Creative Problem Solving Betty Tsakarestou, Ass. Professor [email protected] Panteion University.

Creative Problem Creative Problem

SolvingSolving

Betty Tsakarestou, Ass. ProfessorBetty Tsakarestou, Ass. [email protected]

Panteion UniversityPanteion University

mailto:[email protected]

Betty Tsakarestou, Ass. Prof.

Panteion University

Definition - What is it?

Finding innovative solutions and turning problems into opportunities. (Vadim Kotelnikov)

The mental process of creating a solution to a problem. It is a special form of problem solving in which the solution is independently created rather than learned with assistance. Creative problem solving requires more than just knowledge and thinking.

A model for solving problems through a step-by-step process which includes fact finding, problem finding, idea finding, solution finding and implementation. Brainstorming and other strategies for the production of creative ideas are an integral part of the process.


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Creative & Innovative Problem Solving

Creative and innovative problem solving is a process into formulating an innovative solution and has 5 sub-stages:

1. Framing

2. Diagnosis

3. Generating Solutions

4. Making Choices

5. Taking Action


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The Creative Process Model


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Co-Creation Approach to Creative Problem


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Co-Creation Approach to Creative Problem

Co-creation is a very broad term with a broad range of applications. We define co-creation as any act of collective creativity that is experienced jointly by two or more people.

Co-creation puts tools for communication and creativity in the hands of the people who will benefit directly from the results.

“Since co-creation and open innovation are fairly new concepts managers are dealing with, companies are still at the very beginning of a learning curve. Thus, initiatives are often experiments and trial and error process which is even truer for open initiatives than traditional approaches. This learning curve bears a lot of potential for companies to outstrip their competitors and build up knowledge in the field of co-creation. Even companies with more sophisticated programmatic approaches are still in for enormous potential for improvement”.

Group Exercise - A


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A. Group Co-Creation Activity

TITLE: A CEO files for bankruptcy and as a democratic leader asks her/his employees and key stakeholders to co-create a win-win solution for all

OBJECTIVE:Team process of experimenting with the challenges of collaborative and responsible leadership and negotiating and co-creating a win-win solution for involved stakeholders. Participants will familiarize themselves with creative –problem solving using co-creation approach.

ESTIMATED TIME: 1 hour(20 minutes team debate, 20 minutes presentations preparation, 20 minutes debriefing/ reflection)

MATERIALS: A flipchart, post it in various sizes and colors, pens, marker pens of different colors, laptops, recording of the session (digital cameras or smartphones/ mobile shooting)


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DESCRIPTION:

As a CEO of your company, you are about to file for bankruptcy. Your employees are about to lose their jobs, incomes and risk to be long-term unemployed given the recession times we are living.You are well-reputated as a democratic and responsible leader that respects human and labour rights as well you are socially active promoting the CSR movement and the “Responsible Leaders Initiative. Under these harsh and challenging circumstances you decide to ask your employees as well as you main stakeholders (suppliers, customers, community representatives, other collaborators )to work together in co-creating a fair and win-win solution for all, the company, the employees who should be laid-off

Form groups of 6-10 members, each one taking the role of a specific stakeholder, including the role of the CEO, employees from different departments and different family and economic/ hierarchical status within the company.

In your co-creation groups, you discuss and prepare an oral and a written presentation in the form of slides (bullet points, images, infographics, drawings) of your –co-creating suggested solutions and provide some justification for each solution proposed

The debriefing discussion will focus on the challenges of collaborative and responsible leadership during a crisis.


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Notes for trainers

Ask participants to form groups of 6-10 members, each one taking the role of a specific stakeholder, including the role of the CEO, employees from different departments, hierarchies, diverse, ethnicity, family and economic backgrounds. If groups find difficulties to assign the specific roles you facilitate the process Present orally the scenario as well distribute a copy to each group, also distribute materials Time management is important. State clearly that 20 minutes will be allocated for initial discussion among stakeholder groups, 20 minutes for preparing their presentations and 20 minutes for presentations, debriefing and reflection. Presentations would be advised to be creative and innovative, make use slideshare.net (www.slideshare.net/) aesthetics (images, infographics, test, bullets, insert their own drawings or videos). Presentations focus on their co-creating suggested solutions and provide some justification for each proposal.

Debriefing questions:

What were your main leadership challenges as you were trying to find a win-win solution? What were you main dilemmas and conflicts/ opposing view and arguments? Is collaborative, democratic leadership an effective approach to challenging and adversarial situations like this? How do you assess the co-creation method as a creative problem-solving approach according to your experience during the activity? Provide some justification.

Group Exercise - B


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B. Experiential Group Activity – New World Scenario

TITLE: New World Scenario:A Mayor of a metropolitan city and a few hundreds of survivors build an initial leadership structure in order to rebuild their future.

OBJECTIVE:This is a flexible and fascinating scenario-based activity for groups up to 12 people. The main objective is for the participants to experience a model of collaborative leadership and co-creating a visionary and sustainable solution for a new world order. Negotiating power and responsibility roles, articulating and sharing a common vision, values as well as a leadership structure that will reflect the values and the processes the group will adopt as a survival strategy will be the focus.

ESTIMATED TIME: 1 hour

MATERIALS: internet access, laptops, projector, flipchart, A4 Sheets


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DESCRIPTION:

Ask the delegates to discuss in a group and answer the following question:

Scenario: Imagine the world suffered a catastrophic event like a meteor strike, plague or nuclear war, which destroyed most human life and all of the developments of the past century. A mayor of a metropolitan city and a mixed group (age, gender, ethnicity, religion) of a few hundred lucky people has survived. Agree your location because location will influence some aspects of the approach to the question

Question: If this group is to thrive and develop, what initial leadership structure would you suggest, stating 6-12 key roles? Delegates should justify their suggestions.



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Notes for trainers

Ask participants to form groups up to 12 people (10-12 optimum group size) Present orally and hand out a copy of the scenario, provide materials Ask team members/ delegates to justify their suggestions regarding their individual role in the leadership structure they propose. The number of roles can be the same as the number of delegates/ team members. Roles can be allocated via volunteering or at the trainers’ discretion Agree timing and presentation in whatever ways are useful to the delegates. It is advised to organize their presentations on prezi, use infographics, images and digital photos of their drawings, notes

Debriefing questions:

What basic roles would you introduce for the group of survivors? As the leadership team, what would be your ten immediate main aims? What 3-5 main difficulties would you expect in leading the group and how would you try to handle these challenges? What lessons from the modern world would you find most valuable into rebuilding the new world? What would be your five main medium/ long term aims?


Group Exercise - C


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C. Group Reflection & Co-Design of a Creative Solution Activity with Mobile Social Media

TITLE:Co-Creation and Sharing Experiences in Mobile Communities in order to relieve pain, showing respect and empathy and build trust on a common better future

OBJECTIVE: Read the paper and get prepared to co-design a creative solution activity that highlight your global leadership role in the Global Events Market. Co-Creative and collaborative processes as well a reflective approach are on the focus of this activity.

ESTIMATED TIME: 1 hour

MATERIALS: Download the paper and distribute it to individual participants. Flipchart, A4 papers, internet access, laptops

DESCRIPTION:Download the paper: “ Co-Creating and Sharing Experiences in Mobile Communities” by Mario Maenpaa, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture (http://www.academia.edu/1789704/Co-creation_and_sharing_experiences_in_mobile_communities)


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Read the paper and consider the following scenario:

You and your team you are a leading global reach Festival Event Organizers (e.g Carnival of Venice, Edinburgh Festivals, Rockslide music festival, Pori jazz festival and so on). You are considering, inspired by the article, as event leaders in one leading global festival to make your mark as a leading organization that connects and addresses creatively global problems and challenges.

Organize a meeting with your group and to design a Mobile Social Media Short Film Documentary, inviting people to submit and share their stories and experiences on a global issue/ challenge.

You have to decide first which festival organization you represent and then align your design and decisions accordingly on the theme you will select, the invitation/announcement of the scope of the project and how you will use the crowd-sourced mobile social media films in order to provide a. some creative/ artistic /innovative solution to it b. to connect and refresh you leadership role as top cultural/ event global organizers. Provide a prize for the project.

Allocate 30 minutes into reading the article, 20 minutes to discuss the project and your leadership strategy, 10-15 minutes for presentations and debriefing/ reflection.



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Notes for trainers Organize participants in groups of three to five members Distribute a copy of the paper for each participant as well a copy with the scenario description. Give a short oral presentation of the tasks and rules Internet Access is mandatory. Participants should be able to do some web research in order to present informed presentations Time limits should be respected Be yourself also prepared having read the paper

Debriefing questions: How did you choose which leading global festival you represent? Justify its leadership role What do you think about this leadership approach, quite common for global organizations of any kind, to choose to connect their doing with providing some kind of solution or showing concern to have an impact on the major global problems/ issues? Which global problem did you choose to address and to get engaged/connected with it as part of your leadership reputation and communication strategy? What is the connection you may offer? What kind of impact do you expect to have? How do you want to be perceived as a leading global festival organizer? Articulate your position in 140 characters (just like a tweet) How community mobile social media production of short films of personal stories and narratives regarding the theme (global problem) to address could help you reflect and re-adjust your role as event leaders and make a more meaningful and trustworthy connection with global concerned citizens and publics.


Thank You

Creative Problem Solving Betty Tsakarestou, Ass. Professor [email protected] Panteion University.

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