Creative problem solving (CPS) is a skill that can help you tackle complex challenges, generate innovative ideas, and find effective solutions. However, CPS is not a magic bullet that works automatically. It requires practice, feedback, and improvement. In this article, you will learn some tips on how to improve your CPS sessions and avoid some common pitfalls.
One of the most important steps in CPS is to define the problem clearly and accurately. A vague or poorly defined problem can lead to confusion, frustration, and wasted time. To define the problem clearly, you need to ask yourself some questions, such as: What is the root cause of the problem? What are the goals and criteria for a successful solution? Who are the stakeholders and what are their needs and expectations? How can you measure the impact and effectiveness of the solution? By answering these questions, you can narrow down the scope of the problem, identify the key issues, and set the direction for the next steps.
This is actually THE most important step. I have written about this in another article. The best way to get a great CPS process is to ensure we are solving for the most precise and appropriate question. A great answer to the wrong question is not going to get us very far. And as this section points out, we have to ask the question that the client needs the answer to - and from which the client's stakeholders will benefit.
Another key step in CPS is to generate as many ideas as possible, without judging or filtering them. This is called divergent thinking, and it helps you explore different perspectives, possibilities, and alternatives. To enhance your divergent thinking, you need to diversify your sources of inspiration. You can do this by: seeking input from different people, such as experts, peers, customers, or users; researching best practices, trends, or benchmarks from other domains or industries; using various tools, techniques, or frameworks, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER, or TRIZ; and exposing yourself to new experiences, stimuli, or environments, such as books, podcasts, art, or nature.
Yes yes - generate as many ideas as you can. And as this section suggests, this can be done in stages - first generate ideas naturally, without using any triggers. Then add to this, by using more generative techniques - like forced connections, randomization, and other trigger based processes. Then of course adding things like SCAMPER here, which can take the best answers and diversify them even further... One of the greatest contributions we can make in the CPS process to a client, is showing them how to layer the ideation process so that it generates more and more answers not just in one burst.
One of the biggest obstacles to CPS is cognitive bias, which is a tendency to think or act in a certain way based on your previous experiences, beliefs, or preferences. Cognitive biases can affect your perception, interpretation, and evaluation of information, and limit your creativity and critical thinking. To overcome cognitive biases, you need to challenge your assumptions and biases. You can do this by: asking yourself why you think or feel a certain way, and what evidence or logic supports it; seeking feedback from others who have different views, backgrounds, or expertise; testing your ideas with experiments, prototypes, or data; and being open-minded, curious, and willing to learn from mistakes.
Challenging assumptions is in my experience one of the most powerful tools for beginning ideation. It bridges clarifying the question with divergence thinking, because in challenging the assumptions we rephrase the question more precisely, ad at the same time we begin to get ideas about solutions. The most effective way of challenging assumptions I have found to be the simply asking of questions of each word (each possible word) of the goal we are aiming at - simply asking, "but is that really true?" or "What if that wasn't true?"
After generating a large number of ideas, you need to select the most promising ones and refine them further. This is called convergent thinking, and it helps you focus on quality, feasibility, and impact. To improve your convergent thinking, you need to refine and prioritize your ideas. You can do this by: applying the goals and criteria that you defined in the first step, and eliminating the ideas that do not meet them; grouping or combining similar or complementary ideas, and eliminating the redundant or irrelevant ones; ranking or scoring the ideas based on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; and presenting or pitching the ideas to others, and getting their feedback and suggestions.
The final step in CPS is to implement and evaluate your solution. This is where you turn your ideas into reality, and see how they work in practice. To ensure a successful implementation and evaluation, you need to: plan and execute the actions and tasks required to implement your solution, and assign roles and responsibilities to yourself and others; monitor and measure the progress and results of your solution, and compare them to the expected outcomes and indicators; identify and address any problems, risks, or challenges that arise during the implementation, and make adjustments or improvements as needed; and celebrate and share your achievements, and learn from your experiences.