What are your best CPS skill-building strategies?

1 Practice divergent thinking

Divergent thinking is the ability to generate many different and original ideas for a given problem or situation. It is a key component of CPS, as it allows you to explore multiple possibilities and perspectives, and avoid getting stuck with conventional or obvious solutions. To practice divergent thinking, you can use techniques such as brainstorming, mind mapping, SCAMPER, or random word association. These techniques can help you stimulate your creativity, overcome mental blocks, and expand your options.

2 Apply convergent thinking

Convergent thinking is the ability to evaluate, analyze, and select the best ideas from a pool of options. It is another essential component of CPS, as it allows you to refine, test, and implement your solutions, and ensure that they are feasible, desirable, and effective. To apply convergent thinking, you can use techniques such as SWOT analysis, decision matrix, pros and cons, or criteria rating. These techniques can help you compare and contrast your ideas, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and choose the most suitable ones.

3 Use a CPS framework

A CPS framework is a structured and systematic process that guides you through the different stages of problem solving, from defining the problem to evaluating the solution. It can help you organize your thoughts, clarify your goals, and follow a logical sequence of steps. There are many CPS frameworks that you can use, such as the Osborn-Parnes model, the IDEAL model, or the design thinking model. These frameworks can help you apply both divergent and convergent thinking at each stage, and use various tools and techniques to support your CPS.

4 Learn from others

Learning from others is a great way to improve your CPS skills, as you can gain new insights, perspectives, and feedback from people who have different backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. You can learn from others by joining a CPS community, participating in a CPS workshop, or collaborating with a CPS team. These ways can help you expose yourself to diverse and challenging problems, share and discuss your ideas, and co-create and co-evaluate solutions.

5 Reflect on your experience

Reflecting on your experience is a crucial way to enhance your CPS skills, as you can assess your performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and learn from your successes and failures. You can reflect on your experience by using a CPS journal, a CPS portfolio, or a CPS feedback form. These tools can help you document your process, track your progress, and set your goals for improvement.

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?