

How specific can you be about the 'how tos'? Is it possible to break one problem down into several how to statements ?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Left Brain- Right Brain

"Creativity is a whole brain function. The right brain is needed to move from traditional, well-trodden paths into new areas which at first appear irrational. The left brain is needed to evaluate ideas and to develop those which are most workable." ("Business Creativity" by P. Birch and B. Clegg)

The Two-Brain Metaphor Left Linear, sequential, logical Right Parallel, holistic, imaginative

Discuss situations in which left and right brain thinking is most appropriate.

Are different types of thinking more appropriate at different stages in the problem solving process?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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How Much of The Problem is You ?

"If you ain't part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

Problems solving can often be hindered by the attitudes and habits of the problem solver. Personal attitudes - openness - honesty - self-awareness - politics - feeling of security/insecurity - readiness to change - self-confidence - trust in others Personal skills and abilities - analytical - research - listening and speaking - observation

In pairs discuss the skills and abilities which help or hinder problem solving

What attitudes need to be changed? How can new attitudes and skills be acquired ?

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The 'Zen' Way of Creativeness

"we in the west think of creativity rather than creativeness - we immediately seek results rather than seeking to be the kind of people who achieve them, which is putting the cart before the horse. We look for something which can be measured and therefore controlled. Creativity is just such as measurable quantity, whereas creativeness is not. It is a quality of the person." "Freedom and creativity are synonymous, and the opposite of freedom is rigidity of the ego." "Creativeness is something entirely natural, like the growth of a tree. And just because it is natural, there is no way in which we can dominate and command it." "there are no recipes for creativeness" * develop greater awareness of situations and problems, viewing them with bare attention. In this way they will be seen with clarity. * look at situations with sincerity. This means recognising and admitting to yourself your own involvement * when you have observed the problem in this way, do not put it on one side, but bear it in mind for however long is necessary. * eventually a solution will occur to you. Take care to notice the intuitive signals, whatever these happen to be in your case * look at the solution you have discovered with clear comprehension of purpose and suitability. Not all intuitive and creative ideas you get are necessarily right or practicable. * and finally, act. (from "The Zen Way to Be an Effective Manager by Radha, Mercury Business Paperbacks, 1991) How can you apply the above model and ideas to your approach to problem solving?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Learning to Think in New Ways

LEARNING PROCESS

making connections

LEARNED FACTS & FEELINGS

NEW FACTS & FEELINGS TO BE LEARNED

breaking connections

INNOVATION PROCESS

(J. William Gordon, "Synectics", Harper and Row 1961)

Carry out an inventory of all the facts, feelings and behaviours you can think of which you think may need to be 'unlearned' for changes proposed in your organisation to succeed. Then list some of the new ideas, feelings and behaviours which will need to be learned.

How can such unlearning and learning be best facilitated ? How does creativity support the learning process ?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Mind sets
When mind set helps us
Mind sets help us become sensitised to important repeated patterns of events, including potential problems. For survival the mind sets are helpful, as we can recognise dangers very rapidly, and with incomplete information. A flashing red light sets off our alarm systems, and we become alert and ready to react. Learning from experience provides more useful mind sets. We are sensitised to patterns that remind us of successful problems solved. So we do not have to re-invent the wheel. We automatically act under the influence of our unconscious 'set'. This could involve dealing with work problems, or operating a machine, or doing a crossword puzzle.

When mind set block us

Mind sets can lead to a sorry state of 'stuckness' when things have changed but everything looks the same as before. We are too ready to accept the similarities with the past, so that, if we have made an incorrect assumption, we may carry on for far too long before discovering our error. Early work on aircraft pilot error, for example, showed how pilots expected the dials to be showing their normal readings, and failed to notice when they showed abnormal readings. It is typical that high stress reinforces mind sets and adds to stuckness. For example: blocks to creativity can become harder to challenge. They include: One correct answer thinking - Remedy: 'There must be other ways: there might be better ways' Negative or 'yes but' thinking - Remedy: 'yes and' thinking Over-regard for logical thinking - Remedy: Accept the need for intuition as well as logic Over-reliance on experience ('we've always done it this way') Remedy: 'Then let's find a better way'

Which mind sets have become habitual in your way of approaching problems?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Yes and, Yes but, No and, No but

Creative Problem Solving requires people to be open in their thinking and in the way they communicate. Breaking the habit of a closed mind is an important and difficult first step. The following exercise can help you to take that first step! Here's a way to explore the different uses of 'yes' and 'no', 'and' and 'but'. Work in pairs and interview each other. The interview has four separate stages, where the student can only answer in one of four ways, respectively:
Yes, and... No, and... Yes, but... No, but...

Spends two minutes on each stage and then swap roles. "Yes, and..." is an open response and doesn't block the question. Indeed, it opens the question up. "No, and..." is a complete and negative block to the question. "Yes, but..." is a partial agreement but with a qualification so there is some blocking. "No, but..." is a block but contains an open, accommodating element so the question isn't completely blocked.

An example:
Question: Do you like the course ? Answer: Yes, and I like venue as well. No, and I don't like the venue either. Yes, but I don't really like the teacher. No, but I do like the teaching approach.

How open or closed are you?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Take a Walk in the Woods

This session involved an active walk in the woods. It's very difficult to capture what went on or the ideas behind it, so I will just record what went on We first looked at the idea of nature (reflected in the woods we were in) being a metaphor for organisational life. The first activity was to find something in the woods that was: - not alive - something living - something running - something thinking If you pick a flower, cut it off from its root, is it really alive? What are the differences between different plants? Some die quickly. Some have seeds which last for years. Examples found were: - not alive: a stone, a pine cone, some rubbish - something living: a plant, a spider - something running: water, an animal (which we couldn't catch!) - something thinking: a person perhaps we over-focused in organisations on the non-organic, the things which are not alive. Perhaps we lose awareness of the whole growth process, the photosynthesis taking place. What is a flower? A flower is the plant, the roots, the earth, the sun, the air - all of these things. Seen in isolation it is not a flower, and when picked, it is a dead thing (or soon will be!) The second activity involved drawing something seen in the forest - a tree or blade of grass for example - but trying to make the thing chosen emerge out of drawing the things around it, instead of drawing a line drawing of the object, then filling it in with detail. In this way we can become aware of the environment around a thing - that which gives the object shape. The typical line drawing is an illusion - it gives guidance on shape but we pay a price. There is no line around an object, it is part of a larger reality. Perhaps in organisations we are too focused on drawing boundary lines around things, so we lose the overall picture. Lastly, we had some discussion about 'thresholds'. In the wood in which we were walking there is a stream with a 'bridge that once was' - a place where the two bricked sides are still there but the crossing has fallen away. To get across the 'threshold' you would need to build a bridge or jump across. We stood on the threshold and shared with each other what it was in our lives we needed to do to move forward - either personally or in our organisations - to cross the threshold. It would involve a kind of death - the death of the things we needed to drop (the ideas, habits, attitudes and assumptions) - to leave behind on this side of the bridge in order to make the successful crossing to something new on the other side.

(Notes from An Open Space Conference, Sussex, 1995, taken by Paul Levy, CENTRIM)

How can nature act as a metaphor for understanding and solving problems?

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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A Whack on the Head

is a pack of 64 cards developed by Roger von Oech each containing a new way to look at your problem or challenge. According to Roger von Oech, the creator: "sometimes you need a 'whack on the side of the head' to jolt you out of habitual thought patterns that prevent you from looking at things in a fresh way.

The Creativity 'Whack Pack'

Carry out an interview lasting about twenty minutes with a colleague. Focus on a 'how to' discussion topic such as: "How can people be or become more motivated in an organisation ? As you interview the person, list any habitual thoughts, assumptions, ideas, feelings that you think you can identify. Then, for about ten minutes, feed your observations back to the interviewee. then, have a go at being interviewed yourself !

What habits of thought will help or hinder the changes under discussion ? Where did the habits come from ? How can the habits be broken ?

Roger von Oech's Creative Whack Pack, US, Games Systems Inc., Stamford, ISBN 0-88079-358-9

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A Case of Whack-Creativity
Below are some ideas from Roger von Oech's Creative Whack Pack Pick out the ones that seem most appealing to you and try to answer the questions in terms of an identified work problem. Where does fear hold you back? What wacky things can you do to your idea? In what ways are you creative? How would you feel if you were the idea you're developing? How can you reverse the way you look at your idea? What ideas from history can you apply to a current project? What rules can you challenge? Are you solving the right problem? Is there a more significant one you're overlooking? What can you streamline? What can you simplify? How can you make your idea more attractive to other people? In what outside areas can you look for ideas? What would a six year old see if he/she were looking at your project? What off-beat "what if" questions can you ask about your concept? Everyone has externally imposed "shoulds" and values that influence their views of things. What dogma is clouding your thinking? What can you take less seriously? What's your blind spot? Where does ego adversely affect your performance? Imagine that you are an animal (beaver), a plant (dandelion), or perhaps in insect (bee). How would you go about solving your problem? What problem are you working on that would benefit from a pause? What are the unintended consequences (positive or negative) of implementing your idea? What are you forcing? Where could you ease off? Imagine how others would do it. How would someone else change your idea? What good ideas are below the surface? What's the second right answer? How can you rearrange things? Why won't the idea work? What's lacking? What doesn't feel right about the idea? What support systems can you create? What are you dissatisfied about? How can you turn irritation into inspiration? from Roger von Oech's Creative Whack Pack, US, Games Systems Inc., Stamford, ISBN 0-88079-358-9

Some whacky ideas:

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Opening up and closing down

According to Tudor Rickards creative problem solving techniques can be seen as a series of opening up and closing down sequences

Mess (Data, needs, concerns)

Problem statements generated and collected in quantities (How Tos), (with Postponed judgement)

opening up PROBLEM STAGE closing down

Many ideas are generated for dealing with the selected problem-statement

A key problem-statement is selected. (Intuitive metho are suited here)

opening up IDEA STAGE closing down

Strengths and weaknesses of promising ideas are listed

Promising ideas are selected. (A mix of intuit and logical methods are suited here)

opening up SOLUTION STAGE closing down

Critical weaknesses are addressed constructively (How Tos)

Use the above model to work with an identified problem.

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Attitudes to Problem Solving

Discuss which of the following attitudes are most helpful for solving problems in your organisation and when they are most helpful.
Intermediate impossible Random juxtaposition 'Let's imagine there are no logic rules for a while 'We could do with a complete break from our thinking...here's a random thought to toy with 'I've written down what you claim to conclusions. Now I want us to everything we can.' 'If you turn it upside down and take the opposite view you might get...' (Sometimes the bananas are thrown in without explanation for 'whack on the head' effect.) 'I think we should stop looking for new products and hire a science fiction writer.' 'What I'd really like to do is...' 'We don't like the "either", we don't like the "or", what we need is a "how to".' 'Can we get any movement towards something if...?' (Rickards 1990)

Concept challenge be challenge Reversals Bunches of bananas

Wishful thinking Knight's move Force fit

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Learning Organisations Hayes et al (1988) suggest 9 key hallmarks or assumptions for creating a learning organisation:
1. All employees are responsible, thinking adults who inherently want to do their best. 2. Human resources are too valuable to waste or to leave untapped. 3. Creative talents and skills are widely distributed at all levels of an organisation and society. 4. Workers will surface important problems and concerns if they feel the organisation will respond appropriately. 5. Work is more interesting when people are challenged in performing it. 6. People take pride in training others. 7. Better performance occurs when artificial differences in how people are treated are removed. 8. Real responsibility motivates high performance. 9. People make better decisions, and implement them better, when they work together." (Hayes, R.H., Wheelwright, S.C., and Clark, K.B., (1988), "Dynamic Manufacturing: Creating the Learning Organisation", The Free Press, New York, p 250)

How can you ensure that the organisation as a whole learns from problems and solutions ? How can learning be shared ? How can you avoid 're-inventing the wheel' ?

The Organisational Learning Cycle by Norman Dixon, 1994, McGrawHill, 20.95, ISBN 0-07-70793-X

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Creativity and Technology

According to Langrish (1988):

"Most technological change involves organisations; most new ideas come from individuals or the interaction between two or three individuals. The management of organisations is often concerned with preserving the present rather than creating the future, but creative individuals usually need access to the resources of organisations in order to turn their ideas into reality. There is therefore a problem - how to harness the creativity of individuals to the resources of organisations."
(Langrish, J., (1988), "Innovation Management: The Role of Creativity", in Rickards T., and Moger, S., (1988), "Creativity and Innovation Yearbook", University of Manchester, ISSN 09534199, Manchester, UK, page 7, vol 1)

What organisational solutions can help to solve technological problems ? What technological solutions can help to solve organisational problems ? what combination of organisation and technology will best help the organisation meet its objectives ?

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Creativity and Innovation

"Creativity is a personal problem-solving process of a non-routine kind. Innovation is a social problem-solving process of a non-routine kind." Tudor Rickards

Whitfield's 7 step problem solving cycle

1. Perceiving some need or problem. 2. Gathering relevant facts and classifying the true nature of the problem. 3. Seeking new information and analysing the whole picture. 4. Proposing alternative ideas for a solution. 5. Evaluating and selecting a final solution for implementation. 6. Implementing the solution. 7. Verifying that the solution is satisfactory."
"Creativity, while essential in step 4 to provide the novelty demanded by the word 'innovation', is by no means necessarily confined to this part of the sequence. Considerable ingenuity and downright creativity may be needed to achieve progress at any stage of the proceedings." Whitfield, P.R., (1975) ,"Creativity in Industry", Penguin Books , Middlesex, UK, Chapter, 1

Use the above model and apply it to a real problem in your work place.

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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How do you influence colleagues to encourage creative problem solving?

1. Refrain from saying the unkind or negative thing 2. Exercise patience with others 3. Distinguish between the person and the behaviour or performance 4. Perform anonymous service 5. Choose the proactive response 6. Keep the promises you make to others 7. Focus on the circle of influence 8. Live the law of love 9. Assume the best of others 10. Seek first to understand 11. Reward open, honest expressions or questions 12. Give an understanding response 13. If offended, take the initiative 14. Admit your mistakes, apologise, ask for forgiveness 15. Let arguments fly out open windows 16. Give one to one attention as necessary 17. Renew your commitment to things you have in common 18. Be influenced by them first 19. Accept the person and the situation 20. Prepare your mind and heart before you prepare your speech 21. Avoid fight or flight-talk through differences 22. Recognise and take time to teach 23. Agree on the limits, rules, expectations, and consequences 24. Don't give up, and don't give in 25. Be there at the cross-roads 26. Speak the languages of love and emotion 27. Delegate effectively 28. Involve people in meaningful projects 29. Train them in the law of the harvest-planting, preparing the soil, cultivating, weeding, watering, and harvesting 30. Let natural consequences teach responsible behaviour

Which of the above list do you find most appropriate and why? In which areas do you need to improve?
(From: Principle-Centred Leadership by Stephen R. Covey)

Paul Levy CENTRIM 1998

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Getting Creativity Going at Work

In groups, brainstorm as many ideas as you can for releasing the creative potential of employees. Your most useful ideas from the brainstorm

What can be done tomorrow to increase creativity at work? What are the major barriers to creativity?

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The Organisational Creativity Checklist How do the following factors in your organisation help or hinder creativity ?
Factor
strategic management senior mgt style top-down communication bottom-up communication other communication rules and procedures meetings use of technology quality management initiatives e.g.. TQM training and education culture/climate structure product design external relationships teams and groups cost control promotion processes

helps by

hinders by

What actions can you take to reduce hindrances ? Where are the major strengths and weaknesses ?

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Random Words
The random word technique has several variations The simplest is to select a letter of the alphabet and brainstorm words beginning with that letter. then see you each word can relate to the problem under analysis. It's as simple as that, and can be a very powerful way of identify all kinds of ideas and solutions that a rational approach might miss.
_____________________________________________________________
Random word

Here's an example:

_____________________________________________________________
hardy hare harem haricot harlequin harlot harm

Ideas on distribution triggered by the random words

_____________________________________________________________
(Rickards 1990)

Toughen up rules, packaging, dealerships Speed up communication; use hare as our slogan New way to select and keep our dealers? Sustain the soil it grows in. How do this for customers? Find two different geographic niches for our product People come to her. Attract people to cash and carry? Collect data of harm caused by bad practices and correct

Try the Random word technique with one of your work problems.

What solutions did you come up with ? How might this work in a group ?

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Osborne's idea spurring checklist:

Osborne's idea spurring checklist is a comprehensive list of questions about ideas and problems which can be used either individually or in groups. Some of the questions relate more to product problems, others to service problems.

Work through the list in relation to a problem you are currently working on. Put to other uses? New ways to use as is? Other uses if modified? Adapt? What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Does past offer parallel? What could I copy? Whom could I emulate? Modify? New twist? Change meaning, colour, motion, odour, taste, form, shape? Other changes? Magnify? What to add? More time? Greater frequency? Stronger? Higher? Larger? Longer? Thicker? Heavier? Extra value? Plus ingredient? Duplicate? Multiply? Exaggerate? Minify? What to subtract? Smaller? Condensed? Miniature? Lower? Shorter? Narrower? Lighter? Omit? Streamline? Split up? Understate? Less frequent? Substitute? Who else instead? What else instead? Other ingredient? Other material? Other process? Other power? Other place? Other approach? Other tone of voice? Other time? Rearrange? Interchange components? Other pattern? Other layout? Other sequence? Transpose cause and effect? Change place? Change schedule? Earlier? Later? Reverse? Transpose positive and negative? How about opposites? Turn it backward, upside down, inside out? Reverse roles? Change shoes? Turn tables? Turn other cheek? Combine? How about a blend, an alloy, an assortment, an ensemble? Combine units? Combine purposes? Combine appeals? Combine ideas?

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Pedler, Boydell and Burgoyne's Approaches to Creativity

Draw the problem - try to represent the problem in pictorial/cartoon form. be as uninhibited as you can. The consider possible solutions, or topics related to the problem, and draw them. Be the problem - for example, imagine you are the troublesome part of a machine, or a message that got lost or misunderstood. think hard about what it would feel like, what could be done, what would help. Invert the Problem - turn the problem inside out or upside down, or reverse it. For example, instead of putting a product into a package, consider putting a package around a product. Or, instead of protecting employees from an industrial accident, protect the accident from the staff. Turn the Problem into an Opportunity - try to frame the problem in terms of opportunities arising out of it. Write a Story - fictionalise the problem and the people concerned with it. You could get a completely new angle on the situation.

(from "A Manager's Guide to Self-Development" By Mike Pedler, John Burgoyne and Tom Boydell, 1994, McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-707829-2) Try out the above techniques using a real problem.

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Tools and Techniques of Creative problem Solving: A Trawl of the Literature

AFFINITY DIAGRAM....................................................................... ARROW DIAGRAM ......................................................................... BENCHMARKING .......................................................................... BOX AND WHISKER PLOTS............................................................ BRAINSTORMING.......................................................................... BS5750 / ISO 9000 QUALITY SYSTEMS STANDARD. ...................... CAUSE AND EFFECT DIAGRAMS.................................................... CHECKSHEETS ............................................................................. DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS ............................................................ FAILURE MODE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS ........................................ FAULT TREE ANALYSIS.................................................................. FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS................................................................ FREQUENCY CHARTS.................................................................... HOUSE JOURNALS........................................................................ IMPACT MATRICES........................................................................ INTERLOCKING ACTION MATRIX ................................................... LISTENING.................................................................................... LOSS FUNCTION ........................................................................... MATRIX DATA ANALYSIS DIAGRAM................................................ MATRIX DIAGRAM......................................................................... MEETING GUIDE........................................................................... MIND MAP .................................................................................... MORPHOLOGICAL MATRIX ............................................................ NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE ...................................................... OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS ......................................................... OTHER GRAPHS. ........................................................................... PAIRED COMPARISON................................................................... PARETO ANALYSIS ........................................................................ PRICE OF NON-CONFORMANCE CALCULATION ............................. PROCESS DECISION PROGRAMME CHART. ................................... PROCESS FLOW CHARTS .............................................................. PROCESS IMPROVEMENT TEAM IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX ..........

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Tools and Techniques of Creative problem Solving: A Trawl of the Literature

QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT................................................ QUALITY METRICS ........................................................................ QUALITY METRICS ........................................................................ REGRESSION ANALYSIS ................................................................ RELIABILITY ANALYSIS ................................................................. RELATIONS DIAGRAM ................................................................... RUN DIAGRAMS............................................................................ SANKEY DIAGRAMS ...................................................................... SCATTER DIAGRAMS AND CORRELATION ...................................... SIMULATION................................................................................. SIX SIGMA AND SIXTH SIGMA....................................................... SOLUTION EFFECT DIAGRAM........................................................ STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL ................................................. STRATIFICATION........................................................................... STRATIFICATION........................................................................... SURVEYS...................................................................................... SYSTEMS ANALYSIS ...................................................................... TEAMBUILDING ............................................................................ THE JOHARRY WINDOW................................................................ THREADS OF SIMILARITY.............................................................. TIME SERIES FORECASTING ......................................................... TREE DIAGRAM............................................................................. TRIPLE RANKING .......................................................................... WEIGHTED PAIRED COMPARISON................................................. WEIGHTED SELECTION ................................................................. WORK AND WAIT CHART...............................................................

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10 Commandments for Creative Problem Solving

Remember the commandments below ! Identify your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the list below.
Thou shalt have no one to praise nor to blame for thy efforts but thyself; 2. Remember the power of positivity and keep it in mind. Ask what's good about it and what can be done to make it better; 3. Work hard to understand and solve your needs, but then when thou hast laboured mightily thou shalt let thy subconscious take over, neither shalt thou work consciously on the problem; 4. Honour the viewpoints of others that they may enrich all around (including thee); 5. Thou shalt not kill ideas - not with automatic no's, nor with devil's advocacy, nor through ignorance or sudden deafness; 6. Thou shalt not steal ideas, for ideas belong to the world. Therefore rent ideas and give them back with interest; 7. Thou shalt not adulterously live with two gods. Ask what do I really want to do and how can I do it. If thou shalt abandon an old god for a new one thou lovest more thou shall cherish the new and turn aside from the old - but think not of keeping both; 8. Thou shalt not manipulate the facts to short change thy neighbours argument; 9. Thou shalt not envy the ideas of others, but work hard on thy own; 10 Thou shalt treat each idea as a blessing and a wondrous thing, yet shalt thou see how infinite are the ways of improving even the value of the finest idea. For all ideas have merits and all merit is capable of growing and enriching itself and those that respect it; 11. Thou shalt take nothing for granted - nor even that then commandments shall sum up all the knowledge of the world, or that my ten shall be thy ten. (source: Manchester Business School) 1.

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So You Want To Take It Further ?

How to make Innovation a Way of Life and Put Creative Solutions to Work, by M. Basadur, 1995, Pitman Publishing, London Serious Creativity by Edward de Bono, 1992, Harper and Row, London Creativity and Innovation at Work by Tudor Rickards, 1990, Gower, Farnborough Creativity at Work by Tudor Rickards, 1988, Gower Press Stimulating Innovation by Tudor Rickards, 1985, Frances Pinter Frontiers of Creativity Research by S. Isaacson, 1987, Berkeley Press, Buffalo, USA The Essence of Management Creativity by Tony Proctor, 1995, Prentice-Hall, 10.95, ISBN 0-13-356536-X Creative Management by Malcolm Goodman, 1995, Prentice-Hall, 19.95, ISBN 0-13312059-7 Creative Management edited by Jane Henry, 1991, Sage/Open University, 14.95, ISBN 0-8039-8491-X Business Creativity - A Guide For Managers by Paul Birch and Brian Clegg, 1995, Kogan Page, 5.99, ISBN 0-7494-1638-6 Creative People by Winston Fletcher, 1988, Hutchinson Business Books, ISBN 0-09-174043-6 Systematic Problem Solving and Decision-Making, by Sandy Pokras, Kogan Page London, 1989, ISBN 0-7494-0159-1 Developing Creativity in Organisations by Michael A. West, British Psychological Society, ISBN 1-85433-229-5, 8.99, 1997 - includes chapters on managing innovation Sharpen Your Team's Skills in Creativity by Trevor Bentley, McGraw-Hill, 14.95, ISBN 0-07-709282-1, 1996 PAUL'S 'IN-DEPTH AND PRACTICAL' AWARD GOES TO.... Creativity and Problem Solving at Work by Tudor Rickards, Gower Business Enterprise Series, 12.95, 1990, ISBN 0-566-02891-3 PAUL'S 'QUICK 'N EASY' AWARD GOES TO... Successful Problem-Solving in a Week by Gareth Lewis, 1995, Institute of Management. Hodder and Stoughton/Headway, ISBN 0-340-64761-2, 5.99

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Develop an Action List for Creative Problem Solving at Work

For yourself:
By next week: By next month: By the end of the year: By the end of the change project:

For the organisation:

By next week: By next month: By the end of the year: By the end of the change project: What will be the measures of success ?

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