When problems present themselves that don’t have clear solutions, they can become overwhelming and seem insurmountable. While traditional problem solving and brainstorming might be able to help us overcome common problems, sometimes we have to get a little more creative; when conventional thinking fails us, creative problem solving can help us overcome problems previously thought of to be unsolvable.
Dealing with obstacles and challenges is a regular part of work and life. Whether you’re a business owner, team leader, or a parent, problem solving is an unavoidable part of life.
Why?
Because none of us live a perfect life: there are always unforeseen problems that arise.
How to Become a Better Problem Solver
If you want to become a better problem solver — a more creative problem solver — then you may need to look at the processes created by greatly creative minds. One of these processes is the 2011 CPS (Creative Problem Solving) Learner’s Model developed by Dr. Gerard J. Puccio and Marie Mance, inspired by an early CPS model created by Alex Osborn, the founder of the Creative Education Foundation, and inventor of the term “brainstorming.”
Below, we will outline a super-oversimplified version fo the CPS Learner’s Model to give you a taste of how to improve as a problem solver. If you want to learn more about being a better problem solver and leader, you can take a look at this article by Mind Tools which goes more in-depth, as well as attend one of our webinars or our Leadership Development Series: Part Three.
The CPS Learner’s Model:
- Clarify — Identify your problem and intent, gather data, and formulate questions
- Ideate — Explore ideas and brainstorm, asking open-ended questions about your problem
- Develop — Formulate solutions with convergent and divergent thinking
- Implement — Develop a plan of action, communicate that plan to your team, and execute.
If you’re interested in becoming a more creative problem solver, or a better leader in general, we can’t wait to see you in one of our webinars or at our Leadership Development Series.
