A520.3.3.RB_WolfordElvira
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.” ~ Albert Einstein
The Creative Education Foundation (2016) defines Creative Problem Solving as
the process that assists us in redefining the problems and opportunities that we face daily finding new innovative responses and solutions before taken actions. The method offers tools and techniques that are collaborative, engaging and pleasurable. CPS helps leaders to create better solutions and positive experience for a speedy adoption of new ideas. Ruth Noller, a noted CPS educator, and practitioner characterized CPS as the summation of its parts. Creative dictates elements of innovation, novelty, and newness. Problem indicates to events that exhibit challenges and proposes opportunities. Solving signifies inventive processes to meet, resolve or satisfy an issue or concern by self-altering or to modify a situation.
With my current situation at work and at home, there are so many adversities that present themselves in finding appropriate resolutions to the problems and issues that I face daily at home and in the workplace. At times, I find myself settling for taking short-cuts or simple resolutions just to offer temporary resolutions to the problems I face that are mounting and hope to move to the next situation that needs attending. In the end, I found that I had not resolved anything since the real core or center of the problem was never dealt with from the very beginning.
Before I can fully engage in creative problem solving I need to develop self-awareness of my strengths and weaknesses to increase my effectiveness and efficiencies. Knowing my weaknesses will enable me to reach out to someone that I trust to assist me in finding resolutions to certain situations or events that I am weak off and find ways to turn those weaknesses alternatively into my strengths. I will also have to consistently and continuously search for and practice creative alternatives to live my work and personal life balanced. For now, a daily 10-minute meditation has worked so far. Work cannot overtake my life and visa vi. I need to regard my life and work evenly.
Just recently, my husband underwent a shoulder surgery. Due to my great responsibilities at work, I was only able to spend one day of leave which was the day of his surgery. My stress level and blood pressure were very high that week due to less sleep and rest. I wanted to spend at least three days with him after surgery so that I can tend to his needs. Unfortunately, I did not have that option since it was also the same week that we went live with a physicians’ practice acquisitions. I was responsible for ensuring that all 20 employees can access their personal information in the system, setting up direct deposits, benefits enrollment, etc. Through the surgery and practice acquisition, I have to study at night and make sure that my assignments are submitted before the due date.
In my organization, I am what you call an HR department of my even though, in our Human Resources Department, we have HR Generalist, HR Specialist, Employee Relation Specialist, and volunteers. I have created my constraints by not asking for assistance. Between the acquisition, tending to my husband’s recovery, and academic work, I was also finding a middle ground in a dispute between a Practice Manager and the Director of Practice Operations. Every morning before going to work, I had to help my husband with his bathing and daily changes of his band-aids due to surgery. The first seven days of the surgery were the most critical to avoid possible infections. I had survived the acquisition and my husband’s surgery but for some reason, everything was still chaotic at work, and home seemed to be still on a healing ground.
According to Whetten & Cameron (2016), there are two impediments to creative problem solving. First, our interpretation of creativity is that creativity is limited to generating ideas, in short, it is one dimensional. We are seldom not aware that to be creative, there are multiple strategies of creativity available to us. Second, We are also unaware that we have unknowingly cultivated some conceptual blocks regarding our problem-solving creativity. Those blocks that inhibit us from solving problems effectively and efficiently are often more of a personal nature.
Moving forward, to prevent constraint(s) that would limit my ability in the future, I need to develop patience and step back and look at the problem presented to me with a broader perspective and approach it as an opportunity that I have not seen previously. I need to define the problem and sit with either my husband or my supervisor to review the problem and identify the cause of the problem. I have to be courageous enough to admit that I need help and concede that I cannot do it alone and ask the people around me to be collaborative without fear of coming across as incompetent.
References:
Creative Problem Solving. Retrieved from:
Whetten, David and Cameron, Kim (2016). Developing Management Skills Ninth Edition.
Pearson Education, Inc.
Comments
Post a Comment