Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Generating
that a conscious choice of ideas can be made from a fully perceived Grouping
Prioritising
Planning
Like physical tools, these visual thinking strategies must be actively Full process
and repeatedly used if you want to expand your repertoire of ways RESOURCES
1(–2) people
to solve problems. McKim (1980) describes a staged approach to Large group
problem solving, selecting and using such strategies. A key principle Brief
Extended
expression from the judgmental testing of these ideas, and the Special setting
Computing
Multiple issues
New product
The first choice in this approach to problem solving is to use the Futures/plans
Relax/Clear strategy. Since a state of relaxed attention is conducive ANALYTIC MODE
Categorising
to thinking generally, you should use this strategy frequently (not Causality
just at the start of problem solving). Here, the conscious mind is Checklist/table
Combinatorial
doing an unrelated activity; this can allow the relaxed mind to more Numerical
Questioning
about the issue in the same or a new way (if at all). Then you can Surveys, etc.
Uses experts
choose whether to stop solving the problem, persist in your current Voting
You may choose to stop because the problem isn’t valid, or because Distortion
Excursion
you cannot bring yourself to engage whole-heartedly with it. If you Hitch-hiking
Wishing
Source: J. Martin, R. Bell, E. Farmer and J. Henry, (2010) Technique Library, Milton Keynes, UK: Open University,
B822 Technique Library ISBN 9781 8987 3541 5 McKim’s method