Super Creative Problem Solving

By Sijie Deng and Yi Deng

 

To design innovative product, service, and process concepts, marketing strategies, and methods of resource allocation and management, organizations need creative views and solutions. The secret word that may turn around an organization, corporation, division, or department is creativity.

Numerous firms, such as 3M, Frito-Lay, and Texas Instruments, have successfully included systematic creative exercises into their training and production processes in the past.

We can enhance our present goods, programs, services, and procedures far more than we ever envisioned, despite the fact that not everyone can accomplish such remarkable results.

There is nothing secret about creativity; it is just a question of using the appropriate mindset and technology in an environment that is open to innovative thought and fresh ideas. In companies, the technology of creativity approaches may increase and amplify human intelligence.

Unfortunately, much of this intelligence is frequently underutilized and undervalued.

Frequently, we take our most valuable and essential resources for granted. Whether due to familiarity or ignorance, we are unable to harness creative ideas. Or, when we do use this mental capacity, we lack the skills to maximize the mind's full potential, whether working alone or in groups.

The book explained how to successfully improve your capacity for decision making and how it is possible to alter it through both direct and indirect means. The focus of the book was on understanding the process of Creative thinking and how you must apply them in your day-to-day life.

I really hope that you make the most of all of the knowledge that was presented in this book and that you also make an effort to put it into action as soon as possible. It is also intended that you will enhance the degree of thinking you now possess, acquire the self-assurance to solve any problem using rational thought, and simultaneously increase the amount of work you get done.
 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yi Deng
• Release date: Aug 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223768272

Book preview

Getting Started

Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.—George Lois

Establishing some background is the first step that has to be taken before putting any of the activities described in this book into practice. This chapter includes an overview of the significance of idea creation techniques, a taxonomy of the many sorts of activities, as well as advice for facilitators on how to make use of them.

Responses that are flexible and imaginative are required in situations that are always shifting and include a variety of factors. In such conditions, rigid computer operating systems are useless and should be avoided. On the other hand, flexible systems are defined by the presence of several possible solution paths. Creative solutions have the potential to give flexibility by expanding our range of possibilities and assisting us in coping and adapting to new circumstances. We will have access to a greater variety of potential solutions in direct proportion to the number of ideas that we generate. New ideas may lead to the discovery of new worlds, new insights, and new approaches to tackling old problems. Simply said, creativity is a powerful tool that may assist in the reinvention of both individuals and organizations.

Reinventing the organization is a concept that is supported by the views of several management theorists. In order to begin over, companies need to examine the assumptions they've made about their processes and procedures and come up with fresh approaches to completing tasks. As advertising executive George Lois points out in the passage that opens this chapter, there really does need to be a defeat of habit. This chapter will focus on how to achieve this. These new beginnings, on the other hand, call for innovative ideas and fresh approaches to old problems; in essence, they call for creative points of view.

Why Employ Creativity Methods?

To design innovative product, service, and process concepts, marketing strategies, and methods of resource allocation and management, organizations need creative views and solutions. The secret word that may turn around an organization, corporation, division, or department is creativity.

Numerous firms, such as 3M, Frito-Lay, and Texas Instruments, have successfully included systematic creative exercises into their training and production processes in the past.

We can enhance our present goods, programs, services, and procedures far more than we ever envisioned, despite the fact that not everyone can accomplish such remarkable results.

There is nothing secret about creativity; it is just a question of using the appropriate mindset and technology in an environment that is open to innovative thought and fresh ideas. In companies, the technology of creativity approaches may increase and amplify human intelligence.

Unfortunately, much of this intelligence is frequently underutilized and undervalued.

Frequently, we take our most valuable and essential resources for granted. Whether due to familiarity or ignorance, we are unable to harness creative ideas. Or, when we do use this mental capacity, we lack the skills to maximize the mind's full potential, whether working alone or in groups.

Creating Original Ideas

Many of us lack the necessary tools and skills to produce new thoughts. This is particularly true in the complicated and ever-changing commercial environment. Competitive constraints need the expedited supply of innovative goods and services. In summary, firms are compelled to innovate in front of their competitors. Failure to do so might result in less inventive replies and a decrease in profits. However, the demand for innovation is not confined to the business sector. Similarly, service, government, and non-profit organizations may face comparable pressures to adapt to changes in the markets they serve or the restrictions placed upon them.

Organizations cannot rely on their own creatives or customer feedback to address all of their issues; even conventional group ideation has flaws. In many firms, brainstorming is about as useful as consulting a crystal ball. Even seasoned brainstorming groups discover that after a year of connecting with the same individuals, the well dries up.

Most people and groups in organizations periodically need a mental boost in order to generate home run or revolutionary ideas. In addition, they need a variety of approaches in their concept toolkits. The bigger the number of ways they can apply, the better their chances of coming up with a brilliant concept. This is where organizational training may be of use.

Training on Creativity in Organizations

In recent years, businesses have resorted to formal creative efforts in order to replenish their idea pipelines. These pipelines serve as the conduits for sustaining competitive advantage or achieving goals via a steady influx of fresh ideas. Many product-based companies, such as 3M and Procter & Gamble, even attempt to increase the share of their income derived from the frequent launch of new goods. The same may be done with the outputs of service, nonprofit, and government organizations, such as innovative methods to enhance customer service or seek contributions. Clearly, original ideas are the driving force behind organizational innovation.

There are several ways in which organizations might become sources of idea production. Formal and informal brainstorming sessions inside an organization are likely the norm. Frequently, external experts are called in to conduct formal, organized sessions. Or, some firms assign staff the responsibility of generating and disseminating novel concepts. Other firms generate ideas in-house the majority of the time, but periodically engage external resources to assist conduct off-site brainstorming retreats. Obviously, combinations of these are also feasible.

Due to challenging economic conditions, more firms are turning to internal trainers to organize these sessions. After receiving the proper training, these trainers may provide at least two services. The first is the creation and facilitation of brainstorming sessions for specific employee groups. These sessions may be planned annually or as required. Consequently, frequent meetings might be arranged to discuss problems of strategic relevance, such as the development of a new product line, service, or strategy to accomplish a mission or vision statement. Similar meetings may be arranged when varied feedback is required for sporadic tactical obstacles.

The second service is instruction on how to use strategies for idea creation. Many of the exercises in this book may be conducted without a trained and professional facilitator. Most groups can execute the activities' step-by-step instructions with a little study and experience. Obviously, the ideal situation would be to provide training in select activities, monitor and provide feedback when groups use them, and then encourage groups to implement them independently while remaining available for consultations as needed.

A Classification of Idea Generation Activities

Before examining the activities, you may want to have a better understanding of how they operate. This information should make them simpler to use and teach to others, as well as boost your overall comprehension of creative thinking. However, it is essential to recognize the difference between solitary and group activities. This is because the distinction might lead to confusion over which activities to use. As a matter of fact, for the sake of this book, the difference is artificial, depending on how the activities were initially developed. Specifically, groups may use all individual activities, but individuals may not utilize all group activities.

This distinction is due to the fact that certain group activities were created with just groups in mind, while others were created with only individuals in mind. For instance, in certain activities, individuals distribute idea cards to one another. Thus, activities requiring interaction with other individuals must include other individuals. In contrast, several activities may be used by either individuals or groups. However, it is