Lesson Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Explain the purpose of generating alternative solutions.
• Identify techniques used to generate possible solutions.
• Apply brainstorming to generate creative ideas.
• Explain how group-based techniques can support solution generation.
• Select an appropriate technique for a problem-solving situation.

Lesson Overview

Once you understand and investigate a problem, the next step is to generate possible solutions.

At this stage, you should not immediately choose the first solution that seems suitable. Instead, generate several alternatives and only evaluate or select them after you have created a reasonable range of options.

Different problems require different approaches. You can generate solutions individually, through groups, by gathering information from others, or by using structured analytical and creative techniques.

Main Lesson Content

Generate Alternatives Before Selecting a Solution

Problem-solving involves two broad activities:

1. Generating alternatives
2. Evaluating alternatives

This lesson focuses on the first stage: generating alternatives.

A common mistake is to identify one possible solution and immediately begin developing it.

Instead:

Keep the generation and evaluation stages separate where possible. During idea generation, early criticism can prevent people from suggesting creative alternatives.

Techniques for Generating Possible Solutions

The Learner Guide identifies a range of techniques:

• Brainstorming
• Nominal Group Technique
• Affinity Diagrams
• Delphi Technique
• Mapping
• Computer Modelling
• Observation
• Questionnaires
• Experiments
• Pareto Charts
• Other creative-thinking techniques

The Facilitator Guide also highlights Edward De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats and multi-voting as part of the solution-generation process.

You do not need to use every technique for every problem. Select an approach that fits the problem, the people involved and the information available.

1. Brainstorming

What Is Brainstorming?

Brainstorming is a creative technique for generating a large number of possible solutions in a short period.

You focus on a problem and generate as many ideas as possible, including unusual ideas.

The objective at this stage is quantity and variety, not immediately finding the perfect answer.

When Can You Use Brainstorming?

Brainstorming works particularly well when:

• You want a broad range of options.
• You need creative or original ideas.
• You want the whole group to participate.

Rules of Brainstorming

Effective brainstorming depends on creating an environment where people feel free to contribute.

1. Do not criticise ideas

Do not immediately tell someone that an idea will not work.

2. Do not evaluate ideas during generation

Evaluation comes later.

3. Accept unusual ideas

An unusual idea may lead to a more practical idea.

4. Record all ideas

Capture ideas as close as possible to the contributor’s original wording.

5. Build on other people’s ideas

Participants can combine, modify or expand ideas.

Why separate creativity from judgement?

The Learner Guide explains that judgement and creativity cannot operate effectively at the same time. When people expect immediate criticism, they may evaluate their own ideas before sharing them.

The Brainstorming Process

Step 1: Define the problem

Make sure everyone understands exactly what you are trying to solve.

The problem can often be phrased as a:

• Why question
• How question
• What question

Step 2: Explain the rules

Remind participants that you will not criticise or evaluate ideas during generation.

Step 3: Give participants time to think

Allow a short period of silence before collecting ideas.

Step 4: Generate ideas

Participants suggest possible solutions while someone records them.

Step 5: Continue generating

Keep going until the group has reached a point where no significant new ideas emerge.

Step 6: Evaluate later

Only after generating the alternatives should you begin examining their strengths, weaknesses and suitability.

Example: Improving Workplace Meetings

Problem

Meetings regularly run over their scheduled time and fail to address all important topics.

Brainstormed solutions

1. Introduce a meeting agenda.
2. Send the agenda before the meeting.
3. Set a time limit for each topic.
4. Assign a meeting facilitator.
5. Reduce the number of people attending.
6. Record action items during the meeting.
7. Send meeting notes within 24 hours.
8. Replace some meetings with email updates.
9. Hold shorter, more frequent meetings.
10. Introduce a standing meeting.

At this point, do not decide which idea is best.

The purpose of brainstorming was to create alternatives. Evaluation comes later.

2. Edward De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats

The 6 Thinking Hats provides a structured way for a group to examine an issue from different perspectives.

The Facilitator Guide specifically includes this technique within Module 3’s solution-generation content.

Each “hat” represents a different way of thinking:

The technique can help groups avoid focusing on only one perspective when generating and exploring solutions.

3. Nominal Group Technique

The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) gives participants a structured way to generate and prioritise ideas.

Participants first develop ideas individually before sharing them with the group. The group then discusses and prioritises the ideas.

The technique can be particularly useful when:

• Some people dominate discussions.
• Participants have different levels of authority.
• You need structured participation.
• You need to prioritise ideas.

The Facilitator Guide identifies NGT as one of the techniques used to generate possible solutions.

4. Multi-Voting

Multi-voting allows a group to narrow a large list of ideas.

For example, if brainstorming produces 20 possible solutions, each participant can receive a limited number of votes.

The group then identifies the ideas that receive the strongest support.

Important: Multi-voting helps narrow the alternatives. It does not automatically prove that the winning idea is the best solution.

5. Delphi Technique

The Delphi Technique gathers ideas or judgements from knowledgeable people, usually through a structured process.

It can help when:

• The required expertise is specialised.
• Participants cannot easily meet.
• You want to reduce the influence of dominant personalities.
• You need several rounds of input before reaching a view.

The Delphi Technique forms part of the range of techniques identified for generating possible solutions.

6. Mapping

Mapping provides a visual way to explore relationships between ideas, factors or possible solutions.

Instead of keeping ideas in a simple list, you can connect related ideas and identify relationships between them.

This can help when the problem contains many interconnected issues.

7. Affinity Diagrams

An Affinity Diagram groups ideas according to their relationships.

For example, after brainstorming 20 solutions to improve employee productivity, you might group them under:

• Training
• Equipment
• Processes
• Management
• Communication

This makes a large number of ideas easier to understand and organise.

8. Computer Modelling

Computer modelling allows you to explore how different conditions or decisions could affect a situation.

You can use models to compare scenarios before implementing a solution.

For example, a business could model the effect of:

• Increasing staff numbers.
• Changing operating hours.
• Increasing production capacity.

Computer modelling appears among the techniques identified in the Learner Guide.

9. Observation

Sometimes the best way to generate solutions is to observe what actually happens.

Observation can reveal:

• Delays
• Unnecessary steps
• Repeated activities
• Poor workplace practices
• Differences between procedures and actual practice

You can then use those observations to generate possible improvements.

10. Questionnaires and Surveys

Questionnaires and surveys allow you to gather ideas from a larger group of people.

The Learner Guide explains that surveys can economically tap into the ideas of a large group of respondents by presenting the problem and possible alternatives.

For example, if employees believe meetings are ineffective, a questionnaire could ask:

“What changes would make our meetings more effective?”

The responses can provide additional alternatives for consideration.

11. Experiments

An experiment allows you to test an idea under controlled conditions.

Instead of implementing a solution across the entire organisation, you might test it on a smaller scale first.

For example:

A company wants to introduce a new shift handover process.

Rather than changing every shift immediately, management could test the new process on one shift and observe the results.

12. Pareto Chart

A Pareto Chart helps you focus attention on the factors that contribute most significantly to a problem.

For example, if a business receives 100 customer complaints, a Pareto analysis might show that a small number of recurring issues account for most complaints.

This can help the team focus its solution-generation efforts on the areas likely to have the greatest impact.

The Pareto Chart appears among the techniques identified for generating possible solutions.

Choosing the Right Technique

Different situations call for different approaches.

You can also combine techniques.

For example:

Brainstorming → Affinity Diagram → Multi-Voting → Evaluation

This allows you to generate many ideas, organise them, narrow the list and then move into the evaluation stage.

Keep Solution Generation Separate From Evaluation

A key principle in this stage is:

Generate alternatives first. Evaluate them afterwards.

The Learner Guide explicitly advises postponing the selection of one solution until several alternatives have been proposed.

This matters because choosing an idea too early can cause you to:

• Ignore better alternatives.
• Defend your first idea instead of examining other options.
• Collect information only to support your preferred solution.
• Limit creative thinking.

A strong problem-solving process gives several alternatives a fair opportunity before selecting one.

Key Notes / Lesson Summary

• Generate several alternatives before selecting a solution.
• Keep idea generation separate from evaluation.
• Brainstorming encourages a large number of creative ideas.
• Do not criticise or evaluate ideas during brainstorming.
• Build on and expand other people’s ideas.
• Use 6 Thinking Hats to examine an issue from different perspectives.
• Use Nominal Group Technique for structured group participation and prioritisation.
• Use Multi-Voting to narrow a large list of alternatives.
• Use Delphi when expert input is valuable.
• Use Mapping and Affinity Diagrams to organise relationships and ideas.
• Use Computer Modelling to explore scenarios.
• Use Observation, Questionnaires, Surveys and Experiments to generate or test ideas.
• Use Pareto Charts to focus attention on significant contributing factors.
• Choose techniques according to the context of the problem.