Idea Sandbox

Welcome to the final stop of the Post2Post Virtual Book tour featuring Ken Watanabe’s best-selling book, Problem Solving 101.

But First…What Is Problem Solving?

What the heck is problem solving or creative problem solving anyway?

It’s simply a process of key steps to help – when you have a problem – to understand the problem, think-up potential solutions, and make a decision.

We are problem solvers every day of our life… from parallel parking to figuring out ways to trim your FY’10 budget. Many of our problems are small and involve little risk. For these, we can instantly perform problem solving steps in our head.

However, when greater risk is involved… for example when it involves big sums of money, major impact on an organization, or irreversible consequences… these problems need to be “worked” and broken into smaller chunks and run through a step-by-step process. That process is taught in Problem Solving 101.

While different people break the steps into different chunks, the 4-steps Ken outlines are:

1. Understand the situation.
2. Identify the root cause of the problem.
   Idea Sandbox focuses on brainstorming and decision making in order to have great ideas for your plan.
3. Develop an effective action plan.
4. Execute, and modify, until the problem is solved.

The benefits of having a process for problem solving? As Ken states in the book… “Rather than feeling as though your life is out of control, you can take charge and shape the world around you. Your dreams and goals will seem less out of reach. And you’ll be better able to accomplish whatever you’re passionate enough and imaginative enough to conceive and pursue.”

The book was originally writtento provide kids in Japan with better problem solving and decision making skills. However, it quickly became a huge success among adult, business leaders.

Translated to English the book is still the perfect read for a younger audience, but also happens to be one of the best primer’s for adults who need to strengthen their problem solving skills.

Who needs this book?

This book will be helpful if you’ve got this kind of person at work or school…

Ken could have easily done what most other books do…
Present sample case studies featuring Company XYZ selling their widgets. Describe to us their challenges in building awareness and driving sales. He would have use a generic image like below…

We’ve got problems with the widgets, Ted.

Instead he chose – for one example – a school band wanting more students to be aware and attend their concerts with original illustrations by Allan Sanders.

While some may say this book is too basic for US business leaders… I’ll argue… If Who Moved My Cheese can be a #1 best seller with the annoyingly simple parable featuring the complainers Hem and Haw, and the smart mice Sniff and Scurry… there is a place for Problem Solving 101.

Lessons from Problem Solving 101

One of the models Ken presents, is how to determine Root Cause Of Problems, and how to overcome them.

Determining Root Cause
Step 1: Diagnose the situation and identify the root cause of the problem.

1. List all the potential root causes of the problem.
2. Develop a hypothesis for the likely root cause.
3. Determine the analyses and information required to test the hypothesis.
4. Analyze and identify the root cause.

Step 2: Develop the Solution

1. Develop a wide variety of solutions to solve the problem.
2. Prioritize actions.
3. Develop an implementation plan.

If you’re not familiar or need a refresher into using the problem solving tools (below), this books is for you.

• Logic Tree
• Yes/No Tree
• Problem-Solving Design Plan
• Hypothesis Pyramid
• Pros and Cons; Criteria and Evaluation

The other stops of this virtual book tour included…

Site	Date
Think Differently Lauchlan Mackinnon	Mon, June 22
Get Fresh Minds Katie Konrath	Tue, June 23
Creativityist John Chandler	Wed, June 24
The Center for Graphic Facilitation Peter Durand	Thur, June 25
Idea Sandbox Paul Williams	YOU ARE HERE!

I hope you enjoyed the tour, got to learn more about the book!

Today is the fourth of our five-day virtual book tour featuring Ken Watanabe’s Problem Solving 101.

Today, Peter Durand at the Center for Graphic Facilitation posted his take on the book.

Yesterday, Katie Konrath at Get Fresh Minds gave her fresh opinion.

And Tuesday, John Chandler at Creativityist provides great background about the book.

An easy read that provides tools helpful for the young and old… These posts will help you better understand the book before you buy it.

Finally… the tour comes to a close, tomorrow, here at Idea Sandbox, see you then!

Don’t miss Lauchlan Mackinnon’s article today at the Think Differently blog as he kicks-off the virtual book tour featuring Ken Watanabe’s best-selling book Problem Solving 101.

You’re welcome to follow along, this week, as the tour makes stops at five different sites.

↓ Today Mon. June 22	Tomorrow → Tue. June 23
Think Differently Lauchlan Mackinnon	Get Fresh Minds Katie Konrath

Ken Watanabe’s book Problem Solving 101 was originally written to help kids in Japan with problem solving skills. The book was not only a huge success with children, but also with adults in Japan as well. After selling 370,000 copies in six months, Ken has translated and updated his book and re-published in English.

As one of the reviews states on Amazon, “the book is simple enough for a middleschooler to understand but sophisticated enough for business leaders to apply to their most challenging problems.”

Next week join Ken as he travels among five different blog sites talking about his book.

The tour kicks off at Lauchlan Mackinnon’s “Think Differently” site and concludes right back here at Idea Sandbox.

Problem Solving 101
by Ken Watanabe

Site	Date
Think Differently Lauchlan Mackinnon	Mon, June 22
Get Fresh Minds Katie Konrath	Tue, June 23
Creativityist John Chandler	Wed, June 24
The Center for Graphic Facilitation Peter Durand	Thur, June 25
Idea Sandbox Paul Williams	Fri, June 26

If you want further flavor for the book, check out Ken’s remarkable Problem Solving 101 site complete with activities and helpful tools!

If you are a blogger and wish to have your site be a stop on the Post2Post Virtual Book tour, please provide your information on the sign-up page.

Or…Want Great Marketing?
Ignore Consensus. Create Surprise!

This week Andy Nulman’s book POW! Right Between The Eyes! Profiting From The Power Of Surprise Marketing is featured on the Post2Post Virtual Book Tour. Yesterday, Andy got skanky with Erika at The Simplest Thing That Works and today is my day with Andy, and I’m excited to share our eDiscussion.

POW! Right Between The Eyes!
Profiting From The Power Of Surprise Marketing

Background

Before we jump in… let me lay some groundwork for those of you who haven’t read the book yet…

POW! Right Between The Eyes! is about using surprise as an attention-getter. To quote Andy, “The only way to please people who expect it all is to give them what they don’t expect. When they least expect it… Surprise inspires new ways of thinking, new ways of acting, and most importantly, new ways of interacting.”

Surprise can help you get noticed and is surely an ingredient in being remarkable. On to our discussion…

The Interview

So, Andy… how do you really know whether what you’re doing is ’surprising’ or Pow-worthy? Many companies think their services, or products, or marketing is awesome… when it’s really humdrum. Is there a b.s. rule-of-thumb you can offer?

There’s an easy barometer, Paul: Ignore the consensus. Here’s what I mean: If the proposed idea – any one! – is universally adopted and admired within your company, you know it’s not just humdrum, but a loser. Surprising ideas shock, challenge and enrage the public, but usually start their “dirty work” inside company walls.

That said, you know you’ve got something good when your own colleagues get pissed off at it, bark “I won’t put my name on that!” or, better yet, threaten to quit because of it. Every time I see a great Surprising marketing move, I say to myself “I wonder who quit or got fired over that one?”

You share the story of a university presentation. When arriving on campus, you were disappointed to learn the venue was hidden away in some basement of a random building. As it turned out, you found out some of the best thinking and most interesting people were underground. This inspired your writing about the importance of “Underground Thinking” and how it can help you “bring the thunder.”

I want to learn more about getting into the basement… the bunker. I “get” the concept… but is there anything else you can explain about creating this place… or getting yourself into the vibe? How do you build/create for yourself this bat cave?

You don’t need to build anything, Paul. I’ve always said that the advent of Starbucks (or any other cafe-like place that allows for laptop lingering and general hanging out) has been a locomotive for new business innovation. For years I’ve told my employees to “get off the floor and out the door”; in other words, find your inspiration in pedestrian malls, boutiques, bars… anywhere that will provide alternative, non-office points of stimulus. You can’t create Surprise in a boardroom. The antiseptic nature of those four walls kill the creative germ.

But if you are lucky enough to have a home office, or a room in your company dedicated to non-traditional thinking, my advice would be to decorate it with visuals – and audio! – that inspires and challenges. Put up stuff you like, but stuff you don’t like as well. Change decor often. Ensure an ample supply of record-keeping devices, from whiteboards to notepads to laptops. And pay special attention to lighting – it’s a mood thermometer.

About half-way through the book, you write… “Surprise is about shouting.” Not simply being loud, crass, or aggressive. But, shouts that make you interesting and get you noticed.

You continue stating, “Great shouts are inspired, not contrived.” Do you have a way to test whether something is inspired versus contrived?

Watch the eyes. People squint at inspiration, they roll their eyes when things are contrived. The squint makes them want to focus better on the idea; the roll says they’re looking for something else. The harder you work on something, the more likely it’s contrived. If it comes easily, almost a divine intervention, you know it’s inspired. Let it find you, don’t chase it.

You say that surprise takes courage and being ballsy. What if I lack the moxie? Or, my team is too timid? Any suggestions for the wuss-at-heart?

Start slow. Generating Surprise is like riding a bike. You don’t go from a tricycle to the Tour de France in a weekend.

To help people understand, and develop, their “Surprisability” (a dopey term I coined), I’ve been working with scientists and scholars from the prestigious Institute of Emotive Psychological Studies, which is part of Sweden’s renowned Karoninska Institutet. Together we have developed a 12-question test that evaluates one’s Surprise Factor. You can take the test by visiting thebigsurprise.net/

I really like the notion of Surpriseland and Surprise U. Do you plan to do anything more with these?

I could tell you, but that would ruin the Surprise. But, hmmm… I’m quite friendly with the Dean of Management at McGill University (we graduated in the same class; look at HIM now!). Perhaps we can discuss a new faculty-within-a faculty…

My last question Andy. You deflate Tom Peter’s WOW! concept, writing that your POW! beats his WOW! You write… “Wow is surprise in neutral. Surprise trumps wow and takes it to the next level.”

Tom Peters can’t be happy with what you done to his life’s work. If you could pick the venue where Tom Peters will kick your ass, where would it be?

To a standing ovation in Carnegie Hall, with a cast of 17, following a rambunctious night in a suite at the Plaza.

Thanks, Andy, for your frankness and time today.

If you want to read more about Andy’s book… please check out the three prior posts on Andy’s virtual book tour, and the final interview tomorrow.

• Monday – Catch Your Limit Blog
• Tuesday – Brand As Business Bites
• Wednesday – The Simplest Thing That Works
• Thursday – YOU ARE HERE!
• Friday – Get Fresh Minds