Effective problem solving first depends on identifying what the problem is at hand.

It has to be taken
into care that all the participants are solving the same problem together and avoid any
misunderstandings and lag time.

Taking into the account of the problem, brainstorming solutions with an open mind would be the best
step. This prevents groupthink and leading the team into a solution that would not necessary be the
best for them. Allowing for brainstorming ensures that even the most creative solutions get thrown in
the open that people might not have previously considered. This ensures that the team covers more
bases and have higher chances in finding a solution when it comes to refining the solutions.

Outsourcing and thinking outside the box can also be included in brainstorming phase. Having external
influences can allow the team to adopt a different perspective that they haven’t considered before and
adapt that idea into their problem, such as what bioinspiration aims to do.

The next step would to refine the ideas and having a criteria to narrow down the scope. This would
allow the team to find the best possible solution from the brainstorming pool that is viable and apply
the one that is most effective in their business.

To summarise, make sure everybody has full knowledge of the prohlem. Brainstorm all possible
solutions using internal and/or external methods and adapting those solutions to solve your problem.

Some common problems faced when problem solving would be groupthink. In fear of being ousted by a
group, individuals and even whole teams might agree with a solution that is not the best but do not
speak out in fear of authority, reputation and other factors. Another problem would be a mindset that is
too focused at the failures that come with every suggested solution. This would make it difficult for
teams to move forward and could result in a stalemate that leads prevents their business from
overcoming a hurdle.

Bioinspiration differs from other forms of innovation as it looks to solutions that are already in place to
solve a problem. The creative part of bioinspired problem solving is put into linking the adaptions of
plants and animals to current problems instead of traditional innovation methods where new ideas have
to be created. It also has a big focus on nature, a closed and competitive environment, a parallel to the
business environment and focusing on adaptations that work in a continuous and closed environment,
means that these solutions have the biggest potential, compared to other innovative methods since
these methods have been proven to work on a similar environment.