Canadian Business Culture and Management Skills
ADMS 3020 - Fall 2011 – Professor Eytan Lasry
Lecture 3 – Solving Problems Analytically and Creatively – Sept 27
A Model of Problem Solving
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Step 1: define the problem
o Differentiate fact from opinion.
o Specify underlying causes.
o Tap everyone involved for information.
o State the problem explicitly.
o Identify what standard is violated.
o Determine whose problem it is.
o Avoid stating the problem as a disguised solution.
Step 2: generate alternative solutions
o Postpone evaluating alternatives.
o Be sure all involved individuals generate alternatives.
o Specify alternatives that are consistent with goals.
o Specify both short- and long- term solutions.
o Build on others’ ideas.
o Specify alternatives that solve the problem.
Step 3: evaluate and select an alternative
o Evaluate relative to an optimal standard.
o Evaluate systematically.
o Evaluate relative to goals.
o Evaluate main effects and side effects.
o State the selected alternative explicitly.
Step 4: implement and follow up on the solution
o Implement a proper time and in the right sequence.
o Small wins strategy.
o Provide opportunities for feedback.
o Engender acceptance.
o Establish ongoing monitoring system.
o Evaluate based on problem solution.
Constraints on the Analytical Model
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Confusing information re: problem definition.
Few possible alternatives are usually known.
Alternatives are based on what was successful in the past.
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Incomplete information.
Costly and local research.
Unknown preferences.
Political processes and resistance to change.
Four Types of Creativity
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Incubation – be sustainable.
o Capitalize on teamwork, involvement, coordination and cohesion,
empowering people, building trust.
Imagination – be new.
o Experimentation, exploration, risk taking, transformational ideas,
revolutionary thinking, unique visions.
Improvement – be better.
o Incremental improvements, process control, systematic approaches, careful
methods, clarifying problems.
Investment – be first.
o Rapid goal achievement, faster responses than others, competitive
approaches, attack problems directly.
Conceptual Blocks
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Metal obstacles that constrain the way problems are defined.
o Constancy
 Vertical thinking – one language.
o Commitment
 Perceptual stereotyping – ignoring commonalities.
o Compression
 Artificial constraints – separating figure from ground.
o Complacency
 Non-inquisitives – nonthinking.
Stages in Creative Thought
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Preparation
Incubation
Illumination
Verification
Ways to Improve Problem Definition
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Make the strange familiar and the familiar strange – synectics (Analogies).
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Elaborate the definition.
Reverse the definition.
Ways to generate more Alternatives
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Defer judgement – brainstorming.
Expand current alternatives.
Combine unrelated attributes.
o Morphological synthesis.
o Rational algorithm.
Rules of Brainstorming
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No evaluation of ideas is permitted.
Wild ideas are encouraged.
Quality before quality.
Build on ideas of others.
A Model of Analytic and Creative Problem Solving
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Problem assessment
o Outcomes predictable?
o Sufficient information present?
 Yes
 Constraints
o Definitional problems.
o Solution-generation problems.
o Evaluation and selection problems
o Implementation and follow-up problems.
 Analytical problem solving
o Define problem
o Generate alternative solutions.
o Evaluate and select alternatives
o Implement and follow up on the solution
 No
 Conceptual blocks
o Constancy
o Commitment
o Compression
o Complacency
 Four approaches to creativity
o Imagination
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o Improvement
o Investment
o Incubation
Creative problem-solving tools
o To improve problem definition:
 Make the familiar strange and the strange
familiar.
 Elaborate definitions
 Reverse the definition
o To improve the generation of alternatives:
 Defer judgement
 Expand current alternatives
 Combine unrelated attributes
Cultural Differences
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Are the analytical and creative approaches biased toward Western culture?
What are the differences in problem-solving with cultures emphasizing
particularism and specificity rather than universalism and a diffuse orientation?
Three Principles for Fostering Creativity
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Pull people apart; put people together – avoid groupthink.
Monitor and prod.
Reward multiple roles.
Behavioural Guidelines
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Follow the four-step procedure for analytical decision-making.
Employ the four types of creative decision-making.
Implement steps to overcome conceptual blocks.
Foster creativity among those with whom you work.