The Problem with Problems
Every organisations is different, but there’s one key thing that unites them – they face problems on a daily basis. Some of those problems are huge, some are, relatively minor. Problems are just a fact of business and a fact of life.
As a result, solving problems is an activity that we all have to do. But problem solving isn’t just an activity, it’s a skill. There are good and bad ways of tackling a problem. Some people are naturally good at solving problems and thrive when faced with new challenges. Others struggle and don’t know where to begin.
And sometimes, very big problems are simply ignored. The easiest solution is to ignore it and hope it goes away. Spoiler alert – they very rarely go away!
What if there was a toolkit that guided people through a proven problem solving process?
That’s what I want to create and that’s why I need your help.
Who is Billy Grierson?
 | I’m Dr. Billy Grierson, but you can call me Billy. I’ve spent my career helping individuals and organisations solve complex problems. I’m a scientist at heart and that’s where my fascination for problem solving stems. I setup Perth Innovation to help more people solve more problems. That’s what drives me. As a consultant I can only help so many people and the impact I can have is limited to those organisations that have a budget to work with me. I want to create an affordable problem-solving toolkit that’s puts the processes and practices I’ve developed over the last twenty years into the hands of more people. That’s where the idea for the Concept Garden came from. |
We’re now ready to move onto the next stage of our journey. And that’s where you come in. Software development of this kind is expensive. But I take a no compromise approach to this and everything I do. Your support will help me help more people.
The money is important, but I also want people that share my vision to come on this journey with me. I want them to help me make the product better. In short, I want them to shape the software.
The Concept Garden
The Concept Garden is a web based application that consists of a series of thinking tools. These are the tools I’ve developed and used throughout my career. For the first time ever, I’ve packaged them digitally in a way that guides you through the process. Think of it as a self-serve, on-demand, problem solving tool. Ideally, five stages are involved.
| | Preparation: First, we start with the preparation. With gardening, we would have to prepare the ground but with problem solving, we have to fully understand what the problem is and why we want to solve it. |
| | Planting: Next, we would plant some seeds, which is when we start to conceive our first ideas. We would always plant many more seeds than we need and the same applies to idea generation – one definitely isn’t enough! |
| | Thinning: After our seeds start to grow, we would thin-out the plants to ensure the remainder have enough room to flourish. Similarly, once we have a number of ideas, it’s time to start looking at them more closely to identify the ones that will most likely lead to a viable solution. |
| | Growing: But it’s not enough to then just leave the plants alone, we have to support them as they grow. With our ideas, we must also nurture them into strong concepts that become long-term solutions. |
| | Harvesting: Finally, we would harvest our fully grown plants and present them to others as desirable items, such as fruit, vegetables or flowers. The same goes for our solutions. Even if it’s a ground-breaking concept, we still have to persuade other people that this is the most effective way to solve the problem. |
Concept Garden will provide the tools and techniques for each stage of the problem solving process - we’ve covered it all!
| Preparation | Problem Space, PESTLE, Selection Criteria |
| Planting | Brainwriting, SCAMPER, Random Word/Picture, Challenge Assumptions |
| Thinning | Simple Matrix, Scoping and Grouping, Matrix Evaluation, Pairwise Comparison |
| Growing | 3 Hats, Virtual Implementation |
| Harvesting | Concept Memo, DOIT |
What do other people have to say about it?
Using The Concept Garden tools, we’ve delivered a number of problem-solving workshops and training seminars to more than 500 people. Here is some of the feedback we have received:
Concept Garden training seminar.
“The Concept Garden approach was very systematic and I liked the way it told a story (prepare, plant, thin, grow, harvest) and the tools to use. The section on SCAMPER – the examples given were very good and I could easily relate to them. All in all, I thought the seminar was very good and I have come away armed with a number of tools and crib sheets that I can refer to in the future when resolving problems.”
Operational Value Improvement Project Officer at a major chemical company
Concept Garden problem-solving workshop
“Very structured tools for problem solving/idea generation. Solid results at the end of the workshop with high commitment of the team”
Business Area Innovation Manager at a European engineering company.
Surviving Brexit Workshop (Using some of the tools from The Concept Garden)
“I recently attended the “Surviving Brexit” workshop. It was incredibly useful as 80% of my clients are EU or Swiss based. The content was relevant and insightful and presented in an engaging and easily digestible fashion. It provided clarity about the current environment, helped me focus upon opportunities and motivated me to act. “
Customer Service Consultant and Coach
Who is the Concept Garden for?
The Concept Garden is for anyone that has a problem to solve. But it’s particularly powerful for –
>Team leaders and managers of companies and organisations who face multiple problems everyday.
>Entrepreneurs wrestling with tough decisions.
>Learning and development organisations looking for a toolkit to support their own programmes.
>Universities looking to equip their students with lifelong learning skills.
>Coaching organisations and individual coaches that want to give their clients additional problem solving tools.
More information about Perth Innovation can be found on our website, Facebook page or on Billy's LinkedIn profile.