Creative problem solving: Unlocking innovation in the Australian workplace

In industries across Australia, innovation is how we remain competitive. And creative problem-solving is how we turn challenges into opportunities, or roadblocks into pathways for growth. Whether it's addressing inefficiencies or creating a new customer experience, building creative muscle within your team can lead to solutions that future-proof your workplace by unlocking innovative and strategic thinking.

The creative problem-solving process

Creative problem-solving is a broad concept — and it takes practice. To narrow it down, there are structured processes to help nurture creativity within your team:

Brainstorming is a great starting point: ideate now, refine later. Encourage an open flow of possible solutions to a specific problem — without judgement. Set a time limit and focus on quantity over perfection. Sometimes, the wildest ideas can lead to the best solutions.

SCAMPER is a powerful tool for reframing problems by encouraging different perspectives. It stands for:

• Substitute: Can we replace one part of the process with something else?
• Combine: Can we merge two steps, systems or ideas to create something better?
• Adapt: Can we take inspiration from something else and adapt it to solve our problem?
• Modify: Can we tweak or change parts of the solution to make it more effective?
• Put to another use: Can this idea or resource be used differently?
• Eliminate: Are there unnecessary steps or elements we can remove?
• Reverse: What happens if we change the order or approach? Can reversing parts of the process reveal something new?

For example, if your delivery system feels outdated, could you combine it with modern technology to boost efficiency or eliminate unnecessary steps to streamline the process?

Mind mapping helps visualise challenges and solutions by linking ideas in a diagram. Start with the problem at the centre and branch out with potential solutions. This breaks complex issues into smaller, manageable parts while sparking new ideas.

Encouraging innovation in teams

If you want your team to think outside the box, you need to build a culture that nurtures a risk-tolerant mindset. Set the tone by sharing your ideas first — even the unconventional ones — and encourage an environment where no one dismisses a suggestion outright.

Innovation thrives when people from different roles, backgrounds and experiences contribute to problem-solving. The broader the range of input, the stronger and more creative the solutions become. Finally, fear of failure stifles creativity, so celebrate effort, not just success.

Overcoming barriers to creativity

Rigid thinking, fear of failure and time constraints are some of the most common creative barriers. Always question assumptions. I ask my team to consider "What if?" scenarios to unlock new possibilities and break free from the status quo.

Make it clear that mistakes are part of the creative process, reframing failure as an opportunity to learn and move closer to solutions. Innovation can't flourish when people are bogged down, so schedule specific brainstorming and problem-solving sessions to give your team space to think freely.

Turning ideas into action

Evaluate solutions against criteria like feasibility, impact and alignment with your objectives. Which ideas solve the problem most effectively and which offer the best long-term value? Once you've narrowed it down, break the solution into clear, actionable tasks — who will do what and by when?

Test the solution on a smaller scale to see how it performs in a controlled environment. Gather feedback from stakeholders and tweak as needed before rolling it out. This ensures that creativity doesn't just stay in the "idea phase" — it transforms into measurable results.

Ready to foster innovation?

Creative problem-solving is a skill that anyone can build. By nurturing a culture that values bold thinking, removing barriers to creativity and turning ideas into action, you'll unlock innovation that keeps your team ahead of the curve.

For further development in creative thinking, explore our Creative Problem Solving course.