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Creative Problem Solving

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 3 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #17512 in How-To, #174873 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

 

Your comprehensive guide to creative problem solving and innovation. The detailed process outlined here enables you to create better and more appropriate: ideas, solutions and innovations.

Problem Solving - The Practical Tasks 

  • There are several stages to problem solving. Each one outlined below along with key resources.

    1) Monitor
    2) Anticipate
    3) Indentify
    4) Generage
    5) Evaluate
    6) Champion
    7) Implement
    8) Repeat...

1) Monitor 

Stay aware of your environment. Monitor your industry, your customers, your competition, your competition's customers, your own company from the outside in... and the inside out... Stay ahead... or at least with... trends.
How to Spot Trends
Great article with key strategies for trend spotting from the Creativity at Work newsletter.
Google News Alerts
Have Google Alerts sent to your inbox searching new, web or news AND web content.
The Trend Spotting Trend
Article from Fast Company with an outline of key strategies for trendspotting.
Marketing Innovation Link
reported by Technorati

Books about: Monitoring 

Jump Start Your Business Brain: Scientific Ideas and Advice That Will Immediately Double Your Business Success Rate

Jump Start Your Business Brain: Scientific Ideas and Advice That Will Immediately Double Your Business Success Rate

by Doug Hall

Idea Sandbox recommendation

Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 10/11/2008)

2) Anticipate (Needs) 

With a constant Monitor process in place, you will now notice the small subtle changes that occur. Instead of being taken off guard by sudden unexpected changes, you'll detect and be able to react to the small movements that precede change.
Anticipatory Management
Tools to prosper in an age of change.

Books about: Anticipating 

The Power to Predict: How Real Time Businesses Anticipate Customer Needs, Create Opportunities, and Beat the Competition

The Power to Predict: How Real Time Businesses Anticipate Customer Needs, Create Opportunities, and Beat the Competition

by Vivek Ranadive

Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 10/11/2008)

Managing Crises Before They Happen: What Every Executive Needs to Know About Crisis Management

Managing Crises Before They Happen: What Every Executive Needs to Know About Crisis Management

by Ian I. Mitroff, Gus Anagnos

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

Getting It Right the First Time: How Innovative Companies Anticipate Demand

Getting It Right the First Time: How Innovative Companies Anticipate Demand

by John Katsaros, Peter Christy

Amazon Price: $36.95 (as of 10/11/2008)

Seeing What's Next: Using Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change

Seeing What's Next: Using Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change

by Clayton M. Christensen, Erik A. Roth, Scott D. Anthony

Amazon Price: $21.75 (as of 10/11/2008)

3) Identify (Needs) 

Be a trouble shooter. Now that you are able to anticipate a need, issue or opportunity you have to determine its true cause. You don't want an aspirin to ease the headache; you want to prevent what's causing the headache. This step is key as proper identification of the need will allow you to develop the appropriate solution(s).
Troubleshooting
While this article from TroubleShooter.com uses 'systems' to to mean 'computer systems' - you can easily relate it to HR systems, marketing systems, product development systems, etc.

Books about: Identifying Needs 

Renovate Before You Innovate: Why Doing the New Thing Might Not Be the Right Thing

Renovate Before You Innovate: Why Doing the New Thing Might Not Be the Right Thing

by Sergio Zyman

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

4) Generate 

Brainstorm. Create alternatives. Edgemark. Whatever method you use... you need to generate creative ideas that will fix the root cause. At this stage no idea is a bad idea because you're not making decisions or allocating resources... you are generating all of the possible alternatives.
Step by Step Guide to Brainstorming
Step by step guide to brainstorming from JPB.com
Brainstorming
Detailed definition and links courtesy of Wikipedia

Books about: Generating Ideas 

Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative Thinking Techniques: FIRST EDITION

Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative Thinking Techniques: FIRST EDITION

by Michael Michalko

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques: The Handbook of New Ideas for Business

101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques: The Handbook of New Ideas for Business

by James M. Higgins

Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)

5) Evaluate / Make Decisions 

Decision Making. This is the when you narrow down all of the ideas you generated to the fewer, bigger and better that will best solve your challenge. This is where you begin to make decisions... this is where you starting forming your plan...
Decision Making Techniques
How to make better decisions - a slew of articles and strategies from "MindTools."
Decision Quality
Decision Quality process from Kevin Hoffberg

Books about: Decision Making 

Making Decisions, 2nd Edition

Making Decisions, 2nd Edition

by Dennis V. Lindley

Amazon Price: $98.92 (as of 10/11/2008)

Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Effective Decision Making

Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Effective Decision Making

by David A. Welch

Amazon Price: $18.90 (as of 10/11/2008)

Winning Decisions: Getting It Right the First Time

Winning Decisions: Getting It Right the First Time

by J. Edward Russo, Paul J.H. Schoemaker

Amazon Price: $19.11 (as of 10/11/2008)

6) Champion 

You have found "the" solution. Now what? Some companies are so narrow-minded there isn't room for a big idea to squeeze in... Even if it's the right idea!

Much innovation get's blocked because it is not properly shepherded through the organization. A champion who can navigate the organizational channel is needed at this stage. There are other stakeholders to consider as well... Ensure your plan meets or exceeds the expectations of your customers, employees, the brand, the industry, and any other share holders or stake holders.
The Wow Project
Fast Company, by Tom Peters
How to Wow
Fast Company, by Cheryl Dahle

Books about: Being a Champion 

Free Prize Inside: The Next Big Marketing Idea

Free Prize Inside: The Next Big Marketing Idea

by Seth Godin

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/11/2008)

Who Wants to be a Champion?

Who Wants to be a Champion?

by Pat Williams

Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 10/11/2008)

7) Implement 

Innovation is a creative idea put into action that causes change. Until you implement innovation doesn't exist.

Books about: Implementing 

The Effective Executive in Action: A Journal for Getting the Right Things Done (Journal)

The Effective Executive in Action: A Journal for Getting the Right Things Done (Journal)

by Peter F. Drucker, Joseph A. Maciariello

Amazon Price: $21.51 (as of 10/11/2008)

Get It Done!: A Blueprint for Business Execution

Get It Done!: A Blueprint for Business Execution

by Ralph Welborn, Vince Kasten

Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 10/11/2008)

Lather, Rinse, REPEAT 

Return to the first step, but now you are also monitoring the program you've just implemented.

If you've follow the steps properly you will notice a positive change among your intended audience. If not... you need to repeat the cycle again with the new challenge.

The cycle continues.
  • This not a linear process... it's a continuous cycle... Keep all the steps going.

Idea Sandbox Creativity / Innovation Feed 

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paulwilliams

About paulwilliams

Paul Williams is a dreamer, and a doer. My life motto is, "It's not enough to be good, when you dream of being great." Marketing background at two "experience" brands - Disney and Starbucks, Paul shares what it takes to be innovative, customer focused and all about exceeding expectations.

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