When 'Thinking' Hurts Your Brain - Get Creative!

Creative Thinking

How many times have you caught yourself saying that there could be no solution to a problem – and that all thoughts on the problem simply lead to a dead end?

How many times have you felt stumped knowing that the problem laying before you is one you think you should be able to solve ..... but cannot.

No leads. No Ideas. No options. No solutions.

Did it feel like you had exhausted all possible options and yet are still before the mountain – large, unconquerable, and impregnable?

When encountering problems, you may often feel like you're banging your head against the wall and the pressure of having to solve the problem may be overwhelming.

But rejoice! There is hope!

With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different light.

We've all heard the saying: that there is light at the end of the tunnel that leads to possible solutions, but often it is a train (yet another problem') heading in your direction.

Not always, though!

First of all, in the light of creative problem-solving, you must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to the problem. And, you must be open to the fact that there may be many solutions to problems you thought were unsolvable.

Now, with this optimistic mindset, we can try to be a little bit more creative in solving our problems.

# 1: maybe the reason we cannot solve our problems is that we have not really taken a hard look at what the problem is. Here, trying to understanding the problem and having a concrete understanding of its workings is integral to solving the problem.

If you know how it works, what the problem is, then you have a better start point towards solving the problem.

Not trying to make the simple statement of what problem is. Try to identify the participating entities and what their relationships with one another are.

Take note of the things you stand to gain and stand to lose from the current problem. Now you have a simple statement of what the problem is.

# 2: try to take note of all of the constraints and assumptions you have in respect of the problem.

Sometimes it is these assumptions that obstruct our view of possible solutions. You have to identify which assumptions are valid, in which assumptions need to be addressed.

# 3: try to solve the problem by parts. Solve it going from general view towards the more detailed parts of the problem. This is called the top-down approach. Write down the question, and then come up with a one-sentence solution to that from them.

The solution should be a general statement of what will solve the problem. From here you can develop the solution further, and increase its complexity little by little.

# 4: although it helps to have critical thinking aboard as you solve a problem, you must also keep a creative, analytical voice at the back of your head. When someone comes up with a prospective solution, tried to think how you could make that solution work.

Try to be creative. At the same time, look for chinks in the armour of that solution.

# 5: it pays to remember that there may be more than just one solution being developed at one time. Try to keep track of all the solutions and their developments. Remember, there may be more than just one solution to the problem.

# 6: remember that old adage," two heads are better than one." That one is truer than it sounds. Always be open to new ideas. You can only benefit from listening to all the ideas each person has.

This is especially true when the person you're talking to has had experience solving problems similar to yours.

You don't have to be a gung-ho, solo hero to solve the problem. If you can organize collective thought on the subject, it would be much better.

# 7: be patient. As long as you persevere, there is always a chance that a solution will present itself. Remember that no one was able to create an invention the first time around.

Creative thinking exercises (often referred to as: Mind Mapping) can also help you in your quest be a more creative problems solver.

Here is one example.

Take a piece of blank paper and write the problem down and other any word that comes to mind at the center. Now look at those words then write the first two words that come to your mind.

This can go on until you can build a tree of related words. This helps you build analogical skills, and fortify your creative processes.

So, next time you see a problem you think you can not solve, think again. The solution might just be staring you right in the face. All it takes is just a little creative thinking, some planning, and a whole lot of work.

John

Quote for the day:
"If you think you can ....or you think you can't.....then you're probably right!"

John Wylie MCIPR Director of Public Affairs
Translate Scotland Public Relations & Marketing
www.translatescotland.co.uk

How to 'self audit' your attitude.......10 tips I'm sure of!

This week has been a fairly quiet week and I took the opportunity to go back through some old client files I was intending to ditch and found this extract from an intranet conversation I had had with a business colleague some 10 years ago ....... but still hold true to this day.

Her business had taken a bit of a downturn due to an increase in local competition who were pricing her out of a niche she had worked hard over a few years to establish herself in.

We had been working with her to address several issues which the above brought about, as her prime concern was that previous customers were always complaining and being negative (unjustifiably) towards and about her.

My advice was that she could join that 'club' or she could do something about it as it 'is not what happens, what happens ....... happens to us all -the important thing is; what we do about it!'

I believe that there are only about 10 or 12 really negative people in the world, but they move around a lot and sooner or later you will bump into one or two of them.

The easy way to avoid them affecting your attitude is to keep the mindset of a ...... winner.

Here is the rest of the extract and my thoughts on what makes winners .... WIN!

They always...........................

1. Listen to and follow their own intuition. They know how intuitions and insights come to them and are tuned-in internally to make wise decisions.

2. Are aware of who they are--- strengths, weaknesses, personality, values, etc. They know that the most important (and interesting) thing to know about is "self."

3. Reflect on and learn from past experiences, finding out what works and what doesn't, and then adjust their course of action as needed. They think about things before jumping in, and also take the time after-the-fact to actively reflect to fully understand what happened or didn't happen.

4. Can easily entertain and develop innovative ideas, thoughts, and ways of doing things. They long for progressive and forward thinking information, concepts, and people. They often come up with new and radical ideas on a regular basis.

5. Are open to different perspectives and see possibilities where most people don't. They are comfortable with paradoxes and can relate to numerous sides of an issue or opinion.

6. Recognize and respond quickly to opportunities and people. They act and react fast, and take care of what needs to be taken care-of, well ahead of schedule.

7. Don't have to know it all, but they do know where to go to get whatever information, resources, training, education that they need. They are well networked and have people to call on for resource referrals.

8. Think for themselves. They do not blindly believe things so-called "experts" say, in fact, they ask deep questions to discover their own truth.

9. Are committed to being a lifelong learner. They continuously learn new things, and stay current with their skills, attitudes, and beliefs.

10. Do not take themselves or life too seriously. They recognize the importance of finding the fun in the irony and the paradoxical comedy of everyday life.

John

My quote for the day:

"Nothing so conclusively proves a person's ability to lead others as what they do from day to day to lead themselves."
__________________
John Wylie MCIPR
Director of Public Affairs
Translate Scotland
Public Relations & Marketing
www.translatescotland.co.uk