COMM104: Learning Communities Creative Problem Solving Assessment Outline- Stages 1-5 Deadline Due by the end of Week 4 at 11:59pm, ET.

Give up on having two cars in the garage.

This would work and be cheap, but we are currently following this solution and it is frustrating. The garage is still unorganized.

2.    After reviewing them against the criteria, what solutions made the cut?

There are several solutions that will work, but only one solution meets all four criteria: build a shed.

3.    How can you strengthen your solution?

After building the shed, it will be useful to still use the vacant space near the ceiling of the garage to store seasonal items or less used items. This way, the shed becomes a "closet" for the kids' bikes and toys. This will help the kids organize their own stuff.

4.    How can you select the solutions to know which one will work best?

The only solution to meet all the criteria was selected and will be implemented. This was done by a thorough comparison of each solution. The remaining solutions still left an undesirable outcome, part of the problem unsolved, or a cost issue.

5.    After revisiting the original mess, data finding, and problem statement - does/do you chose idea(s) solve your situation at this time?  

It will, once the shed is built, it will allow the garage to be used for the cars and the shed to be used for the family to store outdoor items: bikes, lawn mower, garden tools, etc.

Once you complete all five stages above, please submit this outline document to your instructor for review in Blackboard. Next week you will take your findings and create a action plan which completes all six stages of the Creative Problem Solving Model.

 [MJ1]This stage is about finding something to work on. It is about finding the mess that needs cleaned up. In many instances, the problem is staring us in the face, so we can skip this stage. Sometimes we need to use this stage to clarify our objectives/goals (what do I want to accomplish?).

 [MJ2]It appears this is on my mind, so this is the mess (problem) I will work on in this process.

 [MJ3]In this stage, you analyze the problem to fully understand it. By breaking it down into smaller parts, you can more easily find out the causes of the problem that need to be addressed.

 [MJ4]This stage is about synthesizing the data from the previous stage into a clear objective. This will help us know exactly what needs solved.

 [MJ5]This stage is about finding as many solutions as possible. This is where the creativity comes in. There are no bad ideas in this stage. Think of all the possible ways you can solve your problem.

 [MJ6]This stage is about analyzing the proposed solutions from the previous stage. It is important to choose solid criteria and to analyze each solution with the criteria separately. After the solution is made clear, it is important to verify it addresses the problem identified earlier in the process. Go back through the first three stages to confirm nothing was forgotten about the problem, and that the solution will work.