CREATIVE

PROBLEM SOLVING

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CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

 Introductions
 Purpose
 Learning Objectives

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CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

PURPOSE:

To develop the awareness and the

skills necessary to solve problems
creatively.

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 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Define creative problem solving.

2. Be familiar with common mental blocks to creative
thinking process.
3. Explore ways to be more creative.
4. Know the steps to the creative problem solving
process.
5. Be familiar with: Brainstorming,
Mind mapping and Multivoting
6. Apply tools to solve a problem.

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 Workshop Outline

 A. What is creative problem solving?

 B. Why don’t we think creatively more
often?
 C. How can we be more creative?
 D. What is the creative problem solving
process?
 E. What are some other specific creative
problem solving tools and techniques?
 F. Application of learning.

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CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

What is creative
problem solving?

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 Some Additional Thoughts

 The creative person uses information to form new

ideas.

 The real key to creative problem solving is what you

do with the knowledge.

 Creative problem solving requires an attitude that

allows you to search for new ideas and use your
knowledge and experience.

 Change perspective and use knowledge to make the

ordinary extraordinary and the usual commonplace.
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 DEFINITION

Creative problem solving is -

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 DEFINITION

“Creative problem solving is - looking

at the same thing as everyone else and
thinking something different.”

Adapted from a famous quote from a former

Nobel prize winner, Albert Szent-Gyorgi.

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EXERCISE

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A SOLUTION

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 LET’S TALK ABOUT:

 Why don’t we think creatively more often?

 What are the barriers that get in our way?

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BARRIERS THAT GET IN OUR WAY

 Time
 Why change?
 Usually don’t need to be creative
 Habit
 Routine
 Haven’t been taught to be creative

What are some other barriers that get in our way?

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MENTAL BLOCKS

Mental blocks are

reasons (attitudes)
why we don’t
“think something
different.”

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 MENTAL BLOCKS

1. The _______ answer. 6. That’s not my _____.

2. That’s not _________. 7. ________ ambiguity.
3. __________ the rules. 8. Don’t be _________.
4. Be ______________. 9. __________is wrong.
5. ________ is frivolous. 10. I’m not __________.

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 MENTAL BLOCK # 1

1. The right answer.

Only one?

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 MENTAL BLOCK # 2

1. The right answer.

2. That’s not logical.

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 MENTAL BLOCK # 3
1. The right answer.
2. That’s not logical.
3. Follow the rules.
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Why rules should be
challenged:
1. We make rules based
on reasons that make a lot
of sense.
2. We follow these rules.
3. Time passes, and
things change.
4. The original reasons
for the generation of these
rules may no longer exist,
but because the rules are
still in place, we continue
to follow them.
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 MENTAL BLOCK # 4

1. The right answer.

2. That’s not logical.
3. Follow the rules.
4. Be practical.

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 MENTAL BLOCK # 5

1. The right answer.

2. That’s not logical.
“When do
3. Follow the rules.
you get
4. Be practical. your best
ideas?”
5. Play is frivolous.

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MENTAL BLOCK # 6

6. That’s not my area.

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 MENTAL BLOCK # 7

6. That’s not my area.

7. Avoid ambiguity.

AMBIGUITY

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MENTAL BLOCK # 8

6. That’s not my area.

7. Avoid ambiguity.
8. Don’t be foolish.

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MENTAL BLOCK # 9

6. That’s not my area.

7. Avoid ambiguity.
8. Don’t be foolish.
9. To err is wrong.

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MENTAL BLOCK # 10

6. That’s not my area.

7. Avoid ambiguity.
8. Don’t be foolish.
9. To err is wrong.
10.I’m not creative.

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 BEING MORE CREATIVE

How can we be more creative?

Jot down at least 3 ideas that come to
your mind.

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Golden Rules of Creative Thinking

1. Start small trying to discover new ways to be

creative, ___________.
2. __________ to abandon the old, obsolete ways
of doing things and explore new ways.
3. It is not possible to change the way we think
about everything. ________ in which to try
creative thinking techniques.
4. Understand that creative thinking requires
__________, but it is worth it!
5. Remember that creative thinking is both _______
and__________!!!
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Golden Rules of Creative Thinking
(Continued)

6. _________ on what you can reasonably do.

Trying to do too many things at once
compromises the effort and may take away from
the results.
7. _________creative thinking for today as well as
tomorrow.
8. Include other people in the creative thinking
process with you. __________fosters creative
thinking.
9. Include _______ and ______ in your creative
thinking process as well as ___________.
10. Keep ________________.
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 CREATIVE PROBLEM
SOLVING PROCESS

STEP 1. State what appears to be

the problem.

The real problem may not surface until facts

have been gathered and analyzed.
Therefore, start with what you assume to be
the problem, that can later be confirmed or
corrected.

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 CREATIVE PROBLEM
SOLVING PROCESS

STEP 2. Gather facts, feelings

and opinions.
 What happened?
 Where, when and how did it occur?
 What is it’s size, scope, and severity?
 Who and what is affected?
 Likely to happen again?
 Need to be corrected?
 May need to assign priorities to critical
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 CREATIVE PROBLEM
SOLVING PROCESS

STEP 3. Restate the problem.

The real facts help make this possible,

and provide supporting data.
The actual problem may, or may not
be the same as stated in Step 1.

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CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

STEP 4. Identify
alternative solutions.

Generate ideas. Do not

eliminate any possible
solutions until several
have been discussed.

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CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

STEP 5. Evaluate alternatives.

 Which will provide the optimum
solution?
 What are the risks?
 Are costs in keeping with the
benefits?
 Will the solution create new
problems?
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 CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

STEP 6. Implement the decision!

 Who must be involved?
 To what extent?
 How, when and where?
 Who will the decision impact?
 What might go wrong?
 How will the results be reported and verified?
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 CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

STEP 7. Evaluate the results.

 Test the solution against the desired results.

 Make revisions if necessary.

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10 Questions To Encourage Ideas

1. What if…?
2. How can we improve…?
3. How will the Optimist Member and/or
the community benefit?
4. Are we forgetting anything?
5. What’s the next step?

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10 Questions To Encourage Ideas

6. What can we do better…?

7. What do you think about…?
8. What should we add?
9. What should we eliminate?
10.What other ideas do you have...?
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 TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

BRAINSTORMING

Purpose:
To generate a large
number of ideas in a
short period of time.

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 BRAINSTORMING

Rules for Brainstorming:

 The more ideas the better!

 No discussion
 No idea is a bad idea
 Build on one another’s ideas
 Display all ideas

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 BRAINSTORMING EXERCISE

How Do We Motivate Our Local

Optimist Club Members?

Ideas: Freely record your ideas as they come to your mind.

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BRAINSTORMING GUIDELINES

Remember 1. Practice question: How Do We

Creative Motivate Our Local Optimist Club
Thinking Members?
Re-state the
question to keep
the process going

2. Clarify understanding. Once all the

What did ideas have been generated (it may
you mean by take approximately 5 to 6 minutes),
that?!!! review ideas offered.

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BRAINSTORMING GUIDELINES

Let’s
combine
ideas!!! 3. Combine items that
are similar and/or
eliminate duplicates.

Are we 4. Completion.
done yet?

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 TOOLS & TECHNIQUES -
MULTIVOTING

 Purpose:
To help a group of people make a decision
with which they are comfortable.

 Definition:
A way to vote to select the most important
or popular items (alternatives) from a list.

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 MULTIVOTING

o ti n g
Steps
Multiv
List
1. Generate a list of items and
1.
2.
3.
number each item.
4.
5.
6.

2. If two or more items seem similar,

they may be combined.
e d
Revis
List
1.
2.
3. If necessary, renumber the items.
3.

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MULTIVOTING Steps (Continued)

4. Write down the numbers of the items you

feel are the major cause of the problem.
5. Share your votes by a show of hands.
6. Eliminate those items with the fewest votes.
7. Repeat steps 3 (renumber) through 6 on the
list of remaining items. Continue this process
until only a few items remain. If a clear favorite
does not emerge, the group may discuss the
items listed and make a choice.
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 MIND MAPPING

 Definition : A visual picture of a group of

ideas, concepts or issues.

 Purpose :
 Unblock our thinking.
 See an entire idea or several ideas on one
sheet of paper.
 See how ideas relate to one another.
 Look at things in a new and different way.
 Look at an idea in depth.
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 Think
Mind Mapping Exercise freely!!

 Over-sized blank sheet of paper.

1. Initial
 Select word, phrase or problem statement
Tumble of
to serve as a focus for discussion.
Ideas.  Print it in the middle of the paper. Enclose
i v ating
it in a box or oval.
M o t
bers  Let a word pop out of your mind.
Mem
Print it anywhere on the paper.
 Underline it and connect the line with the
h od s problem statement (or key phrase or word)
Met
you are working.
How  Record the next idea and connect it to
original focus point or the prior thought.
 Continue printing and connecting words.
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Mind Mapping Exercise

EXAMPLE

rs
he

Pe
Ot

o
Pur

pl
p ose
ng

e
lpi

rces
He

Resou

at i n g
Motiv ers
Memb Results
Fun
s
th od
in g
e
M Ho rn
w
Lea

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Mind Mapping Exercise
-- Helpful Hints

A  Keep your printing

large and easy to read.

  Feel free to use

symbols and or pictures.

 Have some fun using

different colors.

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 COMPLETED MAP

Draw over clusters of similar thoughts

that are associated with the main focus
point. Have fun using a different color
highlighter with each cluster of words.
How do the variety of ideas relate to
Have Fun one another?
Drawing Do you notice any common causes of
Your Own
Mind Map! the problem? What are the most important
causes?
You are now ready to brainstorm
solutions!
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 APPLICATION OF LEARNING

What Are The Three Greatest Problems /

Opportunities Your Club is Currently Facing?

i.e. “How do you motivate your club members?”

1.
2.
3.

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