How can you help your team stay organized during Creative Problem Solving?

2 Assign roles and responsibilities

One way to keep your team organized during CPS is to assign different roles and responsibilities to each member. For example, you can have a facilitator, a recorder, a timekeeper, and a devil's advocate. The facilitator guides the process, the recorder documents the ideas, the timekeeper monitors the schedule, and the devil's advocate challenges the assumptions and biases. By having clear roles and responsibilities, your team can work more efficiently and effectively.

3 Use appropriate tools and techniques

Another way to help your team stay organized during CPS is to use appropriate tools and techniques that suit your goals, your team size, and your resources. For example, you can use tools like mind maps, affinity diagrams, or SCAMPER to generate ideas, tools like dot voting, Pugh matrix, or SWOT analysis to evaluate ideas, and tools like prototypes, storyboards, or mockups to test ideas. By using these tools and techniques, your team can structure your CPS process and make it more manageable and transparent.

4 Communicate and collaborate

Communication and collaboration are essential for successful CPS. You need to communicate and collaborate with your team members, as well as with other stakeholders, such as customers, users, or experts. You can use tools like online platforms, chat apps, or video calls to share information, feedback, and updates. You can also use tools like surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather insights and opinions from your target audience. By communicating and collaborating, you can build trust, alignment, and engagement within your team and with your stakeholders.

5 Review and refine

The last tip to help your team stay organized during CPS is to review and refine your process and your outcomes. You need to constantly monitor and evaluate your progress, your results, and your learnings. You can use tools like checklists, reports, or presentations to document and summarize your CPS journey. You can also use tools like retrospectives, surveys, or feedback forms to reflect and improve your CPS skills and performance. By reviewing and refining, you can celebrate your achievements, identify your gaps, and plan your next steps.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?