CREATIVE

THINKING AND
PROBLEM SOLVING
TECHNIQUES

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DEFINITIONS OF CREATIVITY
“ Creativity as the production of
something that is both new and truly
valuable ”

“ The process of being creative. A series

of actions which create new ideas,
thoughts and physical objects ”

“ Creativity is a mental and social

process involving the generation of
new ideas or concepts, or new
associations of the creative mind
between existing ideas and concepts ” 2
FOR INDIVIDUAL, creativity is important
in solving problems in daily life as well as
in the workplace.

FOR SOCIETY, creativity can lead to new

movements in art and design, inventions,
and new scientific findings.

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CHARACTERSTICS OF
CREATIVE THINKING

 Creativity is not a product but a process.

 Creativity involves both conscious and sub
conscious thinking.
 Creativity thinking can be stimulated at the
individual as well as group level.
 Creativity thinking can be both systematic
and unsystematic.
 Creativity is about thinking something new
and whenever this new idea is implemented
it bring change. 4
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
AND MIND PROCESSES

• Minds are like parachutes: They only

function when open. (Charles Mingus).

• Mind facilitates creative thinking can be

understood by the following steps.

• STEP 1 : DEFINE
• STEP 2 : OPEN
• STEP 3 : SOLUTION
• STEP 4 : ACTION
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Step 1 : Define
Define the problem carefully to make sure you are
solving the real problem and to help engage your
conscious and unconscious minds to the problem.

1. Mind focus : ask why the problem exists.

2. MindGrip : Us this to write a new, more optimal

and effective restatement of the problem.

3. MindStretch: List the goal object of the criteria

which satisfy the problem of the solution.

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Step 2 :- OPEN
• Write down the most optimal solution
or statement of the problem.
• Open yourself to consider many
diverse solution ideas.
• Delay judgment on idea generated
until optimal solution is identified.
• List all the ideas which are on your
mind.
1.Mind prompt
2.Mind surprise
3.Mind free

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Step 3: Solution
Identify the best solution to your problem and
modify it until you are satisfied and put into
action.

• Mind integrate
– Review your goal
– Select the best idea from the available alternatives

• Mind strengthen
– List the negative aspects of your ideas

• Mind Energize
– Modify your solution to minimize bad consequences
and maximize good consequences
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Transform your solution into action

Use the DO IT process and catalyst again

to help creatively solve the problem

Step 4: Action
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"Each of us may not do great things,
but all of us can do small things in a
great way."

To understand and develop inner

creativity we first need to understand the
psyche.

Inner Creativity Techniques

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Meditation
Self Awareness
Light Heartedness
Diversion
Dreamscape
Lucid dreaming
Creative focus
Creative triggers
Future memory
Approaches
Doodling
to Inner Creativity

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 Directed creativity methods are those
that help individual to sense, perceive and
learn new ways of looking and thinking at
the problems and discovering solutions

• Evolution: This is the method of

incremental improvement. New ideas
come from other ideas, new solutions
from previous ones, the new one slightly
improved over the old ones.

Directed Creativity Methods

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• Revolution: Establishing a new idea,
completely different one and marked change
from the previous one.
• Reapplication: Looking at something old in
a new way. Remove, prejudices,
expectations, assumptions and discover how
something can be reapplied.
• Changing Direction: Many creative
breakthroughs occur when attention is
shifted from one angle of a problem to
another. This is also known as creative
insight

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• Transformation: Use of simple
question to trigger creative thinking
and offer alternative solution. In this
strategy, one begins with an already
existing object or idea, and searches
for ways it can be altered to provide
possible solutions to a problem.

• Association: It is method help us in

associating two complementary things
with each other such as bread and
butter, paper and pens. Accepted
associations make life comfortable
and predictable but they can also dull
one’s ability to discover and produce
something new.
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• Synthesis: With this method, two or
more existing ideas are combined into a
third, new idea. Combining the ideas of a
magazine and an audiotape gives the idea
of a magazine you can listen to, one
useful for blind people and freeway
commuters.

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• Random Stimulus Technique

– Identify Problem related idea

– Pick a stimulus at random
– Relate this random stimulus back to your
original problem.
– Repeat

Directed Creativity Techniques

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• Unfocused observation:
Independent visual or mental images
that are considered concurrently have
inspired unique ideas.

• Oracles: “All things, regardless of

their dissimilarity, can be linked
together either symbolically,
physically, psychologically. Oracle is a
tool for bisociating. Like, riddles,
horoscopes etc.

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• Analogy: An analogy says that
something is like another, A metaphor
claims that it actually is the other.
For E.g.,: My work is like a play

• Metaphor: A metaphor describes

something in terms of something else.
For E.g.,: An industry watchdog

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• Free Association: It does not rely upon
force, fitting together two objectives to
produce ideas, rather, one idea is used to
generate another, which is then used to
produce a third one, so on.

• It takes place in two forms:

– Unstructured free association
– Structured free association

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• Bisociation: Bisociation are the form
of creative ideas are often the result
of juxtaposing elements that are
normally unconnected.

• There are three broad strategies for

bisociation:
– Escaping from stuckness
– Looking for the bigger picture
– Choosing a creative approach

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• Bionics: It involves looking for idea
stimulation in similar objects,
products and processes.
The search is restricted to biological
and botanical systems.

• Sensanation: Think about your

problem in terms of your five senses.
How does the problem taste, feel,
smell, look, sound.

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• Visualization or Backwards Planning
Method: It is a work back approach.
– First define the desired state or solution.
– Second step is identify and define the states in
between the desired state and the present
state.
– Third step, the redesigning processes are
considered for each of the intervening states.

• Redefinition technique: The problem

redefinition process is:-
– Describe the problem in brief.
– Say why the problem is important.
– State an alternative view of the problem.
– Say what would you do if there are no
barriers. 22
 – State the real essence of the problem.
– Think unusually and state the problem.
– Now redefine the problem.
– Consider the boundaries of the problem. Try to
challenge them. Redefine them.

• Stepping stones thinking: It suggest

that we can generate useful ideas by
starting from an impractical idea.

– Human thinking is bound by the following

factors, which are framed to create an
environment of co-operation and orderly
thinking and behavior, like procedure,
structures, systems, rules and regulations,
culture, habits. 23
(1)Off the wall thinking – It is a simple process
for group problem solving. It encourages Janusian
thinking-seeing both sides of an idea. Its process :
……Selecting a facilitator
……knowing the rules for the game
……independent thinking – no talking
…..group discussion
…..group priority

(2) Brainstorming – A formal session is held with a

group of 5-7 people to generate many ideas.
It is divergent thinking strategy.
CREATIVITY METHODS
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(3) Synetics – Greek word meaning “the fitting
together of seemingly diverse elements”.it is based on
premise that success in problem solving is increased
by using non rational thought to lead to rational
solutions. Three types of analogies are used – fantasy,
direct analogy, personal analogy

(4) Dialectic approach – under this approach

propositions and counter propositions explicit or
solution of a problem by taking for and against
stands.

(5) Thinking hats methods – hat in this context

means a particular state of mind. Wearing a hat
means the thinker should focus on given problem
exclusively in terms of atate of mind denoted by hat
concerned. 25
• White – hard facts, figures, and information
• Red – Hunches, feelings and emotions
• Black – Negative logical faults,errors,inadequacies or risks
• Yellow – positive values and benefits, hopes,dreams,wishes
• Green – new ideas and concepts
• Blue – Synthesis, summaries, overviews and conclusions

(6)Nominal group technique – A structured group approach to develop ideas. Widely used in problem identification and prioritizing methods. Works best in small groups 8-12. it is similar to brainstorming
,except the fact that it is based on understanding that certain group goals can be best achieved by writing rather than by discussion.

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….select leader, group and place
….state problem
….individual thought
….collect responses
….examine ideas
….suggest ways to reach conclusions
….vote
….report

(7) Delphi method – It is a survey of experts.

……a panel is constituted

…..given a short written explanation of problem
…..opinions collected and compared
…..Summary of results distributed
…..Step 2 repeated two or three times until final summary is
prepared 27
• WRITING TECHNIQUES
(1) Brain writing – ideas not discussed openly but
written on a piece of paper then passed minus the writer’s
name.

(2) Story writing – used in case of ill-structures

problem. Writing a brief story about a problem generates
ideas. Data is procured trough the story and is further used
as a basis of suggesting problem solution.

(3) Crawford slip writing –

….each person of a group receives a stack of paper.
….a problem is presented verbally to the group using
expression – how can we or how to?
….members of group are required to record one idea on a slip
of paper without thought given to its relative importance.

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(4) Story boarding – originally a technique used by
Disney to help manage the production of their animated
features. The point is to glance at the board and quickly see
what is going on and how you can add to it.
……tree to five cards and bright markers
……assemble key people in room
…..write the topic on cards
….sort the cards into: topic cards, header cards, sub cards

TECHNIQUES BASED ON PICTURES ,MAPS

AND NETWORKS
(1)Pattern diagrams- it uses associative thinking to
help clearly see the overall picture. By emphasizing the links
between the links between ideas in a field, they encourage us
to think more freely and display the shape of our thinking
simultaneously.

(2)Visual metaphor – idea is to have people represent a

problem and how they see the problem solved in a pictorial
form.
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…people participating draw a picture of what they consider to be
a problem. words should be avoided .
…...picture of solution is also drawn.
……changes between problem picture and solution picture is
noted down and then interpreted.
……group is asked to interpret each problem and solution
……All solutions are combined

(3) Mind mapping – is known as form of visual thinking.

it is lot like story boarding, except the fact that cards are not
used. One starts by taking a central theme and writing or
drawing on a paper. Main theme is circled and spokes are
drawn from it representing ideas.

(4) Fishbone diagram – This is also known as cause

and effect diagram are drawn as skeleton of fish, with the
main casual categories drawn as “bones” attached to spine of
a fish.

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 Procedure
………….defining the problem
………….identifying the causes
………….identifying the specific causes
………….establishing the most important causes
………….suggesting solutions

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(5) Tree or system flow diagram
It is a mapping technique :
• Define goal
• Disaggregate into sub goals
• Design specific paths and processes required
• Identify the factors which account for problem
It is drawn as a free diagram, resembling a tree turned on its
side.

(6) Force field analysis – it is a graphical

representation of a problem which is understandable and
can lead to possible good solutions. In any situation, there
are two types of forces
• Driving forces
• Restraining forces

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Driving forces
Restraining forces
actual desired
importance importance

Staff having experience everyone

under time pressure
Staff want to succeed ideas not
rewarded
Staff are hard working bosses
resistant to change
Staff are resourceful no resource
to develop ideas
Increase
decrease
How to make use of experience
of staff?
how to reduce
resistance to change ?
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(7) Quality circle – it is a small group of
employees in same work area or doing similar type of work
who voluntarily meets regularly for about an hour ever
week to identify , analyze and resolve work related
problems. Some important objectives are :

• Improve quality of products or services

• To satisfy the workers psychological needs of participation
• To utilize individual imaginative and innovative skills.

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