Creative Problem Solving

Creative Problem Solving....

 Have you ever been creative? Thought of a solution that is different.? If the Answer is yes, you have already been part of the Process called ‘Creative Problem Solving’. If the Answer is no….No issues, this write up will guide you to be a Creative Problem Solver...


“Creative problem solving is - looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.” - Albert Szent- Gyorgi, former Nobel prize winner

Creative Problem Solving is a proven method for approaching a problem or a challenge in an imaginative and innovative way. It’s a tool that helps people re-define the problems they face, come up with breakthrough ideas and then take action on these new ideas.

Sounds Exciting!

Let us get into what constitutes Creative Problem Solving……

Step 1:State what appears to be the problem.

The real problem may not surface until facts have been gathered and analyzed.  Therefore, start with what you assume to be the  problem, that can later be confirmed or corrected.

STEP 2.  Gather facts, feelings and opinions

Answer the 5 W (when, where, why, what, who) and the How questions..

z         What happened?

z         Where, when and how did it occur?

z         What is it’s size, scope, and severity?

z         Who and what is affected?

z         Likely to happen again?

There might be a need to assign priorities to critical elements.

STEP 3: Restate the problem

Restating the problem helps in reassessing the problem.

Actual Problem , might not be what was stated before.

STEP 4 Identify alternative solutions

Think of  the alternative solutions. At this step the ideas are generated, no idea should be ruled out until several have been discussed. There should not be a hesitancy to discuss an idea, as it may seem unfeasible, many times such unfeasible ideas become what we call as creative solutions.

STEP 5: Evaluate alternatives

    Ask these 4 questions:

z         Which will provide the optimum solution?

z         What are the risks?

z         Are costs in keeping with the benefits?

z         Will the solution create new problems?

At this step you are moving very closer to your final solution.

     Discuss all the alternatives, keeping in mind the different parameters. By the end of this step you would have arrived at your Optimum solution.

      STEP 6.  Implement the decision!

     Just arriving at the solution, does not solve the problem! The Solution needs to be implemented…

       Time for asking some more questions…

z         Who must be involved?

z         To what extent?

z         How, when and where?

z         Who will the decision impact?

z         What might go wrong?

z         How will the results be reported and verified?

After finding answers to these questions, you are ready to implement your  ‘Creative Solution’.

STEP 7.   Evaluate the results.

z         Test the solution against the desired results.

z         Make revisions if necessary.

After the solution has been implemented, it needs to be verified if it serves its need.

If it needs any modifications, the same are to be re implemented.

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

  BRAINSTORMING

To generate a large number of ideas in a short period of time. 

• The more ideas the better! 
•   No discussion
• No idea is a bad idea
• Display all ideas
•  Build on one another’s ideas
• 
  

        MULTIVOTING      

                                                                          

         A way to vote to select the most    

important or popular items (alternatives) from a list.

        

       MIND MAPPING

       :  A visual picture of a group of ideas, concepts or issues.

          Purpose:

y        Unblock our thinking.

y         See an entire idea or several ideas on one
  sheet of paper.

y         See how ideas relate to one another.

y         Look at things in a new and different way.

y         Look at an idea in depth.

Now, you are on your way to be a ‘Creative Problem Solver’….Enjoy the journey….

Theory X and Theory Y

Theory X and Theory Y

Douglas  McGregor  was a  management professor at MIT  Sloan School of Management and president of Antioch College  from 1948 to 1954. He also taught in IIM Calcutta.

In his 1960 book, The Human Side of Enterprise, Douglas McGregor proposed two theories  by which to view employee motivation. He avoided descriptive labels and simply called the theories Theory X and Theory Y. Both of these theories begin with the premise that management's role is to assemble the factors of production, including

people, for the economic benefit of the firm. Beyond this point, the two theories of management diverge. 

Theory X

Theory X assumes that the average person:

 Dislikes work and attempts to avoid it.

 Has no ambition, wants no responsibility, and would rather follow than lead.

 Is self-centered and therefore does not care about organizational goals.

 Resists change.

 Is gullible and not particularly intelligent.

Theory X - The Hard Approach and Soft Approach

Under Theory X, management approaches can range from a hard approach to a soft

approach.

The hard approach relies on coercion, implicit threats, close supervision, and tight

controls, essentially an environment of command and control. The soft appoach is to be

permissive and seek harmony with the hope that in return employees will cooperate when

asked to do so. However, neither of these extremes is optimal. The hard approach results

in hostility, purposely low-output, and hard-line union demands. The soft approach

results in ever-increasing requests for more rewards in exchange for ever-decreasing

work output.

The optimal management approach under Theory X probably would be somewhere

between these extremes. However, McGregor asserts that neither approach is appropriate

because the assumptions of Theory X are not correct.

The Problem with Theory X

Under Theory X the firm relies on money and benefits to satisfy employees' lower needs, and once those needs are satisfied the source of motivation is lost. Theory X management styles in fact hinder the satisfaction of higher-level needs.Only way that employees can attempt to satisfy their higher level needs in their work is by seeking more compensation, so it is quite predictable that they will focus on monetary rewards.

 While money may not be the most effective way to self-fulfillment, in a Theory X environment it may be the only way. Under Theory X, people use work to satisfy their lower needs, and seek to satisfy their higher needs in their leisure time. But it is in satisfying their higher needs that employees can be most productive.

McGregor makes the point that a command and control environment is not effective because it relies on lower needs as levers of motivation, but in modern society those needs already are satisfied and thus no longer are motivators. In this situation, one would

expect employees to dislike their work, avoid responsibility, have no interest in

organizational goals, resist change, etc., thus making Theory X a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From this reasoning, McGregor proposed an alternative: Theory Y

Theory Y

The higher-level needs of esteem and self-actualization are continuing needs in that they are never completely satisfied. As such, it is these higher-level needs through which employees can best be motivated.

Theory Y makes the following general assumptions:

 Work can be as natural as play and rest.

 People will be self-directed to meet their work objectives if they are committed to

them.

 People will be committed to their objectives if rewards are in place that address

higher needs such as self-fulfillment.

 Under these conditions, people will seek responsibility.

 Most people can handle responsibility because creativity and ingenuity are

common in the population. 

The higher-level needs of esteem and self-actualization are continuing needs in that they

are never completely satisfied. As such, it is these higher-level needs through which

employees can best be motivated.

Theory Y makes the following general assumptions:

 Work can be as natural as play and rest.

 People will be self-directed to meet their work objectives if they are committed to

them.

 People will be committed to their objectives if rewards are in place that address

higher needs such as self-fulfillment.

 Under these conditions, people will seek responsibility.

 Most people can handle responsibility because creativity and ingenuity are

common in the population. 

Theory Y Management Implications

If Theory Y holds, the firm can do many things to harness the motivational energy of its

employees:

 Decentralization and Delegation - If firms decentralize control and reduce the

number of levels of management, each manager will have more subordinates and

consequently will be forced to delegate some responsibility and decision making

to them.

 Job Enlargement - Broadening the scope of an employee's job adds variety and

opportunities to satisfy ego needs.

 Participative Management - Consulting employees in the decision making process

taps their creative capacity and provides them with some control over their work

environment.

 Performance Appraisals - Having the employee set objectives and participate in

the process of evaluating how well they were met.

If properly implemented, such an environment would result in a high level of motivation

as employees work to satisfy their higher level personal needs through their jobs.

CONCLUSION

   

Though these theories are very basic in nature, they provide a platform for future generations of management theorists and practitioners to understand the changing dynamics of human behavior. Taken too literally, Theories X and Y seem to represent unrealistic extremes. Most employees (including managers) fall somewhere in between these poles. Recent studies have questioned the rigidity of the model, yet McGregor's X-Y Theories remain guiding principles to the management to evolve processes which help in organizational development. A mix of practices which ensure a healthy blend of systems and the freedom to perform at the work place is likely to motivate the employees more. This mix of practices calls for induction of technology into HR. How we can practice Talent Management in all types of organizations will indicate how well we have understood & deployed these theories X and Y in our real time environment

So you got to make a choice! is it Theory X or is it Theory Y.