How to dramatically improve your creative performance

Book review: Dr. Brent Auvermann Mr. Don Hannemann

Dr. Betsy Pierson Dr. Zhuping Sheng

The Basadur Simplex System

Quality Results = Content + Process + Process Skills

AN EIGHT-STEP PROCESS

Find the Problem New opportunities Emerging trends Actual problems

Find the Facts Gather & organize

Define the Problem Clarity “How might we…?”

Generate Idea(s) Large numbers Defer judgment Crazy is good Disaggregate

Evaluate Solution(s) Outline criteria “Our solution must…” Sift ideas >> Choose

Develop the Plan Specific steps

Gain Acceptance Consult those affected Convey ownership Preempt resistance

Work the Plan Follow through Be alert to new problems

Deferral of Judgment Divergent Thinking Convergent Thinking Vertical Deferral of Judgment

Need: to work as a team to creatively solve problems Most group members are Implementers and Optimizers so PROBLEM FORMULATION is

likely to be the most difficult part of the Simplex Process for the team “If you define it, the solutions will come” The Simplex Process is more likely to be meaningful and useful if you practice it.

So we wanted to provide the group with the opportunity to try the Problem Formulation steps (Steps 1-3) for themselves working on a personal challenge. If you define it,

Personal Problem Finding

1. What existing risks and uncertainties do you face?

2. What risks and uncertainties might you face in the future?

3. What changes do you feel you need to make?

4. With whom do you want to get along better?

5. What would make you happy or proud?

6. What makes you worry?

7. What takes too much time?

8. What has bothered you recently?

9. What would you like to know more about?

10.What goals have been lying fallow?

Exercise: The Simplex System

1. My time is so limited, how will I be able to manage my people to maintain productivity this year? 2. Where is my next grant going to come from? 3. Have better lab meetings so I can manage my people better 4. I would like to be more connected to my laboratory personnel 5. An excellent publication by any lab member 6. Lack of money, lack of time to do things well 7. Teaching my graduate level class will take a lot of time 8. Teaching my graduate class will take a lot of time 9. I would like to review much of the information I will be teaching in my graduate class as a foundation for a future research project 10. Identifying new ideas that will expand my research focus

I would like to find a way to use my graduate class to efficiently review the literature as a foundation for future research and effective teaching.

Step 1: PROBLEM FINDING A. Diverge

B. Converge

There is a lot of new information based on the amount of publications I have seen but not read I need to restructure the course to align it more closely with current knowledge and future research I will have students in class that know more about certain areas than I do I will have a very diverse class in terms of background and interests I will have students differing broadly in training in this area: from fearful to can’t get enough I will have 4 of my own graduate students in class so will have an opportunity to interact with them I will have one student who is a notoriously bright but difficult student

I am not sure what I am missing I am not sure how diverse the class will be

I have limited time I need to know enough about what’s new to be authoritative—e.g. stay ahead of students

Step 2: FACT FINDING A. Diverge and defer judgment. 1. What do you know, or think you know, about the fuzzy situation?

2. What do you not know but wish to know about the situation?

3. Why is this a problem, especially for you? Why can’t you make it go away?

I already use literature review assignments to have students respond to new subject areas I already have many opportunities for assigned and impromptu discussions Assign students the task of discovering and discussing new literature Ask class to write on new areas of research

I would have a cutting edge course with good opportunities for student learning via self-teaching I would have a better sense of the current literature and how it affects a diversity of disciplines I might have devised a more effective way to incorporate student self-teaching into all courses

I might be overestimating the amount of time/work it will take I might be overestimating the amount of new material out there The students may be more similar in abilities than I am predicting The difficult student may prove to be helpful to the class and me

I will have students in class that know more about certain areas than I do—a positive I will have a very diverse class in terms of background and interests—planned it that way Assign students the task of discovering and discussing new literature—good idea

4. What solutions have you already tried or thought of trying?

5. If this problem were resolved, what would you have that you lack now? Be different?

6. What might you be assuming, perhaps unnecessarily?

B. Converge: Identify the most intriguing facts.

How might I incorporate student assignments where I ask them to find and review recent literature

How might I use the diversity of knowledge of my graduate students to enhance the class discussion

How might I improve student abilities to find interesting topics related to the course

How might I improve student abilities to find recent literature

How might improve student abilities to discuss recent literature

How might I balance these self-teaching tools with basic lecturing

How might I evaluate and teach them to evaluate the quality of the information they identify

With limited time and dealing with this broad subject area how might I teach students what they need to know to help them to help me and the class identify, understand, discuss and evaluate recent literature.

Step 3: PROBLEM DEFINITION A. Initial Divergence: You need to Diverge and Converge twice.

B. Initial Convergence: Pick one statement that best represents your challenge.

Why? It will save me time and make me a more effective teacher How might I teach students what they need to know to help them help me and the class identify, understand, discuss and evaluate recent literature. What’s stopping you? I am not sure how best to incorporate these skills into my class

Why? Incorporating these skills will make me a more effective teacher How might I learn how to integrate these skills into my existing schedule What’s stopping you? I need to identify resources to suggest cool ways to do this

Why? I want to be an expert in current research in this field How might I quickly learn how much new material I need to cover What’s stopping you? I haven’t started to look yet

Why? This will enhance the class and my understanding of how current knowledge intersects w/ other disciplines—my own case study How might I exploit the diversity of research backgrounds to enhance understanding What’s stopping you? Nothing—just need to see this as an opportunity instead of a challenge

How might I design and integrate a few new modules into for my course to teach students what they need to know to help them to help me and the class identify, understand, discuss and evaluate recent literature.

C. Final Divergence: Use your B answer for the first “How might I” and then use “Why?” “What’s stopping you?” to generate your next “How might I” problem definitions..

D. Final Convergence

With others: Meeting as a tool: pre-consult, meet and debrief Roles: Owner, participants vs. facilitator/coach

In Teams:

Why not working? Interpersonal vs. team skills for effective teamwork Dream team

(generator/conceptualizer/optimizer/implementer)

Define your & organizational KEY challenges Why-What’s stopping mapping process

Empower others: transfer ownership, facilitator/not doer

Start the process yourself Start & sustain a plan for implementing solutions Involve others (team work) : Sharing your experience Build skills: creativity / process skills

“If you get comfortable with the process it might be a tool to spark creativity and innovation.” - Basadur

Content + Process + Process Skills = Improved Performance (efficiency, flexibility & adaptability) Follow through 8 steps in 4 quadrants Process skills Diverging, converging & horizontal/vertical deferring judgment

Crisis (危機!）

Problem Formulation

Solution Formulation

Solution Implementation