Creative Problem Solving: The OneHour Approach or Youve Got to be Kidding

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Creative Problem SolvingThe One-Hour
Approach(or Youve Got to be Kidding!)

• Cynthia E. Rolfe
• May 18, 2007

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Creativity
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Exercise
Creativity My Definition
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Definitions

• Novelty that is useful. - Stein
• The mental capacity to visualize, to foresee,
  and to generate ideas. - Alex Osborn
• Cfa(K,I,E) - Creativity equals the Function of
  open attitude, Knowledge, Imagination and
  Evaluation Skills - Dr. Ruth Noller

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Outside the Box Thinking

• To be creative you need to be able to view things
  from different perspectives.
• Creativity is linked to fundamental qualities of
  thinking, such as flexibility and tolerance of
  ambiguity
• Robert E. Franken

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Exercise
Visual Connections
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Four Ps Framework

• Press Climate / environment
• Person Characteristics
• Product Produces a creative outcome
• Process Through which people are creative . . .
  .

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PRESS

• Physical
• Office, conference room, etc.
• Shape
• Clutter
• Light
• Decor
• Schtuff

• Psychological
• Idea support
• Challenge
• Dynamism / Liveliness
• Playfulness / Humor
• Debates
• Risk-taking
• Trust/Openness
• Freedom
• Idea Time
• Conflicts

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PERSON
There are three types of characteristics that
combine to produce creativeness

• Personality
• Cognitive
• Biographical

Davis 1998
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PERSON Personality

• Aware of Creativeness

Original
Needs time alone
Artistic
Curious
Independent
Thorough
Attracted to Complexity
Ethical
Capacity for Fantasy
Energetic
Sense of Humor
Emotional
Risk-Taking
Perceptive
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PERSON Cognitive

• Fluency
• Flexibility
• Originality
• Elaboration
• Sensitivity

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PRODUCT

• Artifacts of thought
• The tangible result of the creative process
• Physical objective article or patent
• Theoretical system
• Equation
• New technique

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PROCESS CPS

• Identify Goal / Wish Challenge
• Gather Data
• Clarify the Problem
• Generate Ideas
• Select and Strengthen Solutions
• Plan for Action

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Dynamic Balance

• Divergent Thinking
• Generating lots of ideas

• Convergent Thinking
• Judging options / making decisions

Alex Osborn, Applied Imagination Two distinct
kinds of thinking essential to being creative
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Divergent Thinking Guidelines

• Defer judgment
• Combine and build on ideas
• Seek Wild ideas
• Go for quantity

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Divergent Tools

• Brainstorming
• Stick-Em Up
• Brainwriting
• Forced connections
• Visual Connections
• Ladder of Abstraction
• SCAMPER

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Convergent Thinking

• Be deliberate
• Check your objectives
• Improve your ideas
• Be affirmative
• Consider novelty

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Convergent Tools

• Card Sort
• Evaluation Matrix
• Highlighting
• I3 (Influence, Importance, Imagination)
• PPCo (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns)

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The CPS Model (Creative Problem Solving)
Osborn-Parnes
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Tips for Tomorrow

• Carry a notepad . . . And use it!
• Observe, observe, observe
• Take time out to people watch
• Ask questions
• Of others . . . . But more importantly
• Of YOURSELF!!!
• Take time to breathe and enjoy!!!