THE INTEGRATION AND USE OF TRIZ WITH KAI, MYERS BRIGGS, SIX HATS

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INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

• THE INTEGRATION AND USE OF TRIZ WITH KAI, MYERS
  BRIGGS, SIX HATS
• ETRIA TRIZ CONFERENCE
• Bath, England
• July 21, 2002
• Jack Hipple, Principal
• Innovation-TRIZ, Inc.
• Tampa, FL, USA
• www.innovation-triz.com

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OR..

• How can we more effectively integrate TRIZ into
  the organizational problem-solving structure into
  which it is being placed?

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OBJECTIVE

• Review a psychological assessment tool (KAI)
  which has shown value in improving TRIZ problem
  solving sessions
• Share views on how to couple TRIZ with DeBonos
  processes
• Discuss integration with Myers Briggs
• Share experiences with others who may have used
  other tools

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HOW TRIZ PROBLEM SOLVING SESSIONS ARE NORMALLY
RUN

• Problem definition ahead of time, frequently
  using a pre-defined form
• Ideality, contradictions, resources identified
• Su-Field or software models constructed
• Contradiction tables, standard solutions, or
  software examples/operators are used to stimulate
  ideas

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WHAT WE FREQUENTLY FIND...

• There is an established process or assessment
  tool in place with which TRIZ must collaborate
• Myers Briggs
• Lateral Thinking and Six Hats
• Kirton KAI
• DFSS/Six Sigma
• QFD
• Brainstorming

Lateral Thinking and Six Hats are registered
trademarks of APTT and Edward DeBono org.
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IF WE DONT CONSIDER THEEXISTINGTOOLS AND
ENVIRONMENT..

• TRIZ implementation may be delayed
• Implementation may be resisted by the
  organization
• Not used to its full effectiveness

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THE PROBLEM SOLVINGENVIRNMENT CAN ALSO VARY

• We dont often recognize that people solve
  problems very differently
• People behave differently in problem solving
  environments and in different social environments
• Unless these differences are recognized, these
  issues can interfere with optimum TRIZ
  problem-solving

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OBSERVATIONS

• Some sessions are very energetic, others are dull
  and lack vigorous idea flow (70/30)
• Some participants want to focus on short term
  actions and ideas, others want to focus on longer
  range concepts
• Frequent disagreements
• When the psychology of the group is known,
  sessions can be improved

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ASSESSMENT TOOLS

• Myers Briggs
• Measures peoples style of interacting socially
  with each other
• Extroverted/introverted, sensing/intuitive,
  feeling/thinking, judging/perceiving (I.e. INTP)
• Most organizations are familiar with and use this
  tool
• Most people know their profile

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ASSESSMENT TOOLS

• Kirton KAI
• Measures an individuals PROBLEM SOLVING STYLE
  (adaptive to innovative)
• Not as well known, but more relevant to TRIZ
  problem solving, as it relates to problem solving
  style and not social style

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MYERS-BRIGGS USE

• Assesses social style of interaction
• Extroverted/introverted (E/I)
• Sensing/intuitive (S/N)
• Thinking/feeling (T/F)
• Judging/perceiving (J/P)
• Example ESTJ/INTP

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POTENTIAL IMPACT

• Extroverted/introverted
• Participation in the process
• Sensing/intuition
• Fact vs. gut feel
• Thinking/feeling
• Degree of subjectivity in idea/concept evaluation
• Judging/perceiving
• Degree of closure desired

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HOW TO USE.

• Make sure everyone is involved
• Level of problem definition and solution with
  software diagrams
• Idea implementation
• Long term vs. short term

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FOCUS ON PROBLEM SOLVING STYLE

• Observation
• Some people come up with ideas from nowhere
• Others seem to need stimulus
• Some people need structure in their lives, other
  prefer not to have any
• Some people want to know what the rules are,
  others could care less

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THE KIRTTON KAI INSTRUMENTMEASURES THESE FACTORS

• A 32 question instrument which can be completed
  in 15 minutes
• Measures, very accurately, ones problem solving
  STYLE, NOT CAPACITY
• Also measures ones interest in rule/group
  conformity and whether ones pattern of problem
  solving is visible to others
• Network of users
• www.kaicentre.com

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CREATIVE STYLES

• Measurement
• Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI)

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EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS

• How easy or difficult is it for you to present
  yourself, long term, consistently, as someone
  who
• Conforms?
• Enjoys detailed work?
• Is stimulating?
• Is predictable?

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OUTPUT FROM KAI

• A score ranging from 32-160, with the norm
  around 90 and 2 sigma deviation from 70-120
• Sub-scores indicating particular characteristics
  in originality, rule/group conformity, and
  efficiency
• There can be wide variation in some of these
  sub-scores

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Creative Styles
Pioneer

• Builder

Adaptive(Kirton)
Innovative(Kirton)
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AN EXTREME ADAPTOR
Why, theyre lighting their arrows...Can they
do that?
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AN EXTREME INNOVATOR
Wait! Wait! Listen to me!We dont just have to
be sheep!
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RELATIONSHIP BETWEENKAI AND TRIZ

• TRIZ provides assistance to both ends of the KAI
  spectrum
• KAI provides a way to segregate and optimize the
  output from TRIZ problem solving

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HOW DOES TRIZ HELP?

• Provides stimulus (from concepts of ideality,
  resources, contradictions) to adaptive/low score
  KAI people who have difficulty generating
  original ideas on their own
• Provides structure (via diagrams, models) to
  innovative/high score KAI people who have
  difficulty in organizing, structuring, and
  prioritizing ideas

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HOW CAN KAI BE USED IN A TRIZ SESSION?

• Prior to disclosure of KAI feedback, use to
  separate group into more adaptive and more
  innovative people
• Use in selecting and evaluation of ideas and
  output from software products
• Mutual sharing of views of problem(s) vs. style

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AN EXAMPLE.

• Specialty chemical company, 2B sales, 12
  participants
• Strong segmentation in KAI profiles
• Large group in the 80-85 range (highly adaptive)
• Large group in the 110-125 range (highly
  innovative)

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PROCESS

• Group divided into adaptive and innovative
  groups, prior to awareness of individual scores
• Asked to diagram the same problem with the IWB
  software Problem Formulator
• Presented to each other

IWB and Problem Formulator are trademarks of
Ideation International
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ADAPTOR DIAGRAM
Function 7
Function 8
Function 5
Function 2
Function 4
Function 1
Function 3
Function 6
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INNOVATOR DIAGRAM
Function 5
Function 8
Function 3
Function 7
Function 2
Function 4
Function 1
Function 6
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DISCUSSION WHICH OCCURRED

• Why do you view the problem that way?
• Why did you choose these particular ideas to
  pursue?
• How can you make any sense out of your diagram?
• Separation of ideas by interest

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THE SIX HATS PROCESS

• Problem solving process is divided into segments
  where everyone must do the same type of
  thinking at the same time
• Each person wears the same hat at the same time
  to minimize negative aspects of arguments, etc.
• One of the most widely used innovation processes
  in the world--easy to learn and effective for
  simple to moderately complicated problems

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THE SIX HATS

• Blue---meeting process, thinking process
• White---information that is needed
• Green---propose ideas, free thinking
• Black---what is wrong with this idea?
• Yellow---what is good about this idea?
• Red---emotional, gut feel about idea

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DEFICIENCY IN THEPROCESS

• Stimulus for ideation is still limited by the
  expertise and knowledge in the room
• Weak, informal problem definition step
• Selected random words used for stimulation
  (Lateral Thinking)

Lateral Thinking is a registered trademark of
APTT and Edward DeBono
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WHEN AND HOW TO COMBINETRIZ WITH THIS PROCESS

• White/information hats
• Have we identified all the contradictions?
• A problem definition diagram, such as the Problem
  Formulator
• Green/ideation hat
• Use of contradiction table, software examples
• Black/problem hat
• Use of reverse TRIZ technique to proactively
  identify potential failure routes
• Yellow/good hat
• Use ideality thinking and lines of evolution to
  improve ideas
• Blue hat
• Use ISQ and Problem Formulator to scope the
  process

ISQ and Problem Formulator are registered
trademarks of Ideation International
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IN CONCLUSION.

• All tools have value
• Combining these tools and knowledge of individual
  styles can greatly enhance the TRIZ problem
  solving process, especially if TRIZ is the
  latecomer to the organization
• Adding elements of TRIZ to any of these existing
  processes can improve their value and productivity