YOUR CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROFILE
PROFILE FOR Randy Sleeth
VCU (INTERNET:)
Dear Randy, thank you for completing the profile. I hope you find the results useful. This is the WWW version of the CPSP, a research-based instrument developed from fundamental theory and empirical data from a large sample of people working in a broad cross section of organisations.
The CPSP was developed to help individuals and teams understand their creative preferences, and is used in our "Simplex" creative thinking workshops.
Further information about Simplex and the CPSP may be obtained by contacting Dr Garry Gelade
(contact details at the end of this message).
Interpreting your profile
The four ways of getting and using knowledge in creative problem-solving situations, and your preference ratings are shown below. (ratings range from 0 to 36, and higher numbers indicate a stronger preference). These preferences are then combined to give your creative style or "quadrant score".
| Preference | Definition | Your rating | Taken together, your preferences for these four activities define your individual problem solving style. Your results are shown below, in terms of the four stages or "quadrants" of the creative problem solving cycle. Handling real-world creative problems well usually requires some activity in each of these four stages. |
| IDEATION | Using knowledge for dealing with problems by generating ideas. | 25 | |
| EVALUATION | Using knowledge for dealing with problems by the application of judgement to ideas. | 11 | |
| THINKING | Getting knowledge for dealing with problems by detached abstract theorising. | 25 | |
| EXPERIENCING | Getting knowledge for dealing with problems by direct concrete involvement. | 11 |
Understanding your Quadrant Scores
The quadrant scores below are given in terms of percentages, with the whole problem solving cycle representing 100%. A perfectly balanced style would thus have 25% in each of the four quadrants. Most people find that their scores for one or two quadrants are bigger than the others. If that is the case, then the quadrant with the highest score is your preferred problem solving stage, and the next highest is your next most favoured stage and so on
If your scores on all four quadrants are all about the same, there is no need to worry; it simply means that you have no strong preferences for any particular stage of the problem solving cycle. While different problem solving styles do not imply any differences in problem solving ability, you may find that you can improve your own creative problem solving performance by paying more attention to your least preferred quadrant(s). In this way your approach to problems will become more balanced, enabling you to initiate and complete more creative work.
Your Quadrant Scores
| QUADRANT 1 -
GENERATOR Your Score: 24% |
QUADRANT
2 - CONCEPTUALIZER Your Score: 38% |
| If this is your highest scoring quadrant, your dominant style is likely to be Generator. You tend to use direct experience and ideation in problem-solving. Your greatest interest lies in getting things started by getting involved, gathering information, questioning, imagining possibilities and sensing all kinds of new problems and opportunities. You like to view concrete situations experienced from different perspectives. A person with this style performs better in situations that call for divergence than in evaluation, selection or convergence. Generators tend to be interested in people's problems and see relevance in almost everything. They can think of good and bad sides to almost any idea fact or issue. They dislike becoming too organised or delegating the complete problem, but are willing to let others take care of the details. They are 'string-savers' in a sense in that anything they come across is seen as a potential solution to a future problem as yet undiscovered. Generators tend to revel in ambiguity and are hard to pin down. Every solution they come up with suggests several new problems to be solved. This quadrant suggests interests in PROBLEM FINDING and FACT FINDING in the Simplex Problem-Solving Cycle. | If this is your highest scoring quadrant, your dominant style is likely to be Conceptualizer. Your dominant problem-solving orientations are thinking abstractly and ideation. Your greatest interest lies in putting ideas together. Conceptualizers form quick relationships, associations and insights, define problems, and conceptualize new ideas, theoretical models, opportunities and benefits. They excel in inductive reasoning, in distilling seemingly unrelated observations into an integrated explanation. Conceptualizers are quite concerned with understanding. It is important for them that the theory be logical and precise. They are reluctant to proceed until they have a sound understanding of the situation, or until the problem or main idea is well defined. They would prefer not to have to prioritise, implement or agonise over decision-making among good or not fully understood alternatives. They have a high sensitivity and appreciation of ides and are often not too concerned about moving into action. This quadrant suggests interests in PROBLEM DEFINITION and IDEA FINDING in the Simplex Problem-Solving Cycle |
QUADRANT 3 - OPTIMIZER Your Score: 24% |
QUADRANT 4 - IMPLEMENTOR Your Score: 14% |
| If this is your highest scoring quadrant, your dominant style is likely to be Optimizer. Your dominant orientations tend to be thinking abstractly and evaluation. Your greatest interest lies in turning abstract ideas into practical solutions and plans, with considerable mental testing of ideas. This problem-solving style is called Optimizer because a person with this style does best in those situations where there is a single correct answer or optimum solution to a structured defined question or problem. Optimizers organise their knowledge so that through hypothetical-deductive reasoning, they can focus it on specific problems. They are able to sort through large amounts of information and pinpoint what's wrong in a given situation. Optimizers tend to be relatively unemotional and thorough, preferring to deal with things rather than people. They tend to be confident in their ability to make a sound logical evaluation and select the best option or solution to a problem. Thus they tend to lack patience with ambiguity and dislike too much dreaming about additional ideas, points of view or how different problems relate to one another. They tend to believe they know what the problem is. This quadrant suggests interests in IDEA EVALUATION and ACTION PLANNING in the Simplex Problem-Solving Cycle. | If this is your highest scoring quadrant, your dominant style is likely to be Implementor. You tend to use direct experience and evaluation in problem- solving. Your greatest interest lies in getting things done, carrying out plans and experiments and becoming involved in new experiences. You tend to try things out rather than mentally test. Implementors tend to excel in those situations where they must adapt themselves to specific immediate circumstances and make things work somehow. A complete understanding is not necessary for you to proceed. Thus you may be more of a risk taker than people with the other three styles. In situations where the theory does not fit the facts, you will most likely discard the theory. Implementors are enthusiastic and at ease with people but are sometimes seen as impatient or even pushy as they try to turn plans and ideas into realities. They will try as many different approaches as necessary until they find one that is sufficiently acceptable to those people affected. They will follow-up as necessary to ensure the new procedure will stick. This quadrant suggests interests in GAINING ACCEPTANCE and IMPLEMENTATION in the Simplex Problem-Solving Cycle. |
When you have read
all four of the quadrant descriptions, consider the
following questions:
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The Centre for Research in Applied Creativity is a world leader in the application of creative thinking methods in business. The Centre works with many major corporations to help them achieve significant breakthroughs in:
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Once again, thank you for your interest. If you would like further information about our products and services, including the self-scoreable version of the CPSP, please contact us to discuss your requirements. We look forward to hearing from you.
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