CPS: The Discipline Behind Better Decisions
Design thinking. Brainstorming. Innovation workshops.
Most organizations have tried some version of “creative problem solving.” Few have experienced it as a repeatable, disciplined way of working.
That’s where Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is different.
CPS isn’t about coming up with clever ideas. It’s a structured framework that helps teams solve the right problems, together, and move from ambiguity to action without falling into politics, hierarchy, or analysis paralysis.
At its core, CPS gives organizations a shared language and process for tackling complex challenges—especially the ones that don’t have obvious answers.
A Brief History: From Creativity to Collaboration
The CPS framework was developed in the mid-20th century by Alex Osborn (the originator of brainstorming) and later refined by researchers and practitioners who recognized a critical limitation:
ideas alone don’t solve problems—aligned thinking does.
Over time, CPS evolved from a creativity tool into a decision-making and collaboration framework, widely used in business, education, and government settings. Its strength lies not in novelty, but in structure: a deliberate sequence that balances divergent thinking (expanding possibilities) with convergent thinking (making disciplined choices).
How CPS Actually Work:
CPS breaks complex challenges into clear stages, each with a distinct purpose:
Clarify
Teams slow down to define the real problem—often discovering that the initial issue is only a symptom. This alone prevents countless wasted initiatives.
Ideate
Possibilities are expanded deliberately and without premature judgment, ensuring that quieter voices are heard and groupthink is avoided.
Develop
Ideas are evaluated, refined, and strengthened against real-world constraints—resources, risk, timing, and impact.
Implement
The focus shifts to action: ownership, next steps, and momentum.
The Bottom Line:
CPS isn’t a creativity exercise. It’s an operating discipline.
At GEM Consulting Solutions, we use CPS to help leadership teams and organizations:
- Break through stalled initiatives
- Improve cross-functional collaboration
- Make better decisions under pressure
- Elevate results without burning people out
Because sustainable performance doesn’t come from more ideas.
It comes from better thinking—done together.
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