Objective Finding (OF)
Identify the goal, wish, or challenge upon which you want to work.
Bottom line: When finished with this step, your team will have a goal/wish/challenge for which it will seek a solution.
Diverge
Converge
Identify “hotspots,” expressed as a list of “In What Ways Might . . .” (IWWMs) statements. Start from your list of goal/wish ideas.
Draw out ideas that seem intriguing or interesting (regardless of viability) by expressing them as IWWM statements.
Use a storyboard to sort into clusters of related ideas, with each cluster being a “hotspot.”
Recognize the “hotspots” that mean something to your team. Do they have any unusual consequences or implications?
After considering these questions, write your team’s overall goal or wish in the space below. (It will expand to create as much space as you need.)
Osborn-Parnes: Step 2
Fact Finding (FF)
Gather data. What’s the situation or background? What are all the facts, questions, data, feelings that are involved?
Bottom line: When finished with this step, your team will have discovered facts related to the goal/wish/challenge and will have a refined version of the goal/wish/challenge.
Diverge
Discover your information “wants” by answering Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How questions:
What is a brief history of your situation?
Why is it an opportunity or a concern for you?
Who are the key people involved and why?
What is or is not happening?
When does this or should this happen?
Where does or doesn’t this occur?
Why does it or doesn’t it happen?
How does it or doesn't it occur?
What is your ideal outcome?
What criteria does your solution need to meet (e.g. attract new users, increase efficiency, increase compliance, reduces costs, etc.)?
What else is important to know about this situation?
And so on . . .
Next:
List all your information “wants” as a series of questions.
For each question, list possible sources of answers.
Follow up with your sources and list what you find out.
Use the table below to organize this step.
Converge
Refine your goal/wish by mind-mapping to sort and classify the information gathered.
After considering these questions and mind-mapping to sort and classify the information gathered, restate your refined goal/wish in the space below. (It will expand to create as much space as you need.)
Osborn-Parnes: Step 3
Problem Finding (PF)
Clarify the problem. What is the problem that really needs to be focused on? What is the concern that really needs to be addressed?
Bottom line: When finished with this step, your team will have discovered the one most promising/intriguing challenge question that will move you closest toward achieving the team’s overall goal or wish.
Diverge
List alternative definitions of the problem:
What is the real problem?
What is the main objective?
What do you really want to accomplish?
Why do we want to do this?
One principle of creative problem solving is that the definition of a problem will determine the nature of the solutions. In this step it helps to begin each statement with a “H2” (How to?) prompt. That is, turn each piece of data into one or more challenge questions.
For example, if the data from Step 2 says, “There is a lack of funds,” then turn it into a challenge question: “How to increase funding?”
Use these “H2” prompts and the suggested “shorthand” to reframe the data into challenge questions:
How to . . . ? (H2 . . . )
How might we . . . ? (HMW . . . )
In what ways might we . . . ? (IWWMW . . . )
What might be all the . . . ? (WMBAT . . . )
Complete the table below using these prompts. (It will expand to create as much space as you need.)
Converge
Review your list of questions in the table above and select the one most promising/intriguing challenge question that—if answered—would help move you closest toward achieving your overall goal or wish.
Write the one challenge question at the top of the next page (Step 4).
Osborn-Parnes: Step 4
Challenge Question from Step 3: In what more efficient ways may students offset their college debts?
Idea Finding (IF)
Generate ideas. What are all the possible solutions for how to solve the problem?
Bottom line: When finished with this step, your team will have a solution statement for how you will solve your challenge question.
Diverge
The divergent-thinking, brainstorming stage. This is where a variety of idea-generation ("creativity") techniques can be use. Ideas are freely proposed without criticism or evaluation, for each of the problem definitions accepted in the second stage.
Generate as many ideas as you can for solving the challenge. Remember that quantity yields quality. Create at least 15 ideas, and then push for at least 5 more! Tools you can use*:
SCAMPER
Lotus blossom
Organized random search
Picture stimulation
Superheroes (aka Napoleon Technique)
Personal analogies
Assumption reversal
Examine it with the senses
Experience kit
* Refer to the PDF in Blackboard titled “Divergent Thinking Techniques O-P Step 4” for descriptions and step-by-step instructions for each of these techniques.
Converge
Review the list of ideas in the table above. Select the most interesting and promising ideas. You can include more than one idea in your solution, but it is unlikely that more than three or four will be worth pursuing. You may want to use a version of dot voting (http://dotmocracy.org/dot-voting) to help you narrow down the ideas.
If you get stuck you can use the:
Evaluation matrix
SWOT matrix
PMI table
Refer to the templates for these tools in Blackboard in the folder named “Convergent Thinking Templates.”
Using the ideas you selected, write an initial solution statement that incorporates what you will actually do.
Now, write a paragraph (not bullet points) with a vivid, compelling description. Include all the details. You might still need to refine your solution, but at this point, if someone had nothing else to go on but this detailed paragraph of your solution statement, they would have enough understanding that they would completely understand what you want to do.
Write your initial solution statement at the top of the next page!
Osborn-Parnes: Step 5
Initial solution statement from Step 4 (a richly detailed, vivid paragraph—the page will expand to allow all the room you need). What we see ourselves doing is . . . When students start college they will have the opportunity to sign up with different companies. These companies will have a set of requirements the students must have in high school in order to be eligible. Students will have the option to pick one of the companies they’ve been accepted to. A contract will then be made in which the student will intern there over summers as well as work there a minimum of 2 years after college. In turn the company will assist the student up to a predetermined amount. If students switch majors or companies they will be required to pay fees or debt back to the company and will have the opportunity to find a new one they are eligible for. If students break so many contracts they'll have to go through a career guidance course.
Solution Finding (SF)
Bottom line: When finished with this step, your team will have discovered the best solutions to potential problems.
Diverge
Three related steps:
Criteria for evaluation listed
The ideas are evaluated (evaluation matrix* is useful)
One or more of the best ideas are selected
Criteria might include:
Will it work?
Is it legal?
Are the materials and technology available?
Are the costs acceptable?
Will the public accept it?
Will higher-level administrators accept it?
* Refer to the evaluation matrix template in Blackboard in the folder named “Convergent Thinking Templates.”
Use the PMI table below to strengthen your solution. (If you need more rows, click the “tab” key in the last cell.)
Review your minuses or concerns. Decide which minuses are the most important to overcome. Complete the tables below. (If you generate more than 10 ideas, click “tab” while in the last cell to create another row.)
