Page 32 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

\\ (11()%1' hl) \' to start solving problems

el\ more creatively taking advantage of Op-

it nimhe ,,, both on the job and elsewhere. The chapter be-

by describing the traditional problem-solving process

p rad iced by business people for many years. It then dis-

cusses how problem solving can be made more creative. It

thus sets the stage for examining the aspects of problem solv-

ing in which creativity may be used to its fullest extent.

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

Not too many years ago, problem solving was defined largely
as a rational effort.' As scientists and management research-
ers tried to improve the problem-solving process, they fo-
cused on analysis and quantitative factors. But in recent years
we have come to realize that a strictly rational approach
misses the whole point of problem solving. Creativity is vi-
tal to successful problem solving. The problem-solving pro-

Figure 2.1 The Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) Process

Environmental Problem Problem
Analysis Recognition Identification

Making
Assumptions

Generating
Alternatives

Evaluation
and Choice

Control Implementation

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