Non-standard solutions to complex problems
I am interested in various methods of systemic and creative thinking, which can be used in real life to solve complex problems. I will tell about several methods in this article.
Recently read a book Thorp S. - Textbook of creative thinking. A simple approach to non-standard solutions - 2010. It offers an interesting approach for developing skills in solving complex problems.
The main idea of ​​the author is to solve complex problems, it is necessary to turn from the rut of patterned thinking, to break the rules, which often do not give us a wider look at the problem. Here is what the author writes:
How to break the rules, perfectly shown by the example of the game "Tic-tac-toe".
Many intractable problems are like playing tic-tac-toe. ”Winning seems impossible, no matter how you play. However, violating (or expanding) the rules, you can get victory in a variety of ways.
It is very easy to win in “tic-tac-toe” if you make turns out of turn! Of course, in the context of noughts and crosses, breaking the rules is a hoax. However, this is not about moral principles, but about the rules that prescribe us how to solve the problem.
')
If the rules do not work, then why not take the lead, making additional moves.
Few people think of making a move out of turn in the real world, but, in essence, this technique has been used since time immemorial. For example, after one of the battles of the American Civil War, General Robert Lee announced to his officers that General Grant would march on Spotsilvaniyu, since this is the best solution for him. Lee developed the shortest route to this point and ordered the troops to move there. Lee's troops made, so to speak, a turn out of turn and arrived at SpotSilvania before Grant’s army could reach it.
Turns out of turn are a common phenomenon in the business world. When Tylenol manufacturers learned that a similar Datril anesthetic would be sold at a significant discount, they made a move out of turn. They set the price below the Datril cost even before the manufacturers of the latter were able to announce their price. The advertising campaign failed and Tylenol kept its position in the market.
We are in the company, often we are ahead of the game - even on a preliminary study of the automation object we are developing a prototype system. This approach allows us to deeper understand what needs to be done, and the customer to see the seriousness of our intentions.
It is not difficult to line up the three icons, if you add someone else’s cross to your two zeros. Why limit yourself to your own resources? )
The US Navy Admiral, Harry Yarnell, was the first to develop a plan to attack the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. He identified the most promising directions and attack strategy. In 1932, he even conducted demonstration exercises involving two US aircraft carriers. The Imperial Navy of Japan turned the plan of the American admiral into its own successful attack on the base of the US Navy. The Japanese did not hesitate to use the American battle plan. If the plan is effective, consciously use it, regardless of the source.
In checkers and chess, the winning combination is based on the disposition of both the pieces and the opponent, and it is the use of pieces of the opponent that is often a key element of the winning plan.
In business, entrepreneurs often study what competitors have passed, take into account their mistakes and create a more profitable system.
You can win in the "tic-tac-toe" or solve other complex problems, if you apply a flexible definition of the term "victory". Allow your row to bend, and the victory is in your pocket. Sometimes the conditions of victory defined by us are too strict or do not correspond to the nature of the situation. Change the definition of success and the solution will be possible.
In addition, if the task was set incorrectly, then it is possible for no one to solve it. The task should be set constructively, based on non-trivial solutions that are different from your original expectations. The destructive formulation of tasks is associated with such a number of conditions and restrictions that the achievement of a goal is beyond human capabilities. An example of a destructive formulation of a problem can be the desire to “fly, waving arms like wings”.
With the constructive formulation of the problem, any solution that allows you to “get off the ground” will be acceptable. Proper formulation of the problem expands the range of possible solutions.
The rule leading to the mandatory loss of one side may be the biggest obstacle to the victory of any of the participants in the game. Cooperation with a rival can provide a win to both of you.
Once I heard a phrase for the soul that always fell into my soul: “You can grow only one super-potato in one !!”. It means that to solve really complex tasks you need a team and a desire to cooperate.
Try to solve complex problems - break the rules!
Recently read a book Thorp S. - Textbook of creative thinking. A simple approach to non-standard solutions - 2010. It offers an interesting approach for developing skills in solving complex problems.
The main idea of ​​the author is to solve complex problems, it is necessary to turn from the rut of patterned thinking, to break the rules, which often do not give us a wider look at the problem. Here is what the author writes:
The inability to solve a problem may well be explained by the fact that you are stuck in the “rut” of rules. We all live by the rules - the patterns of thinking rooted in us, which we mistakenly take for truth. Our rules are formed in a natural way as a result of repeated use of the same ideas. Following the rules, we gradually get bogged down in a deep “rut”, and then any extraordinary ideas remain out of our sight.
How to break the rules, perfectly shown by the example of the game "Tic-tac-toe".
Many intractable problems are like playing tic-tac-toe. ”Winning seems impossible, no matter how you play. However, violating (or expanding) the rules, you can get victory in a variety of ways.
Move out of turn
It is very easy to win in “tic-tac-toe” if you make turns out of turn! Of course, in the context of noughts and crosses, breaking the rules is a hoax. However, this is not about moral principles, but about the rules that prescribe us how to solve the problem.
')
If the rules do not work, then why not take the lead, making additional moves.
Few people think of making a move out of turn in the real world, but, in essence, this technique has been used since time immemorial. For example, after one of the battles of the American Civil War, General Robert Lee announced to his officers that General Grant would march on Spotsilvaniyu, since this is the best solution for him. Lee developed the shortest route to this point and ordered the troops to move there. Lee's troops made, so to speak, a turn out of turn and arrived at SpotSilvania before Grant’s army could reach it.
Turns out of turn are a common phenomenon in the business world. When Tylenol manufacturers learned that a similar Datril anesthetic would be sold at a significant discount, they made a move out of turn. They set the price below the Datril cost even before the manufacturers of the latter were able to announce their price. The advertising campaign failed and Tylenol kept its position in the market.
We are in the company, often we are ahead of the game - even on a preliminary study of the automation object we are developing a prototype system. This approach allows us to deeper understand what needs to be done, and the customer to see the seriousness of our intentions.
Use rival assets
It is not difficult to line up the three icons, if you add someone else’s cross to your two zeros. Why limit yourself to your own resources? )
The US Navy Admiral, Harry Yarnell, was the first to develop a plan to attack the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. He identified the most promising directions and attack strategy. In 1932, he even conducted demonstration exercises involving two US aircraft carriers. The Imperial Navy of Japan turned the plan of the American admiral into its own successful attack on the base of the US Navy. The Japanese did not hesitate to use the American battle plan. If the plan is effective, consciously use it, regardless of the source.
In checkers and chess, the winning combination is based on the disposition of both the pieces and the opponent, and it is the use of pieces of the opponent that is often a key element of the winning plan.
In business, entrepreneurs often study what competitors have passed, take into account their mistakes and create a more profitable system.
Be flexible (and properly set tasks)
You can win in the "tic-tac-toe" or solve other complex problems, if you apply a flexible definition of the term "victory". Allow your row to bend, and the victory is in your pocket. Sometimes the conditions of victory defined by us are too strict or do not correspond to the nature of the situation. Change the definition of success and the solution will be possible.
In addition, if the task was set incorrectly, then it is possible for no one to solve it. The task should be set constructively, based on non-trivial solutions that are different from your original expectations. The destructive formulation of tasks is associated with such a number of conditions and restrictions that the achievement of a goal is beyond human capabilities. An example of a destructive formulation of a problem can be the desire to “fly, waving arms like wings”.
With the constructive formulation of the problem, any solution that allows you to “get off the ground” will be acceptable. Proper formulation of the problem expands the range of possible solutions.
Collaborate
The rule leading to the mandatory loss of one side may be the biggest obstacle to the victory of any of the participants in the game. Cooperation with a rival can provide a win to both of you.
Once I heard a phrase for the soul that always fell into my soul: “You can grow only one super-potato in one !!”. It means that to solve really complex tasks you need a team and a desire to cooperate.
Try to solve complex problems - break the rules!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/224515/
All Articles