This is my weekly summary of the online course "A Crash Course on Creativity", taught by Tina Seelig, through the Venture Lab at Stanford.
Watch this quick 3 minute video where Tina gives you an overview of reframing problems and the importance of this tool.
In the video, Tina starts by quoting Albert Einstein, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first fifty-five minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”
This is such an important issue. For example, it's so easy to discuss things with people in terms of black and white which creates two problems. First, it limits the discussion and creative alternatives don't even come into play. Second, it increases the chance of miscommunication because you may not understand why the other person wants what they are asking for. If you understand "why" they are requesting something, it can change the whole discussion and make it much easier to solve the problem.
Tina will also tell you, "we create frames for what we experience, and they both inform and limit the way we think".
If you are interested and want another short video which addresses reframing problems by comparing other cultures to ours and how different everyone does and sees things, here is a quick 2 minute TED talk by Derek Silvers called "Weird, or Just Different".
Denise
