Chapter 3

Solving Problems Analytically

and Creatively
Kristopher Blanchard
North Central University
With Exercises by Pam Burke
Stevens Institute of Technology
Management 612
 Learning Objectives

 Gain experience with creative problem

solving approaches

 Understand the value of encouraging groups

to use a variety of problem solving
approaches

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 Analytical vs.
Creative Problem Solving
 Analytical Problem Solving is the kind that
managers use daily

 Creative Problem Solving is used less often

but leads to greater success

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 Information Processing Styles

Intuitive Thinkers Systematic Thinkers

See the “forest” See the “tree”
Rely on “hunches” Are “detail” people
See the big picture Prefer careful analysis
Prefer non-routine environments Are methodical

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Example of Poor Problem Solving
(click to view clip)

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 Choosing A Problem Area

Goal: To apply problem solving

methods to real problems
Domain: Any growth area you
identified for your skills
development paper
Class List Of Possibilities:
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 Sort Yourselves Into Groups
Requirements:

1. Groups may have any number of

people between 3 and 6, inclusive
2. Everyone must join a group
3. Sit together around one table
4. Appoint a record keeper for the next
activity
5.You have 3 minutes to get into groups
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How Did You Do it?

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 Overview
Analytical Problem Solving

Step 1: Define the Problem

Step 2: Generate Alternative Solutions
Step 3: Evaluate and Select an Alternative
Step 4: Implement and Follow Up on the Solution

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 Analytical Problem Solving

 Step 1: Define the Problem

 Differentiate fact from opinion
 Specify underlying causes
 State the problem explicitly
 Identify what standard is violated
 Determine whose problem it is
 Avoid solutions disguised as problems

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 Analytical Problem Solving

 Step 2: Generate Alternative Solutions

 Match solutions to goals
 Get solutions from everyone involved
 Build on others’ ideas
 Specify short- and long-term solutions
 Postpone evaluating alternatives
 Specify alternatives that solve the problem

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 Analytical Problem Solving

 Step 3: Evaluate and Select an

Alternative
 Evaluate relative to the best standard
 Evaluate systematically
 Evaluate relative to goals
 Evaluate main effects and side effects
 State the selected alternative explicitly

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 Analytical Problem Solving

 Step 4: Implement and Follow Up on the

Solution
 Implement at proper time in right sequence
 Provide feedback opportunities
 Engender acceptance
 Establish ongoing monitoring system
 Evaluate based on problem solution

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 TASK #1 Problem Definition

 Use the Analytical Problem Solving method to

Define The Problem
 Follow the steps in Step 1 of Table I on Page 161
 Differentiate Fact From Opinion
 Specify Underlying Causes
 Tap Everyone for Information
 State the Problem Explicitly
 Identify What Standard is Violated …
 Avoid Stating the Problem as a Disguised Solution
 10 Minutes – Record all problem definitions
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 How’d You Do?
Did you agree on a problem statement? Not easy!

Run into any of these problems?

•Uncertainty about who’s definition to accept?
•Problem defined in terms of solutions?
•Symptoms get confused with real problem?
•Confusing information inhibit problem identification?
•Tried to converge on a definition too quickly?

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 Limitations of the Analytical
Problem-Solving Model

 Time & competing problem demands (firefighting)

 Ambiguity of the situation or problem
 Insufficient, inaccurate information
 “Brain Strain” – information overload
 History, habit, commitment
 Specialties and backgrounds of decision makers:
perceptual blocks

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 Limitations of the Analytical
Problem-Solving Model
 Individual differences in cognitive styles
 Self-interest
 Money
 Politics, conflict
 Need to “break set”...

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 Creative Problem Solving
Welcome to the Brain Gym

 Stand up
 Find a partner
 With backs to each other, change 5 things
about your appearance
 Face each other – guess what is different?

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Creative Problem Solving
(click to view clip)

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 Creative Problem Solving

 Focused on generating something new

 Can enhance the profitability and efficiency of
organizations
 Products produced from creative problem solving
include:
 NASA’s Velcro Snaps
 GE’s self diagnostic dishwasher
 Mead’s carbonless copy paper
 Kodak’s Trimprint film

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Use Creative Problem Solving When...

 No acceptable alternative seems to be

available
 All reasonable solutions
seem to be blocked
 No obvious best
answer is accessible

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 Creativity Defined

 Involves the use of intuition, ingenuity,

insight
 Rather than narrowing down to “one best
decision,” opening to create new
possibilities, many alternatives
 Outgrowth of training and experience

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 Stages in
Conceptual Blockbusting
• Preparation

• Incubation

• Illumination

• Verification

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 Preparation

 Define Problems  Gather Information

 Make the strange  Defer judgment
familiar  Expand current
 Elaborate on the alternatives
Definition  Combine unrelated
 Reverse the attributes
Definition

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 Incubation

 This stage involves mostly unconscious

mental activity in which the mind combines
unrelated thoughts in pursuit of a solution

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 Illumination

 This occurs when a creative solution is

articulated

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 Verification

 This involves evaluating the creative solution

relative to some standard of acceptability

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 TASK #2 Define Problem:
Creative Problem Solving
 Practice Divergence and Expansion before
Converging on a Problem Definition

 Generate as many possible views of the

problem definition as you can – fast, no
judging – write them all down

 5 minutes

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Different List This Time?

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 Team Intervention

 Rotate one person out: Pick someone to leave

the group.

 Chosen person: Stand up, and go to another

group.

 3 minutes

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How’d You Do It?

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 TASK #3 Creative Problem
Solving – SYNECTICS

 Using Metaphor and Analogy to Enhance

Problem Definition

 “Making the Familiar Strange and the

Strange Familiar”

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 SYNECTICS

1. Pick one of your problem definitions

2. List several possible analogies or metaphors
3. Explore what those metaphors mean
4. Impose the same analysis on the original
definition
 What does it remind you of?
 What does it make you feel like?
 What is it similar to?
 What isn’t it similar to?
 10 minutes – record all ideas
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 Tips for Constructing Analogies
or Metaphors
Example: Low Organizational Morale
 Include action or motion: (driving, cooking, attending a
funeral…) “The problem reminds me of trying to turn a rusty
nail.”
 Include things you can picture: (football games, carnivals,
places) “It makes me feel like I do when I visit a hospital ward.”
 Pick familiar events: (family diners, poor customer service)
“This is similar to the loser’s locker room after a basketball
game.”
 Relate dissimilar things: (an organization is more than a
crowd, it is a psychic prison or poker game) “This isn’t like a
well-tuned automobile.”
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 Creative Problem Solving:

Generating Alternative Solutions

 Fluency: The number of ideas or concepts
produced in a given amount of time.

 Flexibility: diversity of ideas or concepts

produced in a given amount of time.

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 Task# 4 Five- Minute Brainstorm

 Pick one problem definition

 List as many alternative solutions as you can,

no discussion, no judgment

 Strive for High Frequency (number) and High

Fluency (diversity of ideas)

 Record all alternatives – five minutes

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 Task #5 Expand Alternatives
Random Stimulation Method
 Each group pick a magazine
 One person close eyes and point to specific spot on
the cover
 The object closest to his or her finger is the
stimulus word
 List relationships between that object and the
problem
 What alternative solutions do you see?
 Record all alternatives – ten minutes
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 What Did You Learn?

Tell us your “object”

Attributes and similarities
New alternative solutions

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 Creativity Tips

 Give yourself relaxation time

 Find a place where you can think
 Talk to other people about ideas
 Ask other people for their suggestions about
your problems
 Read a lot
 Protect yourself from idea-killers

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Model of Analytical and Creative
Problem Solving

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To Foster Creativity...

 Unlocking others
creative potential can
be a challenge
 Will help you become
more successful

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 To Foster Creativity...
Principle Examples
Pull people apart; Let individuals work alone as well as with teams and task forces
Encourage minority reports and legitimize ‘devil advocate’s’ role
put people Encourage heterogeneous membership in teams
together Separate competing groups or subgroups

Monitor and Prod Talk to customers

Identify customer expectations both in advance and after the sale
Hold people accountable
Use ‘sharp-pointed’ prods

Reward multiple Idea champion

Sponsor and mentor
roles Orchestrator and facilitator
Rule breaker

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 Creative Problem Solving
Change 5 More Things!

 Stand up
 Find a partner
 With backs to each other, change 5 things
about your appearance
 Face each other – guess what is different?

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 Behavioral Guidelines

 Use the 4-step analytical procedure to solve

straightforward problems
 Use conceptual blockbusters with these activities:
 Lateral thinking in addition to vertical thinking
 Use several thought languages
 Challenge stereotypes
 Identify underlying themes
 Delete superfluous information
 Avoid artificially constraining problem boundaries
 Overcome any unwillingness to be inquisitive
 Use right and left brain thinking
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 Behavioral Guidelines

 Use metaphors and analogies

 Elaborate problem definitions
 Reverse problem definitions
 Wait until all potential solutions have been
offered before offering judgment
 Expand possible alternatives by subdividing
the problem into its attributes or using
random stimulation methods
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 Behavioral Guidelines

 Combine unrelated problem attributes to

increase the number of possible alternatives
 Foster innovativeness
 Use a practice field to experiment
 Combine people with different perspectives
 Hold people accountable
 Use sharp-pointed prods to stimulate new thinking
 Recognize, reward, and encourage the participation of
multiple roles in the innovation process

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 Hindrances to
Creative Problem Solving
 Conceptual Blocks – Obstacles that constrain the way
problems are defined
 Education Paradox
 Adults over 40
 Too little education

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 Conceptual Blocks Inhibit
Creative Problem Solving

 Constancy
 Vertical thinking – “dig the
well deeper”
 Single thinking language – can you move
one stick to create a true equality?

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Answer to Match Stick Problem

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 Conceptual Blocks
Inhibit Creativity
 Compression
 Artificially constraining a
problem – draw three lines
through nine dots without
lifting your pencil
 Distinguish figure from
ground

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Nine Dot Answer

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 Conceptual Blocks
Inhibit Creativity
 Commitment
 Stereotyping based on past
experience – “four volumes
of Shakespeare” question
 Ignoring commonalities –
what are common terms that
apply to both water and ?
finance? =

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 Four Volumes of Shakespeare

“There are four volumes of Shakespeare on the shelf. The pages

of each volume are exactly two inches thick. The covers are
each one-sixth of an inch thick. A book worm started eating at
page 1 of Volume 1 and ate straight through to the last page of
Volume IV. What distance did the worm cover?”

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 Four Volumes of Shakespeare-
Answer

5 inches (Remember where the first and last

pages are.)

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 Conceptual Blocks
Inhibit Creativity
 Complacency
 Lack of questioning – when was the last

time you asked three “why” questions in a

row?
 Bias against thinking – left brain more

likely to be used than right

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 Bias Against Thinking

 List 1  List 2
 Sunset  Decline
 Perfume  Very
 Brick  Ambiguous
 Monkey  Resources
 Castle  Term
 Guitar  Conceptual
 Pencil  About
 Computer  Appendix
 Umbrella  Determine
 Radar  Forget
 Blister  Quantity
 Chessboard  Survey
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