In a Nutshell
Xerox Corporation has a
nice tradition of creativity. Earlier this year, they received their
15,000th U.S. patent.
To be effective problem
solvers at work, we have to be able to think of multiple possible solutions
to problems. Unfortunately, our minds are prone to thinking in habitual
and overly simplistic ways. If we overcome our conceptual blocks,
we'll become more effective at problem solving
and innovation.
In This Issue
Uses for
Creative Problem Solving Skills
Creative problem solving
skills have countless uses. Too often people associate creative problem
solving with dealing with crises or difficulties, or think of it as something
that's used for games and puzzles or special kinds of jobs. However,
creative problem solving skills are required for achieving exceptional
performance in most jobs (and all the good jobs). The term "problem"
simply refers to any discrepancy between the current situation and a desired
future situation. So, finding a way to exploit an opportunity is
a form of problem solving just as coping with a crisis is. Moreover,
any opportunity to improve work processes or products fits that definition
of a problem. Creative thinking is not just for certain jobs, like
writing advertising copy or designing entertaining training programs.
Creativity can help all of us progress from our current situation to a
desired future situation, whether our jobs are normally thought of as involving
"creative work" or not.
The creative problem solving
process differs from routine problem solving in that with routine problem
solving a pre-established method for solving the problem is used; with
creative problems solving, any pre-established method for solving the problem
is either unknown or not used. Creative problem solving involves
a hunt for new solutions, while routine problem solving uses old solutions
(borrrring!).
Conceptual Blocks
Despite the importance of
creative thinking to so many facets of our lives, human beings are prone
to mental ruts. Our brains are powerful computers with the capacity
to be very flexible, but sometimes our thought processes aren't as flexible
as they need to be. A number of conceptual blocks can keep us from
solving problems creatively.
Constancy.
Once we've learned a solution to a problem, we often try to reuse that
solution when encountering similar problems. It can be difficult
to ignore that solution and consider others. When that solution is
ineffective, being fixated on it interferes with our problem solving.
Creative problem solving requires being able to define and solve problems
multiple ways.
As the Xerox invention of
GlossMarks demonstrates, redefining a problem is often a way to find a
serendipitous solution. Xerox researchers originally set out to eliminate
"differential gloss," the plastic-like sheen on high-quality prints and
photocopies, when they discovered a productive use for the gloss.
Like watermarks in paper, GlossMarks can embed a unique image in a document
to discourage counterfeiting. When the problem was defined as "remove
gloss from prints and photocopies," they did not find a solution.
However, when the problem was broadened to "produce innovative products,"
the researchers were able to identify a solution.
Commitment.
Although our minds can process a lot of information, we often get committed
to overly simplistic assumptions about things. For instance, we assume
that our current project is like prior projects, or we assume that our
customers have similar priorities. In other words, we stereotype
things. Creative problem solving requires relaxing our assumptions
in order to notice subtle differences and similarities that might help
us find solutions.
Compression.
To quickly solve a problem, we often artificially limit the information
we use in defining the problem and searching for solutions. We overlook
important things surrounding the problem or mistakenly assume that some
types of solutions are more appropriate than others. Creative problems
solving requires looking at the "big picture," considering all relevant
information about the problem, and ensuring that a variety of possible
solutions are examined.
A group I was conducting
a team building workshop for taught me a lesson in thinking beyond artificial
constraints. To illustrate interdependence in teamwork and the conflict
that it creates, I challenged each team to build a house of cards.
One of the teams decided to bend the cards. We don't normally bend
playing cards, do we? Those of us who have built a house of cards
have probably done it without bending the cards so that we could use them
later. However, the team that didn't assume that the cards needed
to be treated with care ended up achieving their goal of building the biggest
house ... and ruining my cards.
Complacency.
Sometimes we give up too easily when we encounter problems for which we
don't immediately see solutions. The Wright brothers could have easily
given up on their early attempts at flight and many people thought they
should, but they didn't. Instead, the Wright brothers put a tremendous
amount of time and energy into study and experimentation. Creative
problem solving often requires extensive study of the problem and time
for creative ideas to incubate in our minds.
Our minds tend to be programmed
to quickly solve the problems we typically encounter in a day. However,
those thought patterns could block our ability to solve problems creatively.
To increase our creativity, we need to break our conceptual blocks.
Overcoming Conceptual
Blocks
There are many things we
can do to overcome our conceptual blocks and enhance our creative problem
solving skills. Individually, we can practice creative problem solving
and keep our minds flexible by playing with lateral thinking puzzles.
There are several books on lateral thinking puzzles in most bookstores.
When facing a particular
problem that you would like to solve creatively, there are a number of
techniques you can use to overcome conceptual blocks. First, reduce
any stress
that you might be experiencing and try to put yourself in a positive mood.
Problem solving under stress tends not to be very creative. Second,
accept and be patient with wild ideas. Generating and considering
wild ideas can seem like a waste of time, but it's often the route to an
ingenious solution. Third, play around with the problem definition.
State the problem as you see it and then try to see it in other ways.
Use odd analogies for the problem. Elaborate on it, and look for
ways to state it "the other way around." These activities break the
"compression" conceptual block. Fourth, produce many possible solutions
without regard to their practicality. After listing many solutions,
try combining and modifying the solutions on the list. If you're
still not satisfied with the solutions you've produced, take a break for
several hours or even several days. Let your ideas incubate, and
you'll find that you often identify a solution when you're not even trying.
Managers can also use various
training interventions to promote their subordinates' creative problem
solving. The most popular types of creativity training focus on fluency--producing
a large number of ideas. Fluency techniques include brainstorming
and the Nominal Group Technique. Excursion
techniques can also be helpful. An excursion is anything that takes
employees into unfamiliar realms of thought, and takes their conscious
minds off the problems they are currently wrangling with, permitting the
incubation process to occur in their subconscious. In the past, I've
found that traveling to conferences is an effective excursion technique
for me. Pattern breaker techniques
force employees to think beyond their cognitive ruts and gain a fresh perspective
on the problem. Synectics is an approach to stimulating creativity
by using analogies to break patterned thinking. Shake-up
exercises get employees out of their comfort zones and make them more receptive
to unusual ideas. Shake-up exercises encourage employees to take
risks and relax, and they are also good icebreakers.
Sources
Gross, N. (2002, November).
Putting a gloss on the right stuff. Business Week, November
18, p. 77.
Kiely, T. (1993).
The idea makers. Technology Review, 96(1): 33-40.
Whetten, D. A., & Cameron,
K. S. (2002). Developing management skills, (5th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Xerox Corporation web site,
www.xerox.com
About the Newsletter
and Subscriptions
LeaderLetter is written
by Dr. Scott Williams, Department of Management, Raj
Soin College of Business, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.
It is a supplement to my MBA 751 - Managing People in Organizations class.
It is intended to reinforce the course concepts and maintain communication
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Let's keep the conversation going.
Having trouble coming up with creative excuses? Try this template!
Dear
a. Mom,
b. Dad,
c. love of my life,
d. Assistant Principal,
e. Your Honor,
Words cannot begin to express how sorry I am that your
a. car
b. house
c. pet
d. espresso maker
e. left arm
was severely damaged by my
a. infantile
b. puerile
c. inept
d. comically brilliant but nonetheless sadistic
e. woefully under appreciated prank.
How could I have known that the
a. car
b. jet ski
c. large helium balloon
d. rodent driven sledge
e. Zamboni
I was riding in would go so far out of control? And while it is true
that I should not have pointed it in the direction of your
a. house,
b. wife,
c. Cub Scout troop,
d. 1/16th sized replica of the Statue of Liberty,
complete with lightbulb in the torch,
e. priceless collection of Rolling Rock beer
cans,
You must understand that it was all meant in fun. The subsequent carnage
that I caused is beyond my ability to
a. imagine,
b. fathom,
c. comprehend,
d. appreciate,
e. pay for,
And I must therefore humbly ask your forgiveness. I know that you are
perfectly within your rights to
a. hate me,
b. sue me,
c. spank me,
d. take my firstborn,
e. gouge out my eyes with spoons and feed
them to the fish in your koi pond,
but I ask you to remember all the good times we've had, joshing around
at
a. school,
b. work,
c. church,
d. the bowling alley,
e. the municipal jail,
and to remember that I am first and foremost your
a. friend.
b. child.
c. sibling.
d. lease co-signer.
e. only possible match should you ever need
a bone marrow transplant.
I think that counts for more than one prank, especially one that
a. was so stupid.
b. was so silly.
c. would have been funny if it worked.
d. you would have done, if you had thought
of it first.
e. I'm going to use again on someone else.
Sincerely,
Enter name or alias here: ________________________