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 gathering something new

Creation

something original that has a 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

Multidisciplinary Effort

organization identifies a complex problem, problem is divided into parts. four possible solutions

Insight

ability to look a complex problem and see though the maze

Camelot

a process in problem identification with idealized situation, comparing real solution to ideal solution

Squeeze and Stretch Method

squeeze; find its basic components
stretch; attempt to find the scope of problem

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 devised methods to make work easier, faster, and better

Edison Technique

technique that solves by inventing new alternatives

Direct Analogies

facts or knowledge from field is used to solve problem of another field

Perceptual

road block to creativity, prevents seeing the obvious

Music

puts analytical side of brain to sleep; intuitive side of brain

Expertisis

biggest barrier to creativity

Attribute Listing

technique which attacks problems by listing various characteristics then thinking of ways to improve each characteristics

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 brain storming that relies on analogies and metaphors

Four P's

product, possibilities, processes, and personal and group creativity

Seven S's of Organizational Success

strategy, structure, systems (management), style (leadership), staffing, skills, (sought synergies), and shared values (organizational culture)

Four Principles Types of Innovation

product, process, marketing, and management

Product Innovation

results in new products or services, or enhancements to old products or services

Process Innovation

results in improved processes within the organization

Marketing Innovation

improves the way the organization is managed

Creative Problem Solving Process

analyzing the environment, recognizing a problem, identifying the problem, making assumptions, generating alternatives, choosing among alternatives, implementing the chosen situation, and control

Benchmarking

a firm compares its practices with those of the firm that is considered the best in the industry

Best Practices

a firm compares itself with the firm that is considered the best at certain practices, regardless of the industry in which it operates

Camelot

to make sure problems haven't been overlooked, use an idealized situation

Checklists

finding problem with existing products/services/operations; developing promotional ideas

Inverse Brainstorming

when routine techniques haven't suggested many problems

Limericks and Parodies

when straightforward approaches haven't produced many problems or insights, add humor

Listing Complaints

looking for internal and customer problems

Responding to Someone Else

when someone else offers oppurtunites or problems

Role Playing

group, personal insights, into simple and complex problems, especially good or interpersonal and customer relations problems

Suggestion Programs

systematic problem recogition when employee participation is sought

Workouts and Other Work Group/Team Approaches

complex problems where group inputs and team building are important; workouts are best used as a retreat

Bounce It Off Someone Else

talking to someone else about a problem to get a different take ("two heads are better than one")

Consensus Building

voting in a democratic manner and sitting in a circle and discussing the problem until an agreement is reached

Draw a Picture of the Problem

complex problems use visualization to "see" problem

Experience Kit

involves putting problem solvers through an experience that causes them to understand the problem better and therefore generate more and better solutions; to get people more personally involved in the issue

Fishbone Diagram

identify and list all the possible causes of the problem at hand

"King of the Mountain"

one or two individuals take a position on what the problem is, and other members of the group, attempt to knock them off their definitional "mountain"; to succeed in doing so, the challenger must have a better definition of the problem

Redefining the Problem or Oppurtunity

redifine the problem in as many ways as you possibly can; increased insight into real problem

Rewrite Objectives Several Different Ways

for different views of the problem

"Squeeze and Stretch"

you squeeze a problem to find its basic components (ask "why"); you stretch a problem in order to discover more of its scope (ask "what")

What do you know?

writing and listing down what you know and all the characteristics of the situation

What patterns exist?

Do you see any patterns or relationships, causal or otherwise? Draw a diagram showing the interconnections among the facts you have covered.

Why-Why Diagram

used to identify the causes of a problem in a systematic way

Assumption Reversal

list all assumptions of a problem and reverse them

Analogies and Metaphors

serve as a means of identifying problems and understanding them better

Analysis of Past Situations

using other sources, such as reports and books, on how they solved a problem can help solve yours

Association

making a mental connection between two objects or ideas

Contiguity (association)

nearness

Similarity (association)

one object or thought will remind you of a similar object or thought

Contrast (association)

dissimilarities that are nearly opposites

Free Association

you say whatever comes into your mind relative to a word you just wrote or relative to a one- or two-word definition of a problem

Regular Association

the associated word must somehow be related to the word before it

Attribute Association Chains

list all the attributes of a problem and free associate on each attribute to generate ideas about the problem

Attribute Listing

consists of listing all the attributes or qualities of a problem or object; then systematically analyzing each attribute and attempting to change them in as many ways as possible

Back to the Customer

identify various product, price, promotion, distribution, and target market issues related to solving that problem in terms of how the customer would be affected

"Back to the Sun"

tracing a product's history back to the natural resources from which they were developed, and ultimately to the sun as the source of all energy

Circle of Opportunity

randomly selecting problem attributes and combining them to create a topic for a brainstorming session

Computer Programs

used to generate alternatives and otherwise add creativity to the problem-solving process

Deadlines

effective in generating alternatives and inspiring creative work; increases pressure and stimulate more right-brain activity

Direct Analogies

facts, knowledge, or technology from one field are applied to another

Establish Idea Sources

search out unfamiliar places where you can get ideas such as encyclopedias, magazines, museums, etc.

Examine it with the Senses

establish ideas about a problem using your five senses (hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste)

Focused-Object

one object or idea in the relationship is deliberately chosen; the other is selected arbitrarily (random)

Fresh Eye

include someone from the outside who does not know anything about the problem to get a fresher outlook

Idea Bits and Racking

assembling "idea bits", ideas generated in individual or group sessions, in a "racking board"

Idea Notebook

write down your ideas in a notebook to examine them later

Listening to Music

listening to soft, calming music is a good way to "free up" your subconscious

Mind Mapping

write the name or description of the object or problem in the center of a piece of paper and draw a circle around it; then brainstorm each major facet of that object or problem, drawing lines outward from the circle

Name Possible Uses

naming the possible uses for an item can help find new uses of a product

The Napoleon Technique

pretend that you are someone famous and try to solve the problem from that person's perspective

Organized Random Search

pick a page of a dictionary at random and use the words on that page to generate ideas the way one uses a verbal checklist

Personal Analogies

attempt to see yourself personally involved in the situation, perhaps through role playing

Picture Simulation

participants look at pictures and examine it individually; then discuss with a group

Product Improvement Checklist (PICL)

use words from the PICL list and apply the verbs as directed to your product

Relatedness

list all businesses or products related to yours to help you think of new products for your company

Relational Words

applying different words to the product to see which relates to the product

Reversal-dereversal

state the problem, using an action verb; then take an antonym of that verb and solve the new problem created in this way

Rolling in the Grass of Ideas

collect as much material you can about the problem at hand in an easily readable form; read through the material as fast as you can in one sitting and then ask yourself what it all means (Are there any patterns? What solutions pop into your head?)

7 X 7 Technique

1. Combine similar ideas.
2. Exclude irrelevant data.
3. Modify ideas to reflect insights gained in the first two steps.
4. Defer extraneous data for future reference.
5. Review past exercises to identify possibilities for alteration or refinement.
6. Classify dissimilar groupings into separate columns.
7. Rank items in each column.
8. Generalize each column using its main idea as a heading or title.
9. Rank the columns from left to right on the racking board according to their importance or utility.

Sleeping/dreaming on it

think rationally, very hard, and very long about a problem just before going to sleep (your subconscious continues to work on a problem while you are asleep)

Two words technique

pick the two words or phrases from your problems statement that indicate its essence (always includes a subject and an action verb); then combine these words in various ways

Using the computer to stimulate creativity

create presentations on a computer software to generate new ideas

Verbal checklist for creativity

checklist of questions about an existing product, service, process, or other item in consideration can yield new points of view and thereby lead to innovation

Visualization

close your eyes and visualize the problem (What do you see? Expand on what you see. Seek more details.)

What if...

ask yourself "What if something happens, what would the consequences be?"