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How to coach teams in creative problem solving Ari-Pekka Lappi (@ilmirajat) v.2
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Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Apr 12, 2017

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Page 1: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

How to coach teams in creative problem solving

Ari-Pekka Lappi (@ilmirajat)

v.2

Page 2: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Goal After this presentation everyone has at least 1 creativity tool they can use in their everyday work within next two weeks.

• On Creativity• Tool 1: SCAMBER + warmup• Creativity + Problem solving

• How to Coaching Creative problem solving• Tool 2: 9 windows + exercise• Tool 3: Contradiction analysis +

exercise

Outline

Page 3: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Who am I?• Hybrid philosopher-engineer

• Developer, ScrumMaster, architect• M.A. majoring theoretical philosophy

from Helsinki University• Entrepreneur in Flowa

• Big fan of functional programming (F# and Clojure), philosophy of Nietzsche• Hobbyist game designer and game

researcher• Part-time artist in Reality Research

Center

Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Atanas Botev.Oil on canvas/collage 2004

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Who are you?1. Name2. On scale 1-100, how creative you think you are

currently? (1=not creative at all, 100=highly creative)3. Would it be practical or otherwice benefical to be

more creative? Most likely follow-up questions4. What benefits would increased creativity produce to you?5. Are you already doing something in order to be more creative?

Page 5: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

On Creativity

Page 6: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

lChallenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

Overly simplified process for creative thinking

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l

Step 1: Find direction

What is the ideal state/result? What is the goal? What I want to have?

Challenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

1

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l

Step 2: Identify challenge

Why have I not reached the goal already? What is blocking or preventing me?

Challenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

1

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l

Step 3: Look around

Where I am? What do I have (=resources)? What have I done already?

Challenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

12

Page 10: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

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Step 4: Seek options

What (all) might I do in order to reach the goal with the resources I have?

Challenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

12

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Step 5: Experiment

Creative strategy? Creative action? Creativity is about doing, not about dreaming

Challenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

12 3

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l

Simplified process

Challenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

12 3

for creative thinking

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In Practice (warmup)

Page 14: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Creative toolboxes

Page 15: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1 – Step 1

Pick an object from this space.

It can be anything from a pen or shoe to table. I will use light bulb as an example so please choose something else.

Page 16: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1 – Step 2

Think of its main function.

The main function of a light bulb is “to illuminate”.

Page 17: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1 – Step 3Now think what use could the object have if you “eliminate” its main function.

Why would people want to have the thing without its main function?

E.g. What use could a light bulb have, if its main function was not to illuminate.

Page 18: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Visual esthetics

Page 19: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

”Conditional” visibility

Page 20: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Signal what is happening in a machine

Page 21: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

To be a kickass weapon

Page 22: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Creative strategies/action(1) Eliminate

+(2) Put to another use

Page 23: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 2 – Step 1

Pick an object from this space.

It can be anything from a pen or shoe to table. I will use light bulb as an example so please choose something else.

Page 24: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 2 – Step 2

Think of its main function.

Page 25: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 2 – Step 2

Pick at an actions that does not relate to the object at all.

In case of light bulb the main function is “to illuminate”. So I choose “to walk”.

Page 26: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 2 – Step 3

Combine the object and the actions.

Page 27: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Creative strategy/actionCombine

Page 28: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 3 – Step 1

Pick an object from this space.

It can be anything from a pen or shoe to table. I will use light bulb as an example so please choose something else.

Page 29: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 3 – Step 2Think what is essential for its main function.

What mechanism or part is needed for its core function?

E.g. ‘class shell’ around the wolfram wire.

Page 30: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 3 – Step 4

Pick another object

E.g. ‘a table’

Page 31: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 3 – Step 4

Substitude the essential part by the other object

Light table… boring. Let me try again ‘door’. Using light as a door. Kind of theatrical effect… Better.

Page 32: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Creative strategy/actionSubstitude

Page 33: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

SubstituteCombineAmplify ModifyPut to another useEliminateReverse/reorganize

Page 34: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

SCAMPER, Synectics, 40 Inventive

principles, 6 thinking hats…

Slightly different approaches but a lot of similarities.

Page 35: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

On coaching people

in creative thinking

Image: Epsos.de

Page 36: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Two modes of coaching

Leading: Direct & explore

Following: Listen &

understand

Page 37: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Two modes of coachingFollowing - Listen• Listen • Reflect and rephrase• What kind of help the coachee

expects from you?

Leading - Explore• Reframe • Deconstruct (“abbauen“)• Help coachee to ”see” options,

opportunities and novel approaches?

Depending on your role in team and situation: Consider switching to mentoring or teaching mode

Page 38: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Key question: What might help people to be more creative and inventive?

Image: Epsos.de

Page 39: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Think of pains and struggles just before the moments of

”heureka” and ”aha, I got it”What creative struggles have had?

How it feels just before ”heureka” and why?

Page 40: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

The most common pains and struggles in problem

solvingMy observations

Page 41: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2
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Unresolvedproblems Solutions

Gatekeepers

Page 47: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Unresolvedproblems Solutions

Gatekeepers

Challenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

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Page 48: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

lChallenges & unmet

needs

Creative actions

Innovations and insights

12 3

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Unresolvedproblems Solutions

Psychological

intertia

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Page 49: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

9 Windows

Page 50: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Unresolvedproblems Solutions

Gatekeepers

Page 51: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Case 1: Bootstrap doesn’t work anymore. It worked last week. What I have messed up?

Download Bootstrap

Ensure that it works

Something else for week

and two

Continue (following

the tutorial)

It does not work

anymore

Something that worked last week doesn’t work anymore!

Page 52: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Past Now Future

Super-system

System

The problem

Sub-system

Page 53: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Bootstrap did work week or do ago

Bootstrap doesn’t work anymore. It worked last week.

Bootstrap works again (=problem solved; what might be differently)

CSS markup and bootstrap filesHtml and link to css fileBrowsers default rendering rulesExamples in the tutorial

CSS markup and bootstrap filesHtml and link to css fileBrowsers default rendering rulesExamples in the tutorial

Page 54: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Web site documentationDevelopment communityBrowser versionVersion 2.x (newest)=> Default docs for v2.x

Web site documentationDevelopment communityBrowser versionVersion 3.0 (newest)=> Default docs for v3.0

Bootstrap did work week or do ago

Bootstrap doesn’t work anymore. It worked last week.

Bootstrap works again (=problem solved; what might be differently)

CSS markup and bootstrap filesHtml and link to css fileBrowsers default rendering rulesExamples in the tutorial

CSS markup and bootstrap filesHtml and link to css fileBrowsers default rendering rulesExamples in the tutorial

Page 55: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

SolutionsBootstrap 3.0 was released a week ago. I had downloaded the bootstrap 2.x files and tested it using version 2.x tutorial. Now I continued by using 3.0 tutorial. There’s a mismatch…

Page 56: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Case 2: After customer have paid, delivery of the product fails in 1 of 10 000 case due fatal system failure

Order PaymentProcess

order and payment

Delivery

Fatal (seeminly non-repetable and rare) error here

Page 57: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Much earlier: Recurring session related problems and fixes

Customer serviceCompany reputation

Customer select productCustomer confirm orderCustomer pays product in third party payment system

When customer returns to the our system, system throws fatal error sometimes.

Delivery of the product fails in 1 of 10 000 cases due a fatal server error.

Customer calls to the customer service and complains about the problem.

Database callUI interactionSession handlingDatabase callsCryptographic stuff (ensure validity of order)

Cryptographic stuff (ensure validity of payment)Database calls (get product data, get order related data, store payment related data…)Session handlingSession expiration

Annoyance about the failed deliveryCall to customer service

Page 58: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Much earlier: Recurring session related problems and fixes

Database server3rd party payment systemError logs and audit logsWeb server and application serverRequest routingCaching mechanisms

Customer serviceCompany reputations

Customer select productCustomer click order and pays product in thrid part payment system

Customer returns to the our system. System throws fatal error.

Delivery of the product fails in 1 of 10 000 cases due a fatal server error.

Customer calls to the customer service and complains about the problem.

Database callUI interactionSession handlingDatabase callsCryptographic stuff (ensure validity of order)

Cryptographic stuff (ensure validity of payment)Database callsSession handlingSession expiration

Annoyance about the failed deliveryCall to customer serviceLog entries mapped to the approximate time of the error and type of error

Page 59: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

SolutionThe solution was that in some rare cases a field returned by SQL server was null (value did not exist) and the system threw NullReferenceException*. The end user saw just a generic “something went wrong” error.

You needed to add a null check.

[*] As some of you guessed already, the language was C#. In Java you get NullPointerException, not NullReferenceException.

Page 60: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1: 9 Windows

Page 61: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1-1: Getting started• Form 3-5 person groups• Choose the problem• Problem 1: Meetings starts late 50% of times• Problem 2 (technical): Critical bugs in production system a days after

deployment

• Timebox: 2-3 minutes

Page 62: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1-2: Goal• Step 1: Draw 3 x 3 matrics. Discuss what is the problem you are

actually going to solve? • Discuss ”why do we want to solve this problem?” and make the problem

better and deeper?

• Step 2: Discuss semantics of the axises

• Don’t talk on the posible solutions at this point!

• Timebox: 5 minutes

Page 63: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1-3: First ideas• Step 4: List ideas relating the idea and • Step 5: Categorize them by using the matrixOR • Step 5: Use categories in the matrix as inpsiratio and • Step 4: List what you might put to the matrix

• Resist temptation to head directly to the solutions!

• Timebox: 5 minutes

Page 64: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1-4: What else?• Step 5: Review what 9 windows boxes are empty or has just few

ideas?• Why they are empty or have just few idea? • What might go there?• Consider relations of the things in the matrix

• Resist temptation to head directly to the solutions!

• Timebox: 5 minutes

Page 65: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1-5: Solution• Step 6: Ideate a concrete thing or few concrete things you could try

next.

• Resist temptation to dive deeper to the problem, focus on what might you do instead!

• Timebox: 5 minutes

Page 66: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Contradiction analysis

Page 67: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Unresolvedproblems Solutions

Gatekeepers

Page 68: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Case 3: Startups don’t do any risk management

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Where?• Where should startups do risk management?• Irrelevant

• Where should startups not do risk management?• Customer premises?

Image: Nasa

Fine, but this does notyet solve the problem!

Page 71: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

When?• When should startups do risk management?• Hour or two once per quarter is probably enough

• When should startups not do risk manement?• Irrelevant

A solution; maybe good enough

Page 72: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Conditions? Interfaces?• In which cases or within which conditions startups should do risk

management?• If they need to do decision having big financial impact

• In which cases or within which conditions should not startups do risk manement?• If they do sales• As a part of their everyday work (usually)

Great, we have a solution!

Page 73: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

OutcomeThe coachee decided that:Once per quarter he will go to a restaurant with the founders of a startup. During that evening they go through what all could go wrong and get drunk (or another way around).

After that evening, the people switch back to the optimistic mode.

Page 74: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Case 3: We want to write and read massive amount of data from a table at the same time in SQL ServerGuess what --- we had a serious performance problem.

Page 75: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

The problem

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Where?• To where need I write data quickly?• I don’t care as long as the data is persisted to the database and never lost

• From where need I read data quickly? • I don’t care if I get valid data from database

Image: Nasa

NO WIN!

Page 78: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

When?• When do I want to read data quickly?• When customer wants to download a dataset he have earlier stored to the

system

• When do I want to write data quickly?• When customer want to save or upload data to the system

NO WIN!

Page 79: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Conditions? Interfaces?• In which cases or within which conditions I want to read data quickly?• Always

• In which cases or within which conditions I want to write data quickly?• Only in those cases it have impact to user experience. If I do some stuff as a

background job it does not matter if it takes time.

ROCK! Now we’re talking…

Page 80: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Outcome

Page 81: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1: Contradiction analysis

Page 82: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1-1: Getting started• Form 3-5 person groups• Choose the problem• Problem 1: New product vs. the old products• Problem 2: The impossible report

• Timebox: 2-3 minutes

Page 83: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1-2: Analysis• Step 1: Analyze problem and formulate the contradiction. • Step 1.1. Draw the contradiction diagram• Step 1.2: The goal• Step 1.3: The sub-goal• Step 1.4: The implications and requirements

• Goal of all is to ”see” clearly what is the underlying fundamental contraction that makes the problem hard?

• Timebox: 10 minutes

Page 84: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Exercise 1-3: What if…• Step 2: Try to separate contradicting elementes by• Step 2.1. Space (abstract, social, mental, physical etc.)• Step 2.2: Time (chronological, experienced, physical etc.)• Step 3.3: Condition/interface (logical, contract, situation etc.)

• The goal of this is to find novel approach to the problem where the contradiction is no more relevant or hard?

• Timebox: 10 minutes

Page 85: Coaching teams in Creative Problem Solving v.2

Thank You! DiscussionTwitter: @ilmirajat