CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS AND PROCESS

• Mastering the fundamentals of problem-solving

• Applying the 6-step creative problem-solving (CPS) process

• Step 1: Identify and define the problem

• Step 2: Analyze the problem
• Step 3: Generate alternative solutions
• Step 4: Assess and select the most appropriate solution
• Step 5: Implement the solution
• Step 6: Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
AGREE OR DISAGREE?
WHY?
“NEXT LEVEL” OUT OF THE BOX THINKING ACTIVITY

1. How do you put a giraffe into your refrigerator?

2. How do you put an elephant into your refrigerator?

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All

the animals attend - except one. Which animal does
not attend?

4. There is a river you must cross, but it is used by

crocodiles and you do not have a boat. How do you
manage it?
 CORRECT ANSWERS
• Question 1: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door.

• This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly

complicated way.

• Question 2: Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the
refrigerator? Wrong answer. Correct answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the
giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door.

• This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous
actions.
 CORRECT ANSWERS
Question 3: The elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there.

This tests your memory.

Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one
more chance to show your true abilities.

Question 4: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All
the crocodiles are attending the animal conference.

This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

CONSOLATION
PRIZE
• According to Anderson
Consulting Worldwide,
around 90% of the
professionals tested got
all 4 questions wrong.
 4 Problem solving strategies

Defining creative problem solving (CPS)

FUNDAMENTALS
OF PROBLEM- Types of problems
SOLVING
Critical success factors of effective problem
resolution

Whole brain thinking

 DEFINING CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING (CPS)
• Osborn-Parnes CPS is a proven method for approaching a problem or a challenge in an imaginative and innovative way.

• It's a process that helps you redefine the problems and opportunities you face, come up with new, innovative responses and
solutions, and then take action.

• CPS is a way of solving problems or identifying opportunities when conventional thinking has failed.

• It encourages you to find fresh perspectives and come up with innovative solutions, so that you can formulate a plan to overcome
obstacles to reach your goals.

• CPS asks you to separate your "divergent" and "convergent" thinking as a way to do this.

 Divergent thinking is the process of generating lots of potential solutions and possibilities, otherwise known as brainstorming.

 Convergent thinking involves evaluating those options and choosing the most promising one. Often, we use a combination of
the two to develop new ideas or solutions. However, using them simultaneously can result in unbalanced or biased decisions,
and can stifle idea generation.
 Structured problems
Related to are straightforward,
Programmed decisions familiar and easily
defined problems.

TYPES OF
PROBLEMS –
Because the problem is
A programmed decision structured the manager does
is a repetitive decision not have to go to the trouble
that can be handled by and expense of going through

STRUCTURED a routine approach. an involved decision-making

process.

PROBLEMS
3 types:
• Procedure
• Rule
• Policy
 When problems are
Unstructured problems are unstructured, managers
new or unusual and for must rely on non-
which information is programmed decision
ambiguous or incomplete. making in order to develop
unique solutions.

TYPES OF A non-programmed decision

Whether managers are
faced with structured or
PROBLEMS – can be defined as a unique unstructured problems,
decision that requires a these problems need to be
UNSTRUCTURED custom-made solution. resolved in a systematic and
purposeful manner.
PROBLEMS
Initially any potential
problem needs to be
Managers need to tap into
identified, detected,
their creative resources to
recorded and noted with
find a winning solution.
the objective of resolving
such problems.
 • The four factors are listed below:

CRITICAL The right problem-solving strategy

SUCCESS Sufficiency – time, information and
FACTORS OF resources

EFFECTIVE Commitment and ownership (to the

PROBLEM implementation of the solution)

RESOLUTION Whole brain thinking – combination of left

(rational) + right brain (creative) thinking
WHOLE BRAIN THINKING

• Blue – Logical and Rational (upper left

hemisphere)

• Green – Organized and Planned (lower left

hemisphere)

• Yellow – Big Picture and Creative (upper

right hemisphere)

• Red – Interpersonal feelings and Intuitive

(lower right hemisphere)
 STEP 1: PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION, ANALYSIS AND
DEFINITION
• Problem identification is subjective, what one manager considers a problem might not be
considered a problem by another manager. Managers can be better at problem identification if
they understand the three characteristics of problems:

 You have to be aware of them

 Be under pressure to act
 Have the resources needed to take action

• This step requires the searching for facts which leads to the development of many
explanations and symptoms of the problem and ultimately results in the identification of the
root causes i.e. source/origin of the problem as well as the extent of the problem.

• A useful technique to use during this step is the fishbone diagram (cause and effect analysis).
FISH-BONE DIAGRAM
 Step 1: Identify the Problem

Step 2: Work Out the Major Factors

Involved
PROCESS OF
CRAFTING A Step 3: Identify Possible Causes
FISHBONE
DIAGRAM Step 4: Analyze the Diagram

The culmination of step 1 is the formulation

of a well-defined problem statement.
 A WELL FORMULATED PROBLEM STATEMENT
– 5 W’s
• A well crafted and formulated
problem statement, complies with the
following criteria:

 What (the nature, scope, extent

and severity of the problem?)
 Why (the causes of the
problem?)
 Who (is affected by the
problem?)
 When (did the problem
emanate?)
 Where (is the problem located?)

• The effect/impact of the problem?

SCOPE-SIGNIFICANCE MATRIX

High Scope- Low

High Scope-High
Significance
Significance(HIGH
(MODERATE
PRIORITY)
PRIORITY)

Low Scope-High
Low Scope-Low
Significance
Significance (LOW
(MODERATE
PRIORITY)
PRIORITY)
STEP 2: ANALYZE (SEARCH FOR INFORMATION, IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS)

• This step entails the gathering of problem-related information and other variables that
may have a bearing on the identified problem, in order to make an informed decision.

• Various factual sources of data need to be consulted and collated.

• At this step, it is important for managers to identify decision criteria that will assist in the
making of an objective decision (refer to steps 3 and 4).

• That is the criteria that determines what is relevant in a decision.

• Managers need to determine how they decide, the standard by which the decision is
judged.
 STEP 2: DECISION CRITERIA
• Typically, these decision criteria could include:

 Cost
 Time
 Practicality
 Quality
 Sustainability
 Feasibility
 Efficiency
 Effectiveness
 Compliance

• After identifying the criteria, managers need to know what is more important in these criteria – they will have
to weigh the criteria, giving the most important criteria the highest weight and the assign weights to the rest
against the standards.
 LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
• Group Discussion:

• In the Tupperware work environment/context,

identify a current unstructured problem,
challenge or constraint. By referring to steps 1
and 2 of the creative problem-solving process,
apply the following processes:

 Comprehensively define and analyze this

problem by means of a fish-bone diagram
 Formulate a problem statement
 Indicate the sources of research data
 Identify 5 decision criteria and weight each
of these criteria in terms of importance
STEP 3: IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
 The decision maker will have to
find alternatives that could resolve
the problem and these alternatives
will have to be relevant to the
STEP 3: problem-solving process.
IDENTIFY
POSSIBLE Typically, managers may use a
SOLUTIONS variety of idea/solution generating
techniques and problem-solving
methods e.g. Brainstorming.
 THE VALUE OF BRAINSTORMING

• Brainstorming is a group problem-solving technique which focuses on the generation of as many

problem-solving options and ideas as possible.

• The focus of this technique is on the quantity of ideas and not necessarily quality. Brainstorming is
a useful technique to:

 Take a problem situation experienced in practice and find solutions for it

 Train a group to listen positively to the ideas of others
 Give others an opportunity to become part of the decision-making process

• Brainstorming is a free-form process that taps into the creative potential of group through
association of ideas.

• Association works as a two-way current: when a group member voices an idea, this stimulates ideas
from others, which in turn leads to more ideas from the one who initiated the idea.
 Avoid all criticism
Welcome
and don't evaluate
exaggeration
ideas

Encourage the
BASIC Obtain as many
ideas as possible
combination of
ideas
PRINCIPLES OF
THE
BRAINSTORMING Focus on a single
problem not on a
Ensure a relaxed,
comfortable and
TECHNIQUE complex series of participatory
problems atmosphere

Write down all

Stimulate
ideas (or record
participation
them on tape)
BRAINSTORMING PROCESS
 The second step is to go
The first step is to
through the guidelines for
orientate the participants
a successful brainstorming
to the process.
session with the group.

BRAINSTORMING
PROCESS The fourth step is to give
the group the opportunity
The third step is to state
to think about the nature
the purpose/problem
of the subject/problem
clearly.
and write down their
ideas.
 BRAINSTORMING PROCESS

The fifth step is to provide, The sixth step is to conclude the

expand on and exchange ideas. session when ideas dry up.

The seventh and final step is to

thank group members for their
cooperation and to ensure them
that every team member will be
informed of the decision and
the alternative to be
implemented.
 LEARNING ACTIVITY 3
• Group Discussion:

• Refer to Learning Activity 2. By

referring to step 3 of the CPS process,
apply the following processes:

By means of a brain-storming

session, identify at least 10
alternative solutions
 STEP 4: ASSESS THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
• Once the alternatives are identified, the manager must critically analyze each
one, appraising each against the criteria identified in step 2.

• The comparisons will reveal the relative strengths and weaknesses of each
alternative and it will highlight the best alternative that can maintain the most
significant needs of the criteria.

• Two techniques to evaluate the possible solutions are parallel/lateral thinking

and critical thinking.

Parallel thinking - de Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats

 DE BONO’S 6 THINKING HATS
• Six Thinking Hats is a system designed by Edward de Bono which describes a tool for group
discussion and individual thinking involving six coloured hats. "Six Thinking Hats" and the
associated idea parallel thinking provide a means for groups to plan thinking processes in a
detailed and cohesive way, and in doing so to think together more effectively.

• Teams can use these hats in any order during a discussion, but typically progress from blue,
to white, to green, to yellow, to red, and finally to black. This order organizes the discussion:

 Blue: Start with the approach and process

 White: Review the facts
 Green: Generate new ideas without judgement
 Yellow: Focus on the benefits
 Red: Consider emotional responses to any ideas
 Black: Apply critical thinking after the benefits have been explored to test the viability of the new ideas
DECISION MATRIX
 STEP 4: ASSESS THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
• A useful technique that managers can use during the evaluation of
ideas/solutions is the Kepner-Tregoe Decision Matrix

• Once the manager has analyzed the alternatives, the next step is to
choose the best alternative i.e. making an informed and objective
decision.

• Decision-making conditions
DECISION MAKING CONDITIONS
 Focuses on what’s
Logical and consistent
important

EFFECTIVE Acknowledge both

subjective and
Require only as much
information and
DECISION objective thinking and
blends analytical with
analysis as is necessary
to resolve a particular
MAKING intuitive thinking dilemma

Encourages and guides

Straightforward,
the gathering of
reliable, easy to use
relevant information
and flexible
and informed opinion
OPTIMAL DECISIONS
 SATISFICING DECISIONS
• Satisficing is a decision-making strategy that attempts to meet an acceptability threshold.

• This is contrasted with optimal decision-making, an approach that specifically attempts to find the best
option available.

• A satisficing strategy may often be (near) optimal if the costs of the decision-making process itself, such as
the cost of obtaining complete information, are considered in the outcome calculus.

• Human beings often lack the cognitive resources to optimize: we usually do not know the relevant
probabilities of outcomes, we can rarely evaluate all outcomes with sufficient precision, and our
memories are weak and unreliable. A more realistic approach to rationality takes into account these
limitations: This is called bounded rationality.

• Satisficing can also be regarded as combining "satisfying" and "sacrificing. In this usage the satisficing
TYPES OF DECISIONS – MOP IT AND STOP IT
 LEARNING ACTIVITY 4
• Group Discussion:

• Refer to Learning Activities 2 and 3. By referring to step 4 of

the CPS process, apply the following processes:

 De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats (apply parallel thinking to

reduce the 10 possible solutions to 5)
 Decision Matrix (to assess these 5 alternative solutions
against the pre-determined and weighted criteria)
 Using the totals of the Decision Matrix as a guideline
and apply your minds and other factors e.g. intuition
and discretion as well as the 3 decision making
conditions, exercise a choice as to the most
appropriate solution.
 Do you believe that you’ve made an optimal decision?
Motivate your response.
 Indicate whether you believe that it’s a Mop-it or
Stop-it solution. Motivate your response.
IF IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLUTION NECESSITATES
CHANGE – APPLY FORCE-FIELD ANALYSIS
STEP 5: IMPLEMENTATION OF MOST APPROPRIATE SOLUTION

• Managers then put the decision into action using the chosen
alternative accordingly and develops an implementation plan.

• Refer to an Action Planning template

 What
 How
 Who
 When
 STEP 6: MONITORING,
EVALUATION AND REVIEW THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
IMPLEMENTED SOLUTION

• The manager evaluates the

outcomes of the decision, to
see if the problem has been
resolved.

• They determine whether the

decision was best and if not
he would need to assess
what went wrong.
 LEARNING ACTIVITY 5
• Group Discussion:

• Refer to Learning Activities 2, 3 and 4.

By referring to steps 5 and 6 of the CPS
process, apply the following processes:

Develop an implementation plan

Describe how you will monitor,

evaluate and review (if required)
the implemented solution