Team Techinques for Problem Solving - General Motors (gm)

Introduction

In light of current automotive issues, General Motors (GM) New Product Development Team wanted to use an effective technique to generate ideas for a new sedan. In order to do this, they first needed to review the pros and cons of some of the popular creative tools that teams are using today in order to decide which technique would be beneficial to generate new ideas. This paper will provide a summation of certain techniques used today for problem solving. It will also provide the pros and cons of those techniques. A focus will also be given on the technique I feel is most beneficial for GM’s New Product Development Team.

Creative Tools (Pros & Cons)

According to The Idea Edge, some people believe that problems can only be approached in one definite way, and they stick hard to their own point of view (King & Schlicksupp, 1998, pg. 3). There are many different techniques in which a team can use in order to problem solve or to create a new idea. Some of the most commonly creativity tools used include Heuristic Redefinition, Classic Brainstorming, Brainwriting 6-3-5, and TILMAG.

According to King & Schlicksupp, the Heuristic Redefinition is a method of looking at the system in which a problem exists and from picking an approach that promises the greatest effect with the smallest effort. Possible approaches are identified and ranked by applying criteria that are appropriate to the problem. This tool is particularly helpful when a problem and/or challenge is not well-defined and a team needs to explore a problem as part of a whole system (King & Schlicksupp, 1998, pg. 4). The seven steps of Heuristic Redefinition are:

1. State the problem or opportunity in terms of the goal;

2. Visualize the problem as part of a system, making sure to include all major components;

3. Label and understand the impact of each component;

4. State the links of the components to the goal;

5. Construct a matrix for rating problem statements against the designated criteria;

6. Compare each problem statement against the criteria; assign ratings; figure totals; and

7. Discuss and choose the one or two preferred problem statements, based on their potential for directing the team toward a successful solution (King & Schlicksupp, 1998, pg. 6).

The advantages of using this technique will help the team focus its creativity on those parts that lead to exciting solutions. The disadvantage of the Heuristic Redefinition is that you need to find a group of individuals that are willing to bring creativity and ideas to the team.

The Classic Brainstorming technique was created by Alex Osborn, who observed that problem-solving

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