Clarify Stage of the FourSight Creative Problem Solving Process Exercise 1: Assess the situation The purpose of this exercise is to identify areas of improvement through the clarification stage of the FourSight creative problem solving process

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Clarify Stage of the FourSight Creative Problem Solving Process

Exercise 1: Assess the situation

The purpose of this exercise is to identify areas of improvement through the clarification stage of the FourSight creative problem solving process.

Instructions:

Divergent thinking

Step 1. Brainstorm responses to the question, What are the greatest challenges facing your generation? Aim to come up with at least 15 items (10 items if you are working individually) and typ all of them in the space below.

 

 

 

Convergent thinking

Step 2. On the list above, note with an asterisk (*) what you believe are the five most important issues facing your generation.

Step 3. List these important issues in table 1.

Table 1. Important Issues Facing Your Generation

Issue 1.

 

Issue 2.

 

Issue 3.

 

Issue 4.

 

Issue 5.

 

 

Step 4. Discuss the impact each of the items listed above has on society with the following rating scale: 1 (low impact) - 10 (high impact). Then, please update Table 1 to include your discussed rating for each item by placing it in parentheses next to the item. For example, lack of clean drinking water in many countries (7).

Step 5. Examine your ratings in Table 1 and identify the top three most impactful items. Please note these items with double asterisks (**).

 

 

 

 

Exercise 2: Explore the vision

The purpose of this exercise is to extend the clarification stage of the creative problem-solving process and imagine how things could be if they were only better.

Instructions:

Step 1. List your agreed upon top three issues in Table 2.

Step 2. Imagine a vision of what each issue might look like if it was fully improved. Consider the prompts, "I wish ...", "What if?", or "It would be great if ..." Please complete Table 2 by listing your issues in the first column and illustrating or describing (in one to two sentences) these visions in the second column. If you use illustrations, simply paste them in the space below. Please see Table 2 for an example.

Table 2. Issues and Visions

Issue

Vision: illustration or description

Example: lack of clean drinking water in many countries

I wish everyone around the world had access to clean drinking water.

OR

 

 

 

Issue 1.

 

Issue 2.

 

Issue 3.

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 3: Formulate the challenge

The purpose of this exercise is to develop challenge questions (and eventually narrow in on a single challenge question) that can bridge your thoughts between clarifying the problem and ideation.

Instructions:

Step 1. In Table 3, list your vision in the first column.

Step 2. Use question starters such as those listed below to rephrase each of your visions into a challenge question. Type these challenge questions in column 2. Please see Table 3 for an example.

·      In what ways might we...?

·      Wouldn't it be nice if ... ?

·      How could we... ?

 

Table 3: Issues and Questions

Vision

Challenge Question

Example:  world-wide access to clean drinking water

In 2019 UNICEF and WHO released a report indicating nearly ¾ of people in Mexico drink bottled water. In what ways might we improve the drinking water in Mexico, so people are less dependent upon bottled water?

 

 

Vision 1.

 

 

Vision 2.

 

 

Vision 3.

 

 

 

Step 4. Select a single challenge question from Table 3 that you wish to develop for the rest of this project and list it in Table 4.

Table 4: Challenge Question

Challenge Question

 

 

 

 

 

Ideation Stage of the Creative Problem Solving Process

Exercise 1: Explore ideas

The purpose of Ideation is to generate possibilities. During ideation, you will diverge (generate many options) and then converge (narrow in on possibilities).

Instructions:

Divergent Thinking

Step 1. Openly share without judgement any thoughts that come to mind that may address your challenge question. These ideas do not need to be a complete solution. As you share your ideas, type them in the space below.

For example, some ideas that address the challenge question In what ways might we improve the drinking water in Mexico, so people are less dependent upon bottled water? are 1) faucet purification, 2) building wells in remote areas, and 3) UNICEF water treatment plants. Aim for at least 15 ideas (10 ideas if you are working individually).

 

 

 

Exercise 2: Idea shop

The purpose of this exercise is to narrow in on possible ideas that may help you form a solution to your challenge question.

 

Instructions:

Convergent Thinking

Step 1. Review your list of ideas on the previous page and BOLD the most interesting and promising for solving your challenge.

 

Step 2. Copy your BOLD ideas in the space below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4. Sort the ideas listed above into clusters/categories that makes sense to you. Not all ideas will have a cluster and that is ok. For example, perhaps I have a few ideas all related to in home water purification (e.g. faucet purification, single cup purification, water jug purification). These would likely go into a cluster that I would add a label to called 'In-home water purification'. I may also have a single idea related to building wells in remote areas. Although this idea does not have a cluster, it is still a very viable option in my list of ideas.

 

 

 

Exercise 3. Initial breakthrough

Step 1. Review your clusters and single ideas. Are there any ideas that you no longer think will serve your solution? If so, please strike them from the list above. Can you envision how your remaining ideas might work together to solve your challenge?

Once you have a vision in mind, writea detailed paragraph of four to five sentences describing your initial solution for solving your challenge question. There should be enough detail in this paragraph that someone unaware of this project could understand your challenge and what you hope to do to solve it.

 

 

Development Stage of Creative Problem Solving Process

Exercise 1: Formulate solutions and evaluate them

The purpose of this exercise is to analyze your initial breakthrough. In order to develop your initial breakthrough statement, you will be using the POINt tool to analyze it. This acronym standards for Pluses, Opportunities, Issues, and New thinking.

Instructions:

Step 1. Review your initial breakthrough from exercise 3 in the Ideate section of this booklet.

 

Step 2. Analyze your initial breakthrough by completing Table 1.

Table 5: POINt evaluation

Pluses

What are the pluses or positive components of your idea? In other words, what do you like most about this idea?

 

1.

 

2.

 

Opportunities

What opportunities might arise from implementing your solution? In other words, what other positive things might happen during or after implementing your solution?

 

1.

 

2.

Issues

What are some issues or concerns that might arise in the process of implementing your solution or after it has been implemented?

 

1.

 

2.

 

New thinking

What new thinking might be needed to overcome the issues listed above? In other words, how might you overcome these issues?

 

1.

 

2.

 

 

 

 

Exercise 2. Develop a narrative of your revised solution

Step 1. In the space below, in two to three sentences describe why you believe your solution is creative. Please keep in mind our standard definition of creativity here. For an idea, process, or product to be considered creative, it must be both original and effective (or useful).

 

 

 

Step 2. Review your initial breakthrough from exercise 3 in the Ideate section of this booklet AND your POINt evaluation from the exercise 1 in the Development section of this booklet.

 

Step 3. Revise your initial breakthrough statement to be a solution statement.

Your solution statement should be a revised version of your initial breakthrough that takes into account things you noted in your POINt evaluation. This paragraph should clearly articulate your most promising ideas and what you are planning on doing to transition your creative idea into a workable solution. Be sure to incorporate enough detail that someone unaware of what we are doing in this project could understand why this challenge and your prospective solution matter. Start this paragraph with 'What I see myself doing is ... or What we see ourselves doing is ...' Please typethis paragraph in the space below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Implementation Stage of Creative Problem Solving

Exercise 3: Planning list

The purpose of this exercise is plan how you would implement your solution.

Instructions:

When creating a product or service, it is important to define the buy-in from others, the things that need doing, and the steps to get those things done.

 

Step 1. Explore acceptance. Please respond to each of the questions below to help you consider different things you might need for a successful implementation. Two to three bullet point responses for each question would be appropriate here.

1. What steps might help put my solution into action?

2. What resources might help (people, materials, money, location, etc.)?

3. What obstacles can I anticipate?

4. How might I test this solution?

5. What lasting contribution will we make?

 Step 2. Formulate a plan: Review your solution statement and responses to the questions above to develop one short-term, one mid-term, and one long-term SMART (link to external site) goals that will help you develop your project plan.  

For example, 'research' is NOT a strong short-term SMART goal. A more appropriate short-term SMART goal might be: "The team will take two weeks to research a variety of topics including the most common reasons why people in Mexico drink bottled water, areas of Mexico with good and bad access to drinking water, and local interest in addressing these problems in Mexico. This will provide the team with data that can help inform their decisions on how to move forward."

Table 6. SMART goals

SMART goals

Short-term

 

Mid-term

 

Long-term