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Creative Problem Solving
Got problems? Learn to love them.
Solving problems can be fun and rewarding.
Creative problem solving is the skill most needed for individuals and business to survive and grow. It's the gateway to new markets, products and methods. Creative problem solving is more skill then talent. Skills can be learned, enhanced and transferred. Follow these five steps to transform problems into opportunities.
1. Fact Finding
Search for problems. Big problems reach up and smack us in the face. They are easy to find. It takes more skill to uncover the problems before they get so horrific. Find these problems when they are small. Then they are easier to solve and there are more options. Lotus did not think that Microsoft Excel was a problem until it was too late. In fact Lotus 123 enjoyed its best year just before sales plummeted. They did not appreciate the little problem of working with more than one software application. Everyone claims to be a problem solver but you also need problem finders.
Search for facts. "Just the facts - nothing but the facts." Make no judgment at this point. You may think you know the problem. The urge to jump to a quick solution is overwhelming - but don't be fooled by a quick and easy solution just to make it go away. Ask questions to collect facts without prejudging. Remember Lieutenant Colombo in the old TV series. He could ask the dumbest questions with perfect innocence. That's how you need to ask questions. Ask, What? Who? When? Where? Why? and How? Through my radio interviews with many CEOs of large corporations I discovered that one skill they share is asking good questions - then listening. CEOs discovered that they don't know the answers - but they must know the questions.
2. Problem Definition
How many times have you seen an eager beaver attack a problem only to discover that they did not understand the problem and hence wasted time and energy - and caused bad feelings? I painfully remember one manager whose reign of terror caused endless waste of time, money and people by intimidating subordinates into continual motion without directed action. He never wanted to fix the problem - just to be seen in constant motion and to be perceived as fixing problems while only addressing symptoms.
Einstein said if he only had one hour to solve the problems of the world he would spend 50 minutes defining the problem and 10 minutes solving it. To define the problem ask yourself, "Why" - until you discover the real problem. Once you discover the true problem restate the problem into the action statement, ' In what ways might I…?' Notice that you are looking for many possible ways.
3. Idea Generating
Have fun, generate lots of crazy ideas that might solve the problem. The more ideas the better. And remember ideas are born imperfect and fragile - very easy to kill. Edison had 10,000 ideas on how to create the light bulb - only one of them was right but all of them moved him in the right direction. You don't need that many but think in terms of dozens of ideas. Use humour to generate radical ideas. Suspend the 'rules' - maybe they can be changed. If you are an expert forget what you 'know'. Remember when all the experts 'knew' that the earth was the centre of the universe? Don't expect experts to solve the problems in their field because the rules are ingrained. The Wright brothers were not experts in aviation - they were bicycle mechanics. The most innovative people are those who did not know 'that it couldn't be done.' To get innovative ideas ask someone who knows nothing about your business. They will ask the questions and pose possibilities you can't see because you are blinded by the rules. Dell did not ask the other computer companies how it should sell computers. If they did they would not have challenged the rules and sold computers direct. The question to ask at this stage is "what if…?"
If you want to encourage your people to be creative you must allow them the freedom to suggest crazy ideas without feeling embarrassed and to make mistakes without the fear of punishment. If you enforce the rules like an Attila the Hun - don't expect creativity. When faced with a crisis Captain Picard of Star Trek, always ask for "Options?" He picks one and never berates the ones he did not select.
4. Solution Finding
You suspended your expertise to generate ideas now turn it back on to evaluate the potential solutions and plan the action. Describe the criteria of the best solution. These might include cost, time, and risk. "The best solution would look like.." Pick the best ideas and rate them using your criteria for best fit. Find three best ideas; re-examine your assumptions about each then pick the one you will go with this time. Keep the others as back-up. The question you ask is, "How might we..?"
5. Acceptance and Action
How do you get others to buy into your solution? Involve them in the process from the beginning - give them ownership. Sometimes that means accepting a second best solution. If you did not involve the key stakeholders then you need to demonstrate how their needs will be met.
After Art Fry invented the Post-it note for 3M he could not convince research or marketing to buy into the product. He asked himself, "Who will this product help?" His answer was secretaries. So he sent free samples to secretaries across North America including the phone number of the VP marketing to call for reorders. Guess what happened when the calls started coming in? Art finally convinced his people of the value of this product and 3M's most successful product was born.
In the information age we are tempted to believe that knowledge is power.
But remember the words of Einstein who said;
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
© George Torok launched his own business after more than 20 years in corporate management. He delivers seminars and keynotes to corporations and associations on thinking and communication skill. He is co-author of the best-selling, Secrets of Power Marketing, Canada's first guide to personal marketing for non-marketers. For more free tips, information or to contact Torok visit www.torok.com or call 800-304-1861