Using Creative Thinking to Solve Problems

Helen: I use creative thinking at work when I’ve been staring at a problem for a while and, um, not coming up with any straightforward solutions.

Helen: And so using creative thinking you can approach a problem from different angles, new perspectives.

Helen: Um, I like to enlist the help of other people who have different, you know, expertise. And so,

Helen: um, asking other people to look at a problem that maybe I’m too close to, um, actually helps me think of, um, solutions in a different way.

Helen: Um, and so you can do this with any type of problem, whether it’s, you know, finding new ways to carry out, um, daily tasks or,

Helen: you know, um, you know, cutting costs or becoming more efficient. I think creative thinking is- is a really useful, um, activity.

Vocabulary:

staring at – (phrasal verb) looking at something for a long time, often because you are thinking deeply, surprised, or confused, “I’ve been staring at this computer screen for hours trying to find the error in the code.”

coming up with – (phrasal verb) suggesting or thinking of an idea, plan, or solution, “Our marketing team is great at coming up with creative ideas for new advertisements.”

straightforward – (adjective) easy to do, understand, or deal with; simple and direct, “The instructions on how to assemble the bookshelf were very straightforward.”

angles – (noun/plural) different ways of considering, looking at, or approaching a situation or problem, “Let’s look at this business strategy from a few different angles before we make a decision.”

perspectives – (noun/plural) particular ways of thinking about or viewing something; points of view, “Hearing the perspectives of customers from different countries helped us improve our services.”

enlist – (verb) to ask for and obtain the help, support, or services of someone, “The manager decided to enlist the help of a freelance designer to finish the presentation on time.”

expertise – (noun) a high level of special knowledge or skill in a particular subject or activity, “She was hired because of her technical expertise in data security.”

too close to – (idiom/expression) so deeply involved with a project or situation that it is difficult to judge it clearly, objectively, or see its flaws, “Sometimes you are too close to your own writing to notice the simple spelling mistakes.”

carry out – (phrasal verb) to perform, complete, or do a job, task, or instruction, “The laboratory technician was instructed to carry out the safety inspection carefully.”

cutting costs – (expression) reducing the amount of money a business or person spends, typically to save money or increase profits, “The restaurant managed to stay open by cutting costs on paper packaging and electricity.”

efficient – (adjective) working in a well-organized and competent way without wasting time, energy, or money, “An efficient public transport system helps people get to work faster and reduces traffic.”