Features of the synectics method and application for generating new ideas

We are glad to welcome you, dear readers of Valery Kharlamov’s blog! Today we will talk about how easy it is to generate ideas and find creative solutions to even the most complex problems. For these purposes, the synectics method is successfully used, which is such a symbiosis of absolutely heterogeneous elements that help to solve the problem.

A bit of history

This method originated around the 1950s thanks to William Gordon, who spent a long time trying to create more adaptive and advanced brainstorming options, and eventually invented this method. Although it is an improvement, synectics differs significantly from its origins in that it allows criticism and the use of analogies.

I will give an example to make it clearer. Do you know how Pringles chips appeared? Kellogg asked Gordon to help them come up with a way to make the chip packaging as compact as possible, while still protecting the product from damage during transport, storage or sale. William proposed an option that is used to clean the streets from fallen leaves.

If you try to collect dry leaves in a trash bag, the process will be long and painstaking, because they will break, scatter in different directions and take up a lot of space. But if you wet a pile with leaves, they will “stick together” and will not leave gaps in the bag, as well as crumble with any impact on them. Genius, right?

Types of synectics comparisons

1. Direct analogy, most often has a natural or technical basis. For example, the combination of colors on parrot feathers is actively used by both designers and artists, the technique of painting walls is excellent in relation to furniture, and self-cleaning paint was created based on the structure of an ordinary sheet, which, having certain depressions and grooves, is able to repel water.
2. Symbolic. Includes the use of metaphors and the transformation of the ordinary into the extraordinary, and vice versa. For example, in cinema this type of comparison is very popular, as it helps to intrigue the viewer and attract attention, let’s say you watched the movie «The Living Dead»? Have you heard people say: “This was the beginning of the end”, or “I turned out to be guilty without guilt”?
3. Subjective. It is also called personal, and all because the one who uses it needs to try to feel himself in the role of some kind of object or object. The peculiarity of this method is that it allows a non-standard, completely different angle to look at a problem or task that, due to certain circumstances, cannot be solved using ordinary thinking and logic. For example, psychologists recommend during a serious conflict to abstract a little and imagine yourself as a fly on the ceiling, which is currently watching the quarrel. This helps not only “not to break firewood”, destroying relationships, but also to understand how this situation looks from the outside.
4. Fantastic. Synectors (that is, people using this method), ignoring all the laws of physics and so on, try to imagine that some object or phenomenon has superpowers. Well, let’s say that in order to finish some task faster, they imagine that the pen is a magic wand that can speed up the workflow.

Formation phases

1. As, in principle, everywhere, first you need to select the members of the synective group. This happens with the help of testing, the important components of which are indicators of the level of general knowledge and competence in professional activities, flexibility of thinking, the ability to find creative solutions, and experiment.

Among other things, an important selection criterion is:

• Age. Individuals from 25 to 40 years old are accepted.
• Non-verbalism, that is, the ratio of what a person says with his bodily reactions and manifestations.
• Sociability. You will have to work in a group, and if a person is not able to “build” relationships with other people, he will not be able to actively participate in discussions, search for options, and so on.

For work, they try to connect people from completely different fields, for example, such pairs can be created as: a doctor-artist, an athlete-chemist, a literary critic-engineer, and so on.

2. Next, you need to teach the new members of the group the basics of the method. In America, this takes about a year, during which synectors, in addition to theory, constantly solve problems and look for completely innovative approaches to problems in various fields of activity. Unfortunately, in the CIS countries this method has not taken root, due to the fact that it requires considerable financial investments in the process of specialized training.

3. Direct practice of already prepared specialists. It happens in different ways, either a person independently applies to such a center to improve his qualifications and change the field of activity, or the company sends its employee to courses so that in the future he will lead projects on the modernization and development of the corporation.

Special conditions required for the group:

• Providing a space in which they can abstract from pressing issues and join the process so that the generation of ideas occurs without hindrances and distractions.
• The ability to express your opinion no matter how absurd or unrealistic it is.
• Creating a relaxed environment so that people have the opportunity to experiment and act out different options, simulate situations and simply participate in discussions.
• Rationalize any decision already at the final stage of finding a way out of a difficult situation.

Stages of

1. First of all, the participants get acquainted with the problem.
2. The process of turning the unknown into the known. Nuances invisible at first glance are explored and considered in more detail. After that, they are divided into several components and are determined in the line of tasks.
3. At this stage, the information that “surfaced” the group earlier is taken into account, that is, the participants now start only from those tasks that were originally formed.
4. The time has come to act, therefore, during this period, the team, armed with various types of analogies, begins to work. Metaphors are used, representations of oneself in the place of the complexity itself and direct, fantastic comparisons. This helps to reveal the essence of complexity much more and make it clearer for those who are included in the search for answers.
5. Now the reverse action is the transformation of familiar nuances into an unknown and new form. This makes it possible to look into hidden corners that have not been seen before. Again, if we draw an analogy, then this process is similar to when a 3D picture is viewed from different angles. Suppose we see a three-dimensional square in front of us, but, looking around the corner, we understand that its reverse side is a triangle.
6. It is important to take into account the psychological state of people. That is, if there is a critical remark or disagreement with the idea, no one should be offended. And this can be achieved only if the participants “work together”, they have confidence in each other. Recognition if they communicate on an equal footing, showing respect for the knowledge, experience and, in general, the personality of a colleague.
7. Union. Now all thoughts and metaphors need to be structured a little, dressed in a form and outlined boundaries. The most successful idea is selected and tried on for the main task.
8. It is necessary to transform the chosen analogy into a very real solution. For example, if there was a proposal to repeat the structure of the sheet for a water-repellent effect, then you need to draw up a pattern of the pattern, adapt it to the customer’s material, etc.
9. After a series of experiments, the most suitable solution is selected and submitted for evaluation by experts and directly to the customer.

Application Recommendations

Information about the expected results is kept silent, only the manager is aware of the conditions and essence. Do you know why this is done? In order not to limit synectors, after all, if you put a certain task in front of them, then they will act according to patterns. And in this technique, the usual type of thinking and logic, on the contrary, are not welcome. Thus, the group will be able to find «weak points» of the voiced problem, which even the management did not know about. Also offer your own options for their elimination or improvement of quality, design, etc.

And psychological maturity is also important, thanks to which a person will not “fall out” of a professional position into a personal, childish one, believing that they are unfair to him and intentionally want to offend, therefore they do not accept any offer. The most banal example of non-professionalism and “falling out” is when you talk to the seller about the poor quality of the goods, and he takes the remark personally, sincerely indignant and offended.

In general, if the necessary microclimate has been created earlier, then at this stage ideas, thoughts and suggestions “hover” in the air. Everything that comes to mind is said without fear of condemnation and rejection.

Conclusion

And that’s all for today, dear readers! Despite the fact that this method is complex, and its application in everyday life is almost unrealistic (at least if you take into account the fact that it should be trained for at least a year), you can simply use the main tool of synectics — comparison. Try to move away from the usual patterns of thinking, suspend logical reasoning and so on, and you may be able to create something completely new and ingenious. I wish you success!

The material was prepared by Zhuravina Alina.