CREATIVE CREATIVE THINKING AND THINKING AND

PROBLEM SOLVING PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUESTECHNIQUES

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DEFINITIONS OF CREATIVITYDEFINITIONS OF CREATIVITY

“ Creativity as the production of something that is both new and truly valuable ”

“ The process of being creative. A series of actions which create new ideas, thoughts and physical objects ”

“ Creativity is a mental and social process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas and concepts ” 2

FOR INDIVIDUAL, creativity is important in solving problems in daily life as well as in the workplace.

FOR SOCIETY, creativity can lead to new movements in art and design, inventions, and new scientific findings.

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CHARACTERSTICS OF CREATIVE CHARACTERSTICS OF CREATIVE THINKINGTHINKING

Creativity is not a product but a process.

Creativity involves both conscious and sub conscious thinking.

Creativity thinking can be stimulated at the individual as well as group level.

Creativity thinking can be both systematic and unsystematic.

Creativity is about thinking something new and whenever this new idea is implemented it bring change.

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CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND MIND PROCESSESAND MIND PROCESSES

• Minds are like parachutes: They only function when open. (Charles Mingus).

• Mind facilitates creative thinking can be understood by the following steps.

• STEP 1 : DEFINE• STEP 2 : OPEN• STEP 3 : SOLUTION• STEP 4 : ACTION

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Step 1 : Define

Define the problem carefully to make sure you are solving the real problem and to help engage your conscious and unconscious minds to the problem.

1.Mind focus : ask why the problem exists.

2.Mind Grip : Us this to write a new, more optimal and effective restatement of the problem.

3.Mind Stretch: List the goal object of the criteria which satisfy the problem of the solution.

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Step 2 :- OPEN Step 2 :- OPEN

• Write down the most optimal solution or statement of the problem.

• Open yourself to consider many diverse solution ideas.

• Delay judgment on idea generated until optimal solution is identified.

• List all the ideas which are on your mind.

1.Mind prompt2.Mind surprise3.Mind free

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Step 3: SolutionStep 3: SolutionIdentify the best solution to your problem and

modify it until you are satisfied and put into action.

• Mind integrate– Review your goal– Select the best idea from the available alternatives

• Mind strengthen– List the negative aspects of your ideas

• Mind Energize–Modify your solution to minimize bad consequences

and maximize good consequences8

Step 4: ActionStep 4: Action

Transform your solution into action

Use the DO IT process and catalyst again to help creatively solve the problem

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Inner Creativity TechniquesInner Creativity Techniques

"Each of us may not do great things,but all of us can do small things in a great way."

To understand and develop inner creativity we first need to understand the psyche.

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Approaches to to Inner Creativity Creativity

MeditationSelf Awareness Light HeartednessDiversionDreamscapeLucid dreamingCreative focusCreative triggersFuture memoryDoodling

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Directed Creativity MethodsDirected Creativity Methods

Directed creativity methods are those that help individual to sense, perceive and learn new ways of looking and thinking at the problems and discovering solutions

• Evolution: This is the method of incremental improvement. New ideas come from other ideas, new solutions from previous ones, the new one slightly improved over the old ones.

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• Revolution: Establishing a new idea, completely different one and marked change from the previous one.

• Reapplication: Looking at something old in a new way. Remove, prejudices, expectations, assumptions and discover how something can be reapplied.

• Changing Direction: Many creative breakthroughs occur when attention is shifted from one angle of a problem to another. This is also known as creative insight

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• Transformation: Use of simple question to trigger creative thinking and offer alternative solution. In this strategy, one begins with an already existing object or idea, and searches for ways it can be altered to provide possible solutions to a problem.

• Association: It is method help us in associating two complementary things with each other such as bread and butter, paper and pens. Accepted associations make life comfortable and predictable but they can also dull one’s ability to discover and produce something new.

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• Synthesis: With this method, two or more existing ideas are combined into a third, new idea. Combining the ideas of a magazine and an audiotape gives the idea of a magazine you can listen to, one useful for blind people and freeway commuters.

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Directed Creativity TechniquesDirected Creativity Techniques

• Random Stimulus Technique

– Identify Problem related idea–Pick a stimulus at random–Relate this random stimulus back to your

original problem.–Repeat

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• Unfocused observation: Independent visual or mental images that are considered concurrently have inspired unique ideas.

• Oracles: “All things, regardless of their dissimilarity, can be linked together either symbolically, physically, psychologically. Oracle is a tool for bisociating. Like, riddles, horoscopes etc.

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• Analogy: An analogy says that something is like another, A metaphor claims that it actually is the other.

For E.g.,: My work is like a play

• Metaphor: A metaphor describes something in terms of something else.

For E.g.,: An industry watchdog

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• Free Association: It does not rely upon force, fitting together two objectives to produce ideas, rather, one idea is used to generate another, which is then used to produce a third one, so on.

• It takes place in two forms: –Unstructured free association–Structured free association

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• Bisociation: Bisociation are the form of creative ideas are often the result of juxtaposing elements that are normally unconnected.

• There are three broad strategies for bisociation:–Escaping from stuckness–Looking for the bigger picture–Choosing a creative approach

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• Bionics: It involves looking for idea stimulation in similar objects, products and processes.

The search is restricted to biological and botanical systems.

• Sensanation: Think about your problem in terms of your five senses. How does the problem taste, feel, smell, look, sound.

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• Visualization or Backwards Planning Method: It is a work back approach. –First define the desired state or solution.–Second step is identify and define the states in

between the desired state and the present state.–Third step, the redesigning processes are

considered for each of the intervening states.

• Redefinition technique: The problem redefinition process is:-–Describe the problem in brief.–Say why the problem is important.–State an alternative view of the problem.–Say what would you do if there are no barriers.

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–State the real essence of the problem.–Think unusually and state the problem.–Now redefine the problem.–Consider the boundaries of the problem. Try to

challenge them. Redefine them.

• Stepping stones thinking: It suggest that we can generate useful ideas by starting from an impractical idea.

–Human thinking is bound by the following factors, which are framed to create an environment of co-operation and orderly thinking and behavior, like procedure, structures, systems, rules and regulations, culture, habits. 23

CREATIVITY METHODSCREATIVITY METHODS

(1)Off the wall thinking – It is a simple process for group problem solving. It encourages Janusian thinking-seeing both sides of an idea. Its process :

……Selecting a facilitator……knowing the rules for the game……independent thinking – no talking…..group discussion…..group priority

(2) Brainstorming – A formal session is held with a group of 5-7 people to generate many ideas.

It is divergent thinking strategy.

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(3) Synetics – Greek word meaning “the fitting together of seemingly diverse elements”.it is based on premise that success in problem solving is increased by using non rational thought to lead to rational solutions. Three types of analogies are used – fantasy, direct analogy, personal analogy

(4) Dialectic approach – under this approach propositions and counter propositions explicit or solution of a problem by taking for and against stands.

(5) Thinking hats methods – hat in this context means a particular state of mind. Wearing a hat means the thinker should focus on given problem exclusively in terms of atate of mind denoted by hat concerned.

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• White – hard facts, figures, and information• Red – Hunches, feelings and emotions• Black – Negative logical faults,errors,inadequacies or risks• Yellow – positive values and benefits, hopes,dreams,wishes• Green – new ideas and concepts• Blue – Synthesis, summaries, overviews and conclusions

(6)Nominal group technique – A structured group approach to develop ideas. Widely used in problem identification and prioritizing methods. Works best in small groups 8-12. it is similar to brainstorming ,except the fact that it is based on understanding that certain group goals can be best achieved by writing rather than by discussion.

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….select leader, group and place….state problem….individual thought….collect responses….examine ideas….suggest ways to reach conclusions….vote….report

(7) Delphi method – It is a survey of experts.

……a panel is constituted…..given a short written explanation of problem…..opinions collected and compared…..Summary of results distributed…..Step 2 repeated two or three times until final summary is

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• WRITING TECHNIQUES(1) Brain writing – ideas not discussed openly but

written on a piece of paper then passed minus the writer’s name.

(2) Story writing – used in case of ill-structures problem. Writing a brief story about a problem generates ideas. Data is procured trough the story and is further used as a basis of suggesting problem solution.

(3) Crawford slip writing –….each person of a group receives a stack of paper.….a problem is presented verbally to the group using

expression – how can we or how to?….members of group are required to record one idea on a slip

of paper without thought given to its relative importance.

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(4) Story boarding – originally a technique used by Disney to help manage the production of their animated features. The point is to glance at the board and quickly see what is going on and how you can add to it.

……tree to five cards and bright markers……assemble key people in room…..write the topic on cards….sort the cards into: topic cards, header cards, sub cards

TECHNIQUES BASED ON PICTURES ,MAPS AND NETWORKS

(1)Pattern diagrams- it uses associative thinking to help clearly see the overall picture. By emphasizing the links between the links between ideas in a field, they encourage us to think more freely and display the shape of our thinking simultaneously.

(2)Visual metaphor – idea is to have people represent a problem and how they see the problem solved in a pictorial form.

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…people participating draw a picture of what they consider to be a problem. words should be avoided .

…...picture of solution is also drawn.……changes between problem picture and solution picture is

noted down and then interpreted.……group is asked to interpret each problem and solution……All solutions are combined

(3) Mind mapping – is known as form of visual thinking. it is lot like story boarding, except the fact that cards are not used. One starts by taking a central theme and writing or drawing on a paper. Main theme is circled and spokes are drawn from it representing ideas.

(4) Fishbone diagram – This is also known as cause and effect diagram are drawn as skeleton of fish, with the main casual categories drawn as “bones” attached to spine of a fish.

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Procedure………….defining the problem………….identifying the causes………….identifying the specific causes………….establishing the most important causes………….suggesting solutions

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absenteeism

management

machines

workersenvironment

(5) Tree or system flow diagramIt is a mapping technique :• Define goal• Disaggregate into sub goals• Design specific paths and processes required• Identify the factors which account for problemIt is drawn as a free diagram, resembling a tree turned on its

side.

(6) Force field analysis – it is a graphical representation of a problem which is understandable and can lead to possible good solutions. In any situation, there are two types of forces

• Driving forces• Restraining forces

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Driving forces Restraining forces

actual desired importance importance

Staff having experience everyone under time pressure

Staff want to succeed ideas not rewarded

Staff are hard working bosses resistant to change

Staff are resourceful no resource to develop ideas

Increase decrease How to make use of experience of staff? how to reduce

resistance to change ?

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(7) Quality circle – it is a small group of employees in same work area or doing similar type of work who voluntarily meets regularly for about an hour ever week to identify , analyze and resolve work related problems. Some important objectives are :

• Improve quality of products or services• To satisfy the workers psychological needs of participation• To utilize individual imaginative and innovative skills.

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