Every day we encounter problematic situations which cause some degree of uncertainty or difficulty in achieving the outcome we want.  Resolving these situations is commonly called problem solving.  It involves skills which play a fundamental role in our work, social and private lives.

‘Problem finding’ suggests that problems, issues, challenges and the like, are purely external entities, sitting there waiting to be ‘found’. 

But to a large extent, problems and challenges are our own creations.  For instance, a heap of rubbish only becomes a problem if there are people who are offended by it, or have to deal with it.  If nobody minds it being there, it is not a problem, it is just a pile of rubbish.  It might even (like a well-nurtured compost heap) be an asset!

So, if you and/or your team are dealing with change and innovation you will most certainly have to tackle many large and small problems.  Sometimes you will do it yourself,  sometimes you will get others to do it, and your role will be to create the conditions for them to do so.  Either way, you will do it better if you have a good feel for what ‘problem solving’ involves.

We have an inborn ability to solve problems, which develops rapidly as we grow and learn from experience.  We become more adept at analysing situations, identifying alternative courses of action and weighing their consequences.  As we learn, however, our natural ability is moulded by convention.  We learn to perceive things in certain ways and to trust accepted solutions.  Our thinking tends to follow well-worn paths and we shy away from the unconventional, often as a result of outside influences. 

People who are good at solving problems adapt more quickly in times of rapid change, they make better use of their knowledge and skills and are generally the high achievers.  Problem-solving ability is therefore a major factor in determining personal success.

Just because an issue has surfaced, this does not necessarily mean that somebody must do something about it.  There are many situations which are best left to ‘resolve themselves’.  Indeed, attempts to solve problems can often cause more damage than the problems themselves – a situation well recognised by the medical profession who talk of iatrogenic illnesses – those that are unintentionally created by medical treatment itself.

Often the main activity is not ‘solving’ but exploring, defining, resolving, bypassing, reframing, managing etc.,

But let us assume that it is a problem that does need a solution…

The difficulty often arises from our mind-set and in the inflexibility created by deadlines, tiredness and frustration.

Often it is not a single, discrete problem, but a densely interconnected part of a huge web of issues and concerns that change and develop over time and may transform radically in appearance depending on your viewpoint.  It is a bit like asking someone to count the clouds in the sky on a cloudy day.  Real-life problems do not usually come neatly packaged and ready for you to work on them – and when they do, the packaging itself is often a major part of the problem.

Why Azurite's 'Creative Problem Solving' Workshops?

Creative problem solving draws on the imagination to create ideas.  It involves looking beyond the obvious, bringing together disparate ideas and making connections to spark new ways of looking at things. 

The major difficulty in generating new ideas to help solve problems is escaping the habitual ways we associate information.  This ‘logic of experience’ hinders us in combining information in unusual ways.  We find it hard to see common situations in a new light.  The linking of disparate pieces of information and ideas that appear irrelevant may be consciously excluded or not triggered from memory because of their weak association with the situation.  The result is that we fail to explore all possible routes to a solution.  The techniques explored in our workshop, help to overcome these restrictions.

Azurite's Creative Problem Solving workshops are bursting with exercises that will help you to make the most of your creativity and that of others.  Full of simple proven techniques, it acts as an instant catalyst to free up your natural creativity and find fresh ideas and solutions.