Creative Thinking: How to Solve Complex Problems with Elegance and Ease

• How can you find solutions that others haven’t thought of?
• How can creative thinking be used to grow a business?
• What tools can you use to develop and sharpen this skill?

Creative thinking is a skill that lets us tackle complex challenges with elegance and ease. It’s about exploring the world in ways others may not have thought to—finding unique insights, discovering creative solutions for business growth, and using tools to keep that creative spark alive.

My name is Alexey Fedchenko and together with Olga Fedoseeva we created UnitiQ | Talent Solutions On-demand - Fractional HR Service company which helps business on getting instant HR expertise in Talent Acquisition, HR Operations and People Management for a fraction of usual Recruitment and HR Agencies.

Regular hiring firm find people to make job done, at UnitiQ, we use a unique method of attracting right top talent to your business, building efficient teams which lead to success.

The Challenge of Staying "Outside the Box"

Creative thinking is like a limited-edition resource: it runs out faster than anything else. Unlike time, which renews with each sunrise, creativity doesn’t just regenerate. Companies like Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft use creative problem-solving questions in their interviews because they know it’s not about having the best answer, but about how you find new paths to those answers.

The phrase “outside the box” originated in the U.S. during the late '60s, thanks to business consultants. While in Europe, consultants sometimes use phrases like “Injection into a prosthesis” or “Curing diarrhea by locking toilets” - catchy idioms that get the point across about rigid, inside-the-box thinking. Inside-the-box thinkers may be efficient at keeping systems stable, but when change is needed, they’re often the first to push back. In many customer service centers, for example, employees even need a token just to use the restroom! If the tokens are in use, you simply have to wait… and hope for the best.

On the other hand, creative thinkers understand that disorder can be part of a system—like chaotic waves shaping a calm shoreline.

This way of thinking accepts a high level of unpredictability and disorder, and through it, generates order. It’s a bit like controlled chaos, or as chaos theory would say, “Randomness isn’t truly random.” When people creatively engage with chaos, they find patterns and systems within it.

I also recommend you to read our article: The Thinking Crisis in Organizations: Why We Don’t Think as We Should

Divergent Thinking: The Core of Creativity

The term "divergent" thinking comes from the Latin?divergere, meaning “to go in different directions.” Rather than settling for one answer, a divergent thinker explores many, allowing ideas to branch out in multiple ways.

Brainstorming is one popular way to foster divergent thinking. The magic of brainstorming is to let ideas flow freely, suspending judgments like “that won’t work,” “we tried that before,” or “there’s no budget for that.” The goal is to let every idea live, to create hundreds of ideas and then pick out the gems.

If you’re working solo, Bloom’s Taxonomy Wheel can be a useful tool. It encourages you to explore an issue from six angles, with each “petal” of the wheel representing a type of question:

1. Simple questions?– basic facts like “who,” “what,” and “when,” which help uncover the history or context.
2. Clarifying questions?– starting with “how will I know if…?” to clarify results, intentions, and limitations.
3. Interpretative questions?– asking “why” five times to reveal cause-and-effect relationships.
4. Creative questions?– exploring alternatives with “what if…?” to brainstorm hypotheses and options.
5. Practical questions?– checking feasibility with “how can we…?” to assess if an idea is doable.
6. Evaluative questions?– weighing pros and cons with “is this good or bad?” to define norms and set standards.

Nurturing Your Creativity

Creativity exists in all of us, whether we’re conscious of it or not. And the less we restrict it, the more it flourishes. While creative abilities can vary from person to person, with some more naturally inclined to think creatively than others, it’s a skill anyone can cultivate with the right approach.

This summer, I spent time rafting with colleagues in the consulting world, where we played “Situation Puzzle” (also known as "yes/no puzzles"), a game that encourages creative thinking. The game involves solving mysteries by asking only yes-or-no questions, prompting participants to think outside the box to uncover details of a scenario they can’t fully see. This type of game exercises divergent thinking, helping us push past limitations to arrive at unique solutions.

Elon Musk's First Principles Thinking: Redefining Problem-Solving from the Ground Up

Elon Musk is a strong proponent of first principles thinking, a method that involves breaking down problems to their most basic elements before rebuilding a solution from the ground up.

This approach allows him to sidestep assumptions that often limit conventional thinking. For instance, when Musk was working on developing rockets for SpaceX, he realized that traditional aerospace costs were driven by certain assumptions about materials and processes.

By stripping away these assumptions and analyzing the raw materials required to build a rocket, Musk found that the actual cost of the materials was just a fraction of the final price tag.

This insight led him to develop reusable rockets—an idea that was largely dismissed in the aerospace industry at the time, but one that has since revolutionized space travel.

First principles thinking, as Musk describes it, is like clearing away the clutter of established norms and asking, “What do we absolutely know to be true?”

This allows him to uncover unconventional solutions, pushing past the boundaries of “how things have always been done” and opening up possibilities that most would overlook.

Here is the video where Elon explains First Principles Thinking.

Final Thoughts

In a world that prizes efficiency, creative thinking can seem impractical or even counterproductive. But I believe creativity is the key to progress. The more open we are to new ideas and ways of thinking, the better equipped we are to address complex challenges. It's also about giving ourselves the space to think beyond deadlines, budgets, and conventions. Watch our video about Mastering Professional Mindset.

Creative thinking may be a limited resource, but if nurtured properly, it doesn’t have to run dry. We all have the potential to think in novel ways, and the best part is—creativity isn't only reserved for artists or inventors. It’s a skill we can all develop to make life more interesting and more fulfilling.

Hope you enjoyed the article and wish you a great day.

UnitiQ: Comprehensive Fractional HR Services for Strategic Growth and Culture Building

UnitiQ offers a range of fractional HR services designed to support businesses with flexible and strategic HR solutions. Their approach includes?HR Operations, which oversees daily HR functions to maintain smooth organizational processes, and?Talent Acquisition, focusing on recruiting candidates who align with the company’s needs and culture. Read our article: How to Attract, Hire, and Retain Top Talent: Clear Steps for Long-Term Success

Additionally,?People Strategy?helps develop initiatives to boost employee engagement and strengthen company culture, while the?External Perspective?brings fresh insights to improve cultural alignment and ensure compliance.

Finally,?Value-Driven Hiring?ensures that the hiring process reflects the company’s core values and fosters a cohesive organizational culture. By addressing these key areas, UnitiQ provides a holistic HR service model that supports both operational needs and long-term cultural growth, making it a valuable partner for companies looking to build effective, value-centered teams.

We are happy to help. Contact Olga Fedoseeva directly for getting tailored offer.