Apply our problem solving method

• Learn how to generate alternative ways to solve a problem.

“When I get flustered, I sometimes make irreversible decisions before considering better options.”

“My advisor and I seem to be in a rut. We are not communicating well. I don’t know how to turn things around.”

“I am a perfectionist. If I can’t think of a perfect solution right away, I freeze.”

Brainstorming, the process of generating a mental or written list of many possible solutions to a dilemma, is a crucial problem-solving skill. You use brainstorming skills when you are thinking about your dissertation topic or troubleshooting in the lab, but do you apply these skills to your “people problems"? For example, if insulted by a co-worker, would you react automatically or would you first run through alternative solutions in your mind?

This module will teach you expert tips on brainstorming and help you learn to apply these skills to interpersonal or programmatic issues getting in the way of your career goals. This module is devoted to helping you develop this specific skill, because brainstorming is actually much different from other aspects of problem-solving.

REFLECTIONS

Before we begin, imagine the scenario below. What would you think to do next?

A year ago, you uprooted your family from another state to pursue your PhD at this university. You applied here to work specifically with Professor Shultz on nanomaterials and nanocomposites research. 

Your 4-year-old loves the on-campus preschool, and your partner is finally settling into his new job. Your advisor announces in a lab meeting that she has accepted an offer at a university on the opposite coast and will be leaving next semester.

Did any of the thoughts below run through your head as you imagined what you might think to do next?

• “I would not be able to pursue the same career goals without my advisor around.”
• “My partner would leave me if I made him move one more time.”
• “No one else would want to take me on as an advisee.”
• “If something like that happened to me, I would just give up.”

This type of negative thinking can lead you to prematurely disregard possible solutions, and it interferes with solving a problem. Focusing instead on coming up with a number of possible ways to solve a problem is productive thinking. 

While brainstorming may seem like a simple concept, many of us struggle with it. We put limitations on our ideas and tend to get stuck judging the quality of our responses too soon. 

Brainstorming is a technique that is applied extensively in guiding group generation of ideas for problem-solving in organizational settings. It also is often used to enhance individual creativity.  

Brainstorming is an important aspect of social problem-solving, or dealing with everyday issues that come up in real life. Of course, defining the problem is essential as a first step (See Assess the Problem, followed by Specify the Outcome). Then, brainstorming is the process to use in generating alternative solutions as part of the Strategizing step of our problem-solving method. 

Successful brainstorming takes creativity and an open mind and involves skills that you can improve with practice. While brainstorming may seem like a simple concept, many of us struggle with it because we put limitations on our ideas. 

It is easy to have a quick reaction, jump to conclusions about what is or is not possible, or fall back on previous ways of dealing with problems. This path leads you to familiar dead-ends.

The following guidelines are advocated for brainstorming:

1. Identify as many solution alternatives as possible. The reasoning is that the more ideas, the more likely it is there will be a good one that was not obvious from the start.
2. Include as many ideas as possible, even if they are far-fetched. The emphasis is on quantity not quality.
3. Do not stop to evaluate the alternatives. That part comes later.
4. Generate possible strategies without focusing on the “how-to’s” right away. The actions and tactics follow later.

Reflection

The first step in brainstorming is to put every single possible solution on the table, even those that do not appear realistic or favorable. Temporarily refrain from evaluating possible options. It is best to write down your ideas.

A list of alternatives generated from imaginative, open-minded, non-evaluative  brainstorming might look something like this:

If my professor transfers to another university, I can:

• Transfer with my family to my professor’s new university.
• Transfer without my family.
• Stay here and work with a different advisor on a different topic.
• Stay here and work with a different advisor on the same topic.
• Investigate the possibility of working remotely.
• Change to a different degree program.
• Quit school.
• Try to convince my advisor to stay.
• Look into graduate college provisions for advisor chairing or co-chairing my dissertation research from afar.
• Temporarily move near my advisor so she can advise me as I finish my dissertation, after completing my other program requirements.

Can you think of another option?

The process of writing thoughts down can sometimes inspire new ideas. Only after you generate as many ideas as possible should you begin to evaluate each possibility one by one. Then you can eliminate those that won’t work. 

Remember, there is never a right or wrong answer when it comes to solving the many types of interpersonal dilemmas that will come up in graduate school.

Practice brainstorming solutions to the following dilemmas:

Dilemma 1:  You are jealous that another student was told about a coveted research assistantship first. You think he got the information from an all-male informal lunch event.

Below are some of the possible solutions to the first dilemma:

a. Apply to the assistantship as soon as you can, even if the deadline has passed.

b. Decide not to apply to the assistantship at all.

c. Ask to be invited to the next informal departmental luncheon.

d. Look into your school’s policies on job postings and see if a rule was broken.

Dilemma 2: Your seminar professor tells you (and only you) that this week's office hours will be held during dinner at his place.

Possible options to the second dilemma include:

a. Agree and attend.

b. Agree to attend, but later call in “sick.”

c. Say "no, thank you." Tell him you are available to meet during his regular office hours in his office.

d. Say "no, thank you." Tell him that his request is inappropriate.

e. Say "no, thank you." File a sexual harassment claim.

f. Say "no, thank you." Consult with your mentor about possible next steps.

g. Pretend you did not hear or understand your professor ’s request

Dilemma 3: You think you deserve second authorship on a manuscript, but your team plans to make you a fourth author.

Possible options to the third dilemma include:

a. Do nothing.

b. Demand to be at least the third author.

c. Work really hard on the manuscript and hope that the team notices.

d. Find out exactly why they have decided you only deserve to be the fourth author, and see if there is something you can do to contribute more.

e. Do nothing, but make sure everyone is clear on authorship before working together on a manuscript next time.

For the three dilemmas, did you overlook or disregard any of these solutions? Did you come up with an option not mentioned here?  

You likely had difficulty holding off on deciding whether each option is good or not. The idea of brainstorming is to generate as many options as you can before you start comparing and evaluating them.

Self-test

Which of the examples below are key components of brainstorming?

Strategies refer to the general courses of action to improve the problem, whereas tactics refer to the specific steps involved in putting the strategy into action. 

Dilemma: Alice, a second year engineering doctoral student, feels angry and hurt that her lab mates did not invite her to contribute to a manuscript they are working on for an upcoming conference. Alice brainstormed ideas about how to make it more likely that she will be included next time.

Engaging in creative, unrestricted brainstorming can lead you to recognize and try options that you might never have considered before. But, of course, this is only one aspect of the problem-solving process. 

Next, the CareerWISE Make Good Decisions module will help you evaluate your options and decide how to proceed.

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