Hosa : Creative Problem Solving

Pattern Correlation:

A process when you see a misspelled word but you still understand the meaning of the word

Left Brain Traits:

Language, logic, and details

Two Parts of Memory:

storage and recall

Creativity:

Expression of uniqueness and process of generating something new

Creation:

Something original that has value

Innovation:

Process of taking a creation and turning it into something that has significant value or is profitable

Original:

Something that is said to be new

Benchmarking:

One hospital compares their practices to a hospital considered to be the best

Multi-disciplinary effort:

Organization identifies a complex problem, problem is divided into parts. Four possible solutions.

Insight:

Ability to look a complex problem and see through the maze

Camelot:

Process in problem identification with idealized situation, comparing real situation to ideal situation

Squeeze and stretch method:

Stretch: An attempt to discover the scope of problem

Squeeze: Find its basic components

Assumption reversal:

Recognize the limitation of solution

Analogy:

Developing alternatives, comparing two things that are dissimilar

Contrast association:

Develop dissimilarities (Black / White)

Ingenuity:

Ability to devise methods to make work easier, faster, or better

Edison technique:

Technique that solves by inventing new alternatives

Direct analogies:

Facts or knowledge from field is used to solve problems in another field

Perceptual:

Road block to creativity, prevents seeing the obvious

Music:

Puts analytical side of brain to sleep; intuitive side of function

Biggest barrier to creativity:

Expertitis

Innovation:

Process of creating something new

Attribute listing:

Technique which attacks problem by listing various characteristics then thinking of ways to improve each characteristic

Onion model:

Ideas cluster around focus of topic

Natural creativity

is in the pre-school years

Experimentation:

Selecting among alternatives; interaction between variable needs to be considered

Force-field analysis:

Focus on driving forces and restraining forces to change

Scenario writing:

Emphasis on potential future

Synectics:

Type of brainstorming that relies on analogies and metaphors

When actual and expected effects are compared results that need to be noted are those that deviate from what is expected

...

When developing a written or oral presentation, presentation should be brief, short, and to the point

...

The 8 S's of Innovation:

Strategy and purposes required to have objectives

Structure uses alliances to obtain innovation

System and processes is reward system for creativity and innovation

Style encourages risk taking

Staff has innovation champions

Resources invests heavily but appropriately

Shared values possesses a shared value

Strategic performances

Creative problem solving process:

Environmental analysis

Problem recognition

Problem identification

Making assumptions

Generating alternatives

Evaluation and Choice

Implementation

Creative problem solving plan:

Information phase

Ideation phase

Evaluation phase

Decision making phase

Implementation phase

Idea spurring questions:

Two other uses?

Adapt?

Modify?

Magnify?

Substitute?

Rearrange?

Reverse?

Combine?

Creative thinking

involves calling into question the assumptions underlying our customary, habitual ways of thinking and acting and then being ready to think and act differently on the basis of the critical questioning.

Components of Critical Thinking

Identifying and challenging assumptions.

Recognizing the importance of context.

Imagining and exploring alternatives.

Developing reflective skepticism.

Creative Thinkers

Consider rejecting standardized formats for problem solving.

Have an interest in a wide range of related and divergent fields.

Take multiple perspectives on a problem.

Use trial-and-error methods in their experimentation.

Have a future orientation.

Have self-confidence and trust in their own judgment.

Critical Thinking Involves

Recognizing underlying assumptions.

Scrutinizing arguments.

Judging ideas.

Judging the rationality of these justifications by comparing them to a range of varying interpretations and prospective.

Providing positive as well as negative appraisal.

_____ is the process of generating something new, something original that has value to an individual, a group, an organization , an industry, or a society.

Creativity

______ is something original that has value.

A creation

People who are consistently turning out creative ideas are sometimes referred to as _______.

creatives

________ is the process of taking a creation and turning it into something that has significant value to an individual, a group, an organization, an industry, or a society.

Innovation

What is the process of taking an invention (a creation) and making it profitable through successful application?

Innovation

The product of a creative effort does NOT need to be ________.

a tangible physical object

What is the innovation equation?

Creativity occurring in an Innovative Organizational Context within a Supportive Societal Environment results in Innovation. C (X) IOC (X) SSE = 1

How many types of creativity are there? What are they?

Two primary types, individual and group/team creativity

What is the Creative Problem Solving process model?

analyzing the environment

recognizing a problem

identifying the problem

making assumptions

generating alternatives

choosing among alternatives

implementing the choices

controlling the results

What are the primary areas involved in achieving innovative organizational context?

Organization's

strategies and purposes

structure

system and processes

leadership style

staff situations

resources available and their allocation

shared values

strategic performance

resources avail

All types of innovation can be classified as either ____ or ____.

product/service; process

What is Hall's Competitiveness Model?

relates "Relative Low Cost" and "Relative Differentiation"

True or False: Never make assumptions about the condition of future factors in the problem situation.

FALSE

Generating alternatives is __________ and __________.

partly a rational, partly an intuitive

What are the two distinct kinds of thought processes?

divergent, convergent

What does divergent thinking mean?

expanding the picture of the problem, looking at it from various points of view, gathering information, generating options for solving it.

What is convergent thikning mean?

Narrowing down the problem and relateed parts of its solution.

What is the IDEO creativity process?

Observation (information gathering)

Brainstorming

Rapid Prototyping (mockups of solutions are created)

Refining (Brainstorming is narrowed down)

Implementation (actual product or service is created)

Analyzing the Environment

1) Comparison against others: Listening to employees and customers, racing against phantom competitors.

What are some techniques for recognizing problems?

1) Camelot

What are some techniques for identifying problems?

1) Bounce it off someone else

What are some techniques for making assumptions?

1) Assumption Reversal - listing all assumptions about the problem, then reversing them and trying to solve the problem. You're trying to recognize limitations of the solutions you come up with.

Analyzing the Environment

1-Hire futurists and other consultants

2-Monitor weak signals

3-Opportunity Searches

Recognizing the Problem

1-Checklists

2-Inverse Brainstorming (takes a solution and looks for possible problems)

3-Limericks

4-Listing Complaints

5-Responding to someone else

6-Role Playing

7-Suggestion Programs

8-Workouts and other group approaches

9-camelot (a perfect world)

Identifying the Problem

1-Consensus Building (voting in a democratic manner)

2-Draw a picture of the problem

3-Experience Kit (putting problem solvers through an experience that causes them to understand the problem better)

4-Fishbone/Ishikawa Diagram - exercise that lists all possible causes of the problem at hand

5-King of the Mountain - one or two individuals take a position on what the problem is, and other members try to come up with a better on.

6-Redefining a problem or opportunity

7-Rewrite Objectives in Different Ways

8-Squeeze and Stretch

9-What do you know?

10-What patterns exist?

11-The why-why diagram (identifies the causes of a problem in a systematic way)

Generating Alternatives

1-Analogies and Metaphors - helps one identify problems and understand them better.

2-Analysis of Past Solutions, and learning from failures.

3-Association - making a mental connection between two objects or ideas. They must be related in some manner.

4-Free Association - just getting as many ideas as possible on the white board. You're looking for thoughts

5-Attribute Association Chains - technique begins with a list of the attributes of a problem. You free associate on each attribute to generate ideas about the problem.

6-Attribute Listing - consists of listing all the attributes or qualities of a problem, object. Then, they systematically analyzes each attribute or group.

7-Back to the Customers - turns our attention from production problems to marketing problems.

8-Back to the Sun - for each elements you can trace a process back to natural resources and ultimately the sun.

9-Circle of Opportunity - randomly selecting problem attributes and combining them to create a topic for a brainstorming session.

10=Computer Program - no other meaning here. It just means using software programs.

11-Deadlines - some people claim they work better under pressure.

12-Direct Analogies - knowledge/facts/technology from one field is applied to another.

13-Establish Idea sources - such as magazines

14-Examine it with the senses (using hearing, sight, touch, smell, taste)

The FCB Grid - Four cell matrix

Generating Alternatives

15-The Focused - Object Technique: contains elements of both free associations and forced relationships.

16-Fresh Eye - bringing in someone from the outside who doesn't know anything about the problem.

17-Googlestorming - using search engine to help spread your thinking.

Idea Bits and Racking - Taking idea bits ( or ideas generated in individual or group session) and using a specially designed racking board.

18-Input-Output : Helps identify new wars to accomplish an objective.

19-Mind Mapping

20-Music - listening to music

21-Name Possible Uses, provides solutions to a whole array of problems

22-The Napoleon Technique - assuming that you are someone famous, might help you

What are the three forms of applied thinking that we all need?

decision making, problem solving and creative thinking

What is the different between problem solving and creative thinking?

Object of problem solving is usually a solution, answer, or conclusion. Outcome of creative thinking is new ideas.

What are the two aspects of the mind?

Information it can store in memory, and what it can do. Professional knowledge includes both.

How many cells does your brain have?

10,000 million. Each can link with 10,000 of its neighbors.

Humans use no more than ____% of their brain power.

10

True of False: If you do not exercise your mind throughout your life your brain will shrink at a faster rate.

True

What are the three main functions of the mind?

analyzing, synthesizing and imagining, and valuing

What are the three forms of applied effective thinking?

decision making, problem solving, creative or innovative thinking

Analyzing is closely related to...

logical or step-by-step reasoning by breaking down individual parts (reverse of synthesizing)

What are the two main parts of logic?

deduction and induction

Define "deduction"

process of inferring or verifying a general law or principle from the observation of particular instances - core of the "scientific method"

Define "induction"

any form of reasoning in which the conclusion, though supported by the premises, does not follow from them necessarily.

What is synthesizing?

putting or placing things together to make a whole. (reverse of analyzing)

What does "holistic dimension" mean?

The ability of the minds to think in terms of wholes. (as well as analytically, taking the wholes into bits)

Where is the "valuing" function used?

In criticism, criteria, evaluating, appraising

What are the elements of "valuing"?

Object element (outside yourself) and subjective one. We can all judge and evaluate objective things, but what we actually value, "our values and morals" depends on our environment and culture, thus making it subjective

What is the Depth of Mind Principle?

The principle that allows us to analyze, synthesize and value in our sleep, or when we are doing something quite different. Depth of Mind principle is also the source of intuition - that sixth sense.

According to Adair, what are the five steps of effective decision making?

1) Define the objective

2) Collect relevant information

3)Generate feasible options

4) Make the decision

5) Implement and evaluation

Discuss Step 1 of 5 Steps of Effective Decision Making.

Know what you're trying to achieves

Discuss Step 2 of 5 Steps of Effective Decision Making.

Collect the information that will help you make your decision, being careful not to confuse "available and relevant" information

What is the Information Overload Syndrome?

(self explanatory) Where managers are overwhelmed by the massive availability of information.

Discuss Step 3 of 5 Steps of Effective Decision Making

Generate three or four possibilities instead of mere alternatives.

What is the lobster pot model? Which step of the effective decision making model does it pertain to?

pg 29, narrowing down choice options, using the principle that it is easier to falsify something than to verify it; step 3

Discuss Step 4 of 5 Steps of Effective Decision Making

Separate into "must", "should" and "might."

What are four things you should consider to help you make a decision in a complex case?

listing advantages/disadvantages, examining the consequences of each course, testing the proposed course against the yardstick of your aim or objective, weighing the risks against the expected gains.

What are the two forms of consequence?

manifest consequences- you foresee when you make your decision; latent consequences - not nearly as probable to foresee (may trigger more problems)

What is the difference between a bad and a wrong decision?

Wrong decision - fault lies within the method. Bad - something was deliberately ignored

What is the difference between outcome and process?

Outcomes cannot always be controlled, but the process can. Knowing how to avoid "bad mistakes" in the process can lead to better outcomes.

Discuss Step 5 of 5 in Effective Decision Making method

Implementation includes monitoring consequences and sensing effects to aid in the next problem solving process you encounter

What is "the point of no return"?

point where it costs you more in various coinages to turn back and change your mind than to continue with an imperfect decision.

When is implementation part of the decision making process rather than the end of it?

Your valuing faculty will come into play to evaluate the decision, the data informs the Depth mind, and it constitutes experience.

What are the three elements/variables involving leadership?

The leader - quality of personality or character; the situation - partly constant, partly varying; the group - the followers, their needs and values.

What is a group personality?

When people come together, their individual personalities merge into one. Each group has a different group personality. One technique may work for one group, another may work for a different group.

All work groups have three similar needs...

task need, team maintenance need, individual needs