CISB Final Exam

Cumulative

stages of Creative Problem Solving (CPS)

1. Clarify

2. Ideate

3. Develop

4. Implement

Cycling between understanding the problem and testing solutions

Clarify (CPS)

Explore the problem, Frame and reframe the problem statement

Ideate (CPS)

Generate many, varied, original ideas without; judging them. Use brainstorming and over divergent thinking tools

Develop (CPS)

Combine, refine, and evaluate ideas, turning raw concepts into stronger solution concepts

Implement (CPS)

Plan and execute action steps, pilots, and rollouts; manage change and measure results

Discovery Skills

Helping innovators generate non-obvious insights and solutions

• Associating

• Questioning

• Observing

• Experimenting

• Networking

Associating (Discovery Skill)

Connecting seemingly unrelated ideas, problems, industries, or concepts to spark novel combinations

Questioning (Discovery Skill)

Posing “why” “why not” “what if” questions that challenge assumptions, constraints, and the status quo to uncover root causes or hidden assumptions

Observing (Discovery Skill)

Carefully watching users, processes, and environments to notice pain points, workarounds, nonverbal cues, and unmet needs

Experimenting (Discovery Skill)

Trying out new experiences, running pilots, and testing variations to learn what works and why, rather than relying on assumptions

Networking for ideas (Discovery Skill)

Engaging with diverse people outside your usual circle to access different perspectives, expertise, and mental models

Divergent Thinking

Generating many, varied, and unusual ideas without evaluating them

Focuses on quantity, novelty, deferred judgement, seek wild ideas

Divergent Thinking Tools

Classic brainstorming with clear rules and timeboxes

“Yes, and…”

Mind mapping

Forced connections

SCAMPER

Divergent thinking tool

Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify/Minify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse/Rearrange

Convergent Thinking

Narrows options to identify the single best or most logical solution to a problem

Focuses on evaluating, prioritizing, and selecting ideas based on criteria like feasibility, desirability, viability

Cognitive Biases

Systematic mental shortcuts that can distort innovation decisions by causing teams to over trust their initial beliefs, ignoring disconfirming evidence, or misread behavior

Hindered creativity by limiting openness to new ideas

Confirmation Bias

Favoring information that supports existing beliefs and ignoring contradictory evidence

Status Quo Bias / Loss Aversion

Preferring the current way of doing things and overweighing and focusing on potential losses from change

Overconfidence Bias

Overestimating one’s judgement, knowledge, forecast, or the quality of a concept or prototype

Prioritizing your beliefs over others’

Anchoring Bias

Relying too heavily on an initial piece of information

Anchoring your beliefs

(Ex: first price you see. first idea you think of)

Sunk Cost Fallacy

Continuing a failing project because of the resources (time, money) that are already invested

Social Capital

The value created from relationships, trust, and norms within a network

Helping people access information, opportunities, resources

Open Networks

A network having many “structural holes” and connections across groups

Providing access to diverse information and novel ideas, which is good for creativity and innovation

Structural Hole

Gap or absence of direct connections between two or more non-overlapping groups/individuals in a social group, creating opportunities for people to bridge them

Closed Networks

Dense networks, where the majority of people know each other

They provide strong trust, support, and coordination - can be good for implementation and enforcement of norms

Brokers

People who can bridge structural holes between otherwise disconnected people/groups

They can introduce ideas across boundaries and they often have more power to innovate and influence

Help you spot and recombine diverse ideas

Redundant Ties

Connecting people who are already tightly connected

They reinforce trust and reliability but add less new information

Experimentation

Reduce uncertainty by testing key assumptions about customers, value propositions, business models, and implementation risks cheaply and quickly

Core components of an effective test plan

• Clear learning objective

• Testable hypothesis

• Metrics and success criteria

• Method and sample

• Timeline and logistics

Implementation

Turning a chosen solution into real-world change, which requires planning, stakeholder management, and on going adaptation, not just a good idea

Self-Awareness (Emotional Intelligence)

Understanding yourself and how you act: your own emotions, strengths, limits, and triggers

Self-Management / Self-Regulation (Emotional Intelligence)

Controlling yourself: impulses, staying composed under stress, and following through on commitments

Social Awareness / Empathy (Emotional Intelligence)

Accurately understanding your environments: sensing others’ emotions, needs, and perspectives

Relationship Management (Emotional Intelligence)

Using awareness of your own and others’ emotions to manage interactions, resolve conflict, and inspire

Visionary / Transformational Leadership Style

Best when a team or organization needs direction, inspiration, and major change

Coaching Leadership Style

Best for developing people and building long-term capabilities

Democratic / Participative Leadership Style

Useful when input and buy-in from the group are crucial, letting the members get involve and make an impact themselves

Pacesetting Leadership Style

Useful when the team is highly competent and motivated, and speed or high standards are critical, but risky if overused

Commanding / Directive Leadership Style

Best in crises or when quick, decisive action is required, but harmful if used as default

The Slow Hunch

Ideas often start vague, incomplete hunches that need time to mature and connect with other hunches

Liquid Networks

Environments that allow for the free flow and interactions of ideas, and are more fertile than close, rigid structures

(Ex: coffeehouses or the internet)

Exaptation

Borrowing a tool or an idea from one field and applying it to a completely different one

Medici Effect (Innovator’s DNA)

A phenomenon where breakthrough ideas and exceptional creativity occur at the “intersection” of diverse disciplines, cultures, and fields

“What currently is” questioning

Questioning the current reality

“What might be” questioning

Imagining a future possibility

Why are “What If” questions powerful?

• Suspend the constraints of the present

• Free us from limitations

• They are the primary engine for blue sky thinking and vision casting

“Delivery-Driven” Networking

Networking to get things done, focusing on efficiency and the known

“Discovery-Driven” Networking

Networking to find new ideas and perspectives, focusing on innovating and the unknown

Characteristic of a network beneficial for networking

• Diversity

• Weak Ties (casual contacts)

• Access to “idea hubs”

• Breadth