WHAT IS CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING?

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a structured process for solving problems or finding opportunities. Use it when you want to go beyond conventional thinking and arrive at creative (novel and useful) solutions.

WHAT IS CREATIVITY?

Creativity is novelty that is useful. It is disruption with a purpose. It is the first stage of any innovation and change initiative: creativity is generating something novel and useful, and innovation is putting that something to work.

You can, of course, choose to solve problems in conventional ways. Indeed, most problems are solved using known solutions. Creativity is solving problems in new and better ways. Creativity is how your organization becomes truly innovative, and how it and uncovers new, different, and market-making opportunities.

IS CPS A CREATIVE WAY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS?

The word "creative" in the title refers to the results you seek: novel and useful solutions, not just tried and true and traditional ones. But is CPS itself creative? It is not new - it has been is use since the 1950s - but it remains novel when compared to other problem-solving models. CPS uses both divergent and convergent thinking at every stage of the process. Most other processes reserve the divergent thinking for the generating ideas stage, but use it nowhere else. CPS multiplies the power of divergent thinking by making it part of the entire process.

Using CPS also has an interesting side effect: it makes you re-think the way you thiink, and not just when you are solving problems

CPS STAGE: PLAN FOR ACTION

ABOUT THIS STAGE

When you have come this far, you have an implementable solution in hand, and you have explored who will help you (and how), and who will resist (and how you will overcome the resistance). These aspects are essential in this stage, when you create an implementation plan.

There are many ways to create an action plan, including techniques that come from the discipline of project management. The type of plan will depend, necessarily, on the size and scope of the solution. CPS is tools agnostic at every stage - you can use any tools you like - and here especially so.

A method we have found useful in most circumstances is called RACI, an acronym that helps you define the roles to be filled by your implementation team. A RACI plan is created like this:

1. Using a divergent tool, create a list of all implementation steps. Use a convergent tool to distill, cull, and order the list.
2. For each implementation step, identify the RACI roles:
   • Who is Responsible to do the work (one person)
   • Who is Accountable for making sure the work is done (often, the manager of the R person)
   • Who can be Consulted to assist the R person with doing the work
   • Who needs to be Informed about progress or completion of the step
3. When the RACI action plan is complete, you are ready to create the future you imagined at the beginning of the CPS process.

NOW WHAT

Here are some choices:

• Click any part of the model above to examine that stage in more detail.
• Return to the CPS overview.
• Learn about CPS facilitation.
• View an outline of our two-day CPS workshop.

CONTACT US WHEN YOU ARE READY

When you're ready to talk to us about teaching you this process or facilitating a problem-solving session, just holler.