| DO
IT - A Simple Process for Creativity
How to use tool:
DO IT is a process for creativity.
Techniques earlier in this chapter focus on specific
aspects of creative thinking. DO IT bundles them together, and introduces
formal methods of problem definition and evaluation. These help you to get
the best out of the creativity techniques.
DO IT is an acronym that stands for:
D - Define problem
O - Open mind and apply creative techniques
I - Identify best solution
T - Transform
These stages are explained in more detail below:
1. Define Problem
This section concentrates on analyzing the problem to ensure that the
correct question is being asked. The following steps will help you to do
this:
- Check that you are tackling the problem, not the
symptoms of the problem. To do this, ask yourself why the problem
exists repeatedly until you get to the root of it.
- Lay out the bounds of the problem. Work out the
objectives that you must achieve and the constraints that you are
operating under.
- Where a problem appears to be very large, break it
down into smaller parts. Keep on going until each part is achievable
in its own right, or needs a precisely defined area of research to be
carried out. .
- Summarize the problem in as concise a form as
possible. Robert W. Olsen suggests that the best way to do this is to
write down a number of 2 word problem statements and choose the best
one.
2. Open Mind and Apply Creative
Techniques
Once you know the problem that you want to solve, you are ready to start
generating possible solutions. It is very tempting just to accept the
first good idea that you come across. If you do this, you will miss many
even better solutions.
At this stage of DO IT we are not interested in
evaluating ideas - we are trying to generate as many different ideas as
possible. Even bad ideas may be the seeds of good ones.
You can use the whole battery of creativity techniques
covered earlier in this section to search for possible solutions. Each
tool has its particular strengths and benefits, depending on the problems
that you want to solve. While you are generating solutions, remember that
other people will have different perspectives on the problem - it will
almost certainly be worth asking for the opinions of your colleagues as
part of this process.
3. Identify the Best Solution
Only at this stage do you select the best of the ideas you have generated.
It may be that the best idea is obvious. Alternatively, it may be worth
examining and developing a number of ideas in detail before you select one.
When you are selecting a solution, bear in mind your own
or your organization's goals. Often decision-making becomes easy once you
know these.
4. Transform
Having identified the problem and created a solution to it, the final
stage is to implement this solution. This involves not only development of
a reliable product from your idea, but all the marketing and business side
as well. This may take a great deal of time and energy.
Many very creative people fail at this stage. They will
have fun creating new products and services that may be years ahead of
what is available on the market. They will then fail to develop them, and
watch someone else make a fortune out of the idea several years later.
The first stage in transforming an idea is to develop an
Action Plan for the transformation. This may lead to creation of a
Business or Marketing Plan. Once you have done this, the work of
implementation begins!
Key points:
DO IT is a structured process for creativity. Using DO
IT ensures that you carry out the essential groundwork that helps you to
get the most out of creativity tools.
These steps are:
- Problem Definition: During this stage you apply a
number of techniques to ensure that you are asking the right question.
- Open Mind: Here you apply creativity techniques to
generate as many answers as possible to the question you are asking.
At this stage you are not evaluating the answers.
- Identify the best solution: Only at this stage do you
select the best solutions from the ones you came up with in step 2.
Where you are having difficulty in selecting ideas, use formal
techniques to help.
- Transform: The final stage is to make an Action Plan
for the implementation of the solution, and to carry it out. Without
implementation, your creativity is sterile.
|
