Patrick Parker; Melissa Haveman
Creative ProblemSolving
PATRICK PARKER, MELISSA HAVEMAN
CREATIVE PROBLEMSOLVING
2
Creative Problem-Solving
1st edition
© 2022 Patrick Parker, Melissa Haveman & bookboon.com
ISBN 978-87-403-4392-2
Name and title of reviewer: Mickey Peters, CEO, Fontus Hydro
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CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
Contents
CONTENTS
About the Authors
5
Introduction
7
1
What is Problem-Solving?
8
1.1
Step One: Clarify the Problem
8
1.2
Step Two: Strategize
9
1.3
Step Three: Make a Decision
10
1.4
Step Four: Implement the Decision
11
1.5
Step Five: Evaluation
12
2
Creativity
13
2.1
What is Creativity?
13
2.2
Who is Creative?
15
3Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
17
3.1
Story Telling
17
3.2
“Yes, and…”
20
3.3
Questionstorming
22
4
Conclusion
27
5
Summary
28
6
References
29
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About the Authors
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Melissa Haveman is an organizational sociologist and ICF-credentialed, certified coach and
trainer. She specializes in helping teams develop communication-centered, results-driven,
innovative cultures and helping creative professionals build bold goals and sustainable ways
to reach them.
Melissa is also an independent authorized partner and certified trainer for Everything DiSC,
an accredited facilitator for The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team, and a Positive Intelligence
coach. She loves taking these team-building solutions to businesses and nonprofits around
West Michigan and beyond. Melissa can be reached at www.creativelycentered.com.
As a coach, speaker, and author, Patrick Parker has served leaders and organizations
throughout the United States and internationally.
Patrick is a Certified Executive Coach and holds the Professional Certified Coach credential
through the International Coach Federation. His work is influenced by experience as a
Licensed Master Social Worker and his first career in classical music, through which he
traveled the world, earned a doctorate degree, and held leadership positions at the Director
level for ten years.
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CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
About the Authors
Patrick is available for coaching and speaking engagements and may be reached at www.
patrickaaronparker.com, or www.youtube.com/patrickparker.
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CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
Introduction
INTRODUCTION
What’s the last major problem you faced? How did you solve it? Did you have a conscious
framework or did you just hold your breath, make a decision, and hope for the best?
Although we encounter large and small problems frequently in our personal, work, and
global lives, we often don’t think about how we navigate and solve problems in depth.
Yet, problem-solving is an increasingly important skill. According to a CNBC article by
innovation expert Scott Steinberg, problem-solving and decision-making are two crucial skills
needed in today’s world. With the added responsibilities and complexities of professional
and personal life, this certainly makes sense.
How can we more effectively and efficiently solve the problems we encounter in our lives,
work, and world? How does one solve problems and make decisions in a way that, in the
infamous words of Albert Einstein, isn’t insanely repeating the same ineffective patterns over
and over? How can one find new solutions that create positive change?
In a world that is fast-changing and becoming ever-more complex, old solutions may not
work as well when trying to solve increasingly complex issues. These problems--which are
really just opportunities for personal, professional, and social growth--share a common
theme: an objective or goal is not being met due to barriers.
Terence Gorski describes problem-solving in the following way:
You look at the issue in your life over which you are powerless, define the problem,
and look at how you have tried to manage it thus far. You acknowledge that you don’t
have the knowledge, information, or frame of reference to understand or solve it;
nor, in isolation, do you have the courage or the strength or the energy to handle it.
Creativity--the ability to look at a situation in a new way, with sophistication and nuance--is
an important part of problem-solving. But before we talk about how that is so, we’d like
to share our five-step problem-solving approach.
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CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
1
What is Problem-Solving?
WHAT IS PROBLEM-SOLVING?
How do you normally approach problems?
Some of us approach the problems of life by bursting forth into action without taking
the time to make sure the plan is going to work. We use a solution that worked last time
or focus on the quickest and easiest solution to the problem, even when it’s not the best
solution. Others carefully make decisions after copious amounts of research and thought.
Although our problems may differ and we may find different solutions to those problems,
there are often commonalities in the way that we solve problems. Good problem-solving
involves five steps:
Clarify
Strategize
Decide
Implement
Evaluate
Diagram 2: Problem-Solving Framework.
As you go through these five steps here, please know that you can find a case study for each step
of the problem-solving framework in Patrick’s Bookboon volume on Problem-Solving for Leaders.
1.1
STEP ONE: CLARIFY THE PROBLEM
What is the problem?
That seems like a simple question, right? Surely, we should know what the problem is as
we look for solutions. However, it’s not always that simple. When stress clouds the ability
to think clearly, people impulsively scramble to do something, anything, before they have
complete and accurate information. This ‘ready, fire, aim’ approach can really lead us astray
and address the superficial symptoms rather than getting to the heart of the underlying issue.
A more intentional way of problem-solving is ‘ready, aim, fire.’ This requires you to call a
‘timeout’ to really understand and define the problem you are trying to solve before getting
into action. This can include pieces like speaking with stakeholders to determine a presenting
issue, finding a root cause deeper than the initial skin-deep symptoms, and formulating a
problem statement.
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CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
What is Problem-Solving?
In order to define the presenting issue, consider:
•
•
•
•
What do we know about the situation?
What do we not know about the situation?
How can we gather more facts about the situation?
What is the benefit of solving this problem?
Once you have defined the presenting issue, remember that you are still only seeing the tip
of the iceberg. There is much more beneath the surface.
Addressing the superficial symptoms is like sitting downstream with a garbage bag and
picking up litter out of a river. Finding the root cause of the issue, on the other hand, is
equivalent to proactively going upstream and convincing people to quit littering. Getting to
the root cause allows you to find more comprehensive and effective solutions than addressing
symptoms of the problem.
To do a root cause analysis, start with the presenting issue and ask ‘why?’ five times.
Each answer will get you closer to the core of the issue, which can be described in a
‘problem statement.’
Presenting Issue: __________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why? _____________________________________
Why? _____________________________________
Why? _____________________________________
Why? _____________________________________
Why? _____________________________________
Problem Statement: _______________________________
Diagram 4: Root Cause Analysis.
As the old saying goes, awareness of the problem is half the battle. So, having formulated
a strong problem statement, we are ready to move into the strategy step.
1.2
STEP TWO: STRATEGIZE
Exploring strategies to resolve the problem statement is often inspiring and full of hope!
Strategizing is a chance to imagine what may be possible, what options exist, and what
outcomes could be achieved.
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What is Problem-Solving?
Strategy sessions should employ open-minded and divergent thinking. If you’re not sure
what the heck that means, don’t worry! We will share three tools to develop the kind of
open thinking you’ll need in this strategy stage later on in this book. For now, know that
expanding into a broader and deeper vision through these tools allows you to be a sleuth
and leave no stone unturned regarding possible solutions.
In generating possible solutions, it is important to find options that are consistent with your
values, differentiate between short- and long-term options, and postpone decision making
until all stakeholders feel this stage has been done properly. Brainstorming and teamwork
are highly useful in this strategy stage, because no one has a corner on the truth. Each
person will see the situation a little differently and thus offer contributions that lead to a
more sophisticated strategy.
As you use the openness of creativity in this stage, beware the trap of judging options as
they arise. For now, there is no bad option. Evaluation is the last step for a reason, so work
the five steps in order.
If you get absolutely stuck in strategy session, consider the following questions to kindle
the fire of creativity and imagination:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.3
What
What
What
What
What
What
is the current situation that we intend to impact?
will it look like when we achieve the desired situation or outcome?
behaviors need to change for that outcome to be achieved?
knowledge or skills do people need before their behavior will change?
activities need to be performed to cause the necessary learning?
resources will be required to achieve the desired outcome?
STEP THREE: MAKE A DECISION
While strategy sessions use divergent thinking to find possible avenues for proceeding, step
three is about converging on a specific plan of action. This stage of problem-solving involves
thinking about what would happen if you implemented the ideas that you came up with
in step two and which one would lead to a good outcome.
This stage involves careful analysis of the different possible courses of action and subsequently
selecting the best solution for implementation. A possible solution is viable when it checks
off all of the following boxes:
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CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
•
•
•
•
•
What is Problem-Solving?
solves the problem without creating other problems
is acceptable by all parties involved
is realistically possible to implement
doesn’t create new problems
is more effective than doing nothing
If one of these requirements is not met, then go back to step two! However, if the
solution meets all the requirements of a good decision, we’re now ready to look at how to
implement the decision.
1.4
STEP FOUR: IMPLEMENT THE DECISION
Once a decision has been made, it is time to get into action!
The first part of this step is to determine who has the authority to approve actions and
allocate resources. For big problems within large systems, this is often a project manager.
And of course, the bigger the problem and the larger the system, the more communicating
in a savvy way is necessary to get stakeholder buy-in.
Once you have stakeholder buy-in, it’s important to agree on containing the implementation
within a specific start date and deadline. Within those boundaries, there should be regular
monitoring and measurement of the solution’s effectiveness.
After you have buy-in and have agreed on the parameters, it’s time to ‘eat the elephant
one bite at a time!’ In other words, decide how to break the implementation into major
milestones and to celebrate them once they are achieved.
During implementation more problems may arise, especially if identification or structuring
of the original problem was not carried out fully. If this is the case, pause and go back to
the previous steps before proceeding. As they say in Monopoly, do not pass go, do not
collect two hundred dollars!
Once you have taken action, it’s time to evaluate the effectiveness of the solution. Are you
truly solving the problem in a sustainable way, or did you just put a bandage on the wound?
For tips on communicating in a way that maintains relationships, gets results, and keeps your
self-respect, check out Patrick’s Bookboon volume on Communication.
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1.5
What is Problem-Solving?
STEP FIVE: EVALUATION
The bottom line of this stage is simple: has the problem been solved, and has it been solved
in a sustainable way?
Once a predetermined period of time has passed from the start date of the implementation
of a decision, it is time to evaluate. This step hits the ‘pause’ button on action and takes
time out to reflect on the efficacy of the decision implementation. Think of this stage as
orienteering in a dense wilderness. You can’t see the forest for the trees. So, sometimes, if
you’re not sure if you’re on the right path, it’s better to stop and take inventory, or even
backtrack, to make sure you stay safely on track.
In order to take this inventory, consider the following checklist:
• Was the implementation ineffective and need to be reworked?
• If it is mostly effective, does anything need minor tweaks?
• If it is fully effective, what ongoing maintenance is required to sustain the
solution?
By taking time and money to solve the problem in the short term, the long-term dividends
are phenomenal. In our work, we have seen that most leaders lack the skills to go as deep
as they need to go in the strategy step of the problem-solving framework. We believe that
the solution to this deficiency is creativity.
But before we delve into the three tools for enhancing your ability to create divergent ideas
in the strategy stage, let’s talk a little about creativity!
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2
Creativity
CREATIVITY
Creativity is one of those things that is all around and yet hard to see. We often think of
actions like writing, painting, drawing, acting, playing musical instruments, or singing as
creative. But creativity extends far beyond these creative acts. If something in life gives you
meaning, seems important or interesting, if it inspires a sense of novelty and curiosity, it is
probably a result of creativity.
When you are living at your fullest potential, you are probably engaged in a creative
act. And often creative acts directly or indirectly serve and contribute to others’ lives
and society as a whole!
Before we talk about applying creativity to strategic problem-solving, let’s take a more
general look at how you have already used creativity in your life! Think about three things
you’ve produced that are creative.
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
Why do you think that these three things are creative?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Creativity is a great way to strategize on how to solve problems, but is it possible to quantify?
2.1
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
Creativity is the ability to make or bring something new into existence. It has been a
fundamental part of the way humans have met the challenges of being alive since the
beginning of our history. From cave paintings to oral stories, creativity has always been a
part of human existence.
Creativity is the spark that helped humans meet their needs and face uncertainty through
hunting and gathering, the formation of communities, artisans and small businesses, craft
makers and soap makers, and then the industrial revolution and modern corporations. As
humans became less immediate in their physical needs, they started to venture into new
ways and places.
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Creativity
Once the demands of physical needs, safety, and relationships were met, humans started
to creatively venture into uncertainty in ways that lead to self-actualization. The Brooklyn
Bridge, the Mona Lisa, and every community, family, marriage, interior design, engineering
feat, are creative acts. Humans consume creativity constantly: transportation infrastructure,
energy extraction methods, information technology systems, movies, art, family recipes and
restaurant dishes, books, and clothes. All these, and much more, are expressions of creativity!
Creativity is often thought of as coming up with ‘the wheel’ or ‘fire,’ where people are creating
this new unique thing that’s never been done before. But it’s often more about reinventing
the wheel, about making connections: taking two very different things and figuring out how
they fit together. Or noticing something and, and thinking, “that applies over here, or that
could be used for this.” Creativity is not always about creating something unique but is
also about bringing things together in new and different ways.
In order to engage with creativity to solve problems, we believe that it takes time, thinking,
structure, and letting go of the need to be perfect. Risk and imperfection is okay in the
quest to leave no stone unturned!
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Creativity
But creativity takes intention. Consider:
• How much time do I block out for creative thinking in my work, in my
personal life?
• Am I willing to apply the tools for thinking creatively shared later in this book?
• How can I find an optimal balance of structure and freedom that creativity
needs, both for myself and my team?
• How can I use self-compassion to remember that risk, imperfection, and ‘failure’
is an integral part of the creative process?
Before we share three of our tools for creative problem-solving, we’d like to debunk a myth
we hear ad nauseum…
2.2
WHO IS CREATIVE?
One of the common ‘balking points’ when talking about creativity and problem solving is:
“...but I’m not creative…”
Somewhere along the way, society has taught us to think that only certain people are creative.
Yet if we look at the annals of history, creativity is an innate characteristic of human beings.
We all have at least some capacity to be creative or to apply creative thinking to problems.
You may think that there is a dichotomy between those who are creative and the rest of the
population, but according to researcher George Land, this is environmental, not genetic.
His Creativity Test showed that creativity is innate and non-creativity is learned. His studies
found that of 1,600 five-year-olds, 98% scored as a creative genius, thinking in novel ways
similar to the likes of Picasso, Mozart, Einstein, and other creative personalities. He tested
them again at 10 years old. That number dropped to 30 percent. By 15 years of age, it had
declined to 12 percent. He gave the same test to 280,000 adults and found that only 2
percent were creative geniuses. So, in childhood, 98% of people are creative; in adulthood,
98% of people are not creative!
The results of Land’s assessment indicate that we are all creative. Creativity is a core part of
humanity, and perhaps even a core part of what people call spirituality. It’s innate, natural,
and built into each one of us, whether you think you’re creative or not.
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Creativity
If you worry that you’ve lost your creative touch, you’re not alone though. A 2012 Adobe
study on creativity reported that eight in ten people feel that unlocking creativity is critical
to economic growth and nearly two-thirds of respondents feel creativity is valuable to
society. Yet a striking minority--only 1 in 4 people--believe they are living up to their own
creative potential. If you are one of them, fret not! You can find your creativity back and
relearn how to use it.
Because creativity already lives in you, it’s possible (and sometimes easy) to reacquaint
yourself with creativity and improve how you are using your creative skills. In the following
chapters, we’ll discuss some practical techniques to help you tap into your creative reserves
so that you can problem-solve in more innovative and out-of-the-box ways.
While we are not bona fide researchers like George Land, we have come up with a checklist
for how people think when they are in ‘creative mode.’ Which ones do you have, and which
ones are opportunities for growth?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Childlike curiosity, wonder, zest, and ability to question practically everything
Tolerance for ambiguity, contradiction, and complexity
Capable of thinking differently and seeing novel connections and possibilities
Wide range of interests
Comprehend nuanced subtleties of language
Interest in experimenting and doing things differently
See both sides of an issue when most others aren’t even looking.
Often think faster than those ‘stuck’ in a more closed way of thinking.
Perceive the world with a fresh perspective, have insightful ideas, and make
important personal discoveries.
Push ahead and make leaps in thought that connect ideas.
Ability to see which paths won’t work, where the issues will be, and where
mistakes may happen.
Open to new experiences
Tend to put ideas or things together in divergent ways
Unconventional
By this point, we hope that we have convinced you that problem-solving is a normal yet
difficult part of being human, and that creativity is a tool everyone possesses, at least in
some capacity, to capture solutions to the problems of life. With this foundation laid, let’s
talk about three tools for creative problem-solving!
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Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
3THREE TOOLS FOR CREATIVE
PROBLEM-SOLVING
Problem-solving is something that we do and encounter on a regular basis. Often, we
work through the steps we’ve already discussed without putting too much thought into the
structure of what we’re doing. But our problem-solving is only as effective as the tools we
use. While the five-step framework we discussed is a great start to thinking more explicitly
about how to solve problems, it may not always lead to the most creative solutions.
We all have the ability to bring more creativity into our problem solving and improve the
solutions that we generate for the problems we face at home, work, or our world. In many
cases, the second step of problem solving, strategy, is where we have the best chance at finding
those creative solutions. And the key ingredient to strategy is creative, divergent thinking.
In the remaining chapters, we’ll explore three tools for bringing more creativity to that
second step of the framework:
1. story telling
2. ‘yes, and…’
3. questionstorming.
These are not the only tools or techniques for creative problem solving, but they have been
shown to be effective over the years in a variety of settings…and they are a lot of fun to
work with! Try using them as you encounter problems and look for the creative solutions
that they bring to the table.
3.1
STORY TELLING
Take a moment to think about the last time you solved a problem. Now, imagine that you
are sharing with a coworker, family member, or friend how you solved the problem.
Chances are, you told a story as you related the details.
Did your explanation have a beginning where you explained the problem? Did you share
some of the challenges in solving the problem or how you came up with the solution to
the problem? Did you explain the solution that you came up with to solve the problem?
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Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
If so, congratulations, you just told a story! Your explanation likely followed many of
the structures that we see in fiction or storytelling. For example, the stories of Beowulf,
Dracula, Jaws, Jack and the Beanstalk, and even James Bond are “overcoming the monster”
stories. There’s a problem (the monster), the protagonist or main character has to find a
way of overcoming the problem, and the story ends with a solution to the problem and a
transformation of the main character.
Sound familiar? While our personal and professional problems may not be quite as dramatic
as defeating a hungry shark or hunting a vampire, these stories are problems wrapped up in
a story structure that we understand. Our stories may fit into other storytelling arcs (“rags to
riches” or “the hero’s journey”), but at the core, they are still problems that need solutions.
One of the reasons why using a storytelling framework can help with problem-solving is
that we’ve been exposed to stories from the time that we’re born. Whether it’s in the form
of books and movies or the stories that we tell to explain events in our lives, stories are all
around us. Children (and adults!) make up stories as they play and learn to use stories as
a method of sharing information with parents, friends, and others. All of this means that
the neural pathways in our brains are primed for storytelling. We understand the structure
of stories and we use that structure to process information and problems.
Storytelling can help us remember situations where we’ve experienced or seen similar problems
and solutions. We know those stories. We may have even told those stories, if the problem
and solution was one that we personally experienced. Sharing stories with each other about
the problems we’ve faced and solved helps us to build a ‘library’ of solutions to draw on.
If you’re wowed by this tool and would like to use it, Brian Kalina’s acronym STORY can
easily to remind you of the pieces to include:
S: Situation (what is the context of the problem?)
T: Trying (what problem are you trying to solve?)
O: Obstacles and options (what obstacles do you face? What options do you have
to solve the problem?)
R: Refine ideas (what will work best to solve the problem?)
Y: Your solution or criteria needed to say “Yes!” (what will solve the problem?)
Let’s take a closer look at what these pieces can mean.
First is the situation or context of the problem. This can include stakeholders, internal and
external influences, and other environmental aspects that impact the problem and your
ability to solve it.
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Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
Next, identify the problem. What is it that you’re trying to solve? This can be anything
from having to choose a house to buy or rent to fixing a process that isn’t functioning in
a workplace. Regardless of what the problem is, identifying and defining the problem that
needs solving is still the first step with using storytelling.
The third step is identifying the obstacles and options available. Here, it can be helpful to
identify even the most outlandish options. While they may not generally work out as solutions,
they may spark ideas that can lead to out-of-the box thinking and different solutions.
Once you’ve identified potential obstacles and options, begin to refine the ideas that you have.
Which ideas will work best to solve the problem? Are there aspects of the options that can
be combined to produce innovative solutions?
Finally, what options do you have that will solve the problem in the best way possible? What
criteria will make a solution stand out and be the one that you will choose?
A storytelling variation that can be fun is to assign personas that a group or individual need
to use to tell the story and solve the problem. How would the CEO solve this problem?
How would a character from a famous movie solve the problem or what would a mythical
figure have to say about the issue?
The possibilities here are endless and can lead down some fun and expected paths. Not
every character or persona will offer a good solution, but you may still be able to glean
new ideas or tweaks to a problem that can be useful.
To use this variation, it’s best to define the problem ahead of time so that all participants
are clear on what the problem is and what constraints may be present. Then, split the team
into groups and assign a persona, character, or person that the team needs to use. They
should tell the story from that character or persona’s perspective: how would they perceive
this issue and what steps would they take to solve it.
Some personas or characters may take teams in far-flung stories that may seem like they
won’t contribute usable ideas. A wild idea from an animated character or space cowboy
may not pose a great solution on the surface, but in looking a bit more closely, the idea
may provide smaller uses and reminders, such as a different mindset or a reminder that we
can never have one hundred percent certainty that solutions will work. Allow the teams
to dissect what each persona/character can bring to the solution and you’re likely to find
some hidden gems of ideas.
Storytelling’s greatest strength is that when you use it from someone else’s vantage point, it
can open your mind and heart up to curiously consider all sorts of new possibilities. The
next tool, ‘Yes, and…’ does something similar, but in the context of group conflict.
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3.2
Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
“YES, AND…”
The “Yes, and…” technique is a way to navigate difficult waters: it can be useful for finding
common ground when team members (or family members) disagree and can’t seem to choose
a solution to a problem. It can also spark additional ideas to help get beyond groupthink.
Imagine a team focused on trying to solve the problem of improving productivity. One
member of the team suggests that creating rewards for employees who are productive will
motivate employees to work faster. Another argues that the path to improved productivity
is built around improving the systems and processes that employees are using. A third team
member feels that communicating better about goals and objectives could improve productivity.
Perhaps the team goes through some brainstorming or discussion about the options and
problem at hand. Two common issues that may happen during this is that the team may
become victims of groupthink. The boss or another voice may convince the team to go
in one direction, while everyone agrees to this because it’s easier or they fear disagreeing.
Another issue that the team might face is that team members may become entrenched in
their answers, believing that their solution is the right or only solution. This can lead to
disagreements and unproductive conflict.
The “Yes, and…” technique comes from the world of improv. When creating scenes, improv
actors start with something – a word, phrase, description, object, etc. Other actors or the
audience may then build on to what’s happening in the scene by adding suggestions.
For example, an actor may be presented with the question, “Would you like this apple?”
According to the “Yes, and…” rule, the actor agrees to take the apple and then expands
on it. For example, the apple may become a part of a supermarket.
The same principle can be applied to problem-solving. Here, the “Yes, and…” becomes a
tool for situations in which ideas are needed because the participants disagree or are stuck
and unable to move forward with a solution. Often, when we begin to problem solve, we
respond to ideas or solutions with “No, but…” or “Yes, but…” In both of those cases, the
“but” stops the person or team from moving forward. Focusing on making the response
“Yes, and…” allows for more expansive thinking and for ideas to continue to flow, without
putting the brakes on any potential solutions.
“Yes, and…” is really another form of brainstorming, with a little more structure to the
practice. So, here’s how you do it:
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Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
1. Have the moderator form the problem into a question, such as “How can we…”
2. One person follows by stating an idea or thought.
3. The next person uses the idea of the previous person and expands on it by
starting with, “Yes, and…”
4. Continue to formulate ideas using “Yes, and…” until either the prescribed time
has passed or the group has run out of ideas.
5. Record all ideas
6. Analyze the results that were generated
To work successfully, this technique needs the buy-in of participants. It may take some
practice and reminders to stay in the “Yes, and…” mode and not drift back to “Yes, but…”
The facilitator may need to remind participants of this or reign in the suggestions if they
drift too far from the question.
In some cases, such as using the technique with a small group or even two people, the ideas
and suggestions may roam a little further from the original problem. While it may be useful
to reset from time to time, there may be times when drifting from the original problem or
generating ideas that take solutions in far-flung directions can be useful. Remember that by
recording the solutions, you may find that while some far-flung ideas aren’t feasible, they may
spark ideas about smaller pieces or more on-target areas that can help solve the problem.
In addition to using the “Yes, and…” wording, there may be some problems where a tweak
can be useful. Particularly in situations where there is disagreement slowing solutions down, the
phrase “What I like about your idea is…., and….” where the individual first finds common
ground about the idea and then builds on that common ground by offering another idea.
So, how do you make this technique stick?
As with any problem-solving approach, the approach is a tool. Actually solving the problem
can take additional steps and time. As you work with the technique, there are a few pieces
to keep in mind.
Commit to the words. While you might introduce a variation or two, it’s important to
commit to the yes. Some participants may seem to use the “Yes, and…” structure but their
idea or thought eventually drifts into a “no” or other wording that essentially equates to
no. If you see this happening, talk about why it’s happening. For many people, it’s almost
a reflex that they may not be aware of or they may have underlying feelings about the
problem or the group that are interfering with their ability to commit to a “yes.”
Use the “and” to connect. What you are looking for, ideally, is a build of ideas that connect
to each other. You may find that explicitly connecting ideas helps everyone to stay focused.
For example, someone might say “Yes, and to build on your idea that we use an employee
survey to get information, what if we asked specific questions about their level of motivation?”
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Keep the group size small. To use “Yes, and…” effectively, it can be helpful to keep the group
size limited to less than 10 or 12 participants. If the group gets too large, it may be more
difficult to stay on task with the technique and it can be more difficult to keep everyone
engaged in participating. If you have a larger group, splitting it up into smaller groups can
be an option. Groups can record their ideas and all solutions can later by analyzed.
3.3
QUESTIONSTORMING
If the term questionstorming feels vaguely familiar, it’s probably because you are already
familiar with its cousin, brainstorming. Most of us at one point or another have engaged
in brainstorming, where we begin with a question and try to think of as many answers to
the question as we can.
“How can we raise sales?” or “what would make this process run more smoothly?” might
be found in a brainstorming session.
The blessing and curse of brainstorming is that our brains are primed to answer questions.
Pose a question and your brain is already leaping ahead to try to find an answer. But what
if the question you asked wasn’t the question you need? Brainstorming is unlikely to get
you to that question. You’ll focus on answering the original question, for better or worse.
So, what exactly is questionstorming and why does it work better?
Questionstorming is an inquiry-based method that helps users get to innovative and
perceptive solutions.
Let’s break that down to something a little more interesting, shall we?
Questionstorming is like brainstorming on steroids. Instead of coming up with ideas, it uses
questions (more on that later!) And by creating questions, it helps us get through all the gunk
that normally keeps us from getting at the really creative and meaningful ideas and solutions.
This method or tool has been used in a variety of settings. The Right Question Institute
has a Question Formulation Technique that has been used in educational settings. In
business, questionstorming methods have been used by design, creative, and other teams
to solve problems and find innovative solutions. Regardless of the setting and regardless of
the name applied, questionstorming techniques have been successful at improving problem
solving and idea generation.
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Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
Start with a statement or theme
Questionstorming starts with a statement or theme. Think about the problem or area that
you want to explore and then decide on a statement or theme. For example, it can be as
simple as “I want to generate more sales.” A theme might be “increased process” to explore
improving a particular process in your work.
Make sure the statement or theme is broad enough that you can stumble into some unexpected
places. As you move along, you can narrow things down. The wide-open spaces of a broad
statement or theme can often help you find alternative ways of thinking or creative ideas
that you wouldn’t have found otherwise.
Question
Now, take your statement or theme and start writing questions about it. Don’t overthink
it or censor the questions. Write what comes to mind, no matter what the question is. You
can sort through and edit them later. For example, the statement on generating more sales
might include questions like:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Why is generating sales important?
What am I doing well in generating sales?
What resources do I have to help me generate more sales?
Do I need to generate new customers?
How can I generate more sales among existing customers?
How many new sales do I need to generate this year/month?
Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and ask as many questions as you can within that time.
Write both open-ended questions (that have multiple possible answers) and closed-ended
questions (yes/no questions or those with one answer). You can also aim for a specific number
of questions such as 25, 50, or 75, if you find that easier than using a timer.
Tip: If you are someone who generally needs some thinking time and you’re questionstorming
alone, try working for 5-10 minutes, leaving things alone for a while, and coming back to
do another 5-10 minutes on the same theme/statement a little later. This can give you more
time to think about the statement or theme and come up with more in-depth questions
that will help you come up with creative solutions.
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Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
Reword and Sort Your Questions
Once you have your set of questions, you have two tasks. You want to both reword the
questions and sort them into categories. You can do this in any order. Some people may find
rewording questions first works best, while others may like to sort first and then reword.
Do whatever feels best to you.
Tweak the question wording to produce additional questions. For each open-ended question,
try creating a closed-ended question and vice versa. This will double the number of questions
that you have to work from. You can also reword questions if an alternative wording seems
like it would resonate more.
Take the questions you have and sort or categorize them. Are there patterns to the questions
or categories that stand out? This stage is where it can be helpful to work virtually or with
post-its so that you can shift things around, but if you’re working on paper, you can also
just rewrite the questions in the groups you want to put them in.
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Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
Prioritize
Look over the questions or groups that you have. Which ones resonate? Which ones are
your favorites?
Choose some questions from the list to focus on. This might be two or three or maybe up
to five. Focus on really choosing the ones with the most potential. You can always come
back to your list if these don’t end up panning out, but generally, your mind is going to
lead you to those resonate questions that can be fruitful.
Answer, Research, or Question Again
With your favorite questions in hand, you have a couple of choices. Depending on what
those questions are and how they sit with you, you can simply move to more of a brainstorm
type process where you let your brain come up with answers for the questions. Likely, you’ve
already started doing this part of the process before you even get to it (remember that our
brains are primed to answer questions so now that you have the questions that resonate,
you’ll automatically start moving toward answers).
Depending on what your questions are, this might also be a spot where you’ll need to
research or gain more info on the questions. Say your question is “how do others in sales
generate leads?” At this point, you might want to talk to others in sales on your team or
mentors, read some interviews, or research the answer in other ways to help you gain more
understanding.
You can also do another round of questionStorming on a narrower topic. For example,
say that you started the original process with the theme of improving a process for your
team. Through that process, you find that communication is creating some issues that are
slowing the team done or leading to mistakes. You might want to use “communication on
X process” as the next starting point for a round of QuestionStorming to see what you can
come up with. This can be particularly useful if the brainstorming process isn’t giving you
what you need or if you’re searching for more creative answers.
The extra questions you generated in the first round of questionstorming may be useful
down the line or to come back to, so don’t discard them! You may find that the questions
you chose first don’t answer the problem or find that the extra questions are helpful for
additional pieces of the solution.
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Three Tools for Creative Problem-Solving
That’s the questionstorming method! It may sound simple but wait for those a-ha moments
to knock you off your feet!
Now that you’ve got the method, the goal of questionstorming is to create insights that can
help you generate better solutions for the problems you need to solve. The questionstorming
method can help you to have an aha moment about whatever it is you’re working on. Maybe
you get an idea that lights up your brain or you discover the solution that will help you
solve that problem that’s been troubling you.
The a-ha moment or insights can happen anytime during the process. Sometimes you’ll write
a question and think “how did I not think of this before?” Other times, the aha moment
won’t come until you’re answering a question or two.
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4
Conclusion
CONCLUSION
Decision-making is one of the most important responsibilities of a leader. Everyone has
strategies for making decisions, whether they realize it or not. When the strategies or
unconscious and unintentional, they often look like impulsiveness, avoidance, or ‘going
along to get along’ even if that goes against their personal values or company values.
People spend so much of their life reacting mindlessly to problems by running around like a
chicken with their head chopped off. They hold their breath and hope their first, impulsive
solution to a problem will stick. This mode of ‘putting out fires’ treats the symptoms, but
it keeps a person needlessly busy in a perpetual game of whack-a-mole.
It is rare to find a person who has a framework for identifying problems and systematically
solving them. Therefore, applying the ideas in this book will allow you to stand out in your
personal and professional life. You will be attractive and people will want to be around you
because they will intuitively know you possess valuable knowledge. When good decisions
are made, trust, reputation, perception, and performance increase.
By taking the time to slow down, reflect, and use wisdom to implement problem-solving
decisions which address root causes--or even anticipate problems and ward them off before
they emerge! you can free up your time to move forward in ways that are most attentive
to your creative brilliance.
Solving the barriers (problems) which impede goals and objectives in this wise way is what
all the great movies are about, what books are penned about. The ability to rise above
circumstances and overcome the forces that try to keep you stuck ‘in your place,’ is what
the hero’s journey is all about. It brings a deep sense of pride and self-efficacy, and it also
inspires the people around you to tap into their own decision-making wisdom.
We hope you have found value in our very brief introduction on how to problem-solve
using creativity. But please know, this is just a tease, a nod and wink. There is much more
for us to reveal. If you would like us to help answer your questions, or help you ask the
right questions, we’d love to hear from you!
If you’d like to engage with us more on this or other creative topics, please reach out to
melissa@creativelycentered.com or contact@patrickaaronparker.com.
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CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
5
Summary
SUMMARY
• It is hard to talk about problems and problem-solving because they are such a
ubiquitous part of the human experience
• The average person solves about thirty-five thousand problems each day. Most
of these are unconscious and automatic
• For big problems, it is helpful to have a framework to identify and create
solutions. If not, the tendency is to impulsively reach for the first available
solution, which is rarely the best solution
• The five-step problem-solving framework includes clarifying the problem,
strategy, decision-making, implementation, and evaluation
• The most crucial part of the framework is the strategy step, which requires
creative, divergent thinking
• Creativity is much broader than most people define it: it is anything someone
does to provide lasting value to themselves, someone else, or society
• Everyone is creative: if you have lost touch with your creativity, you can
strengthen it just like you can condition muscles at the gym!
• By solving problems, you free yourself up to spend your creative brilliance
moving forward and capturing opportunities
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6
References
REFERENCES
Print
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Chamine S. (2016). Positive intelligence: why only 20% of teams and individuals achieve their
true potential and how you can achieve yours (2016 edition. First). Greenleaf Book Group Press.
Gorski, T. (1991). Understanding the twelve steps. Prentice Hall.
Linehan, M. (2015). DBT skills training handouts and worksheets. The Guilford Press.
Koestler, A. (2014). The act of creation. Last Century Media.
Land, G., & Jarman, L. (1992). Breakpoint and beyond: mastering the future. Harper.
Sahakian, B., & Labuzetta, J. (2013). Bad moves: how decision making goes wrong, and the
ethics of smart drugs. Oxford University Press.
Weiss, C. (1972). Evaluation research: methods for assessing program effectiveness. PrenticeHall, Inc.
Online
Doyle, A. (2020, October 21). What are problem-solving skills? The Balance Careers. Retrieved
November 23, 2021, from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/problem-solving-skills-withexamples-2063764.
Kalina, Brian D. (2017, May). Story problem-solving. Retrieved 15 May 2022 from
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1299&context=creativ
eprojects
Parker, P. (2022, March). Navigating uncertainty. Bookboon. Retrieved 2 April 2022 from
https://bookboon.com/en/navigating-uncertainty-ebook.
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References
Parker, P. (2022, March). Problem-solving for leaders. Bookboon. Retrieved 2 April 2022
from https://bookboon.com/en/problem-solving-for-leaders-ebook.
Right Question Institute (N.A.) What is QFT? Retrieved 15 May 2022 from https://
rightquestion.org/what-is-the-qft/
Wehle, K. (2021, July 21). The benefits of thinking like a lawyer: think like a lawyer to make
decisions and solve problems. LinkedIn. Retrieved November 23, 2021, from https://www.
linkedin.com/learning/think-like-a-lawyer-to-make-decisions-and-solve-problems/the-benefitsof-thinking-like-a-lawyer.
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