3 ways to look at the problem in a new way and find fresh ideas

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

An excerpt from a book on how changing perspectives can help solve problems in business and beyond.

"Reversal" techniques

Such techniques stimulate your brain, forcing it to change the order of considering aspects of a problem and to look at it differently. This reversal tactic is not what people usually use to generate ideas. The typical reaction of a person is to rush into the pool with his head and try to solve the problem with a swoop, using a head-on attack.

The essence of this approach, on the contrary, is that the reverse order of the solution allows us not to be limited to one option, but to consider the problem comprehensively.

50. Lawbreaker

Like human communities, most problems have their own laws. Social laws prescribe and govern social behavior. Likewise, the laws governing problems define the assumptions that people use to understand and formulate them.

Ideas about what we think things should be influences the way we come up with ideas to solve our problems.

Unfortunately, most of these “must haves” limit our thinking and lead to less creative ideas. Moreover, these constraints narrow down the variety of decision categories that we can apply. For example, if we make the assumption that chocolate should only be sold in bars, all new ideas for chocolate products will be based only on the bar version of the product.

To overcome this obstacle to creative thinking, Doug Hall developed the Lawbreaker trick - a way to generate ideas by violating traditional assumptions that dictate how things should be. The sequence of using the technique is quite simple:

1. Make a list of all possible restrictions (rules, regulations) regarding your problem.
2. Break each of these restrictions. Ask yourself why a particular rule was introduced on a particular aspect of the problem.
3. Use these broken provisions to stimulate new ideas.

For example, let's say you want to come up with ideas for making a new chocolate brownie. First, let's write down the traditional restrictions on chocolate bars:

• Rectangular tile shape.
• Solid brown tiles.
• Uniform in sweetness.
• Uniform in taste.
• May contain, in addition to chocolate, nuts or raisins, but nothing more.
• It is wrapped in aluminum foil.
• Melts in the sun.
• Weighs no more than 100 grams.

Now let's generate ideas by breaking any of these “laws” that “rule” the chocolate bars. Here are some possible suggestions:

• The tile is triangular.
• Various shades of brown in the same product.
• Different sweetness in different areas of the product.
• Various filler inside.
• It is wrapped in a "thematic" wrapper (for example, with images of dinosaurs, space travel).
• Possesses high heat resistance.
• It is produced in a wide variety of weights, from 30 grams to 5 kilograms, and under names reflecting the weight (for example, the "Feather" tile, the "Begemot" tile).

51. Shifters

Sometimes there are difficulties with solving problems for the reason that we rush into them headlong and they quickly pull us into themselves. As a result, we find ourselves too close to the problem and do not have the strength to look at it from a different perspective.

This difficulty with the inability to see the forest for the trees can be bypassed if you try to "enter the forest" from the other side.

Change direction and you change perspectives.

Instead of being held captive by your original and unproductive point of view, you can discover new ways and ways of looking at the problem. After that, a stream of new ideas will begin. Shifters have been widely used in problem solving ever since brainstorming tactics were first popularized by Alex Osborne in the 1930s. Creative consultant Edward de Bono also recommended reversing the solution as a viable way to implement his concept of 'cross-thinking'.

The "shifters" have a very great potential for generating ideas for a general plan. The steps are as follows:

1. Define the problem simply and clearly.
2. Change the problem formula to the opposite. This “reverse” should not be a direct reversal of any aspect of the problem. You can change the verb, purpose, or any word in the problem definition. From this point of view, "shape-shifter" is broadly defined as any change in the setting or formulation of a problem.
3. Record each twist as a new (perhaps completely stupid) problem statement.
4. Use each of these phrases as an incentive to create a completely new idea.

Let's say your problem is designing a new soda container. Possible flip-flops and reversals here may include the following:

• Apply a traditional design.
• Design a new soda bottle.
• Design a new beer can.
• Design a new trash can.

Then use these flip-flops to generate new ideas:

• A jar with a classic logo or design on it.
• Jar in the form of a bottle.
• A can of two compartments: sparkling water on one side and beer on the other.
• A can that makes a sound after being emptied until it is dropped into a special waste bin for recycling.

52. U-turn

The Pivot Stimulator Ploy was originally developed by creative consultant Steve Grossman as Assumption Reversal. It is a relative of the Lawbreaker technique, which generates ideas by reversing the assumptions in a problem in all possible directions. The difference between the two methods is that Lawbreaker wraps what is usually taken for granted about the problem (for example, “the chocolate must be brown”), while the Reversal technique unfolds more general assumptions (for example, “people eat chocolate”).

Some of the problem assumptions are extremely basic and fundamental, while others may be more abstract. For example, the basic assumption in the problem of attracting new customers to the bank would be that the bank has the money to invest. A more abstract assumption might be that customers put their money in the bank in order to satisfy their need for security.

Any type of assumption is applicable when using this technique.

When solving the problem of attracting new customers to the bank, you can make a list of the following assumptions:

• Potential clients have money.
• Their need for security needs to be met.
• Many potential clients are confused by banking procedures.
• Banks lend money to make new money.
• People have to queue to receive money.
• When you withdraw your money, you are not receiving the money you originally invested.
• Banks store money in basements.

Now, let's expand those assumptions as shown below:

• Potential clients have no money.
• Placing money in a bank leaves people defenseless.
• Potential clients are all-knowing bankers.
• Banks borrow money to lose it.
• People never have to wait to receive money.
• Banks keep money in the most conspicuous place.

Finally, let's use these phrases to suggest new ideas:

• Focus on the lowest loan rates in the city.
• Advertise security measures that are taken to protect customers' money.
• Develop special promotional materials that demonstrate the professionalism and experience of bank employees and staff.
• Give those clients who bring new clients to the bank, higher loan rates.
• Install a transparent door in the middle of the bank premises through which customers can observe the bank basement where valuables are stored.

Arthur Wangandi was a professor of communication, a world renowned expert in idea generation and popular science writer. He wrote Business Intelligence Challenges specifically for those looking to find new creative ways to solve problems. More than a hundred practical exercises are aimed at stimulating fresh ideas and will help you get out of the stupor and achieve your goals.