Creative Thinking Techniques

How many times have you found yourself in a situation where there could be no other solution to a particular problem – or you thought to yourself that problem is a dead end situation? How often have you been tripped up thinking that the problem before you is one with no resolution? Where there are neither identifiable conditions nor seemingly other possibilities.

Did you feel like there was no way out of your situation? Like you were standing in front of a gigantic wall with no way to go around it, through it or over it? When facing surmountable problems, you undoubtedly feel like you might as well be pounding your head against that wall. The challenge of having such a problem may seem exceedingly difficult.

But relax! There might be some hope here! When you apply creative thinking techniques to the situation you have a basic formula to follow to work through the fundamentals of the problem to arrive at more practical solution. Yes, there maybe more than one solution to your problem so let’s stop to consider these techniques.

With creative thinking techniques you might be able to look at your problem differently. This might just be the light at the end of the tunnel that leads you to an identifiable solution.

To begin with, in the light of creative thinking techniques, you must maintain an open-mind to the reality that there could be more than one solution to any problem. You must be receptive to the idea that there are solutions to problems you deemed to be unsolvable.

Now, with a positive mindset, we can try to be a more creative in identifying a solution.

1. It maybe possible that the reason you have not come up with a solution for this problem is that you do not fully understand exactly what the problem is. Having a better understanding of the problem and looking at the true meaning of it is a critical part to solving the problem. If you know exactly what is wrong, what the problem is, then you have a higher probability in solving it.
   Now let’s make an effort to come up with a simple statement of what the real problem is. Try and identify participating entities and any additional relationships with other problems that may exist. Take note of the areas you stand to gain or stand to lose with this problem. Now you have identified a statement defining what the problem is.
2. Take note of the constraints and assumptions you may have created around the problem. Sometimes these assumptions can restrict our view of possible solutions. You have to identify the assumptions that are valid, and which ones need to be addressed or require further analysis.
3. Try breaking the problem down into small units. Evaluate it from a general view then working towards a detailed view of the problem. Utilize a top-down approach to solve the problem. Jot down your question, and come up with a single-sentence solution to the problem(s). The solution need to be in the format of a general statement of what will correct the problem. From here you can delve deeper into your solution further.
4. It helps if you have critical thinking involved as you are solving the problem, you must also maintain a creative, analytical mindset at the back of your head. When someone presents an idea related to a possible solution, stop to think how you might make that solution work. Be creative. At the same time, look for any holes in the feasibility of the suggested solution.
5. It is imperative to be on the lookout for more than one solution to a problem that may present itself anywhere along the way. Make sure you keep track of every solution and how it developed during the process. It may become necessary to revisit this process in the future.
6. There’s a saying the goes like this,, “two heads are better than one.” That saying is right on the money. Always be diligent to new ideas. You only benefit from listening to all the ideas presented by each person. This is always the case when the person has experience in solving a problem(s) similar to yours.
   The creative thinking techniques listed above represent a good starting point to finding problem solving solutions. You don’t have to be a hero to solve a problem. If you work on organizing collective thought on the subject, in the end, it will turn out to be a better solution. I encourage you to find out more about creative thinking and problem solving.