Strategies for Generating Ideas and Solving Problems
By Barbara Brown, PhD

Whether you must solve problems to handle your individual workloads or assist others with resolving problems, you must have some strategic method for developing options and identifying solutions. These four strategies will help you do that.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is used to create as many ideas in as short a time as possible. The general guidelines for brainstorming are as follows:

· Determine topic and make it clear to everyone (write on top of newsprint paper)
· Write down every idea on the newsprint so everyone can see
· No paraphrasing—just write down what participants say
· No evaluation of ideas
· If you think an idea is a repeat, write it down anyway
· Do it quickly—5-15 minutes works well

Ishikawa Fishbone Diagram

The Ishikawa Fishbone Diagram Technique sometimes called the Cause-and-Effect diagram method. It is a method that has been widely used in Total Quality Management. The basic idea is that all problem causes can be traced to People/Customers, Policies/Procedures, Equipment/Materials, and Climate/Culture.

Phoenix Checklist

PHOENIX is a checklist of questions developed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to encourage agents to look at a challenge from many different angles. Using PHOENIX is like holding the problem in your hand. You can turn it, look at from underneath, see it from a new view, hold it up to another position, imagine solutions, and really be in control of it. It all depends on the questions you ask.

Phoenix Checklist Questions-The Problem

1. Why is it necessary to solve the problem?
2. What benefits will you receive by solving the problem?
3. What is the unknown?
4. What is it you don’t yet understand?
5. What is the information you have?
6. What isn’t the problem?
7. Is the information sufficient? Or is it insufficient? Or redundant? Or contradictory?
8. Should you draw a diagram of the problem? A figure?
9. Where are the boundaries of the problem?
10. Can you separate the various parts of the problem? Can you write them down? What are the relationships of the parts of the problem?
11. What are the constants (things that can’t be changed) of the problem?
12. Have you seen the problem before?
13. Have you seen this problem in a slightly different form?
14. Do you know a related problem?
15. Can you think of a familiar problem having the same or a similar unknown?
16. Suppose you find a problem related to yours that has already been solved. Can you use it? Can you use its method?

Phoenix Checklist Questions-The Plan

1. Can you solve the whole problem? Part of the problem?
2. What would you like the resolution to be? Can you picture it?
3. How much of the unknown can you determine?
4. Can you derive something useful from the information you have?
5. Have you used all the information?
6. Have you taken into account all essential notions in the problem?
7. Can you separate the steps in the problem-solving process? Can you determine the correctness of each step?
8. What creative thinking techniques can you use to generate ideas? How many different techniques?
9. Can you see the result? How many different kinds of results can you see?
10. How many different ways have you tried to solve the problem?
11. What have others done?
12. Can you intuitively create a solution? Can you check the results?
13. What should be done? How should it be done?
14. Where should it be done?
15. Who should do it?
16. What do you need to do at this time?
17. Who will be responsible for what?
18. Can you use this problem to solve some other problems?
19. What is the unique set of qualities that makes this problem what it is and none other?

Affinity Diagram

This approach uses an analysis method to Identify Categories by generating ideas, problems, or solutions related to the Topic or Challenge.

APPROACH:

1. Write the description of Topic or Challenge on a piece of paper or a flip chart.
2. Use Index Cards or Individual Pieces of Paper to brainstorm ideas and place these on the paper or flip chart.
3. Rearrange the Cards or Paper into similar grouping.
4. Use these groupings to create Categories.

The result is a collage of ideas that are arranged into Categories, which can be further refined. This also allows you to create order and establish a focus for initiating activities.

Feasibility Factors

When deciding among many options, use these factors to narrow selections to the best two or three:

MANAGEMENT RECEPTIVITY: Which recommendation(s) will management be more willing to accept?

TIME REQUIRED: Which recommendation(s) take the least/most amount of time and how will this affect the willingness of everyone to accept it?

COMPLEXITY: How complicated is this recommendation(s) to either learn or implement?

COST TO IMPLEMENT: How expensive is this recommendation(s) and how will the cost affect others’ willingness to accept it?

RESOURCES REQUIRED: Does this recommendation(s) require the use of a lot of materials, other department help, or outside services to implement?

PEOPLE AFFECTED: Will the people affected by the recommendation(s) view it as a positive or negative approach?

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