UNIT 4:
GENERATING
POTENTIAL
SOLUTIONS
RECOGNIZING MENTAL
BLOCKS
• Once you’ve defined the problem, you want to
make sure you generate the best solution.
• Perseverance is perhaps the most notable
characteristic of successful problem solvers,
– so don’t become discouraged when solutions
aren’t immediately evident.
• 1st step in overcoming these blocks is to
recognize them.
• GS1140.U4.WS1.Mental Blocks Worksht
TYPES of BLOCKS:
• Conceptual Blocks – is a mental wall that prevents the
problem solver from correctly perceiving a problem or
conceiving its solution
– Example: Draw 4 or fewer straight lines (without lifting your pen from
the paper) that will cross through all 9 dots.
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Most common
Conceptual Blocks
• Conceptual Blocks
• Perceptual Blocks
– Stereotyping
– Limiting the Problem Unnecessarily
– Saturation or Information Overload
• Emotional Blocks
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Fear of Risk Taking
Lack of Appetite for Chaos
Judging Rather Than Generating Ideas
Lack of Challenge
Inability to Incubate
Cultural Blocks
Environmental Blocks
Intellectual Blocks
Expressive Blocks
Most common
Conceptual Blocks
• Perceptual Blocks – are obstacles that prevent
the problem solver from clearly perceiving
either the problem itself or the information
needed to solve it.
– Stereotyping – uses of a flashlight other than that
– Limiting the Problem Unnecessarily – you must
explore and challenge the boundaries of the
problem to find the best solution.
– Saturating or Information Overload – too much
info is just as bad as not enough.
Most common
Conceptual Blocks
• Emotional Blocks – these interfere with your ability to
solve problems in many ways. By decreasing your
freedom of exploration and manipulation and they
prevent you from communicating your ideas to others.
• Types of Emotional Blocking:
– Fear of Risk Taking – stems from childhood
– Lack of Appetite for Chaos – Problem solver must learn to
live with confusion.
– Judging Rather Than Generating Ideas – Negativity
– Lack of Challenge – it may be too easy to take on.
– Inability to Incubate – Rushing to finish it too fast.
Most common
Conceptual Blocks
• Cultural Blocks – Limits set by cultural
patterns.
– One type – is the failure to consider an act that
causes displeasure or disgust to certain members
of society.
Most common
Conceptual Blocks
• Environmental Blocks – limits imposed by our
immediate social and physical environment.
– Cell phone interruptions.
– Hostile work environments
– Pleasant work environments
Most common
Conceptual Blocks
• Intellectual Blocks – can occur as a result of
an inflexible or inadequate uses of problemsolving strategies.
– Additional background, training, or resources may
be necessary to solve a problem.
– Don’t be afraid to ask for help…
Most common
Conceptual Blocks
• Expressive Blocks – the inability to
communicate your ideas to others, in either
verbal or written form.
BLOCKBUSTING
• A number of structured techniques are
available for breaking through mental
roadblocks:
– Negative Attitudes
– Fear of Failure
– Following the Rules
– Over-reliance on Logic
= Attitude Adjustments
= Risk Taking
= Breaking the Rules
= Creative Internal
Climate
– Belief That You Aren’t Creative = Creative Beliefs.
• Blockbusting assignment
IMPROVING YOUR
CREATIVE ABILITIES (Part I)
• Look at pages 97 – 99 – read and take notes to
improve your creative abilities.
– Make sure you relate how you personally have
used the technique in the past or present.
BRAINSTORMING
TECHNIQUES
• Brainstorming – one of the oldest techniques to
stimulate creativity – is a familiar and effective
technique for generating solutions.
– Brainstorming Techniques:
• Free Association- generation of list of ALL possible solutions.
NO Negative comments. (P113)
• Vertical Thinking – can build on the ideas already generated
(piggybacking) or it can look at the different parts of the
problem in an effort to generate new ideas. Uses Osborn’s
Checklist to Add New Ideas.
• Lateral Thinking – used to get unstuck by changing the
pattern of thought and stimulating the flow of ideas, based
on random pieces of information.
BRAINSTORMING
TECHNIQUES
• Example: How would you use one of those 3
techniques to increase crowd participation at
a sporting event.
ANALOGY and
CROSS-FERTILIZATION