Success Advice

The Go-To Guide for Creative Problem Solving

Published

4 years ago

Feb 27, 2020

Image Credit: Unsplash

Creative problem solving is a skill that is necessary for business leaders. Being able to devise creative solutions to difficult business problems will establish your credibility as an effective leader.

Have you ever dealt with a business problem that just doesn’t seem to have an answer? Sometimes, especially when we’re in crisis mode, a problem presents itself that doesn’t seem to have a solution. Or maybe you have come up with some possible answers, but you just think that you can come up with something better.

In order to become proficient at creative problem solving, it’s important to change your perspective. What can you do to shift your viewpoint, expand your thinking and come up with a creative solution?

1. Approach Every Situation Like It Is a Project

Most professionals are used to doing this for actual projects, but you should consider doing this for day-to-day activities as well. Putting together a project plan gives you peace-of-mind because you will have a broad view of all the activities that are going on. The plan gives you a long-term view of issues before they arise.

Also, if problems come up that you don’t anticipate, you are able to assess the impact on the entire project. What might appear to be a major issue if you are managing “on-the-fly” may not seem as significant to the overall scheme of the project if you are using a project plan. Planning gives you a high-level view of the issue that will help you to calmly assess your options.

2. An Important Aspect to Creative Problem Solving Is “Don’t Panic”

Some positive self-talk will go a long way towards helping you find a good solution. Rather than thinking, “I don’t know what to do” rephrase the statement to something like, “I know there’s a better solution to this issue; I just haven’t come up with it yet.”

Continue along this train of thought until you can say to yourself, “the answer is coming to me now.” The energy of this self-talk will attract new solutions and facilitate creative problem solving.

“We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” – Albert Einstein

3. Hold a Short Project Team Meeting with Everyone Who Is Involved

I say short, because long, drawn-out meetings tend to quash creative thinking. Explain to the team what you are dealing with and ask for suggestions. Include every level of the team from managerial to administrative. If you don’t get a lot of viable solutions in the meeting, ask the meeting attendees to think about it and send you a follow-up email with their suggestions.

4. Bring in Someone Else Who Is Not Involved to Offer a Different Perspective

This is a good time to bring in your boss, who may have dealt with the problem before. Or it could be a colleague who doesn’t have experience in your area, but who has proven success at creative problem solving with other types of problems. Explain the problem in terms that someone who does not have your experience can understand and ask for their opinion.

5. To Access Creative Thinking and to Stimulate Creative Problem Solving, Take a Break from the Problem

No matter what type of crisis you might be experiencing, find a way to get away from the location where the problem exists. If you have the luxury of time, take the weekend and really relax.

Creative problem solving is a very creative process. Do something you enjoy, even if it’s for 20 minutes. Listen to some music you enjoy without distraction, take a walk outside, or do something recreational that completely takes your mind off of the problem. You might think this is slacking off when you should be working hard to resolve the issue, but actually, the time you spend away from the issue will open you up to new possibilities and is just as important as the time you spend working on it.

6. After You Have Gathered All Possible Solutions, Evaluate Them by Listing Them

Then make three columns next to the various solutions titled “issues, risks and rewards”. Have the project team fill out the various columns. Laying it out in this manner will help you identify the most attractive solution very quickly. It might be that the perfect solution is a combination of more than one solution. White-boarding the various scenarios makes the best pathway easier to identify.

“There’s no use talking about the problem unless you talk about the solution.” – Betty Williams

7. Don’t Get Discouraged

Remember, you are the best person to make the decision in this particular situation because you have unique knowledge and you are the closest to the situation. So have the confidence that you will come up with the best possible solution! In this case, you should be rational and pay attention to everything. If you cannot cope with your problems or make a decision, just ask somebody to help you. It can be a stranger as well as your close friend.

What do you think is the best method to creatively solve a problem? Share your thoughts and experience with us below!

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Rebecca Carter

Rebecca Carter is a business coach with a huge experience. She writes articles at UK Essays to share her knowledge with others. She tries to keep up with advancing technology. For example, she is highly interested in the web design sphere.

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There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

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3 weeks ago

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In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness.

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be.

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time.

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.