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Creative Thinking And Problem Solving PDF

315 Pages·2018·263.905 MB·English
by  FabianJohn
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Creative Thinking & Problem Solving John Fabian Boca Raton London New York CRC PressC isR anC im Pprrinets osf, thIenc. Taylor B&o Fcraanc Ris Gartoounp,, a nF ilnoforrimdaa business First published 1990 by CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 Reissued 2018 by CRC Press © 1990 by CRC Press LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including pho- tocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http:// www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fabian, John, 1934 Creative thinking and problem solving/John Fabian. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-87371-153-X 1. Creative ability in science. 2. Problem solving. I. Title. Q172.5.C74F33 1990 153.4’3—dc20 90-31911 A Library of Congress record exists under LC control number: 90031911 Publisher’s Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent. Disclaimer The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes correspondence from those they have been unable to contact. ISBN 13: 978-1-315-89210-8 (hbk) ISBN 13: 978-1-351-07120-8 (ebk) Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com This book is dedicated to: My folks, who whetted my appetite for crea- tive expression Mentors galore who showed me the imagi- native potency and wisdom of the human mind, teams at work and play, organizations seeking innovation and transformation. Detractors whose probes and barbs helped hone my thinking and teaching. Peers, students, and clients who cultivated a curious air, a playful air, an always-ready creative dare. Pioneers who tinkered and toiled, tantalizing me with their inventions. John P. Fabian, PhD, is a widely experienced and highly effective consultant, trainer, lecturer, and facilitator. For many years he has been helping diverse companies, institutions, groups, and individuals creatively untangle problems and opportunities, find new options, explore the future, and behave more openly and imaginatively. Through the use of creative thinking strategies, he has helped scientists, engineers, researchers, managers, and support staff discover novel approaches in their work, and ways of unlocking their own creativity and potential. A licensed psychologist, Dr. Fabian helps bridge walls be- tween organizations, disciplines, teams, and individuals. Think- ing strategically and creatively, building high performance teams and organizations, solving thorny problems, and exciting people with the potential within and around them are the targets of his work. Preface Writing a book like this is an audacious act! Not wanting a tedious textbook nor a fluffy generic self-help book, I've at- tempted a balancing act. To provide the meat of creative thinking with the right amount of tenderizer, I've tried to present the important concepts and techniques without heavy gristle of back- ground information that could detract from the taste and useful- ness of the ideas. The pages ahead are intended for scientists, engineers, and project leaders who want to add depth, how to's, and spice to their creative thinking. This book is for those who want to sharpen their imaginative edge: • Scientists probing the boundaries of the known or search- ing for answers to perplexing problems or exciting possi- bilities in the field or the lab • Engineers at the forefront of product or process develop- ment, as well as those maintaining, patching, enhancing, or seeking solutions to technology that already exists • Project managers wanting to forge teams not only driving toward milestones but also applying imagination to their tasks • Others tantalized by creativity This book doesn't guarantee a Nobel prize, a seat on a prestig- ious commission of one's choosing, a huge grant from a founda- tion, or a new product that takes the nation by storm. Many factors besides innovative thinking go into those prizes. Other opportunities lie in store for you in this book: • Practical techniques for sparking individual and group creative thinking • Expanded inventive behaviors • Ways for people with different thinking preferences to in- teract creatively vii • Methods of breaking common perceptions and producing wider ranges of options or ideas • Remedies for overcoming innovation killers • Greater appreciation for where, when, and how creative thinking can be useful in your work If you already know a subject, you might want to move to another section. You may then want to double back for either concepts or how to's. The following thumbnail sketch should help you know what to anticipate in the pages ahead. • Chapter 1: Sketches the creative thinking journey that has been and can be taken by many scientific and technical people. Provides definitions. Presents an overview of criti- cal components. • Chapters 2 and 3: Point to elements that help unleash crea- tive energy. Highlight the individual qualities that deliver breakthrough thinking. Show blocks to creative thinking and ways to get around the personal barriers. • Chapters 4-9: Explore how to ignite imagination. Go step- by-step through the creative process, illustrating the four key phases. • Chapter 10: Provides specific practice and application tools for expanding imaginative thinking in individuals and groups. • Chapter 11: Focuses on environmental keys for fostering and managing innovative thought. The book presents a buffet of ideas, a mixture of individual and group stimulation concoctions. Fundamentals are given along with the fancier morsels. Just as professional teams prepare for sporting events by working on the basics, the foundation in- novative thinking skills and methods need to be well in hand before more esoteric practices can jell. You already have built-in imaginative abilities and creative techniques. I hope the ideas in this book can tease, stretch, and stir what you already have, then take you to richer levels of crea- tive thinking. Become a participant in the book. Keep your mind loose as viii you search for applications. Have fun. Play with the concepts, the how to's, and the strategies. See what fits for you and what might work for your work group. Get involved when asked to. The methods in this book come from a variety of sources. Many streams of thought come together here. Researchers and practitioners have been trying to ferret out the ingredients of creative thinking for many years. In the 1950s, divergent reason- ing was being contrasted with convergent thought. During the 1960s, brainstorming and other creative problem solving ap- proaches were being tested on college campuses and in many business settings. The human potential movement probed the imaginative mind and spirit as a principle of personal growth. The 1970s was a time of explosive study of the contrasting modes of the two brain hemispheres. Neuroscientists, psycholo- gists, and educators saw the historically mute right brain as the site of functions that paralleled elements believed to be critical to innovative thinking. The exploration of consciousness and its many states was another stream that added further substance and conjecture regarding the creative mind. Also during this time, organization development specialists, in their attempts to revitalize life within companies, industries, and agencies, began to tackle work environments that inhibited creative thought. They began to create methods to breathe more imagination and innovation into organizations. Another impor- tant tributary for the study of creativity was the wealth of knowl- edge accumulating around the role of stress and change in the human mind and body. During the 1980s and on into the 1990s, there has been much refinement and strengthening of earlier themes and areas of study. Creative reasoning has begun to be more balanced. It is seen as an integration of styles of thinking, emotions, levels of consciousness, and intuitive processes. Arational or whole mind thinking has been a target for stimulating creative thought. As- sessments of preferred reasoning modes of individuals are ex- panding. The environment and how it affects both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation has been an intriguing focus. A wide variety of methods has been developed to elicit creative thinking. My fascination with creativity and the use of imagination spans twenty-five years. I have applied creative thinking pro- ix

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