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Creative Problem Solving Toolkit

This document provides an overview of a creative problem solving toolkit and process. It outlines a three stage process for creative problem solving: clarifying the challenge, generating and selecting ideas, and planning for implementation. The document discusses each stage in detail and provides tips and tools to work through each part of the process.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

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Creative Problem Solving Toolkit

Uploaded by

Tham Wai Man

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Creative Problem Solving Toolkit

“You can’t use up creativity. The

more you use, the more you have.”
Maya Angelou

Bluegreen Learning Ltd

T (+44) 7811 944782 | E [email protected]
www.bluegreenlearning.com
Contents
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……...3

2. Process – Creative Problem Solving: toolkit and techniques……………………………………………………………….4

3. The Creative Problem Solving Process: Stage 1 Clarifying the challenge………………………………………………..7

Clarifying the challenge: tips from practice and research………………………………………............................. 8
Stage 1: Problem exploration and definition tools………………………………………………............................. 9

4. The Creative Problem Solving Process: Stage 2 Idea generating and idea selecting…………….…………………...16
Idea generating: tips from practice and research…………………………………………………………………….17
Stage 2: Idea generation tools…………………………………………………………………………………………19
Idea selecting: tips from practice and research………………………………………………….............................32
Stage 2: Idea selection tools………………………………………………………………………............................33

5. The Creative Problem Solving Process: Stage 3 Planning for successful implementation…………………………….39
Planning for implementation: tips from practice and research……………………………………...………………40
Stage 3: Planning for implementation tools…………………………………………………………………………..41

6. Facilitating Creative Problem Solving: about your development………………………………………………………….56

A common definition of creativity is:

the generation and development of novel and useful ideas

Innovation can be thought of as value produced from creative ideas. In other words, there can be creativity
without innovation, but there can be no innovation without creativity.

This toolkit has been designed to help your ongoing creative problem solving. It assumes that you are working
on challenges where the problem is ‘messy’: there are multiple interpretations of what the problem is, as well
as no obvious ‘right’ solution, and plenty of requests for ‘new ideas’. In short, you’ll want the group you are
working with to be creative in its thinking. And a group is needed because the challenge is too complex for
one person.

In the 1950s, Alex Osborn and Sidney Parnes conducted extensive research on the steps that are involved
when people solve problems. In 1954, Osborn set up the Creative Education Foundation. It is one of the
oldest institutions involved in the formal education, advocacy and advancement of creative thinking:

https://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/

They describe their mission as:

The Creative Education Foundation is the Centre for Applied Imagination – helping individuals,
organizations and communities transform themselves as they confront real-world challenges.

In this toolkit, creative thinking tools are located at the stage where they can add most value. They are
adapted in the light of our own, and others’, experiences to recommend how to use them effectively. Where
possible they are sourced to their original author.

The toolkit has built on the work of others: Creative Problem Solving Group, Buffalo; One Step Beyond
Consulting; the Open University B822 module on Creativity, Innovation and Change; and Bluegreen Learning.
It has been pulled together by Dr Rob Sheffield from Bluegreen Learning, and adapted for the West of
England Academy.

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 3
Process - Creative Problem Solving: toolkit and techniques

A framework for the creative problem solving process

Navigate your journey - using your judgement

It is not necessary to work through each stage of this three-stage process every time you need creative
thinking. The judgement and skill for you to develop is in diagnosing which stage is immediately relevant.

Consider these possibilities:

 Sometimes, you will not have a clear problem from which you can generate ideas. In this case, start at
stage 1: exploring the challenge.
 On occasions, the problem will be very clear and what is needed is many, varied and unusual ideas, both
generated and narrowed down. This is stage 2 of the framework: idea generation and selection.
 At other times, the solution may have already been developed, but the issue is in ‘selling’ it to other
influential stakeholders, or in planning a pilot to test the solution. This is ripe for stage 3 of the framework:
planning for successful implementation.

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 4
The innovation bind
A common definition of creativity is: the generation and development of novel and useful ideas

Innovation can be thought of as value produced from creative ideas. In other words, there can be creativity
without innovation, but there can be no innovation without creativity.

Creativity necessarily involves uncertainty because when novelty is needed, the outcome is unclear. The
following factors can all reduce our awareness and thinking:
 Feeling anxious about uncertain outcomes
 Being overloaded with work, leaving no time for good quality thinking
 Feeling pressured with time, workload, other stressors

The innovation bind is that the very circumstances that require us to generate novel and useful insights may
also lead us to feel anxious and revert to safe, habit-formed solutions. We do this when we feel under threat.

In the diamond-shaped diagram below, we’re into the second stage of the creative problem solving process -
idea generation and selecting. If our strategy really requires novel ideas, then we need to more consciously
build in approaches that will foster this, and build these novel insights into possible solutions to strengthen
later.

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 5
A fundamental rule: separating divergent and convergent thinking
Note that the stages of the creative problem-solving framework are diamond-shaped. This means they each
have an element of generating as well as focusing.

A clear rule for creative problem solving is to separate out these two parts in your planning. When you are
generating ideas, be careful not to evaluate or sort the options at the same time you are generating – this will
simply slow you down and likely be frustrating.

4 rules for generating options*:

1 Defer judgement: As mentioned above, at this stage avoid judging your ideas – that comes in the
focusing stage.
2 Strive for quantity: The more you generate, the more likely that some ideas will be novel and
promising for you.
3 Freewheel: Be playful and don’t be concerned about ideas sounding wild or strange. Unique
connections may be the start of something.
4 Seek combinations: Build on each other’s ideas, modify them, ‘piggy-back’ on each other’s ideas.

4 rules for focusing options:

1 Use affirmative judgement: Look for the strength of an option before the limitations. The focusing
stage should develop ideas to make them stronger.
2 Be deliberate: Use tools to focus. Being systematic can help you make decisions that get wider buy-in
and avoid ‘hidden agendas’.
3 Consider novelty: At this stage, people sometimes ‘weed-out’ novelty, going for less threatening
options. Ensure that novel ideas are nurtured and enhanced through this stage. If you remove all the
novel ideas, people will think their time has been wasted in generating them!
4 Stay on course: Select your promising ideas with a view to where you are navigating: your end goal or
vision for improved products, services, processes…

* Source: Isaksen, S. , Dorval, B. and Treffinger, D. (2011). Creative Approaches to Problem Solving: A framework for
Innovation and Change. 2011.

Tools vs techniques
Let’s distinguish between ‘tools’ and ‘techniques’.

Tools are the step-by-step instructions contained in this booklet, aimed at helping you navigate through
specific stages of the Creative Problem Solving process.

Techniques are the tips, skills and approaches you use that help the tools ‘come to life’. Facilitators use
different techniques on the same tools, and this affects outcomes. A key skill is in working out in which part of
the above diagram your group needs to start.

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 6
The Creative Problem Solving Process - Stage 1
Clarifying the challenge

“If I had only one hour to save the

world, I would spend 55 minutes
defining the problem and 5 minutes
finding the solution.”

Albert Einstein

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 7
Clarifying the Challenge: tips from practice and research
Some people think that the main aim of creative problem solving is to produce ideas. Have you had the experience of
thinking you’ve solved a problem, only for it to re-appear, like a bump under the carpet?

Or believing you’ve worked on the real problem, only to discover later that it was a symptom of the real problem?

Or that it was difficult to get a consensus on what the problem was, and that lack of consensus undermined real
commitment from people with the power to take meaningful action?

Or that the problem you were working on seemed unconnected with meaningful opportunities or visions of what you
believed were important?

The challenge of this stage is to

move from having broad
opportunities, and important
insights from data, to framing a
challenge for which you need
ideas. And, if you employ a
combination of divergent and
convergent thinking, it’ll increase
your odds of doing it imaginatively.

How will you know that you’ve done

this part well? You’ll balance the
tension of having a focus on the right
work challenge, with an openness
about how you get there.

And the pay-off from developing these skills can be substantial:

“Since our launch, more than 10 years ago, we have managed more than 2,000 problems and solved more than half of
them—a much higher proportion than most organizations achieve on their own.

Indeed, our success rates have improved dramatically over the years (34% in 2006, 39% in 2009, and 57% in 2011),
which is a function of the increasing quality of the questions we pose and of our solver community…

We now know that the rigor with which a problem is defined is the most important factor in finding a suitable solution.
But we’ve seen that most organizations are not proficient at articulating their problems clearly and concisely. Many have
considerable difficulty even identifying which problems are crucial to their missions and strategies.”

Dwayne Spradlin: Former CEO of Innocentive https://hbr.org/2012/09/are-you-solving-the-right-problem

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 8
Stage 1: Problem exploration and definition tools

Tool Value it can give... Approximate Other resources needed

time needed

Rich Pictures Getting an initial overview of a 40 minutes Flip-chart paper and coloured
problem. Also, for understanding pens – make it visible to all.
the different points of view about a
complex situation.

Six Universal Investigating many aspects of the 20-30 minutes Flip-chart paper and coloured
Questions problem. pens – make it visible to all.

Why? Why? Getting to the root of the problem. 20 minutes The ‘problem-owner’ answers
Why? questions. Flip-chart paper and
coloured pens – make it visible to
all.

Goal Orientation Understanding the different aspects 20-30 minutes Flip-chart paper and coloured
of a problem. Apt when you when a pens – make it visible to all.
logical, structured way of thinking
about the problem.

Web of Making broad, abstract challenges 20 minutes Flip-chart paper and coloured
Abstraction more specific and concrete. (Or to pens – make it visible to all.
make challenges that are too
narrow and specific become more
broad and general.) It helps the
group decide on the apt level of
abstraction needed for the task.

Boundary Isolating the most important parts of 20 minutes Flip-chart paper and coloured
Examination the problem and re-thinking these pens – make it visible to all.
to change the focus of the problem
itself.

 A group of people meets to solve a problem. If the group needs it, first give an initial briefing about
aspects of the problem. What’s known about it, any key data, and important people and themes.

 Each member of the group individually and privately draws the problem as they see it on a piece of
(ideally) flip chart paper. Use no words, only drawings and any symbols.

 When all are ready, one person sticks their picture to the wall/flipchart and other group members ask
questions as they try to understand what is represented in the drawing. The picture owner responds to
the questions, giving their own view of what the drawing means, but letting the group lead by asking
questions and making their own interpretations. When the group feels they have understood this drawing,
they pass to the next group member. The process is repeated until all group members have presented
their Rich Pictures.

 Each group member then privately writes down on a card/piece of paper their definition of the problem
beginning with the words “How to….”. When everybody is ready, these definitions are displayed on the
wall/flipchart/table.

 The group discusses the different definitions and writes a final, agreed version.

Rich Picture example

Grant, M et al. Sep 2019,

The Rich Picture
Method: A Simple Tool
for Reflective Teaching
and Learning about
Sustainable Food
Systems. Sustainability.

Source: Checkland, P.B. & Poulter, J. (2006) Learning for Action: A short definitive account of Soft Systems
Methodology and its use for Practitioners, teachers and Students

Back to Stage 1 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 10
Six Universal Questions
‘I keep six honest serving men, They taught me all I knew. Their names are WHAT and WHY and WHEN and
HOW and WHERE and WHO’

Rudyard Kipling (from “Just So Stories”)

What? Where? When? How? Why? Who?

Draw a mind map or wheel of the problem, with these six question words as the spokes. You can go round the
group and go round the wheel asking questions: person A asks a question beginning with “What”, person B
beginning with “Where”, person C beginning with “How” etc. If they have no question, they can say “Pass”.
Write on a flip chart anything you want to write.

Or you can go round the whole group in turn with each person asking a ”What” question, then a round of
asking a “Where” question etc. Or you may even find a new way of using this technique!

The important thing is that it puts a structure on what is often a chaotic and poorly managed ‘Question and
Answer’ session. And it also forces people to structure questions in particular ways beginning with particular
words. This element of ‘forcing’ can take your mind into new areas and encourage you to see and to explore
the problem from a new angle.

Source: Van Gundy (1988) Techniques of Structured Problem Solving, Van Rostrand Reinhold.

Back to Stage 1 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 11
Why? Why? Why?
Having given a general overview of the problem, the problem owner faces the group and each group member
in turn asks them a question beginning with “Why..?” One person in the group needs to act as recorder (but
can still participate in asking questions).

A warning – it can be tough for the problem owner who has to answer this continual barrage of “Why”
questions, which may start to get down to a personal level. Be aware of this and sensitive to the reaction and
the feelings of this person. Stop the activity at any time when you feel there is a danger of going too far into a
personal area, or ask the problem owner’s permission to continue.

You could also agree that the problem owner may say “Pass” if they do not want to answer a specific question
for whatever reason.

At the end of this activity the group may be in a position to rewrite the problem statement beginning “How
to..?” Or, to go on and use another problem exploring/defining tool.

Based on Van Gundy, (1988), Techniques of Structured Problem Solving, Van Rostrand Reinhold

Back to Stage 1 tools

A general description of the problem is set out, being sure to include all the pertinent information.
 Through discussion, the group tries to establish what needs to be accomplished (needs) and what stands
in the way of achieving this (obstacles).
 When they have done this, the group specifies what restrictions must be accepted in order to solve the
problem (constraints).
 On the basis of all the information generated by addressing the questions in points 2 and 3, the group
writes down possible redefinitions of the original problem statement, beginning “How to …..?”

Source: Rickards, T. (1974), Problem Solving through Creative Analysis, Gower

Back to Stage 1 tools

 Explain the purpose of this task: to help explore and define appropriate problem statements, using
different levels of abstraction. We’re aiming to generate several different problem statements, to help us
choose one(s) that resonate.

 Ask the group for a desirable goal in relation to the challenge, beginning with “How might we…” or “How
to…” Write it down on a post-it so the group can see it, and place it somewhere visible (such as a flip-
chart, or wall,) with space above and below it.

 Generate more abstract options for this initial statement, by asking “Why do we want that?”. Record
responses to this as options, each one on a post-it, phrased as a question, starting with “How might we…”
or “How to…” Place these post-its vertically above the original statement, and connect them to the original
option that generated them.

 Take one of these newly-generated options and, again, ask “Why” we want it. Record further options on
post-its, which will be more abstract, and place them vertically above the post-it that prompted them.

 When you have enough of these more abstract options, take the original option and ask “What is stopping
us achieving this?” or “What is getting in the way?”. Frame these newly generated comments as
statements, starting with “How might we…” or “How to…”. Write each of them on post-its and place them
below the original options. These will be more concrete options.

 Take one of these new, more concrete options, and, again, ask “What is stopping us achieving this?” or
“What is getting in the way?”. As in step 5, write each new option, framed as a question, on post-its and
place them below the question that generated them.

Back to Stage 1 tools

 Write out the problem statement, visible to the whole group, beginning “How to….”.
 Underline the most important words and phrases. (The client can do this, if present. If not, allow the group
to do it.)
 Examine each underlined word or phrase in turn for assumptions and possible connotations. In the
example below, see how the meaning changes if you use a synonym or near synonym.
 Through this discussion the group may arrive at a word or phrase which they feel describes the problem
more accurately. This should be noted down.
 Using these new words and phrases, rewrite a new problem statement beginning “How to…”.

Source: De Bono E. (1982) Lateral Thinking for Management. Penguin Books

Back to Stage 1 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 15
The Creative Problem Solving Process - Stage 2
Idea generating and idea selecting

“The way to get a good idea is to have

lots of ideas and throw away the bad
ones.”
Linus Pauling

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 16
Idea generating: tips from practice and research

Main principles

 The aim of this stage is to generate potentially novel and useful options. At the end of this stage, these ideas will not
be fully elaborated – they will still need more work, so don’t worry that they are not yet completely persuasive.

 Remember to separate the generating from the focusing. Do not evaluate the pros and cons of ideas at this stage.
Use the generating guidelines: defer judgement, seek quantity, freewheel and combine.

 Encourage novelty. Generally, it is easier to make a very novel idea into one that is also feasible, then to turn a
feasible idea into something also novel.

 Consider different aspects of novelty:

o Fluency – where the emphasis is on many options.

o Flexibility – where the emphasis is on different types of options.
o Originality – where the emphasis is on novelty or unusual options.
o Elaboration – where the focus is on detail, making options richer and more expanded.

Leverage group diversity

 Aim to build individual and group activities into your generating session to suit the different thinking styles of your
people.

 Maximise the range of individual thinking, by using tools that accommodate different views from people.

 Maximise building, and combining ideas, by sharing ideas across the group

 As a generalisation, the more innovative the person’s style, (Kirton 2003), the easier they will find the generating part
of creative problem solving. Use this energy. Also, ensure there is enough structure in the way the group works:
writing down ideas and placing them somewhere visible; following the guidelines for this stage and for each tool you
use. Note that some tools are more structured than others. Generally, aim to encourage people’s problem solving
style to come forward.

Facilitator role

 Focusing takes more time than generating, but it often the part that is cut short. Aim for time split of 30% generating
and 70% focusing. A bit like in the diagram below:

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 17
 Use a range of idea generating tools to suit your aims, the diversity of your group, and to maintain interest and
energy. Depending on the time you have available, we suggest you aim for a minimum of three generating tools in
your session.

 Different tools are more likely to yield different types of ideas: some more incremental, some more radical. In his
targeted Innovation model, Gryskiewicz (1987) distinguished between categories of ideas. The idea generating tools
in this section range from being suited for more incremental change to more radical change. From making ‘better’ to
making ‘different’. Learn to use them all, and choose the right mix of tools for the challenge.

 Use the research insight of Extended Effort (Parnes, 1961). This argues that the initial ideas from idea generation will
tend to be more familiar and typical. Extended effort means that as time continues, ideas will tend to become more
novel or unusual. Later, people will combine the more unusual aspects with the more familiar to forge novel and
useful ideas. The facilitator’s role becomes one of stimulating the group through asking questions, and/or introducing
new creative tools.

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 18
Stage 2: Idea Generation tools

Tool Creative concept it is based upon and value it can give. Approximate
time needed

Brain-writing Pool Idea fluency and flexibility. This tool can help generate many ideas, quickly, as individual 10-15 minutes
thinking is combined with group thinking. It is useful when some people are quieter and
may not want to shout ideas in front of others.

Morphological Idea fluency and flexibility. This tool can help generate many ideas, quickly. It combines 15-30 minutes
Analysis different parts of the existing process/product/service in new ways.

Brainstorming Idea fluency. This tool can help generate many ideas, quickly. It helps participants hear 10 - 20 minutes
(with post-its) and build on each other’s ideas.

Lotus Blossom Idea fluency and flexibility. This tool can be useful if you are trapped in a way of thinking, 20-30 minutes
or need the seeds of others, or simply to generate initial many ideas quickly.

Analogies Idea flexibility and originality. This tool uses the perspective of something similar in some 15 - 25 minutes
way but different in others. Use an analogy in a different domain from your challenge to
produce more novel ideas.

Reversal Idea flexibility and originality. This tool can be useful for stimulating different types of 10 – 25 minutes
ideas, as well as more unusual ones. It often generates energy and laughter.

SCAMPER Idea flexibility and originality. This tool uses a wide range of creativity concepts and 10 – 30 minutes
‘triggers’ to provoke new ideas. It can be useful for stimulating many ideas, as well as
different types and originality of ideas.

Super Heroes Idea flexibility. This uses others’ perspectives to generate options by taking a new look at 20-30 minutes
existing problems. It can be useful when the group needs to ‘loosen up’ and have more
fun, or is prepared to take a risk and try something different.

Pictures as Idea originality and flexibility. Use this when the group is stuck, or needs an insight from a 20 minutes
Prompts place unconnected with the problem. Use it to change the tone, if you have been using
mainly ‘verbal’ thinking and want to introduce visual images. It can help to generate
highly novel ideas.

Random Object Idea originality. Use this when the group is stuck, or needs an insight from a place 10-15 minutes
unconnected with the problem. It can help to generate highly novel ideas.

Excursion Idea originality. Use this when the group is stuck, or needs an insight from a place 20 minutes
unconnected with the problem. Use it to change the tone, as you encourage people to
imagine an excursion somewhere unconnected to the problem. It can help to generate
highly novel ideas.

Trend-sharing Idea originality and flexibility. Use this to get people thinking beyond the boundaries 20-30 minutes
within which their current problem is located. It helps people stretch their thinking to
include changes from other aspects of work and society.

Purpose - use this tool to:

 Involve people who, for whatever reason, may not want to shout out an idea they have in front of a group of people. It
allows more time for individual reflection.
 Generate many ideas in a short time.
 Have equal participation in the idea generating process.

Description

Brain-writing gives group members quiet time to consider options as they generate. After generating three options, each
group member exchanges their worksheet for another worksheet. The new worksheet will provide three ideas to stimulate
further ideas, which will be written in the next available row. Group members can write ideas related to the ones above, or
may write completely new and different ideas.

Process

Resources needed

 Brain-writing worksheets, or sheets of paper with hand-drawn columns and rows.

 Or put the same format on flip-chart paper for each person, encouraging more physical movement.

Facilitator tips

 Brain-writing is more likely to produce incremental ideas. Depending on what the client needs for the challenge,
combine it with other tools to produce the range of ideas needed.
 Encourage people to work in silence – this helps the more introverted to concentrate, and gives room for more
individual thinking.
 When the exercise is complete, display the worksheets so everyone can see the full list of ideas.

Source: Warfield J. N., Geschka H., and Hamilton R., (1975), Methods of Idea Management, Columbus, Ohio, The academy for
Contemporary Problems

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

Purpose - use this tool to:

 Generate a large number of ideas in a short time.

 Deliberately seek incremental improvement.
 Explore new combinations within an existing approach by looking at the current parameters.

Description

Morphology refers to the study of form or structure in nature. This tool can yield a high number of ideas very quickly, many
of which are very likely to be incremental changes on what already exists, and may be quick, relatively inexpensive and
low-risk to implement. The tool was developed by Zwicky, (1969), who also, incidentally, inferred the presence of dark
matter in the universe!

Process

Shape Holding Size Material Colour Decor

mechanism
1. Square Ear-shaped Large Steel Black Personalised
photos
2. Oval Embedded Medium Ceramic White Holographic
saucer images
3. Cylindrical Standard Small Disposable Graded None
‘ring’ colours
4. Triangular Nothing Super large Titanium Multiple Graffiti -
colours wipeable

Resources needed
A visible space so everyone can see the morphological matrix, flip-chart paper and flip-chart pens, worksheet, post-its or
further flip-chart paper for capturing ideas.

Facilitator tips

 Keep the parameters to the most important 4-6 to keep the process manageable.
 Multiple pages of flip-chart paper may be needed to create the matrix columns.
 Consider adding a final column with a parameter that is not currently used in the task being considered. This is likely
to produce more unusual ideas.

Source: Zwicky, F. (1969), Discovery, Invention, Research through the Morphological Approach, New York, Macmillan

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 21
Brainstorming (using post-its)

Purpose - use this tool to:

 Generate a wide range of potential solutions (idea fluency).

 Help the group feel good at many options generated, and ready to try out different tools.
 Articulate the ideas that are already on people’s minds.

Description
Various approaches to brainstorming have developed over the decades. With this method, the recording of ideas is done
by individuals writing their ideas on post-its, and the facilitator places them somewhere where all can see. (The latter
approach usually speeds up the idea-sharing process.)

Process

Resources needed
Flip chart, flip-chart pens, post-its, pens for post-its, such as Sharpies

Facilitator tips

 Reinforce the guidelines for generating ideas.

 Make the ideas visible to the whole group, as this can stimulate further ideas.
 Have other idea generation tools available, as brainstorming can be over-used.

Source: Osborn, A. F. (1953). Applied imagination: Principles and procedures of creative thinking. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

Purpose – use this tool to:

 Generate many ideas.

 And a range of different ideas.
 Capture those ideas that are already in people’s minds, before using other tools.

Description

Lotus Blossom is more structured than many idea generation tools. In relatively short time, it can help generate 72 ideas
and often leads to a variety of ideas as well as a lot. It is less likely to generate highly unusual ideas.

Process
 The facilitator reminds the group of the task: the challenge or problem for which they need ideas. Make the problem
statement visible, and place it in the centre of the Lotus Blossom template shown below. Give the group time to ask
clarifying questions, if needed.
 Remind the group of the generating guidelines: defer judgement, go for quantity, make connections and seek novelty.
Agree a target number of ideas.
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 Give group members a couple of minutes of private time to generate initial ideas and write these on post-its.
 Ask different group members to give an initial 8 ideas, and place these in spaces A-H in the template. (Make sure that
these ideas are different to each other.)
 Then place these 8 ideas in their respective places around the template: ‘A’ will move to the top left corner, into space
‘A’ and so on.
 Encourage the group to generate 8 more ideas, prompted by each of these initial 8. This could give you 72 ideas in
total. Their further ideas may be obviously connected to the initial idea, or may be very different. Anything goes.
 Continue until the template is complete, or time runs out.

Resources needed: lotus blossom template, post its

Facilitator tips:

 Ensure that the initial 8 ideas (A-H) cover a range of themes. That will help give you variety.
 Encourage people to place ideas anywhere on the chart where they can – follow their interests and energy.

Source: Yasuo Matsumura, Director of the Clover Management Research, Japan

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 23
Analogies – “It’s the same as …..”
Purpose – use this tool to:

 Generate a variety of types of ideas.

 Get the group to think beyond the boundaries of the current challenge.
 Provide some highly original ideas.

Description
This tool uses the perspective of something similar in some ways but different in others to the real problem or challenge
you are considering.

Process

 The facilitator reminds the group of the task: the challenge or problem for which they need ideas. Make the problem
statement visible. Give the group time to ask clarifying questions, if needed.
 Remind the group of the generating guidelines: defer judgement, go for quantity, make connections and seek novelty.
Agree a target number of ideas.
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 Generate a list of objects, people, situations or actions that are similar, but not directly related to the problem. For
example, if the problem is preventing vandalism of company property, think of things that involve the concept of
prevention, e.g. speed cameras to stop people driving too fast, spraying a car to prevent rust, fitting a burglar alarm to
your house, eating healthily to minimise health problems… Write them up where people can see the list.
 Ask the group to choose some interesting analogies – ones that they are curious about and they like.
 Ask the group to choose an initial analogy that is close in some way to your actual problem.
 Invite the group to call out the aspects, attributes, parts, functions, characteristics etc of this analogy. Write them
visibly and stop when the list is complete.
 Now ask group members to make connections between this list and the real problem. What ideas do they think of as
possible solutions? (As with some other generating tools, you are using the principle of ‘force fit’ to generate new
ideas – in other words, trying to force a connection between two things which at first glance have no connection at
all.) Give people some individual time to write ideas, if they need it.
 Go round the group, and ask people to call out their ideas. Record them on flip-chart, or ask the group to write them
on post-its. Continue until ideas are finished.
 Ask the group to select a second analogy that is more distant in some way from the real challenge. Repeat the above
process, ending with a further series of ideas.

Resources needed
Post its, flip-chart, flip-chart pens

Facilitator tips

 Be sure to write the aspects and qualities of the analogy in detail, before generating ideas about it. The more details
you get, the more connections can be made.
 Consider using one analogy that is ‘close’ to your real problem and another that is ‘far away’.

Source: Based in part on Van Gundy, (1988), Techniques of Structured Problem Solving, Van Rostrand Reinhold.

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

Purpose - use this tool to:

 Help the group generate different types of ideas.

 View the problem from a different perspective, which can help when groups are ‘stuck’ for more ideas.
 Provide an alternative, or addition, to traditional brainstorming.

Description
This often generates a lot of laughter and can be ‘releasing’ for a group that is ready to try something different. The group
may also realise they are currently doing some of the ‘worst ideas’ they list.

Process

 The facilitator reminds the group of the task: the challenge or problem for which they need ideas. Make the problem
statement visible. Give the group time to ask clarifying questions, if needed.
 Remind the group of the generating guidelines: defer judgement, go for quantity, make connections and seek novelty.
Agree a target number of ideas.
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 Share with the group a reversal of the problem statement. For example: “How might we reduce the number of ‘do not
attends’ might be reversed to be: “How might we ensure patients attend their appointments?”
 Invite the group to state ideas for this reversed problem statement. Encourage people to say what is on their mind and
to imagine way-out, crazy ideas. Write these so they are visible to the group. When energies run low, or time dictates,
end this phase.
 Ask the group to select interesting ideas from the list just generated. Aim for ones that are different to any previously
generated, if you have used previous tools.
 Reverse these ideas to turn them into genuine ones that might form solutions to the real, original problem. Take the
time needed for this. Ask things like: “What is in these ideas that is interesting?” and “How could we reverse these
ideas to solve the real problem?”
 Record the new ideas and make them visible.
 End the exercise when you have enough new ideas, or the group energy needs a change.

Resources needed
Flip-chart, flip-chart pens, post-its can be useful for the eventual ideas generated.

Facilitator tips

 Encourage the group to suggest out-of-the-box, even preposterous ideas to the reversed problem. (People
sometimes need a nudge to do this.)
 Do not reverse every idea listed – it becomes very laborious. Instead, invite the group to select the interesting,
intriguing ideas that can be reversed to create genuine ideas to solve the problem.

Source: Adapted from Osborn’s Checklist tool in: Osborn, A. (1988) Applied Imagination, 3rd Ed., New York, Scribners

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

Purpose - use this tool to:

 Generate different types of ideas, and change the energy.

 Help people think from different perspectives.

Description
This works best with the facilitator using the different parts of SCAMPER to prompt new and different ideas. It is not
necessary to work through each part of the tool, and different viewpoints are often yielded when the facilitator chooses to
take the group in a different direction, using a different part of the tool.

Process

Substitute: Who else instead? What else instead? What other ingredients/materials/process power/place/
approach/tone of voice?
Combine: How about a blend? An alloy? An assortment? An ensemble? Combine units, purposes, appeals or
ideals?
Adapt: What else is like this? What other idea does this suggest? Does the past offer a parallel? What or
whom could I copy?
Modify/Magnify/Minify: What to add? What to subtract? What to omit? Time? Frequency? Strength? Height?
Length? Colour? Odour? Thickness? Streamline? Understate? Split up?
Put to other uses: Could modifying its form, structure, weight, frequency suggest another use? Change the
context?
Eliminate: Leave this out? Use fewer parts? Lighter? What can we do without?
Rearrange/Reverse: Opposite? Backwards? Invert? Upside down? Reverse roles? Change shoes?

Resources needed
This is ‘light’ on extra resources. The facilitator will need the SCAMPER prompt questions and ways of recording ideas
and making them visible to the group.

Facilitator tips
Adapt the questions to suit your needs, and use a range of questions.

Source: Eberle, B. (1971). Scamper. Buffalo, NY: DOK (reprinted in 1997 by Prufrock Press, Waco, TX.) Adapted from Osborn, A. (1988)
Applied Imagination, 3rd Ed., New York, Scribners

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

Purpose - use this tool to:

 Generate ideas from a different, liberating perspective.

 Produce different types of ideas if you need more variety.
 Be playful and have fun.

Description
With this tool, group members address the problem from the viewpoint of a selected superhero, with all their imagined
super-powers. By doing so, they are liberated to generate ideas from another perspective.

Process

 The facilitator reminds the group of the task: the challenge or problem for which they need ideas. Make the problem
statement visible. Give the group time to ask clarifying questions, if needed.
 Remind the group of the generating guidelines: defer judgement, go for quantity, make connections and seek novelty.
Agree a target number of ideas.
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 Invite group members to select a superhero, but not yet share it. (The superhero can be living, dead, imaginary,
human, animal or inanimate!)
 Choose one group member to start. Ask the person to call out their superhero’s qualities and attributes. Write them
somewhere visible.
 Encourage the group to guess the superhero – ask the group member to reveal it if needed.
 Get the group to call out any more qualities they can identify for this superhero. Add them to the list.
 Now that the group can empathise with the superhero, invite them to ‘be’ the superhero. Ask: how would this
superhero tackle this problem?
 Record the ideas as they are called out. This is likely to be a fluid, vocal exercise, so be quick with your writing.
 Allow time for idea elaboration. For example, a comment such as “Superman would fly instantly to the other side of
the world”, might need thinking to ‘fit’ to the challenge you’re facing.
 When you have run dry on ideas, repeat the exercise, if time allows, this time asking for a very different superhero.
Repeat the process above.

Resources needed
Flipchart, flipchart pens.

Facilitator tips

 If possible, allow for at least two different superheroes to be considered, one after the other.
 Be patient: allow group members time to explore seemingly irrelevant qualities, and then ‘force-fit’ them back to the
real challenge.
 Do not describe the whole process at the start. Instead, take group members through each stage as it happens, as to
know the whole activity in advance may condition their responses and limit their thinking.

Source: Grossman, S. And Catlin, K. (1985), Super Heroes, presentation at the 31st Annual Creative Problem Solving Institute, Buffalo,
the Creative Education Foundation

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

Purpose – use this tool to:

 Produce highly original ideas that go beyond the boundaries of how the challenge is currently solved.
 Bring new energy when the group is ‘stuck’.
 Energise people who are open to visual stimuli, or if you have been using mainly ‘verbal’ stimuli so far.
 Give a quiet and more reflective approach to idea generation.

Description
This tool allows people to remove themselves from the immediate problem, and develop ideas from distant, unconnected
sources. By distancing themselves and then re-connecting with the real problem, people are more likely to develop
unusual ideas.

Process

Resources needed

 3-5 different pictures.

 Pictures as prompts worksheets
 Post-its or paper for recording ideas.

Facilitator tips

 Use interesting and unusual pictures that are unconnected with the problem.
 Use a variety of pictures unrelated to each other.
 Avoid brand names, celebrities and pictures that suggest anger, aggression, despair, disgust as these tend to narrow
down thinking.

Source: Geschka H., von Reibnitz U., and Storvik, K. (1981), Idea Generation Methods: Creative Solutions and Technical Problems,
Columbus, Ohio, Batelle Memorial Institute

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

Purpose – use this tool to:

 Stimulate very different thinking, and potentially original ideas.

 Direct ideas into new directions.

Description

This tool involves a classic principle of idea generating: ‘force-fitting’. It can produce highly unpredictable, original results.

Process
 The facilitator reminds the group of the task: the challenge or problem for which they need ideas. Make the problem
statement visible. Give the group time to ask clarifying questions, if needed.
 Remind the group of the generating guidelines: defer judgement, go for quantity, make connections and seek novelty.
Agree a target number of ideas.
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 Show and share with the group a random object – something you have brought with you, and which is unrelated to
the problem.
 Ask the group questions like: “What does this trigger for you?” and “What does this make you think about?”
 Encourage people to share these associations with everyone.
 Ask the group to make connections back to the real problem. How do the thoughts, insights, associations connect?
 Capture the ideas, on post-its, or flip-chart.
 If there is time and need, repeat the previous steps, introducing a different random object.

Resources needed

 At least 2 unusual objects, seemingly unrelated to the problem being discussed.

 Post-its, paper or flip-chart for capturing ideas.

Facilitator Tips

 Bring interesting, unusual objects to get people’s attention.

 Leave the objects on the table, so people can touch and play with them.

Source: Whiting C.S. (1958) Creative Thinking, New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 29
Excursion
Purpose – use this tool to:

 Produce highly original ideas.

 Stimulate ideas that ‘stretch’ beyond the boundaries of the existing approach
 Change the group energy, if the group has become ‘stuck’ in a way of thinking.

Description

This involves taking a type of journey, (mental or physical) away from the original problem, then returning to the original
problem with different associations and ideas. It is appropriate for when highly novel ideas are needed, and the group may
be somewhat ‘stuck’ in its way of thinking, and even its assumptions.

o Physical excursion: Invite the group to take a walk in the surrounding area, if you are in a highly-stimulating
context: park, countryside, zoo, museum, local street … Allow the group to go and agree a time for them to
return. Ask people to note their impressions privately, but not to discuss this with others.

o Mental excursion: You may invite people to imagine they are visiting a specific environment, e.g. desert, seaside,
being prime minister or doing some other different job, planetary exploration… The facilitator may ask people to
get comfortable and close their eyes at the start of this excursion. The facilitator will then improvise an imagined
journey. It’s important that the facilitator doesn’t say too much, allowing time and space for people to use their
imagination. Ask the group questions, to prompt them to consider what they see/feel/hear/smell/touch. After the
excursion, allow reasonable time for individuals to write reflection of their impressions, observations, insights, etc,
from the excursion, avoiding a group discussion at this stage.

 After either excursion, give people time to consider their impressions and write/develop them more fully. What did
they sense, notice? What do they know about the ‘place’ they visited? What else have they heard about the place, or
aspects of it? What else did the excursion make them think about?

 Ask people to share with the group some strong impression from their excursion. Write them up, visible to all.

 Add to these words or phrases, developing some ‘fuzzy’ connections and capture these.

 Now ‘force’ the impressions gathered back to the original problem. What connections do people make between their
impressions and aspects of the original problem? Give this time and capture more concrete ideas in the usual way –
pots-its, or on paper.

 When people are ready, invite them to share their ideas with the group. Place them somewhere visible, and add any
further ideas that emerge from this sharing.

Resources needed
 For a mental excursion, consider developing a script, to help you create vivid images.
 For a physical excursion – a walk in gardens, or grounds, or city, or somewhere else with rich stimuli.
 Flip-chart, flip-chart pens, post-its or paper for capturing ideas.

Facilitator Tips

 When asking people for their initial images, (before developing ideas), write them up on flip-chart, leaving some
spaces between the words, to allow for more writing, as you develop ‘fuzzy’ connections.
 Drawing, and/or verbal images, could be used to share the initial ‘fuzzy’ connections.

Source: Based in part on Prince, G. M. (1970) The Practice of Creativity. New York, Collier MacMillan

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 30
Trend-sharing
Purpose – use this tool to:

 Produce highly original ideas

 Produce ideas that ‘stretch’ beyond the boundaries of the existing approach
 Get people interacting in small groups

Description

This involves people reading about and considering broad, ‘mega-trends’ that are affecting the world beyond the
boundaries of the problem you are considering. This stretches the imagination of people and can bring ideas beyond the
boundaries of what is done now.

 Encourage a 1st wave of ideas for the problem, stimulated by insights and associations from the trend. Tell people to
capture these on post-its or paper.

 Ask people to pair up with someone, and describe their trends. Give this 5-7 minutes.

 Encourage the pair to generate a new set of ideas, and capture this 2nd wave of ideas in the usual way.

 If there is time, encourage a new pairing, or trio, of different people, and follow the same process as above. Finish by
capturing any new ideas.

 Ask people to share with the group their ideas, and write any more that are stimulated by this process.

Resources needed

 A set of at least 8 global, mega-trends. They should be recognisable and understandable to people.
 Post-its or paper for capturing ideas.

Facilitator Tips

 Give people time to read and understand the trend, on first seeing it.
 Have more trends than the group size, in case someone wants to use a different trend.

Source: uncertain

Back to Stage 2 idea generation tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 31
Idea selecting: tips from practice and research

Main principles

 Choose to focus when you have generated enough ideas. This is usually a subjective judgement.
 The aim of this stage is to select potentially novel and useful options for further development when you
are planning for implementation.
 When you are focusing, use the focusing guidelines: affirmative judgement, be deliberate, consider
novelty and stay on course. What we are doing here is ‘light-focusing’. Think of this as being careful to
nurture promising, intriguing, novel ideas, while also removing any ideas that don’t interest you. Do not be
concerned that all the details of implementation are not finalised – that stage comes next.
 A classic problem in the focusing stage is that novelty is removed, and groups choose safer options.
Ensure that you build in novelty and choose ideas that contain an element of promise or intrigue.

Leveraging Group Diversity

 As a generalisation the more adaptive the person’s style, (Kirton, 2003), the easier they will find the
focusing part of creative problem solving. Use this energy. Also, ensure there is enough looseness in the
way the group works: follow the guidelines for this stage and for each tool you use, but also allow time to
elaborate and develop ideas, not just select what is already present. Generally, aim to encourage people’s
problem solving style to come forward.

Facilitator role

 Allocate more time for focusing than generating ideas: say 70% focusing time to 30% generating time. In
practice, the focusing time is often squeezed, resulting in too many ideas and a sense of frustration: “what
do we do next, with all these ideas…?”
 As with generating, choose the right tools to suit the situation. The model below should help.

Use appropriate tools to suit the challenge

Quick Hits Short, medium, long Highlighting

Dot Voting System Change

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 32
Stage 2: Idea selection tools

Tool Value it can give… Approximate time needed

Quick Hits A simple tool for reducing many ideas to a manageable few. 10 – 15 minutes

Dot Voting Like Quick Hits, but with more structure. This is a voting- 10-20 minutes
based approach to narrowing down many ideas to a
manageable few.

Short, Medium and Long This is a sorting method, which allocates ideas to a time-span, 15 – 25 minutes
depending on how soon actions could start to implement
them.

System Change This is a different sorting method, which allocates ideas to 15-25 minutes
categories, depending on the degree of system change that
would be needed to implement them.

Highlighting Reduces a considerable number of promising and intriguing 10 – 20 minutes

ideas to small number of idea clusters.

Purpose – use this tool to:

 Select promising, interesting, intriguing ideas from a long list of generated ideas.
 Select ideas that will need more strengthening and development at a later stage.

Description

With this tool, people use their personal judgement to select those ideas that appeal from a wide list of alternatives. By
selecting the options that seem ‘on-target’, interesting, intriguing, to have potential etc, people choose an initial set of
ideas as a preliminary way of reducing a much larger list to a more manageable one.

Process

 Focus the group on this next stage. Remind the group of the broad range of ideas you wish to see being represented
at the end of the session.
 Remind the group of the focusing principles: affirmative judgement, be deliberate, consider novelty and stay on
course.
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 Ask the group to select promising ideas, by asking a question such as: “Which ideas seem ‘on-target’, or to be
interesting, intriguing and have good potential?”
 Allow people time to make their choices. Sometimes, people will need reminding of the meaning of ideas that may
have been generated some time ago, or by someone else.
 Allow people as many choices as they want, while reminding them of the aim of the exercise.
 Group members select their ideas and place their chosen ideas into a new single location.
 Check the final set of ideas chosen. How well does this meet the aims of the session? If any important considerations
are missing, consider generating new or selecting further existing ideas.

Resources needed

 A place where all previous ideas can be displayed.

 Time for group members to consider, clarify and select ideas.
 A place, such as a flip-chart, where chosen ideas can be placed.

Facilitator Tips

Back to Stage 2 idea selection tools

Purpose – use this tool to:

 Select promising, interesting, intriguing ideas from a long list of generated ideas.
 Select ideas that will need more strengthening and development at a later stage.

Description

With this tool, people use their judgement to select promising ideas from a wide list of alternatives. It is slightly more
structured than the Quick Hits tool, and uses a voting process with a given number of votes per person.

Process
 Focus the group on this next stage. Remind the group of the broad range of ideas you wish to see being represented
at the end of the session.
 Remind the group of the focusing principles: affirmative judgement, be deliberate, consider novelty and stay on
course.
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 Ask the group to select promising ideas, by asking a question such as: “Which ideas seem ‘on-target’, or to be
interesting, intriguing and have good potential?”
 Allocate people a number of votes (the same for each person). Judge this based on the number from which you are
choosing, and the outcomes you want for the client. Usually, something between 3-7 per person is appropriate.
 Give people a number of sticky dots for voting. Explain that:
o One dot = one vote.
o People can vote for their own ideas.
o People can vote for the same ideas as each other.
 Consider marking some of everyone’s dots with the latter “N”, which indicates “novel”. In this context, explain to the
group that novel means that the organisation isn’t using this approach right now. It helps to bring novel, creative
approaches into the shortlist created at the end of this session.
 Group members take their dots, and select their ideas.
 When everyone has voted, place the chosen ideas into a new single location.
 Check the final set of ideas chosen. How well does this meet the aims of the session? If any important considerations
are missing, consider generating new or selecting further existing ideas.

Resources needed

 Sticky dots for voting (if you don’t have these, allocate people a number of ticks, which they write on their chosen
ideas.)
 A place where all previous ideas can be displayed.
 Time for group members to consider, clarify and select ideas.
 A place, such as a flip-chart, where chosen ideas can be placed.

Facilitator Tips

 Encourage individual decision-making – so that groupthink doesn’t squeeze out what the client needs.
 Allow for discussion between people, so that people understand the ideas from which they are selecting.
 Depending on how much novelty the client wants, vary the number of “N” dots accordingly.

Source: This is a variation of a voting method described in Firestien, R. Treffinger, D. (1983). Ownership and Converging: Essential
ingredients of creative problem solving. The journal of Creative behaviour. 17 (1), and in Van Gundy, A. B., (1988), Techniques of
structured problem solving, Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Back to Stage 2 idea selection tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 35
Short, Medium and Long-term
Purpose – use this tool to:

 Sort promising and intriguing ideas into a time order for consideration.
 Prioritise ideas according to time constraints.
 Raise practical issues of time and planning.

Description

With this tool, people organise a manageable number of ideas into a sequence, based on time. The group is answering
the question: “By when could this idea start to be actioned?” If timing is especially important to the client, this can be a way
of planning and prioritising.

Resources needed

 Ideas on post-its can be useful for rearranging ideas.

 A surface – wall, or whiteboard, for placing the time frames.
 Flip-chart paper, or whiteboard for writing the time frames.

Facilitator Tips

 Allow the group to understand each item before deciding where to place it.
 Three flip-chart pages may be needed: one for each time frame.
 If time allows, order items within time frames, as well as between them.

Source: This is often used as part of project planning and management. For example, Andersen E. et al (1995). Goal Directed Project
Management. Kogan Page.

Back to Stage 2 idea selection tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 36
System Change
Purpose – use this tool to:

 Sort ideas based on the degree to which they might require system change to implement.
 Show the extent to which incremental and more radical ideas have been raised.
 Highlight issues of risk, politics, resources, resistance from others.

Description

Process
 Focus the group on this next stage. Remind the group of the broad range of ideas you wish to see being represented
at the end of the session.
 Ask the group to select promising ideas, by asking a question such as: “Which ideas seem ‘on-target’, or to be
interesting, intriguing and have good potential?”
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 Prepare a vertical continuum on flip chart paper or whiteboard, and divide into 3 sections. Label them:
o At the bottom: ‘Fits existing system’. Ideas selected would work within the existing system.
o Moving up: ‘Evolutionary – stretches existing system’. The current system could evolve, without breaking, to
implement this idea.
o Nearer the top: ‘Breakthrough – needs new system’. We’d need a new approach to implement this idea.
 Allow space above all three headings, into which you can place ideas into the appropriate category.
 Take each idea, one by one, and ask: “How far could this be implemented within existing systems?” Allow the group
time to have a shared meaning of the issues involved.
 Work through the ideas individually, allocating them to the appropriate categories.
 Check the final set of ideas chosen. How well does this meet the aims of the session? If any important considerations
are missing, consider generating new or selecting further existing ideas.

Resources needed

 Flip-chart paper, or whiteboard for writing the continuum and a surface for displaying.
 Ideas on post-its can be useful for rearranging ideas.

Facilitator Tips

 The group is simply making best judgements here. They don’t need deep internal knowledge of the politics and
culture of the client organisation. (Ensure that the client doesn’t dominate the discussion and choices.)
 Consider combine this tool with Short, Medium, Long to show a more sophisticated sorting.
 Allow the group to understand each item before deciding where to place it.

Source: uncertain

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© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 37
Highlighting
Purpose – use this tool to:

 Reduce a significant number of ideas to a shorter, more manageable few.

 Identify ‘hot-spots’ or themes for your ideas.
 Consider the themes that could be turned into testable concepts.

Description

The Highlighting tool is used to reduce a ‘middling’ number of options to a manageable few. Having selected interesting,
intriguing possibilities, through tools like Hits or Dot Voting, these ideas are organised into similarly-themed clusters.

Process
 Focus the group on this next stage. Remind the group of the broad range of ideas you wish to see being represented
at the end of the session.
 Remind the group of the focusing principles: affirmative judgement, be deliberate, consider novelty and stay on
course.
 Without describing all the steps of the tool, broadly explain what this tool is used for. Answer any questions.
 If you haven’t already done so, select ideas from the ones generated that look intriguing, interesting, novel and with
potential. Bring all the selected ideas into one space.
 Invite group members to start arranging groups of ideas, clustering them into ‘hop-spots’. These ‘hot-spots’ can be the
basis of later concepts that will need developing.
 This arranging can be tentative at first, and groups may need time to rearrange items.
 Allow any individual items to standalone - as in the community example below. These items may simply be different.
 When the group has clustered items into themes, ask them to draw boundaries around the themes and label them.
Broad idea direct ions can look like…
 Look for potential connections between the ‘hot-spots’.
 If you can, ask for client feedback on the shortlist.

Technology People and roles

Communit y

Financial Cust omer

Resources needed

 Post-its, flip-chart, flip-chart pens.

Facilitator Tips

 Post-its help to rearrange items.

 Flip-chart paper for display and writing titles
 Ensure that any ‘outliers’ or very different/unusual ideas are not ‘lost’ within clusters – keep them separate, as they
may be unique.

Source: Adapted from Firestein, R. and Treffinger, D. (1983). Ownership and converging: Essential ingredients of Creative Problem
Solving. Journal of Creative behaviour. 17 (1), and from: Van Gundy, A. B., (1988), Techniques of structured problem solving, Van
Nostrand Reinhold.

Back to Stage 2 idea selection tools

“Vision without action is a daydream.

Action without vision is a nightmare.”

Japanese proverb

When ideas have been shortlisted, they’re often raw, promising, maybe intriguing and, almost always, undeveloped. The challenge
is to strengthen, share and get feedback on these ideas, so that what you launch has been validated and isn’t simply your hunch.

And this stage still needs creativity, as you figure out how to communicate, pilot, pivot and adapt your ideas to make them
implementation-fit:

Part of the art is not to be too attached to the ideas. As you turn them into concepts and share them, the goal is to learn fast, at low
cost, and effectively. Some concepts will be rejected as your target audience says: “We don’t like this, because…” Others will be
validated through the feedback you receive:

The tools in this section are for the different aspects of this phase. They help you to sort and organise ideas, strengthen ideas
communicate and share ideas, risk-assess ideas and to convince others.

Tool Value it can give… Approximate Other resources

time needed needed

Strategic Prioritising. Use this to sort 5 – 15 ideas when 20-30 minutes A visible space to see
Competitive strong competition is driving the need for the template and
Advantage innovation. It will help you choose which ideas discuss the results
look more strategically attractive.

Novelty/Ease Matrix Prioritising and gaining acceptance. Use this to 20-30 minutes A visible space to see
sort 5 – 15 ideas when scarce resources for the template and
implementation are an important issue. discuss the results

Criteria and Prioritising and strengthening options. Use this 20 – 30 Paper for charting and
Evaluation Matrix to sort between 5-10 potential solutions and minutes showing scores to
reduce them to 2-5 more promising ones. everyone. Pens.

2 x Implementation Strengthening options. These tools generate an 20-30 minutes None

Checklists initial list of what to consider in order to help you
plan. A good starting point.

Advantages, Strengthening options. Where you want to 30-40 minutes 2 – 4 shortlisted ideas
Limitations, Unique strengthen a small number of potential solutions.
Qualities and Also likely to deepen understanding of the
Overcoming remaining ideas and develops them further
Limitations (ALUO)

Concept Creation Elaborating your idea and communicating it to 3-40 minutes 1 concept best done by
your target group. Getting feedback on the idea. a pair of people.

Prototyping Adding a visual component to your idea, to Depends on Materials (could be

communicate your idea and secure better quality approach digital) to create the
target-group feedback. prototype

Triangulation Gaining acceptance. This too helps you hone 20 minutes At least 2 x role
your arguments, so that you are more players, and at least
persuasive. one observer.

Moving Argument Getting instant feedback about your arguments 10-15 minutes At least 3 people
for your ideas.

Supporters and Gaining acceptance. This tool helps identify the 30 – 45 Flip-chart or whiteboard
Resistors people who might help or hinder your idea minutes for charting a table and
(help/hinder) implementation. pens

Changing Shoes Strengthening options. This helps you anticipate 20-30 minutes Flip-chart paper and
the arguments of important others, and develop coloured pens – make
your counter-arguments. it visible to all.

Bullet Proofing Strengthening options. This too identifies 15 – 30 Pen and paper for
aspects of your plan that may be vulnerable minutes recording.

People Power Gaining acceptance. This helps you analyse 30 minutes Flip-chart paper and
where risks and power lie in complex situations. coloured pens – make
It helps you to prioritise your persuasive efforts. it visible to all.

Business Case Synthesising your argument to be able to Depends on 1 business case best
persuade people to say ‘yes’ to your idea, and complexity done by a pair of
resource it appropriately. people.

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 41
Strategic Competitive Advantage
How much might your idea for a new product, service, market, business model, etc be both valuable for
service users and harder to imitate for your competitors? The more it meets both of these needs, the more
desirable the potential solutions. Plot your current shortlisted solutions onto the template below, and review to
discuss which options look more desirable.

Adapted from the VRIO

model, Barney J. B.
(1991), Firm Resources
and competitive advantage

Back to Stage 3 tools

Use this to sort ideas when resources for implementation are an issue. Plot your current shortlisted solutions
onto the grid below, and review to discuss which ideas look feasible and desirable.

Back to Stage 3 tools

The Evaluation Matrix is primarily a converging tool, (although it also has an early diverging stage). It will help you to
systematically analyse several potential solutions and then prioritise which you will develop further.

As well as helping you choose potential solutions to develop further, it also helps build consensus in a group, as you
evaluate solutions against agreed criteria.

 Generate a list of the criteria. Using the prefix: “Will it…” can help. Isaksen et al (2011) suggest the acronym CARTS
to stimulate the generation of criteria: Costs, Acceptance, Resources, Time and Space. Some criteria may be more
explicit – budgets, for example; others may be more implicit – perceptions or perspectives from important people
involved.

 Choose the most important criteria – around 5-7 should be enough.

 Phrase the criteria so that they are parallel and positive. For example, write it as “Will it be within our budget?” rather
than “Will it be too expensive?” (A higher score should be a positive result!)

 Make sure that the criteria are different enough to each other. Consider merging any that are very similar.

 Once you have your agreed list, create a matrix with solution options running down the side and agreed criteria
across the top. Agree a scoring system for each criteria, say from 1-6, with higher being a better score. Leave a total
column on the right-hand side for adding up scores.

 Complete the matrix, one column at a time, so that you are comparing options against each other as you progress.
This aids objectivity and focus.

 Complete the matrix, add the scores and compare results. Use the results as a basis for further discussion, rather
than as a final decision. Can any ideas be strengthened quickly and would that change the scores?

 Agree on which ideas to take forward.

Origins:
Scriven, M (1959), The logic of criteria, Journal of philosophy
Parnes, S (1967), Creative behaviour Guidebook, New York, Scribner
Isaksen et al (2011), Creative approaches to problem solving, Sage

Back to Stage 3 tools

List 1:

 Resources – are the resources (time, personnel, equipment, money, information) sufficient for executing this idea?

 Motivation – are there others with equal motivation and commitment required for successful implementation?

 Resistance – is the idea likely to come across any ‘closed thinking’ and/or resistance to change in general?

 Procedures – are there any procedural complications that could get in the way?

 Structures – are there any structural obstacles to surmount (e.g. bad communication channels)?

 Policies – What official/unofficial policies need to be overcome?

 Risk – will risk taking be tolerated by those responsible for implementation and if so to what level?

 Power – do any power struggles exist relating to the idea that might obstruct implementation?

 Clashes – are there any clashes of personalities that may hinder advancement in the implementation?

 Climate – is the organisational environment one of teamwork and co-operation or suspicion and distrust?

Source: Van Gundy, A. B., (1988), Techniques of structured problem solving, Van Nostrand Reinhold

List 2:

 Relative advantage – how much better than previous approaches is this idea?

 Compatibility – is our proposed approach consistent with our values, experiences and needs?

 Complexity – how easy is our approach to understand and use?

 Trialability – can our approach be experimented with, on a limited basis?

 Observability – how clear will the results be to others?

Source: Isaksen S., Dorval, B., and Treffinger, D., Creative approaches to Problem Solving. (2000). Kendall/Hunt

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 45
Advantages, Limitations, Unique Qualities and Overcoming Limitations (ALUO)
Where you want to look at the pros and cons of a few shortlisted ideas, this can be a helpful technique. Ideally, you want
to compare between 2 – 4 ideas.

 Select the 2 – 4 ideas you want to consider.

 Use flip-chart paper and, for each idea, list all the advantages you can identify. What makes them attractive and
appealing?

 When you can’t think of any more advantages, write the potential flaws and weaknesses for each idea.

 Next, write what is unusual and potentially unique about each idea.

 Finally, write down how you would overcome the limitations of each idea.

Using this approach can highlight the differences between ideas. This can help you choose to develop them further, not
pursue them, prioritise them, and build a business case and implementation plan for the ideas you like.

Source: Isaksen, S., Dorval, K., and Treffinger D. (1994), Creative approaches to Problem Solving, Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 46
Concept Creation
When you want to share your concept and get feedback, this can be a helpful tool. It helps you to elaborate your idea,
making it clearer and more understandable. It can also help you to get specific feedback from your target group.

 Select the chosen ideas you want to turn into concepts

 Complete a template, like the one below, include items such as:
o Concept name and slogan.
o The ‘friction’ for your target group: what they do/their role/work; what they want; why they can’t get it. (Write this
in 1st person.)
o Describe the concept briefly, including how it works.
o Describe the benefits for the target group.
o Outline any cost, and how the target group can access the concept.
Once written, the concept description can be shared with a selection of people in your target group. After all, it’s their
feedback that matters most.

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 47
Prototyping
Prototypes are small-scale, visual mock-ups of products, services, processes, or business models, designed to test the
validity of an idea.

Prototypes might be lo-fidelity examples, which are probably lower cost, less realistic examples of the concept. Like the
examples below, these could include sketches, story-boards, product mock-ups, or role plays of service interactions.

Hi-fidelity examples are more realistic, might cost more to produce, and are likely to be created in later stages of concept
development. They might include videos of the concept, physical installations – so people can ‘experience’ the idea in
action.

Protoypes can be visual complements to more text-based concept descriptions. The point is to use them to gather
systematic feedback from your target audience.

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 48
Triangulation
A major part of getting an idea implemented is the Big ‘P’ – Persuasion. William James once said “There are six people in
every two-sided conversation – you as seen by yourself, you as seen by the other person, and you as you really are”. The
Triangulation technique helps you to maximise the possibility of getting buy-in for your idea by enabling you to see critical
meetings and discussions from these three separate perspectives: your own, your counterpart’s and an observer’s.

By looking at these situations from multiple perspectives you can anticipate reactions, envisage conversations, arguments
and counter-arguments from three valuable but different positions. As a result, you can proactively develop appropriate
and effective strategies of persuasion.

There are many variations on this technique; the process described below is suitable when you are working with a group
of three or more people.

Step 1

You need to persuade a Senior Manager/your boss that your idea is a good one and you need to get their buy-in and
commitment to secure resources to implement it. In this first role play you will play yourself, and another member of
the group will play the Senior Manager/your boss. You need to give this group member information about the Senior
Manager so that they can role play this person and simulate their possible reactions to the proposal(s) you will make. You
also decide where the meeting takes place, what time of day and any other details you think could be useful to make the
role play as “real” as possible. The rest of the group will play the role of silent and neutral observers.

You and the other group member role play the meeting. At the end, one of the observers debriefs it by asking questions to
both yourself and the role-playing Senior Manager. The neutral observers then give their own feedback. Typical questions
are:

 How do you feel right now? How do you feel about the meeting? Did anything surprise you?
 Did it go according to plan? Did you achieve your objective(s)? What did you learn?
 What would you do differently next time?

Step 2

You role play the meeting now as the Senior Manager/your boss, and another group member will play your role.
Follow the same process as before, and debrief as before.

Step 3

You now play the role of neutral observer, and other group members play your role and that of the Senior
Manager/your boss. Follow the same process as before, and debrief as before.

Source unknown

Back to Stage 3 tools

In a variation on triangulation, this gives immediate feedback to the problem owner on the strength of their argument.

Where the implementation involves explaining, informing and persuading people of the merits of an idea, here’s a simple
technique for practising your case in a safe environment.

Set up two chairs facing each other and about 10 feet apart. On one chair, someone sits and advocates the change being
suggested: the need for it, the advantages of this solution, how people can benefit. On the other chair someone takes the
role of a likely stakeholder from the organisation who will be affected by the change. They argue their case as they see fit.

The rest of the group move along a continuum between the two people, depending on whose argument convinces them
more. As one person makes a strong point, so people may move nearer that person; if the other person makes a strong
point, the audience will move back towards that person. The audience’s movement is a form of feedback useful for
preparing for the real debate.

Source: Alan Margolis, Creative thinking consultant: www.hampsteadtraining.com

Back to Stage 3 tools

This is a simple and useful tool for the stage of gaining acceptance.
 Ask people to call out the people and things that can help or hinder the client in implementing the plan. Write
everything up, somewhere visible.

 Ask the client, if they are present, to select two or three priority ‘helps’ and two or three priority potential hindrances.
(If the client isn’t present, ask the group for the priority areas.)

 Chart them, using a table, as shown below.

 Ask the group for ideas on how to gain the support of the key helpers, and, at least as important, to overcome those
who might hinder the scheme progressing.

 Discuss these ideas and write as a potential action plan. Check the plan with the client.

Helps Hinders

Exploration – who, what, etc.

Action planning – How? When?

Where? Who? etc

Origins: This seems to be an adapted tool, including from Henry and Martin (1997), Creative Problem-solving Guide, Open University

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 51
Changing Shoes
This is a useful technique for anticipating any objections that may be made by various stakeholders.

 Make a list of the three best arguments in favour of this solution. You can do this as individuals and then pool your
thoughts, or you can work on this as a group. Write each argument on a separate piece of flipchart paper.

 Look at each argument and write underneath it the best objection you can make to it.

 Now look at them again and write underneath each objection the best way you can think of countering it.

 Now return to the original solution you are proposing and prepare to argue exactly the opposite case. For example, if
you are proposing to increase staff levels then note down the three best arguments you can think of for reducing staff
levels. Write each one on a separate piece of flipchart paper as before.

 Go through the same process as above.

 Place in front of you the six flipchart papers with all the arguments that have been put forward in the activity, the
objections and the counter arguments .Let your eyes wander over these at random and you will probably gain fresh
insights into any potential weaknesses in the suggested problem solution.

Source unknown

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 52
Bullet Proofing
The aim here is to identify aspects of your plan that are vulnerable. Ask yourself questions like: What could go wrong?
What unexpected hurdles might arise? What is the worst thing that could happen? Record your thoughts on a table such
as this one below. Your focus will be on the top right hand corner – things are likely to occur and would cause a major
problem for you and your team. Having identified your areas of concern, use other problem solving approaches to solve
them.

How likely to occur?

Less likely More likely

If it did occur it A major problem

would be:

A minor problem

Adapted from: Kepner, C. and Tregoe, B. (1976). The Rational Manager, Princeton, N.J.

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 53
People Power
People have the potential to ensure that your proposed solution is implemented and is a resounding success. They also
have the potential to have the opposite effect. This technique is a way of putting some structure on what you might be
feeling intuitively and of making sure you target the most appropriate people with clear objectives in mind.

 Draw a table with eight columns – the last column should be the widest. List the key stakeholders involved in the
implementation of your proposed solution and write them in the first column under the heading ‘Stakeholders’ – this
will also give you the number of rows you need.

 Write ‘Impact’ at the head of the second column. Assess the impact that each stakeholder could have on the
implementation of your proposed solution as High, Medium or Low and write the appropriate word next to the name
as you work your way down the column.

 In the headings of columns three to seven, write the following words: ‘completely against’, ‘fairly unsupportive’,
‘neutral’, ‘fairly supportive’, ‘completely in favour’. Or you could write the following percentages if you prefer, indicating
likely support: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%. Now go down the column of names again and put a cross in the column
which, to the best of your knowledge, best describes this stake-holder’s current position.

 When each stake-holder has a cross level with their name in one of the columns, go back through the list again and
consider how far to the right you could realistically move them and where you would ideally need them to be; in other
words, how far do you think you could persuade them to support you, and put a tick in this square.

 Now review what you have and identify your key targets. That is to say, the person or people who have a high impact
on whether or not your implementation is successful and who are far to the left in your table, i.e. completely against or
unsupportive. Now, in the final column, number eight, write the word ‘Action’ as a heading and discuss and decide
how you are going to move your key and problematic stakeholder from their current position to the position which you
have indicated with a tick and which you realistically think you can persuade them to move to.
By concentrating on the stakeholders who are both key and likely to be against the proposed solution, you can target your
resources and your energies for maximum effect. It is important not to neglect those who have low impact and are already
in favour of the solution – you simply don’t have to spend so much time on them, which is often the temptation as they are
easier to deal with!

Adapted from: Mason R., and Mitroff, I. (1981), Challenging Strategic Planning Assumptions, New York, Wiley

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 54
Business Case
You may need to write and present a business case to persuade senior people to support the idea to implementation.

When your idea has been strengthened, shared, and received positive feedback from your target group, you can put a
business case together with the following components:

 Outline the idea, and explain how it meets a ‘friction’ or ‘pain-point’ for your target group: something they want but
currently can’t get.
 Outline the idea briefly – your audience won’t know it as well as you.
 Is the idea desirable? Share the positive feedback from people in your target group. Compare your position to your
competitors, or alternative suppliers. Be market-focused here.
 Is it feasible? Can you make it? Do you need partners outside the organisation, to bring specific skills or expertise?
Be operational-focused here.
 Is it viable? Is it worth pursuing? Does it bring you margin, profit, turnover, new markets, social impact or other forms
of value? Be commercial-focused here.
 What are the implementation factors: team composition, potential launch date, development costs, risks.
 Outline the reasons to say “Yes!”

Feasible
(We can do
this.)

Desirable Viable
(The target (The idea
group wants will bring
it.) value.)

A well-pitched business case combines creativity with operational pragmatism and commercial thinking. Don’t hide the
risks and the uncertainties. Do pitch the strong benefits to be gained. And do convey your enthusiasm for the case.

Back to Stage 3 tools

© Bluegreen Learning Ltd 2019 | All rights reserved Developed for West of England Academy 55
Facilitating Creative Problem Solving: about your personal
development
It takes real competence to help groups learn to turn ideas into value. And everything in this toolkit is highly learnable.

Looking at the diagram below, broadly:

 The tools will be the most apparent to the group, as you use them. You’ll need to learn to:

o Use tools that suit the challenge, rather than just using the ones you like!
o Use both divergent and convergent tools.
o Adapt the tools to your context.

 The skills might not be noticed so obviously, but are key. They take practice and reflection to develop, and can
include:

o Working with the group through the process, as they experience highs and lows. Your role is to stretch them
beyond their comfort zone, so they explore rather than retreat.
o Working with the client to clarify an innovation assignment they really need.
o Securing senior support for ideas that might transform a service, market, business, etc.
o Knowing your way through the innovation process.

 Underpinning all of this is a healthy mindset for innovation. Without this, the tools and skills are not enough, and work
tends to stop when challenges are encountered. This can include:

o Finding ways to experiment where the consequences of failure are minimised.

o Applying the 4 rules for both divergent and convergent thinking.
o Being focused on desired organisational outcomes and open to being surprised by the process of getting there.
o Planning for sustainable change that can spread to other areas.
o Acknowledging that change is a complex and emotional process, and that people often have mixed feelings:
excitement about possibilities and anxiety about uncertainties; pride about results and sadness about what is
changed.

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SCIENCE 8 Weekly Home Activities and Tasks Guide - Offline Frontlearners LMS With Messenger Class
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SCIENCE 8 Weekly Home Activities and Tasks Guide - Offline Frontlearners LMS With Messenger Class
3 pages
Organization For Women in Science For The Developing World (OWSD)
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Organization For Women in Science For The Developing World (OWSD)
2 pages
Tos and Summative Test 2nd Grading Period Sy 2019 2020
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Tos and Summative Test 2nd Grading Period Sy 2019 2020
2 pages
Construcitivist Needham
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Construcitivist Needham
15 pages
Teaching and Researching Motivation 3rd Edition Zoltán Dörnyei pdf download
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Teaching and Researching Motivation 3rd Edition Zoltán Dörnyei pdf download
48 pages
StudentsAttitudetowardsE Learning IJAERDV04I1115380
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StudentsAttitudetowardsE Learning IJAERDV04I1115380
6 pages
Nestlé Management Trainee Application Form 2015: Please Click Here For CEFR Detailed Explanation
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Nestlé Management Trainee Application Form 2015: Please Click Here For CEFR Detailed Explanation
15 pages
Optimization Techniques For Power System Problems
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Optimization Techniques For Power System Problems
12 pages
RTI Information IPM PDF
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RTI Information IPM PDF
1 page
Dll-Eapp 2
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Dll-Eapp 2
4 pages
Research
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Research
12 pages
Malitbog National High School
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Malitbog National High School
3 pages
Model of Teaching/Learning Process: Dr. Rainiel Victor M. Crisologo
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Model of Teaching/Learning Process: Dr. Rainiel Victor M. Crisologo
19 pages
What's in A "Username" The Effect of Perceived Anonymity On Herding in Crowdfunding - ISR - 2022
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What's in A "Username" The Effect of Perceived Anonymity On Herding in Crowdfunding - ISR - 2022
18 pages
Conclusion
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Conclusion
2 pages
PMS
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PMS
15 pages
SCI-M-3114 - P 4-7 Chapter 1
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SCI-M-3114 - P 4-7 Chapter 1
4 pages
Chapter 5
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Chapter 5
14 pages