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5 Creative Ways to Faster More Effective Problem Solving

August 8, 2011 by Liz Leave a Comment

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Whether we realize it consciously or simply move through process without thinking, the act of getting new ideas is an act of problem solving. We don’t have something we to do something we want to get done. The idea is the solution. But like finding lost keys or finding a job, the solution is always in the last place we look … mostly because we stop looking once we’ve found our solution.

On the first day back from vacation, getting into the rhythm of solution thinking might take a little more creativity than most days. Yet, in a short work week, we need to get a faster flow and wider choice of ideas in less time than usually. One way bring the vacation experience into the workplace and have it help us is trying what we learned to do as kids (often to explain our failures) — make up fantastic stories — with a little practice we can use that same ability to push us to faster success in problem solving. Here are a few techniques that will help you do that!

  1. Look for the questions presented not the answers. When we’re looking for ideas, we focus too narrowly over answers. Turn into a 3-year-old and ask relentless questions. What are you doing? What’s a blog post? What if you wrote it as another person? Suppose an alien kidnapped you just when you started writing? Use the questions to move your brain into the ridicucous and when you’re sure you’re there. Then work on the problem.
  2. Get obsessed and curious about one detail. The one weird detail of leaf on tree that is an entirely different color raises curiosity that leads to questions. Make up several stories that answer the curious question. The solution to your problem may occur to you as you explore the stories that you’re spinning.
  3. Take a vacation in your mind. Get some perspective by being reflective. Take your question with you as you imagine yourself in your most favorite habitat — on the beach, skiing, in a beautiful forest, In 5-star restaurant with a fabulous view — maybe even the edge of the Grand Canyon or under a starry night. Give yourself a mental that allows your ideas to expand and grow.
  4. Use music to go back in time. Put on it on softly and remember who you used to be. Ask yourself what would that you be thinking was important about current events and situations? Have a conversation with the person you once were about the problem that you’re now facing. Think about the most interesting characters — artists, writers, musicians, dancers, engineers, coders, designers, contractors, mathematicians, boring teachers, and bartenders — who you’ve shared your life with. How would they approach the puzzle you’re facing?
  5. Turn your situation into a disaster movie. Take the problem to world-ending proportions. Invent an action hero to save the world by delivering the solution you need at the very last second.

The process of linking your ideas into an ordered sequence of curious questions or an amazing plot line breaks down the false barriers that prevent us from seeing other ways to approach the answers we’re needing.

Which of the five ideas seems most up your alley?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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Filed Under: Idea Bank, Inside-Out Thinking, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, creative-thinking, ideas, LinkedIn, solutions

Don’t miss a great hire – be careful what you ask for

August 19, 2010 by patty 8 Comments

by Patty Azzarello

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barometer

Creative Thinking vs. Job Skills

This a story I first read about 15 years ago in an airline magazine. If you google “baramoter story” you’ll find mixed opinions on the source of it, but it a great story worth sharing.

Solve this problem…

This was a science class and there was a homework problem which was the following:

If you needed to find out the height of a tall building using only a barometer, how would you do it?

The “correct” answer involved measuring the air pressure at the top of the building and on the ground, and using the difference in air pressure to calculate the height of the building.  Kids that used that approach and got the math right were marked correct and given full credit.

But there were two other answers that stood out to me, that the teacher marked wrong, with no credit.

I would have marked these correct and given these two students a job!

The first “wrong” answer:

One student said he would take the barometer to the top of the building, drop it off, count how many seconds it takes to hit the ground, and calculate the height based on the time of the fall.

This is probably at least as accurate an answer as using the air pressure based approach.

The second “wrong” answer – even better!

This student said, I would find the general manager of the building and say to him. “If you tell me how tall this building is, I will give you this barometer.”  – Fantastic!

Not only did this solution meet the requirements of solving the problem, it was likely to give a far more accurate answer than the correct answer based on air pressure!

What a shame these two students were marked wrong. These are precisely the kind of creative thinking skills that help people solve important problems when the by-the-book way does not work.

Be careful what you ask for

I have made many hiring mistakes by looking for job skills — by keeping my interview only to the spec of what needed to be done by the person in the next 6-12 months.

People would come in with very impressive experience and just the right skills to do the job that needed to be done right now.  These hires are so tempting because you can see how they will immediately take some pain away.

But, what about when the job changes?

But more often than not, when the world changes around them, they get stuck.  They don’t adapt easily.  They need to find another job that matches their skills vs. being able to step up to do the new job that needs to be done.

Hire Fast Learners

The most valuable hires are the ones that can do the job today, but also can learn and adapt. You are far more likely to hire a star if you ask questions that get at how the person thinks, and hire creative thinkers that are fast learners.

In your interview process you need to try and assess how much potential the person has to learn, and judge how fast they will grow.  People with the most room for growth and the most acceleration (smarts and ambition) are your best hires.

This approach is valuable from hiring summer interns, to top executives.  I have used it at every level, once I learned that sticking to the job spec doesn’t work very well.

Some approaches…

1. Puzzles: Actually give someone a puzzle to solve.  Some people will get annoyed and refuse to engage,  some will give up very quickly, and others will visibly start thinking and working it out.  They will tell you how they are thinking about approaching the problem.  They will ask you more questions about it. Hire the person who is doing something with the problem.

2. Stories: Ask for stories about how the world was different when they first got into a job compared to how it is now.  What did they think needed to be done?  What new ideas did they come up with?  What changes did they drive?  If they just did the job as-is for a few years, and did not grow the responsibility or usefulness of their role, they are not a top hire.

3. Actual Problems: Tell them a situation that you are facing that needs a solution.  Ask them to talk through how they would approach it.  The ones that say, I don’t know yet, I’d need to get into the job first, are not your top people.  The ones that ask a bunch more questions and say, of course I’d need to listen and learn more, but from what I know right now this is what I think… and start offering insights, have stronger creative thinking skills.

What clever interview techniques have you used to get the best hires?

Please share the great questions, puzzles, problems or other approaches you’ve used to learn more about your candidates’ creative thinking skills. I’d love to hear your ideas in the comment box.

—–
Patty Azzarello works with executives where leadership and business challenges meet. She has held leadership roles in General Management, Marketing, Software Product Development and Sales, and has been successful in running large and small businesses. She writes at The Azzarello Group Blog. You’ll find her on Twitter as @PattyAzzarello

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Filed Under: management, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, creative-thinking, LinkedIn, Patty Azzarello

SOB Business Cafe 08-11-2006

August 11, 2006 by Liz Leave a Comment

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Bloggers Blog gives the complete rundown on who said what about the terrible possibilities that could have occurred in the air yesterday.

Bloggers Cover Liquid Explosives Terror Threat

Jamdo offers a unique look at names and search engine traffic.

Names and Search Engine Traffic

The Blogging Times introduces us to the Blogmobile, which somehow blogged its way here from the 60s.

Blogmobile Makes Star-studded Debut in NY

Clear Your Mind wants us to do just that.

Think Different

The Blog Herald gives us a CLUE about the election last Tuesday.

 It Was the Bloggers in the Parlor with the Knife

Related ala carte selections include

The Business of America is Business hosts an International Carnival of spectacular proportions, showing that capitalists still believe that bigger is best. 🙂

Carnival of Capitalists

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: Business Life, Community, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Outside the Box, SEO, SOB Business, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, blog-promotion, Bloggers-Blog, Blogmobile, Carnival-of-Capitalists, Clear-Your-Mind, creative-thinking, Jamdo, SEO, terror-threat, The-Blog-Herald, The-Blogging-Times, The-Business-of-America-Is-Business

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