How To
Become a Creative Problem Solver: Two Action Areas
-
Change your
attitude:
See yourself as a creative problem-solver and look upon
every problem as a challenge and an opportunity to develop your
creative powers.
-
Make creative problem solving a
habit:
Look for challenging problems to solve. The more you seek for
innovative solutions and ideas, the smarter and more
creative you become.
Asking Effective Questions
When something goes wrong, don't ask:
A better question, and one that would
stimulate creative problem solving would be:
Now your subconscious mind will work on
improving the situation.
Case in
Point
Increasing Toothpaste Sales
At a toothpaste manufacturer's
brainstorming session, the target was to find ways to increase the sales
volume by 10%. A surprisingly simple solution came from the production
manager: just increase the diameter of the tube-mouth. Customers will not
notice the difference, but a squeeze of the tube will produce more
toothpaste. Increasing the diameter 4,8% will increase the area by 10%.
PS: I use this case study as an illustration of
outside-the-box thinking and
creative problem solving only. I don't say you should use such methods to
increase your sales volumes. Instead, I say you should follow the advise of
Henry Ford: "The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to
see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for
a dollar, is bound to succeed."
CPS – a Core Task of a Business Leader
One of the key functions of the
corporate leader is
problem solving
which takes up a lot of
executive time. An effective executive can solve problems and
make decisions
with a high level of
competence. Your ability to deal with problems creatively and effectively is
the key determinant of your success as a
manager
and a corporate leader.
Sun Tzu's "The Art of War"
The Five Things You Should Know To Win
You must know five things to win: