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Simple & Pragmatic Problem Solving
#70Chapter 6: Group Creative Option Generation• Group Creative Optionscreative Thinkingindividual and group Mode1-3 hours(fast)

Creative Leaps

From the book "Advanced Problem-Solving Toolbox: 115 Creative Plays" | Compiled & Edited by: Mojtaba Goudarzi, Open translation: Mehrshid Goudarzi
Executive Synopsis & Core Logic:

A radical leap to a state of absolute perfection regardless of technical and financial limitations, and then a strategic backtracking to bridge the gap between today's reality and tomorrow's utopia.

Operational Parameters & Specifications

Category
Group Creative Options
Dominant Thinking
creative
Participation
individual and group
Estimated Timefast
1-3 hours
Fast
Input Format
idealistic perfectionistic scenarios, perfect invisible competitor assumption and sustainability models
Output Format
Idea generation
Key Application
Development of revolutionary products (Disruptive Innovations), environmental sustainability (ESG), formulation of competitive strategy and future research.
Core Differentiator:

Employing the 4 big leaps of thought (the ideal future of the company, the hypothetical perfect competitor, the product without constraints, and critical information) to shake up the prevailing paradigms of the industry.

Quick Field Example:

The factory, by leaping to the ideal of "production without a single gram of waste and with 100% clean energy", simulates its ideal competitor and keys the cycle of circular economy and complete recycling.

Operational Benefits & Implementation Risks

Advantages & Value Creation:

Destroying the 5% conservative thinking, creating category-making products, completely preempting competitors' movements in the 5-10-year horizon.

Risks & Potential Trade-offs:

The possibility of early frustration in the team if the gap between the current state and the mutant ideal seems too great.

Real-World Organizational & Industry Scenarios

Automotive industry: Leaping towards accident-free, pollution-free and human-driverless cars.
Energy and chemical production: Leaping towards completely carbon-free processes and 100% recycling of used water.
Software companies: Imagine a product that reads the user's mind and executes tasks before the request without the need for training.

Strategic Rationale & Why to Apply

1Incremental innovations bankrupt companies: 2% improvements are destroyed by disruptive market players.
2The Law of the Perfect Competitor: If you don't create your ideal competitor in your mind, a startup will soon create it in reality.
3Breaking the assumed limits of engineering: Most limits exist in the minds of engineers, not in the laws of physics.
4Attract the best talent: Elite people are attracted to bold, leap-frogging visions, not boring office improvements.

Conceptual Framework & Book Method Description

"Creative Leaps" technique, which overlaps with William Gordon's Synetics philosophy, is the birthplace of disruptive innovations.

Instead of moving a millimeter from point A to B, this technique catapults the team to point Z! In this technique, jumps are made from 4 angles: 1) the ideal future of the company (what will the organization be like?) 2) the ideal competitor (what does the perfect competitor that will destroy our company look like?) 3) the perfect product (what would we make if we had no financial and parts limitations?) 4) vital information of the future. After settling in point Z, the team looks towards the origin point and designs the engineering bridge construction route step by step.

Step-by-Step Real-World Implementation Scenario

Big leap towards fully sustainable production and zero waste in the packaging industry
1
Step 1: Executing the First Leap - Envisioning the organization's ideal futureThe team leaped to the point of perfection: a company with zero carbon emissions, 100% solar energy consumption, and absolute zero waste generation.
2
Step 2: Executing the Second Leap - Creating the Perfect Nightmare Competitorenvisioned a competing team making seaweed products that dissolve in water and turn into soil fertilizer after consumption, with a fully transparent supply chain.
3
Step 3: Implementation of the third leap - Designing a borderless dream productConcept design of organic nanopolymer packaging films based on corn starch that decompose in 48 hours in nature and release oxygen.
4
Step 4: Identifying vital information and technologies for the pathof research on biological biopolymer technology, partnership with Polymer Research Institute, and attraction of circular economy funds.
5
Step 5: Strategic retreat and 3-phase industrial roadmapWithin 2 years, the first line of biodegradable biopolymer containers was launched; The company not only escaped from heavy taxes, but also became the leader of green exports in the region with 5 times the previous profit margin.

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Previous Play (#69)
Creative Imaging
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Creativity Circles
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