Problem-Solving: Different Strategies for Solving It

Think of the biggest, most frustrating problem you have. You've thought about it endlessly, and can't come up with a workable solution. Now think about a "kitchen cabinet", a term invented by the opponents of President Jackson. The "kitchen cabinet" is a group of people as diverse as you can think of, who can consider your problem from different angles. They may be diverse in their ages, genders, race, ethnicity, professions or trades, where they were raised, or any other way. Ideally they all meet together once or twice, but if not, maybe they can meet online.

The Ideo company in "The Art of Innovation" uses diverse groups when starting a project, putting together a multi-disciplinary team from many fields. Some other companies do this as well. Why can't you do it as well?

Many business leaders participate in "mastermind" groups, carefully selected from non-competitors, who can advise each other over a year or longer. Often only 1 person per industry is allowed in a group.

Another strategy to improve idea generation is to encourage employees to choose the problem they would like to help solve. Increased motivation can lead to better results; people work harder to resolve a problem that is important to them.

A third strategy is to run a silent brainstorming session. This research-based method, done using a specific format, neatly sidesteps many of the problems with the traditional brainstorming technique.

These strategies and more are part of the Executive Communication seminar offered by Business Speech Improvement. It is available on request to individuals and small groups.

Idea generation strategies for your product!

Have you ever sat in a successful brain-storming or other product development meeting, where all the participants were involved and ideas were pouring forth? It's rare, isn't it?

Brainstorming was developed in the 1941's, yet many companies still use the 73 year-old method developed by Alex Osborne. How many other ideas this old does a company today use?

In Business Speech Improvement's seminar on Executive Communication Strategies, we discuss why traditional brainstorming is ineffective, cover the modern day research on a much better method, and then practice it. A group of 4 strangers working on a properly phrased question often generates 40 or more responses to it. Although some are duplicates and some may not be exactly what is needed, there are wonderful answers there as well.

For example, instead of "thinking outside of the box", let's wonder if the box needs to be there in the first place!

Another strategy that Alex Osborne developed is called SCAMPER. The acronym stands for substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, reverse.

For example, imagine that you are improving a blender, a common household small appliance. What type of user are you targeting here? Let's say you are going for the person who exercises at lunch-time and needs a very light blender with a tiny motor he can take to work, to whip up a "power shake" he can quickly drink after his work-out. 

What kind of tiny motor can he substitute for the heavier ones, given the small quantity of material to be blended? Can two functions of the current blender be combined, possibly allowing only 3 speeds? Can part of the blender be adapted

so that it is lighter? Can the top be modified so that it screws on, in case it needs to be carried home with some liquid still in it, if washing is not an option at work? Can the jar be put to another use as a cup for the processed power shake? Could something on the device be eliminated to make it lighter? Instead of making a part bigger, could you reverse it and make it smaller?

This is but one of many "idea generation" strategies covered as a communication skill in the Business Speech Improvement workshop on Executive Communication.  Contact us to schedule the Executive Communication workshop for your group!