Solving a Problem

This case study uses a variety of creative problem solving techniques to help a restaurant increase its profits.You can use this case study as an individual exercise, or adapt it for use with your team. Allow about one hour for completion if being run as a team exercise.

A simple diagnostic technique useful for investigating the underlying causes of undesired, single-problem events. Allow 40 minutes for completion.

This light-hearted quiz uses the principles of the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator to give you an idea of your preferred problem-solving style, and increase your understanding of the other problem-solving personalities out there.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) helps us look at what is good and valuable about a particular situation, and to discover new possibilities and improvements. This exercise will help you to apply the theory behind Appreciative Inquiry to problem-solving. Allow 1 hour and 25 minutes for completion.

This exercise encourages your team to use fishbone analysis to brainstorm a problem or issue, identify its root causes and formulate a solution. Allow just over one hour for completion.

Critical thinking is the mental process that individuals go through to reach an answer or a conclusion. The critical thinking process can be a valuable tool in problem-solving and decision-making. Here we look at some of the techniques involved.

Drill Down is a simple, yet highly effective, technique which can be used for breaking problems down into small, manageable chunks.

The ‘What if? technique is a quick and easy creative thinking technique that can help generate potential solutions to almost any problem.

Force-field analysis is a simple four-step process which can help identify the forces that can aid and resist your efforts to make a decision or plan.

Grid analysis is a useful decision-making technique and is of particular use when you are trying to take a lot of factors into account and all the options seem equally attractive.

Paired Comparison Analysis is a technique for working out the importance of a number of options in comparison with each other. It can be particularly helpful where you fear you are unable to be objective.

This technique encourages you to assume the role and mindset of a number of different people in order to imagine the possible solutions they might suggest when tackling a problem.