Questions to ask for solving technical problems

1. Top Level - When approaching a problem always consider the purpose of solving it first. Focus your efforts on the largest possible purpose level where you can have the greatest impact. What are we trying to accomplish? - What is the problem? - Why is the problem indeed a problem? - What goals must be served by whatever action or solution is chosen? - Objectives: What are the desired results we want? What would it take for this to be a success? (a clear vivid picture - visualize!) - Lets clearly define the problem and the desired results. - Which goals have the highest priority? - What procedures might attain the stated goals? - What can I predict about the possible consequences of each possible action? - How do the actions compare with each other as potential solutions to the problem? - Which course of action is best? - Lets build a roadmap that gets us from where we are to where we want to go. 2. Back to Basics - What assumptions are we making in this analysis? Are they valid for this application? - Are we taking anything for granted that we should be questioning? - What is the standard wisdom in this field? Is it correct for this particular problem? - What parts of the problem dont we understand, and what can we do to help us better understand? - What are the exact benefits we hope to obtain from this idea? - How can we get a feel for the severity of the problem? 3. Options - What different points-of-view do we have to look at this problem? - Do we have a second or third way to verify our work? - Think about the modes. (Critical, Creative, Objective, Positive, Intuitive) - Does this parallel anything Ive done before? 4. Tools - What has been done in the past to solve similar problems? - What other tools can we use to help us analyze the problem? (simple Matlab, back of the envelope, etc.) - What resources do we have available to help us solve this problem?

Scientific Method:
The steps of the scientific method are to: 1. Ask a Question 2. Do Background Research 3. Construct a Hypothesis 4. Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment 5. Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion 6. Communicate Your Results

Engineering Design Process:

The steps of the engineering design process are to: 1. Define the Problem 2. Do Background Research 3. Specify Requirements 4. Brainstorm Solutions 5. Choose the Best Solution 6. Do Development Work 7. Build a Prototype 8. Test and Redesign

Checklist for New Ideas

Put to Other Uses? New ways to use as is? Other uses if modified? Adapt? What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Does past offer a parallel? What could I copy? Whom could I emulate? Modify? New twist? Change meaning, color, motion, sound, odor, form, shape? Other changes? Magnify? What to add? More time? Greater frequency? Stronger? Higher? Longer? Thicker? Extra value? Plus ingredient? Duplicate? Multiply? Exaggerate? Minify? What to subtract? Smaller? Condensed? Miniature? Lower? Shorter? Lighter? Omit? Streamline? Split up? Understate? Substitute? Who else instead? What else instead? Other ingredient? Other material? Other process? Other power? Other place? Other approach? Other tone of voice? Rearrange? Interchange components? Other pattern? Other layout? Other sequence? Transpose cause and effect? Change pace? Change schedule? Reverse? Transpose positive and negative? How about opposites? Turn it backward? Turn it upside down? Reverse roles? Change shoes? Turn tables? Turn other cheek? Combine? How about a blend, an alloy, an assortment, an ensemble? Combine units? Combine purposes? Combine appeals? Combine ideas?

The Nine Maxims of Creative Thinking

1. Get All the Data - Before You Decide on the Answer Before you can generate a valid solution, a new approach, or a theory, drop all preconceptions and first gather all the data you possibly can. Without these data, you wont have the mental kindling to fuel your thinking process, and preconceptions can prevent you from seeing the important facts or relationships. 2. Classify - And Invent New Classifications Creating our own categories and classifications helps us see connections, and this leads to making generalizations. 3. Generalize, Generalize Generalizations help us generate new insights, ideas and solutions. Their importance isnt whether we are right, but that they set us thinking. 4. Explain We know something only when we understand it. And we understand it only when we can explain it to ourselves in our own terms. Trying to explain a situation or a dilemma hot -wires the thinking process and gets the mind started to rev up. 5. Look for What You Dont Understand Understanding can arise only from not understanding. The key to thinking is what we dont understand -anomalies. Look for things that dont make sense to you, but go even farther. Pretend you dont understand anything and question everything. 6. Apply What Youve Learned Before Often things you already know - from entirely unrelated fields - will help spark insights and inspirations. 7. Reject the Standard Wisdom Most often the solution is staring us in the face, but we reject it because it flies in the face of standard wisdom in the field. Question current explanations - they might be limiting you - because standard wisdom is often wrong. 8. Let Your Thoughts Wander Mind wandering, daydreaming, these moments when our thoughts go off at a tangent often results in fresh insights, even entire solutions. Flitting from thought to thought is still thinking, and often the unconscious is behind it, mentally adding two and two for us and pointing the direction to the answer we are seeking. 9. Give Yourself Permission to Fail The path to success is littered with failure. Expect to fail, embrace it, welcome it. Consider each idea that doesnt work a step that carries you closer to the answer you seek. This gives you the freedom to take a chance since you wont hold back for fear of failing.

Six Modes of Thinking

Six completely different ways of viewing any problem or situation 1. Thinking Objectively Thinking objectively logically scrutinizes all facts, figures, and other objective information available about a situation. 2. Thinking Critically Thinking critically examines a situation carefully, looking for every possible problem, downside, drawback, and negative consequence that could be associated with a situation. 3. Thinking Positively Thinking positively views a situation from a positive viewpoint and searches only for possibilities, solutions, opportunities, pluses, and benefits. 4. Thinking Creatively Thinking creatively projects creative solutions, combinations, and ideas that might better a situation. 5. Thinking Intuitively Thinking intuitively tries to tune in with the deeper reactions to a situation, gut feelings, the language of the heart, emotional nuances, hunches, and any other signals from our unconscious. They are the source of important guidance and insight. 6. Thinking About the Modes Thinking about the modes monitors your own thinking and feeling about a situation and how they might color, distort, or affect your thinking about a situation.

The Trivium
Logic: When evaluating whatever information your are presented with always ask the following questions to free yourself from lies, deceit, and manipulation. What am I observing? Why is it presented to me? Who does itbenefit? What is the most likely outcome? How can I best position myself for this outcome? Always ask questions, dont memorize answers. Focus on the why, not the how.

Creativity
1. Be an explorer: - actively seek out new ideas - venture off the beaten path - believe there are new ideas to be discovered - dont be afraid of the unknown 2. Ask questions: - question everything - dont take anything for granted - dont censor yourself no matter how impractical or outrageous the question or answer sounds - asking the right question is crucial for a creative life 3. Get lots of ideas: - you are not being creative if you only have one solution or option available 4. Break rules - Break habits: - break some rules, shake things up, create a revolution 5. Use you imagination: - our imagination knows no limits, it has no real world constraints - two ways to do this: 1. Imagine how others would do it. What assumptions would they make? What constraints would they ignore? What special twist would they add? What expertise would they add? What innovative or revolutionary changes would they make? 2. Imagine this person conversing with you and advising you. 6. Fill the well: - learn to balance work and leisure effectively - its during quiet leisure times that brilliant new - try doing something fun, unusual, stimulating 7

ideas come forth

Transform words into images to arouse the subconscious - arouse the subconscious with increasingly fuzzy images - images of feeling, life, amorphous images

8. Write lists of important attributes - materials, function, failure modes, milestones, schedules, safety, unknowns - make them visual, dense (promotes creative fusion) 9. Begin with the end in mind - visualize the end clearly; what do you need to get there - map out how to get there; work backwards 10. Become the problem - visualize and kinesthetically become what you are trying to solve - what do you feel when you become the problem? - role play to get different P.O.V. 11. Brainstorm => Rules: - defer judgment (gleefully abandon judgment) - play piggyback & leapfrog with other ideas - go for quantity, as many ideas as possible - wildest possible ideas 12. How/Why Diagram - above the stated problem list all the reasons why it is a problem - below the stated problem, list all the ways to solve the problem

Metaphorm IT:
C.R.E.A.T.E. = Connect, Relate, Explore, Analyze, Transform, and Experience IT. In 4 levels: Connection, Discovery, Invention, Application Connect two or more seemingly different things or ideas. Ask yourself about the connection. Relate those seemingly different things or ideas to things you know or are familiar with, and start to observe commonalities. For instance, do your ideas grow like wild flowers or cultivated plants? Explore these commonalities: draw them, build models, role play, and describe them. Keep asking openended questions. Explore the hypothesis. Think about it. Keep the questions coming. Analyze what youve figured out, first stepping back and taking a look at what youve made. What insight did your exploration produce? Peel away your observations and thoughts as though you were peeling the petals of a rose. Transform the drawing, model, or object you made: discover, invent something new based on your connections, explorations, and analysis. Experience and apply your drawing, model, or invention in as many new contexts as possible. And begin the creative process again.

4 Levels of Metaphorming: The metaphorming process involves applying the acronym CREATE to each of the 4 different levels or steps. Level 1: Connection connect by comparing o A connection is joining 2 or more things. o Connections can be made with: metaphor, analogy, figure of speech, story, fable, symbol, pun, and hypothesis. o You can connect ideas, knowledge, and experiences. o For example, Leonardo Da Vinci saw a likeness between the branches of a tree and the shapes of a canal he was designing for Florence. Canals are like tree branches. Level 2: Discovery explore a comparison in depth and discover something new o A discovery involves investigation and some experimentation, as you dig deeper into a connection. o Leonardo started with a connection: Canals are like tree branches. He then explored it further by drawing the outer and inner structure of branches, and by conducting botanical experiments. o He said: all science is in vain and full of errors that are not born of Experience, mother of all certainty, and that are not tested by Experience. Level 3: Invention invent something and create new meanings based on a connection and discovery o An invention is a product of original creation. A discovery, by contrast, results from seeing something that already existed but wasnt previously seen or understood. Inventions generally grow out of needs or desires, accelerate or improve the process of doing something, creating something, or communicating something in new and more effective ways. o At the core of invention is an original connection. o A connection can lead to an insight; further exploration can lead to a discovery; a discovery can lead to an invention. Level 4: Application use you inventions in new ways and contexts o A universal law is applicable to most any 3-D manifestation. From Leonardos initial connection and insight grew his invention of a unique waterway system for transportation. He further applied his newfound knowledge to ideas for mills powered by wind and water.

o Whether he was designing concepts for mechanical inventions or studying the dynamics of natural forces, Leonardos empirical drawings served as boundless sources of inspiration and connections. He constantly returned to these sources to guide the development of his inventions and applications in numerous fields. And In the End is My Beginning o Because a true Universal Principle is applicable in any scenario, you can start afresh to make additional connections to applications.

Synectics
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. State the problem (client) Restate the problem (group) Pick one (client) Three solutions (anyone) Pick one - give biggest reservation, at least two good points (client) Generate three ways to fix reservations (anyone) Pick one - give one reservation, two good points (client) Generate ...

Keep going until client cant wait to try out solution (45 minutes max). If it doesnt happen, start over. Use excursions if necessary.

Decision Failures
1. Framing 2. Not having clear decision criteria 3. Unclear purpose 4. Not evaluating consequences 5. Data bias 6. Personal bias / emotionally attached to a particular alternative 7. Rules 8. Lack of similar experience 9. Incomplete data 10. Not evaluating alternatives 11. Not feeling comfortable 12. Wrong people making decision 13. Incompetence

Purpose Statement Schematic

1. Problem: (A fact or goal) However, (a conflicting fact or state) 2. Investigation: Consequently, I (was asked to or undertook) 3. Purpose: This report (writers purpose) (readers action) . ; . . ;

A Problem Solving Model

Organizational problem or need or conflict Technical Investigation Technical Report

Problem Solving Action

Presented to Audience

Be Resourceful
Resources:
1. TIME To investigate, conceptualize, design, communicate, get approvals / buy-in, implement 2. MONEY Enough, in the right place, flexible 3. PEOPLE Enough, right ones, flexible

Project Planning Sheet

The first 15% of any project will determine 85% of the results. The first 15% of the planning process is composed of: 1. Clarifying your intent: a. Why are you doing this? What purpose will it serve? Who will it serve? b. Is it coming from your conditioned mind? Is it in alignment to your human design strategy and authority? 2. Mission / vision / successful outcome. a. An outcome is a declaration (worded as a having) that is specific (a particular someone(s), something, in time), measurable, and a result (it either happens or it doesnt). Outcomes are not actions; actions flow from outcomes. Outcomes are pictures in your mind of a future creation. 3. Brainstorming: See the GTD Natural Planning Model and Project Planning Trigger List. After that its organizing, resources, and next actions: List all the resources available to you in completing the project: people, time, money, equipment, information. Create as long a list as possible. You declare a resource into existence by saying so. Process: I. Define the Project (specific, measurable, in time phrased as a Having) a. A conversation for opportunity b. An opening for action II. List Resources needed: people, time, money, equipment III. Milestones (specific, measurable, in time phrased as a Having) a. Work from the future backwards as if the future were now and it was real b. Define milestones: one having makes another having i. What would make the having inevitable? ii. Phrased as specific, measurable, in time result IV. Promised Actions a. Reliable in the world existence structure that calls you to action in fulfilling on your commitments 1. Declare the project into existence as an outcome in the future as if it already happened. A project declaration is specific (a particular someone(s), something, in time), measurable, a result (it either happens or it doesnt), worded as an outcome. Outcomes are not actions; actions flow from outcomes. 2. List all the resources available to you in completing the project: people, time, money, equipment, information. Create as long a list as possible. You declare a resource into existence by saying so. 3. Working from the future, like the project exists in reality, work backwards in time to create milestones such that one having or outcome makes another having or outcome. The having must make the other having inevitable. a. A milestone is a specific, measurable, result. b. Ask, whats going to have you have whats next? (dont look at the what ifs yet) c. At the end of the exercise go forward in time and ask, will milestone 1 make milestone 2 inevitable? till the end of the project. 4. List the metrics that will tell you how well you are doing at achieving your project. Metrics allow you to manage your project over time. What you measure will give you what game youre playing and how you play the game. Metrics are things you can actually measure and have an impact on the outcome of your project. Provide the measurable parameter and a description.

Project Review Questions:

Do you see the project is on track? Is there anything missing up to this point? What would make the plan more powerful? What to do next? Consider the fractal nature of the Pentadic matrix for whats next. Whats working? Whats not working? Whats stopping you? GTD Review and Trigger Lists