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Paul Reali

Paul Reali, MS, MBA
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Creativity Rising

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CPS STAGE: IMAGINE THE FUTURE

Creative Problem Solving Model ABOUT THIS STAGE

The CPS process often begins, as it were, at the beginning: identifying what you want to achieve. Think of the imagined future - which is by definition some distance from the current situation - as something you want: a goal, wish, challenge, or opportunity.

When imagining the future state, use these guidelines:

  • Use divergent thinking tools to generate many possible future states (that is, goals, wishes, challenges, opportunities).
  • Begin the future statements with "I wish...," "I want...," "I will...," or "It would be great if...."
  • Make the statements affirmative; that is, something you want, not something you do not want.
  • Use convergent thinking tools to select the ideal desired future state. Make the final statement broad, brief, and beneficial. That is, it should be sufficiently broad as to allow a number of different problem statements (see Find the Questions); it should be concise, without dependent clauses, conditions, or rationales; and it should be something that is worth doing.
  • Ask yourself three questions: 1) Do you own this situation? 2) Are you motivated to do something about it? 3) Are you interested in creative solutions? If you answer "yes" to all three, the situation is a good candidate for CPS.

This stage is closely related to the next, Find the Questions. Together, these steps represent the process of knowing what specific problem you are trying to solve.

NOW WHAT

Here are some choices:

  • Click any part of the model above to examine that stage in more detail.
  • Continue the tour in a linear way by moving on to Find the Questions.

CONTACT US WHEN YOU ARE READY

When you're ready to talk to us about teaching you this process or facilitating a problem-solving session, just holler.