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TECHNIQUES OF CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

1.BRAIN STORMING:

- The principles of brain storming are

- Defer evaluation during the phase of producing ideas, especially evaluation of thenegative and critical ones.

- Invite more ideas. Higher the number, higher the probability of hitting upon somebrilliant ones.

- A fantastic idea should be more appreciated. It need not be practicable. It triggersother ideas that might be novel and useful.

- Be open to the suggestive power of others or ones own earlier ideas.

- It is generally done in groups.

- It is useful for problems that can have multiple solutions.- The topic selected for brainstorming should be specific.- During the session, the leader should encourage the panelists to provide concrete

suggestions or ideas rather than abstractions or good intentions.Ex: - Suggestions such asimprove human relationsis wrong.

- Suggestions such asexpose every manager to human relations is correct.

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- Thus creation is useful modification of an attribute or assimilation of attributes of otherthings.

- It helps to separate the modifiable attributes from the un modifiable attributes of theobjects.

- The procedure is to list all the obvious attributes of an object or activity such as thecurrent size, colour, shape, function, weight, major components, material etcfor an object and current duration, steps, subprograms etc for an activity.

- Next it is desirable to identify some of the attributes that can be altered withoutdestroying the main function of the object or activity.

- Next the alterable attributes may be stated as more abstract, general attributes.

(Ex: back rest of a chair as a spine support)

MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS is a variant of attribute listing. Here some criticalmodifiable attributes are identified.

-Then several alternatives for each of these attributes are generated.

Morphological : Relating to or concerned with the formation of admissible words in alanguage

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Ex: FURNITURE

Shapes Kinds Materials Function Styles

Oval Chairs Wood Sleeping Chippendale

Square Beds Metal Resting Shaker

Circle Sofas Plastic Eating Queen Ann

Rectangle Tables Cloth Sitting Modern

Cylinder Clocks Glass Storing Campaign

Pentagon T. V Cork Entertaining Primitive

Hexagon Pianos Foam Reading Western

Heptagon Desks Leather Writing Italian

Octagon Stools Cardboard Cooking

---------- -------- ------------ --------- --------

09 09 09 09 08

- There would be 9 x 09 x 09 x 9 x 8 = 52,488 cells in this figure., some of these arepracticable.

- Attribute listing works best when the product, object, activity sought to be modified is

very specific, on the other hand morphological analysis can be applied to modify generalobjects and activities.

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3) CHECKLIST OF QUESTIONS:

- A variety of questions can aid invention or improvement.

- Some of the powerful questions that can improve an object or an activity are

What can beADDED to an object to improve it?

What can we SUBTRACT to delete from it without damaging it?

What aspect or component can weALTER?

What can be REARRANGED?

How can weADAPT the object for uses other than the present one?Can we MAGNIFYthe object greatly?

What could be the OPPOSITE of the object?

Can we MINIFYor miniaturise the object?

Does the object have uses OTHERthan the present one?Are there NEW ways of utilizing the object?

Are thereALTERNATIVE ways of producing the object?

The first letters of the words underlined above yield an acronym ASARAMOMONA

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4) SYNECTICS:

- It is a group technique evolved by Synectics Inc, Boston and uses analogies as theproductive source of solutions.

- It is necessary to understand the structure of mind first. Human mind has several

layers. They are

a) Unconscious mind:

- It is the deepest layer of mind.

- It is the hot house of instincts.

- Its vital function is self preservation and reproduction.

- It has enermous energy but little regulation.

b) Preconscious mind:

- This is fantasizing and imagining layer.

- It is prominent in childhood.

- It thinks in visions and scenarios through daydreams and fantasies.

- It is ascendent when we are in fantasy mood.

c) Conscious mind:

- It is highly orderly, logical, evaluative and analytical.

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- It is very aware of reality and its constraints.

- Its function is to manage the entire personality and have its respond quickly in acoordinated manner to stressful and other situations.

- It is ascendent when we are in a business like mood.

- Synectic technique involves systematic way of accessing and harnessing thepreconscious mind.

- In the technique, the process of incubation in the preconscious mind is imitated.

Synectics uses four kinds of analogies. They are

1) Direct Analogy: - which seeks a direct comparison of the phenomenon underdiscussion with some other phenomenon that is similar enough.

Ex: Analogy between planes aerodynamics and bird flying.

2) Personal Analogy: - It is empathizing.

- The person is asked to retain his individual human sensibility but is simultaneouslyasked to transpose himself into a situation and to report what he feels, sees,hears, thinks etc.

3) Fantasy Analogy:- Group members are urged to fantasize some perfect solution evenif it contradicts known scientific principles.

4) Symbolic Analogy:- The leader may take a key word and ask group members tocome up with a short provocative phrase that captures the essence of the word under

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discussion.

STEPS IN SYNECTICS:

- The problem is explained to the group by an expert.

- The group attempts to solve the problem in the usual way for a while. This phase is

called purge.

- If the problem remains unresolved, the leader asks the members to state the problemas they understand it. This is called PAU ( Problem as Understood ) step.

- The leader may ask an evocative question by referring to the direct analogy. Theanalogy may be drawn from biological phenomenon.

- The leader will request for personal, fantasy and symbolic analogy for the problem.

-When the leader senses a potentially useful approach to the original problem at hishand, he may ask for a FORCE FIT, ie he may ask the participants to try to think how apresent idea or analogy could suggest a solution to the original problem.

Ex: Idea that one strokes an angry cat to make it calm, one could pump down a coolantthat freezes the core sample so that sample does not undergo changes in compositionas it is brought up thousands of feet. This is found while trying solution to theestimation of petroleum reserve.