{"id":81,"date":"2016-03-20T09:41:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-20T09:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/?p=81"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:55:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:55:05","slug":"give-your-problem-solving-a-creative-kick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/?p=81","title":{"rendered":"Give Your Problem-Solving a Creative Kick"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is creativity something we&#8217;re born with, or is it something we can develop?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Guardian&#8217;s David Fox points to some pretty cool research from Scandinavia, Germany, and the US suggesting we may carry &#8220;creativity genes&#8221;\u2014but whether they flourish often depends on how much imagination was encouraged growing up. (Translation: those doodles your parents stuck on the fridge might have been more important than you thought.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Personally, I believe creativity isn&#8217;t just innate; it can be nurtured. Nowhere is this truer than in creative problem-solving\u2014because &#8220;winging it&#8221; isn&#8217;t really a good strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Relying only on what worked in the past may feel safe, but it&#8217;s not really good for progress. Innovation is a risk, but stagnation is far riskier. Just ask Kodak. Despite being the face of photography\u2014the &#8220;Kodak moment&#8221; was practically a cultural tagline\u2014the company missed the digital memo and clicked its way into obsolescence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some tips to add a creative jolt to your problem-solving approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Problem Reversal Method<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This technique starts with a simple idea: everything has an opposite. Sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is to flip it on its head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take morale, for example. Your team&#8217;s spirits are dragging, engagement is low, and the vibe is flat. Instead of asking, <em>&#8220;How do we fix morale?&#8221;<\/em>, ask the opposite: <em>&#8220;What would absolutely tank morale even further?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Skip recognition or rewards, even after a job well done.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Publicly criticize and belittle employees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Micromanage every little task.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Destroy work-life balance with constant, obligatory overtime.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By exaggerating the &#8220;wrong&#8221; answers, you often stumble onto the right ones. Problem reversal is like creative x-ray vision\u2014it shows you hidden angles that can spark surprisingly effective solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Free Association Method<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flexibility and open-mindedness are creativity&#8217;s secret weapons. If you &#8220;police&#8221; your own ideas too quickly\u2014tossing them aside for being silly or illogical\u2014you strangle the creative process before it even starts. The cure? Free association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s how it works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Grab a piece of paper and jot down a nagging problem you want to solve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Write down every idea that comes to mind\u2014yes, even the absurd ones. (Sometimes the wackiest thought is the seed of genius.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don&#8217;t censor yourself. Suspend judgment. The goal is quantity, not quality\u2014at least at first.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chances are, hidden in that messy brainstorm will be a handful of golden solutions. And if you do it with a group? Even better. The energy, the riffing, and the &#8220;yes, and&#8221; moments turn free association into not just problem-solving, but creative fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Ishikawa Fishbone Method<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don&#8217;t jump a whole staircase in one go\u2014problems work the same way.<br>Enter the <strong>Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram<\/strong>: a simple sketch that surfaces <em>root causes<\/em> behind an issue. It looks basic, but it&#8217;s brilliant at revealing stuff you&#8217;ve been missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How to use it (step by step)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Name the problem (the fish head).<\/strong> Write a clear, specific effect on the right (e.g., &#8220;Customer returns up 18%&#8221;).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Draw the backbone and 4\u20136 major &#8220;bones.<\/strong>&#8221; Label them with cause categories that fit your world, like: <em>Planning, Resources, Process\/Methods, People, Tools\/Tech, Materials, Environment, Policy.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brainstorm causes on each bone.<\/strong> Add sub-bones as you ask &#8220;<strong>Why?<\/strong>&#8221; (and then &#8220;why&#8221; again). Keep going until you hit actionable, testable causes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prioritize.<\/strong> Circle the few causes most likely driving the problem; validate with data, then design fixes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Here&#8217;s a quick example using a quality control problem:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>People:<\/strong> New hires not fully trained \u2192 inconsistent assembly step.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Methods:<\/strong> No standardized SOP \u2192 variations between shifts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tools\/Tech:<\/strong> Calibration overdue \u2192 minor misalignment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Materials:<\/strong> Supplier variance week-to-week \u2192 tolerance drift.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environment:<\/strong> Humidity spikes \u2192 adhesive cure issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Fishbone forces you to slow down, sort signal from noise, and fix what <em>actually<\/em> matters\u2014one bone at a time. Less solution whack-a-mole, more root-cause sushi chef. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"791\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fishbone_Diagram.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fishbone_Diagram.jpg 791w, https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fishbone_Diagram-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Fishbone_Diagram-768x524.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 791px) 100vw, 791px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want your team to do more than identify problems? Combine structured tools with coaching, and watch them build the skills to solve challenges, not just map them. <a href=\"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/corporate\/contact\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/corporate\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ask us<\/a> about our group coaching program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Cox, D. (2013, September 19). Are some people born creative? <em>The Guardian<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/blog\/2013\/sep\/19\/born-creative-study-brain-hemingway\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/blog\/2013\/sep\/19\/born-creative-study-brain-hemingway<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Creativity isn&#8217;t a talent you&#8217;re born with. These exercises can boost your problem-solving power.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-performance-productivity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=81"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":749,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81\/revisions\/749"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=81"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=81"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=81"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}