CREATIVITY & PROBLEM SOLVING CH: 2 OVERVIEW

cps CPS Formally-informally Work tirelessly Involve guesswork Technical systems… To discuss any of these general efforts… Specifically to our approach Scientific effort Based on substantial foundation of theory and research about creativity and problem solving…

* CPS is a very practical, useful approach, suitable for the everyday situations we all encounter. * Everyone can use CPS, and using it will be helpfull to you in your personal life, at home and in your family, and in your job or career.

CPS as a System for Solving Problems and Managing Change A system is an organized and connected group of things that are associated in such a way that the whole is greater that the sum of its parts.

We call our current approach to CPS a “system” for creative problem solving, because we are interested in all the interconnected elements or ingredients for facing challenges and opportunities that are new, complex, and ill-defined.

Levels of CPS system Foundational level, this CPS system includes the guidelines, language, and needed tools. Operational level, CPS includes three components and six stages that describe the purpose of your problem- solving efforts, as well as specific use of language to guide your thinking.

Levels of CPS system * Metacognitive level, CPS includes a management component that includes stages of Appraising Tasks and Designing Process.

Core purposes of CPS components & stages Generate new ideas for solving problems IDEAS Set image for future direction Figure out your current situation CLARITY Identify and frame problems to address Develop, stregthen, or make decisions about promising solutions ACTION Examine forces influencing your success and develop powerful plans

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO WHEN THEY ‘re WORKING ON A PROBLEM? Don’t forget; each stage involves a generating phase and a focusing phase

Today's CPS framework enables people to work in a natural, flexible way to select and use the tools they need to deal with a task or challenge. If you're familiar with a program such as Microsoft? Office, for example, it can serve as a good example of how we use CPS today.

Office is not a single program, but a suite of several interrelated programs. Although they all talk with each other easily and can exchange data smoothly, each program has a unique purpose and use.

If you want to write a letter, you use Word, but if you want to analyze numbers and create a chart or graph, you might work in Excel. To create a great presentation, you'd probably move into PowerPoint?.

Similarly, we view CPS as a framework organizing several specific stages into general components that you choose and apply flexibly in your work. You might choose and use any or all of those components and stages, depending on your task, the situation, the other people involved, and the results you hope to attain.

You might move freely from one component or stage to another, and back again. You do not necessarily need or use every tool you have available, nor do you necessarily always use those tools in a fixed sequence.

CPS Framework (version)

The CPS Management Component It includes two stages; -Appraising Tasks, -Designing Process This stages help individuals or groups to determine whether it is appropriate to use CPS for a certain task

The CPS Process Components Understanding the Challenge (constructing opportunities, exploring data, framing problems) Generating Ideas (identify the most promising possibilities Preparing for Action (Developing Solutions, Building Acceptance)

Summary Creative Problem Solving; a model to help you solve problems and manage change creatively. It gives you a set of easy-to- use tools to help translate your goals and dreams into reality. CPS is: Proven: CPS has been used for more than 50 years by organizations throughout the world and is supported by research, with hundreds of published studies on its effectiveness and impact. Portable: CPS links your natural creativity and problem-solving approaches. It is an easy-to-learn process that can be readily applied by individuals and groups of many ages, in many organizations, settings, and cultures.

Powerful: CPS can be integrated with many organizational activities, providing new or additional tools for making a real difference. It can stimulate important and lasting changes in your life and work. Practical: CPS can be used for dealing with everyday problems as well as long-term challenges and opportunities. Positive: CPS helps you to unleash your creative talent and to focus your thinking constructively. When applied by groups, CPS promotes teamwork, collaboration, and constructive diversity when dealing with complex opportunities and challenges. Core purposes of CPS components and stages, CPS framework, stages,and phases.