Creative problem solving (CPS) is a skill that can help you and your team overcome challenges, generate innovative ideas, and implement effective solutions. But how can you foster a culture that supports and values CPS in your team? Here are some tips to help you create a positive and productive CPS environment.
The first step of CPS is to identify and understand the problem you are trying to solve. This requires clear communication and collaboration among your team members, as well as input from relevant stakeholders. You can use tools such as problem statements, root cause analysis, and SWOT analysis to define the problem and its scope, context, and impact. By clarifying the problem, you can avoid confusion, assumptions, and biases, and focus on finding the best solution.
This is SO important, otherwise you can waste massive amounts of time solving the wrong problem. Another way to identify the problem is by having the team write different words or phrases on post-it notes that describe the issue, then group them together and look for trends.
When dealing with key stakeholders you’ll often find that the ‘problem’ communicated is in fact a symptom of a larger issue. Work with individuals closest to the issue, to obtain clarity on the true root cause of the problem the fastest. They may not know how to solve the problem at hand, but they can certainly tell you what isn’t working for them and what are their ‘pain-points’. Be patient, listen intently and endeavour to have a high EQ when exploring the experiences of others, when searching for the real problem at hand.
The next step of CPS is to generate as many ideas as possible to solve the problem. This is where divergent thinking comes in handy. Divergent thinking is the ability to explore different perspectives, possibilities, and alternatives, without judging or limiting them. You can encourage divergent thinking in your team by using brainstorming techniques, such as mind mapping, SCAMPER, and reverse brainstorming. You can also create a safe and supportive space for your team to share their ideas, no matter how wild or unconventional they are.
Maximize the output of the divergent thinking approach by gathering a small but diverse team from different backgrounds and fields of expertise. The best solution for a tricky problem in the operations of a research lab may well arise from the logistics department.
The most powerful part of this step is almost buried at the end - create a safe and supportive space for sharing ideas. Leaders have a responsibility to ensure psychological safety when ideating, and model that it's okay to contribute silly ideas. Otherwise people will only offer the same boring solutions that they always have.
Divergent thinking is a fantastic tool for looking at alternative solutions to a known problem. Be cautious however, divergent thinking relies on mutual trust and respect of all individuals taking part. Think carefully about the levels of seniority present and how the wider organisation is represented in the squad. You want viewpoints and inputs from all, not just those with the loudest voice or most senior title.
After generating a lot of ideas, you need to evaluate and select the most promising ones. This is where convergent thinking comes in handy. Convergent thinking is the ability to analyze, compare, and synthesize information, and make logical and rational decisions. You can apply convergent thinking in your team by using criteria matrices, ranking methods, and voting systems to narrow down your options. You can also test and refine your ideas by using prototypes, feedback, and experiments.
It's also useful to allow space for building on a wild card idea - "why did we like this idea so much?" Sometimes these end up being the most imaginative - and effective - solutions.
One of the key factors that influence CPS is the mindset of your team. A growth mindset is the belief that you can improve your abilities and learn from your mistakes. A fixed mindset is the belief that your abilities are innate and unchangeable. A growth mindset can help you and your team embrace challenges, seek feedback, and persist in the face of difficulties. A fixed mindset can hinder your and your team's creativity, motivation, and resilience. You can promote a growth mindset in your team by praising effort, progress, and learning, rather than talent, results, and intelligence.
The final tip to encourage a CPS culture in your team is to celebrate both your successes and failures. Successes are the outcomes that meet or exceed your expectations and goals. Failures are the outcomes that fall short of your expectations and goals. Both successes and failures can provide valuable lessons and insights for your team. You can celebrate successes by acknowledging and rewarding your team's achievements, sharing best practices, and applying what you learned to future problems. You can celebrate failures by debriefing and reflecting on what went wrong, identifying areas for improvement, and encouraging your team to try again.
Although we generally consider brainstorming to be the essence of creative problem-solving, it's important to provide structure. What's the plan, Stan? What problem are you trying to solve and what's the goal for the solution, ie what do you want it to achieve? Structure also means having guidelines - what are the ground rules for your ideating session that will help people feel safe in contributing ideas, and in the assessment phase debating the merits of the ideas? Knowing the method you will use to shortlist the ideas at the beginning of the process will help keep emotions on an even keel during the assessment phase. And knowing in advance how you will celebrate gives everyone an eye on the prize :)
Creative problem solving is an intrinsic ability present in everyone, crucial for modern times. Self-encouragement is vital, as it drives personal growth even without external motivation. Neglecting this skill hampers progress. So dive deep, don't just get your CPS skill on surface, in fact let them fly so high that you no longer fear failure.