Deck 14: Making Decisions and Solving Problems Creatively

Question 1

While generating options it is best to keep in mind that there is only one right course of action.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Which of the following has increased the need for more effective decision making?

A) The increased use of individual decision making.
B) The change from flatter to more hierarchical organizational structures.
C) The increased speed of technology and information.
D) The scarcity of readily available information.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Alpha team of Globus Inc. ,is specifying and stating the end goals or results they want to achieve.Alpha is at which step in the decision making process?

A) Identifying the core issues
B) Determining a decision-making approach
C) Generating options
D) Evaluating alternatives

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Assumption smashing helps in an individual's lateral thinking by starting with what is familiar and moving to a new perspective.

Question 5

Breaking rules can actually enhance creativity.

Question 6

The international expansion division of Core Solution Inc. ,has become overwhelmed by the options for expansion and is unable to proceed toward selecting an option.This condition relates to:

A) satisficing.
B) analysis paralysis.
C) self-censorship.
D) scenario planning.

Question 7

Russ,a manager at Tech Co. ,is involved in evaluating a solution against a standard of acceptability.He is at the verification stage of creative problem solving.

Question 8

When making a decision,one should go with the initial option because it will be the best option.

Question 9

The marketing team of Arc Inc. ,needs to critically analyze the ideas and options provided by the team.Brainstorming is an appropriate tool for this process.

Question 10

Creativity can be defined as "bringing into existence an idea that is new."

Question 11

In the "Check" step of the PDCA Cycle,it is important to see if changes made result in lasting and measurable improvements.

Question 12

When brainstorming with a team,it is more important to have quantity than quality when coming up with ideas.

Question 13

One should avoid using analogies while generating alternatives because it leads to manipulation of available data.

Question 14

A person will be more effective at decision making if he/she is able to translate,assimilate and activate available information.

Question 15

A process by which several possibilities are considered,prioritized,and which results in an outcome of a clear choice or option over others is known as:

A) part changing.
B) decision making.
C) facilitating.
D) empowering.

Question 16

Good decision makers are those who make decisions intuitively and quickly.

Question 17

Lacking the information needed to make a good decision can hinder the decision making process.

Question 18

Convergent thinking involves generating new ways to view a problem and seeking novel alternatives to the problem.

Question 19

Which of the following should be considered while evaluating various options in the decision making process?

A) Widening the number of alternatives.
B) Being non-judgmental while evaluating options.
C) Assessing all options,that is,both realistic and unrealistic options.
D) Reducing the risk factors by hypothesizing potential scenarios.

Question 20

"Idea killers" are statements that suggest that any idea that "breaks the rules" will not be accepted.

Question 21

Which of the following is true about brainstorming?

A) It is a technique of implementing the one best solution.
B) It is a technique that is restricted to independent thinking.
C) It is a process for generating ideas.
D) It is used only when group members cannot agree on a solution.

Question 22

The ____ variation of brainstorming technique is used to equalize the amount of member participation by having members share one idea at a time in a structured clockwise process.

A) nominal group
B) round robin
C) post-it note
D) idea-distribution

Question 23

Which of the following would be included in the "act" step of the PDCA cycle?

A) Identifying potential solutions for problems
B) Ensuring the problem is solved
C) Developing an action plan
D) Defining the problem

Question 24

_____ approach to creative problem solving requires starting with a problem and working to move toward a solution.

A) Divergent thinking
B) Cognitive thinking
C) Differentiated thinking
D) Convergent thinking

Question 25

Which of the following is one of the five principles of collaboration devised by David Straus to deal with the problems of collaborative decision making?

A) Harnessing the power of individual memory
B) Designing a process map
C) Involving relevant and non relevant stakeholders
D) Designating an in-house process facilitator

Question 26

Problem solving is a cyclical process comprising of:

A) assessing and empowering organizational employees.
B) sharpening one's communication skills and relying on one's intuition.
C) checking to see if the changes result in immediate improvements.
D) defining and identifying potential solutions.

Question 27

After every member of the team wrote down brainstormed ideas regarding their task,they proceeded to organize them into categories,discussed the grouping to get agreement and placed a title on each category.This is known as:

A) multivoting.
B) prioritization matrix.
C) affinitizing.
D) assumption smashing.

Question 28

_____ decision making involves identifying the priorities of both parties involved and determining the option(s)available that meet both sets of needs.

A) Collaborative
B) Empowered
C) Independent
D) Zero based

Question 29

Which of the following is required for successful collaborative decision making?

A) Being rigid when looking at the situation.
B) Prioritizing self-interest or emotional attachments.
C) Sharpening communication skills.
D) Relying solely on a logical approach to decision making.

Question 30

Who among the following will be called a "right-brained" decision maker?

A) An analytical decision maker
B) An organized decision maker
C) An intuitive decision maker
D) A decision maker,deliberate in making decisions

Question 31

Michael is planning on using brainstorming in his next team meeting to generate new ideas for expanding a product line.In using brainstorming effectively,Michael should:

A) articulate the theme.
B) allow for unlimited time.
C) keep the identity of all idea contributors confidential.
D) remember that quality is more important than quantity.

Question 32

In which of the following stages of creative problem solving does gathering information,defining the problem,generating alternatives,and examining all available information takes place?

A) Preparation
B) Verification
C) Incubation
D) Illumination

Question 33

The engineering team of Beta Co. ,is in the process of developing an action map based on selected alternatives.The team is working on:

A) the "plan" step of the PDCA cycle.
B) the "do" step of the PDCA cycle.
C) the "check" step of the PDCA cycle.
D) the "act" step of the PDCA cycle.

Question 34

_____ technique of problem solving equalizes hierarchical or status differences among members of a group,enabling individuals to speak out without concern for such differences or fears of being ridiculed.

A) Affinitizing
B) Multivoting
C) Prioritization matrix
D) Nominal group

Question 35

Which stage of creative problem solving is sometimes called the "Aha! stage"?

A) Verification
B) Preparation
C) Illumination
D) Incubation

Question 36

Each of the following is true of the "Post-It Note" brainstorming method,EXCEPT that:

A) ideas are written on a flip chart.
B) it can be used in the nominal group technique.
C) there must be one idea per note.
D) scribbling ideas may take a bit longer than in the traditional methods.

Question 37

_____ is a cyclical process composed of four steps referred to as PDCA.

A) Decision making
B) Facilitating
C) Empowering
D) Problem solving

Question 38

Ken's project team was in the _____ stage of creative problem solving where they were mentally allowing unrelated thoughts to combine in search of a solution.

A) preparation
B) incubation
C) illumination
D) verification

Question 39

This creative process of generating new ways to view a problem to seek out novel alternatives in problem solving is considered as _____ thinking.

A) convergent
B) divergent
C) cognitive
D) differentiated

Question 40

The process of building consensus through _____ begins with a brainstormed list of topics or a pared down list of affinitized categories.

A) affinitizing
B) multivoting
C) prioritization matrix
D) nominal group technique

Question 41

What is collaborative decision making? Explain the five principles of collaboration devised by David Straus,to help with the challenges associated with collaborative decision making.

Question 42

List the guidelines for brainstorming.

Question 43

Under creative problem solving,which of the following is an example of an "idea killer"?

A) "I don't know much about that,how about you?"
B) "Who else has a suggestion?"
C) "It's good enough"
D) "What have we missed?"

Question 44

The process of generating new ideas by dropping all assumptions about a topic or issue in the illumination stage of creative problem solving is called ____.

A) checkerboard
B) assumption smashing
C) prioritization matrix
D) part changing

Question 45

Shelley's company is in the process of merging with another company.In order to make it easy for the employees from both corporate cultures to blend,Shelley tries to develop strategies for the merger by comparing it to a marriage.She is using the _____ method to find creative solutions to the problem.

A) part changing
B) checkerboard
C) checklist
D) analogy

Question 46

Identify the term used for statements/techniques that really help continue conversations focused on creative problem solving and stimulate further creative ideas.

A) P-P-C
B) Part changing
C) Innovation chambers
D) Idea growers

Question 47

Suggest a few strategies for increasing individual creativity.

Question 48

Define brainstorming and list the different types of brainstorming techniques.

Question 49

Mabel feels she needs to work on her creativity in order to make her more competitive at her job.Which of the following would help Mabel increase her creativity?

A) Sticking to traditional perspectives
B) Relying on her senses
C) Labeling a person she has met for the first time
D) Opting for quick,tried and true solutions

Question 50

Explain the four stages of creative problem solving.