TRIZ APPROACH - Case Study: Creative Solutions to a Human Relations (HR) Problem

by
James F. Kowalick, President & Director
The Leonardo da Vinci Institute, diision o! "LI, Inc.
Introduction. The oldest liin# system on earth that attracts the broadest interest is the ast system o! human bein#s. The
multi$colored array o! human relations !orms a network o! human interactions that has been under study since humans !irst
walked the earth. The success rate in increasin# the e!!ectieness o! human relations has been less than satis!actory. %ne
reason !or this lack o! success is a lack o! sub&ect matter e'(ertise in human (sycholo#y. ) second reason is the lack o! an
e!!ectie (rocess !or moin# !rom a#ue (roblem descri(tions or (roblem situations to a s(eci!ic model o! the core, or
main, (roblem to be addressed. ) !urther reason is the lack o! creatie solutions.
%! these three reasons !or the #eneral ine!!ectieness o! achiein# sound solutions in the realm o! human relations, the lack
o! an e!!ectie (roblem$de!inition (rocess, and a creatie solution a((roach, hae stymied creatie a((roaches to such
(roblems. In the !ield o! human relations, certain enli#htened, (roblem$solin# indiiduals hae a((eared !rom time to
time* their works were turned into a +latest reci(e o! the day,+ and then that reci(e re(laced by yet another reci(e. ,o
#eneral theory and (ractice eer emer#ed.
Te TRIZ A!!roac. The a((roach called T"I- came to the western world in the late ./012s !rom "ussia, where it was
(rimarily used to creatiely address (roblems and challen#es associated with technical systems. T"I- is the "ussian
acronym !or +Theory o! the 3olution o! 4reatie Problems.+ Today in the 53) and in other western countries, T"I- has
been strate#ically ado(ted by !orward$moin# or#ani6ations as the conce(t$#eneratin# tool o! the century. Little is known,
howeer, about the (ower o! the T"I- a((roach !or si#ni!icantly im(roin# human relations $ includin# the key !unctions
o! leadershi( and mana#ement.
Case Study
"on#s an $%%ective but Really &ras 'uy( The President o! IsoTech 7uadratics knew that, in order to kee( the number
one (roduct line o! IT7 moin#, John was the (erson to do it. That2s why John #ot the &ob as Vice President o! IT72s main
(roduct line. There was no one more actie, no one more !ocused on what had to be done, than John. The sayin# +John
(ulls no (unches,+ had a s(ecial meanin# to those who worked !or him. 8e2d look you strai#ht in the eye and ask the
9uestion that you knew $ sometimes you dreaded $ he would ask. +:hy is that line down;+ or, +:hat2s the (roblem;+ or,
+:hat are you doin# about it;+ John2s way o! +9uickly #ettin# to the heart o! the matter+ #ained him the res(ect o!
cor(orate leaders, includin# the President o! IT7.
<ut John also had other 9ualities. In a nutshell, he was brash, insensitie, undi(lomatic $ sometimes een a social
embarrassment. =et he could neer see himsel! in a mirror as bein# brash and insensitie to others. 8is recent manners and
behaior at a local restaurant, where he became intrusiely obno'ious with a !emale waitress durin# order$takin#, was &ust
one case in (oint. <ut his same brash treatment o! an "&D de(artment mana#er had led that aluable indiidual to leae
the com(any and moe to a com(etitor.
John was a +Let2s #et the &ob done+ (erson, but he lacked the (atience, ision and human sensitiity re9uired to !ully
accom(lish his role. 8is alue to mana#ement was that he ke(t the (roduction line moin#. 8e attracted others like himsel!
$ soon his #rou( had become 9uite (olari6ed. There were em(loyees who were like John, who imitated and co(ied his
ways* and there were the others who either couldn2t stand him, or who would rather aoid his (resence. The latter #rou(
was !ar less e!!ectie than they could hae been without John2s constant brashness oer(owerin# eery situation.
This brie! descri(tion re(resents the (roblem situation. This (roblem was not only the President2s (roblem. It was a
(roblem !or IT7 as a whole. %n the one hand, John was needed by the com(any because he and his (eo(le ke(t the
(roduction line runnin#. %n the other hand, not only was he not nurturin# and (romotin# others $ he was, in !act,
destroyin# IT72s !uture (roduct (ossibilities throu#h his (ower$based treatment o! sta!! members !rom IT72s research and
deelo(mental areas. ,ot to mention the !act that em(loyees !rom other diisions in the com(any dreaded bum(in# into
him or his (eo(le.
)se%ul and *Harm%ul* $vents +lo, Cart. The T"I- a((roach be#ins either with a use!ul or a harm!ul eent
descri(tion, and solicits in!ormation about that eent. For the harm!ul eent descri(tion, this in!ormation can be e'(ressed
in the !orm o! 9uestions> :hat harm!ul eent or action is caused by it; :hat harm!ul eent or action causes it; :hat
use!ul eent or action causes it; :hat use!ul eent or action eliminates reduces or (reents it;
The !low dia#ram illustrated below addresses the key harm!ul eent, +J%8,23 I,3?,3ITIVIT= 4)53?3 P"%<L?@3
:IT8 T8%3? :8% 8)V? A%)L3 %T8?" T8), 8I3 %:, P"%D54T$LI,? A%)L3.+ The !low chart indicates
that this +harm!ul+ eent causes +3tri!e in the new$(roduct deelo(ment areas o! IT7.+ )dditionally, there are two eents
that relate to John2s harm!ul actiities in a causal way> a harm!ul action, +John is a sin#le$minded, brash, insensitie
indiidual,+ and a use!ul action, the +need to !ocus on daily (roduction and on today2s market success.+ )nother block in
the !low charts is in (lace to eliminate, reduce, or (reent John2s harm!ul e!!ects on the or#ani6ation> +%ther (eer
mana#ers, as well as the com(any (resident, deotin# their time and e!!orts to calmin# the waters between John2s #rou(
and other com(any #rou(s.+
Two Aoal 3tatements !or the (roblem +J%8,23 I,3?,3ITIVIT= 4)53?3 P"%<L?@3 :IT8 T8%3? :8% 8)V?
A%)L3 %T8?" T8), 8I3 %:, P"%D54T$LI,? A%)L3,+ are e'(ressed below.
.. Find a way to eliminate, reduce, or (reent the situation +J%8,23 I,3?,3ITIVIT= 4)53?3 P"%<L?@3
:IT8 T8%3? :8% 8)V? A%)L3 %T8?" T8), 8I3 %:, P"%D54T$LI,? A%)L3,+ without the need
!or +%ther (eer mana#ers, as well as the com(any (resident, deotin# their time and e!!orts to calmin# the waters
between John2s #rou( and other com(any #rou(s.+ It is not necessary to chan#e the +need to !ocus on daily
(roduction and on today2s market success,+ or to chan#e the !act that +John is a sin#le$minded, insensitie, brash
indiidual.+
B. Find a means to use the situation +J%8, I3 I,3?,3ITIV? T% T8? ,??D3 %F T8%3? :8% 8)V? A%)L3
%T8?" T8), 8I3 %:, P"%D54T$LI,? A%)L3.+ to adanta#e.
) close e'amination o! these #oal statements reeals that they hae been ery well thou#ht out. The second #oal statement
Cstatement D BE is about +turnin# lemons into lemonade.+ It reco#ni6es the !act that John sin#le$mindedly and sel!ishly
!ocuses on his own concerns> #ettin# his (roduct line out. )nd it asks the (roblem$soler to look !or ways to turn this
situation into an adanta#eous one.
The !irst #oal statement is more direct. It seeks a way to #et rid o! the results o! John2s insensitiity and bull$headedness,
without takin# u( the aluable time and e!!orts o! the President and other cor(orate mana#ers. It also reco#ni6es the need
to continue to !ocus on daily (roduction, and $ most im(ortantly $ it reco#ni6es the !oolishness and ine!!ectieness o!
(roceedin# alon# a (ath o! attem(tin# to chan#e John2s (ersonal characteristics. 3uch characteristics hae been indelibly
inscribed u(on John2s (ersonality oer many years.
%ne key adanta#e o! this !low$chart tem(late is that it C.E (uts the whole (icture in (ers(ectie, showin# the causes, the
e!!ects, and een the systems that are in (lace to eliminate the harm!ul e!!ect in 9uestion. )nother adanta#e is that it CBE
!orms #oal statements that reco#ni6e all related actions and eents, while dealin# intelli#ently with each o! them.
TRIZ Problem -e%inition. @ost (roblems worthy o! bein# called +(roblems+ hae within them at least one ma&or
con!lict. In the (resent case study, the con!lict can be e'(ressed as !ollows>
4on!lict
+John channels all resources under his control towards meeting his groups goals, but he does this accompanied by an
intimidating style that demoralizes and renders ineffective other organizational goals.+
This is a ty(ical con!lict> )n use!ul action taken to address a worthy #oal CI@P"%VI,A F?)T5"?E, causes a
deterioration o! somethin# else C:%"3?,I,A F?)T5"?E. :hen a (roblem is stated in this !ashion $ as a con!lict
between two con!lictin# !eatures or eents, the ty(es o! solutions that come to mind inole tradeo!!s or com(romises, in
which nobody is really satis!ied, and which do not really sole the (roblem. For e'am(le>
Ine!!ectie Tradeo!! 3olution
Aie John sensitiity trainin# to make him a little more sensitie, while trainin# others in the com(any on +8ow to #et
alon# with di!!icult (eo(le.+
%n the other hand i! we !rame the (roblem as a +(hysical contradiction,+ we take the !irst ste( towards a solution that will
acce(t no tradeo!!s or com(romises>
Physical 4ontradiction
+John has to be in charge and not in charge.+
In other words, John must be in char#e o! his (roduct line, because he needs to make sure that orders #et (roduced and
deliered on time. <ut John must not be in char#e o! his (roduct line, because he iews his res(onsibility as oerseein# all
other actiities in the com(any, and his brash style adersely in!luences (ersonnel connected with these other actiities.
3uch a !ormulation o! the solution is akin to what is called the +Ideal Final "esult+ in T"I-. This +IF"+ seres as a
#uide(ost that must be satis!ied by any solution. Furthermore, the T"I- a((roach em(hasi6es solutions that +come !rom
inside the system, usin# system resources,+ rather than solutions comin# !rom the outside, and thereby makin# the system
more com(le', more costly, and takin# u( aluable time Ci.e., the solution inolin# sensitiity and other trainin#E.
Solutions %rom te TRIZ Toolbo.( The T"I- +toolbo'+ is !ull o! solution techni9ues. It is not the (ur(ose in this brie!
(a(er to moe e'haustiely throu#h all o! them. Instead, a !ew o! them will be discussed !or (ur(oses o! illustratin# the
(ower o! T"I-. )lon# with each o! these will be some actual solutions.
3e(aration in 3(ace. This solution techni9ue asks the (roblem$soler to +se(arate the con!lictin# elements in s(ace Ci.e., by
locatin# them in di!!erent (lacesE.+ This su##ests #rantin# res(onsibility !or each o! the con!lictin# tasks to di!!erent (eo(le
located in di!!erent (arts o! the or#ani6ation. John should remain in char#e o! the (roduction as(ects o! his own (roduct
line, but someone else Can "&D mana#erE should be res(onsible !or "&D. In this way, John2s e!!orts are dedicated to what
he does best> #ettin# (roduct out. The other indiidual is dedicated to new (roduct "&D. John2s irritable manners may
reach this indiidual, but the indiidual will hae enou#h +tou#h skin+ to shake o!! John2s criticisms, makin# hisFher own
decisions about "&D. ,ote> a #ood "&D mana#er will listen care!ully to (eo(le like John, who they should iew as one o!
their seeral internal customers. 3imilarly, the (rocurement, marketin# and other or#ani6ational se#ments will be
res(onsible !or their areas.
3e(aration in Time. This solution techni9ue asks the (roblem$soler to +se(arate the con!lictin# elements in time Ci.e., by
assi#nin# them to di!!erent time (eriodsE.+ This also su##ests #rantin# res(onsibility !or each o! seeral se9uential Cor een
concurrentE con!lictin# tasks to di!!erent (eo(le located in di!!erent (arts o! the or#ani6ation. John should remain in char#e
o! the (roduction as(ects o! his own (roduct line, but someone else Can "&D mana#erE should be res(onsible !or actiities
such as "&D, (rocurement, and marketin#, that (recede (roduct (roduction.
4reatie Princi(les. There are G1 creatie (rinci(les Calso called +inentie (rinci(les+E that can be a((lied to the ob&ects
and actions that make u( a #ien !unction. The result o! such a((lication is a creatie solution. For e'am(le, one o! the G1
creatie (rinci(les is the +Takeout+ (rinci(le, which su##ests that the (roblem$soler +remoe all but the one and only
im(ortant (art or (ro(erty !rom the Hob&ect,2 leain# in (lace that (art or (ro(erty in (lace.+ This mi#ht be inter(reted as>
Takeout Princi(le
+Leave John in charge of production." Tae away his other responsibilities, assigning them to others.+
=et another creatie (rinci(le is the +Preliminary )nti$)ction+ (rinci(le, which (uts in (lace a mechanism or ob&ect that
antici(ates harm!ul e!!ects, and is ready, in adance, to take care o! them, should they arise.+ This creatie (rinci(le mi#ht
be inter(reted into the !ollowin# solution>
Preliminary )nti$)ction Princi(le
+The !resident has a standard reply to any one who comes to him, complaining about John" #oure in charge, and you
are responsible for your own area. $ow how can % help you& " %n fact, the !resident regularly reminds everyone in
charge that they, and only they, are in charge, and that they are also responsible to each other for the healthy running of
%T'.
)nother creatie (rinci(le is the +<lessin# in Dis#uise+ (rinci(le, which states that a harm!ul e!!ect can be turned into an
adanta#e, or into a use!ul e!!ect>
<lessin# in Dis#uise Princi(le
+(y placing total responsibility on John for his product)line production, and by not having him responsible for areas
outside his domain, John is able to focus his and his groups efforts on what he and they do best ) unbothered by other
tass that are the responsibilities of other managers throughout the company.+
)nother inentie (rinci(le is the +Intermediary+ (rinci(le, which su##ests (lacin# an +intermediate ob&ect+ between two
interactin# ob&ects>
Intermediary Princi(le
+*ppoint a program manager, responsible to the !resident, for each ma+or product line in the company. John and his
group are now supporting this program manager."
The ?olution o! 3ystems. )ccordin# to the T"I- a((roach, there is a uniersal (ath !ollowed by all systems as they
eole towards +ideality.+ The ste(s on this (ath include arious creatie solution (rom(ts, which when a((lied, will lead
to an im(roed system. For e'am(le, one ery +hi#h+ ste( is called +Trimmin#.+ Trimmin# su##ests that the (roblem$
soler remoe an ob&ect !rom the system, and o!!ers arious ways that the system can be im(roed by such remoal. %ne
way is to ask one or more o! the remainin# ob&ects le!t in the system to take oer the !unctional res(onsibilities o! the
ob&ect that has been remoed. %ne solution inter(retation !or the (resent case study>
+,emove John from his position, and assign it to another product)line manager, or to a pro+ectized manager who is in
charge of all aspects. This new person does not have the undesirable characteristics that John has.+
Solution Selection. There are seeral solutions to this (roblem, other than those mentioned aboe. ,ot all solutions are as
#ood as others. The +best+ solution is o!ten some combination o! seeral other solutions. Furthermore, there is a ery
e!!ectie T"I- a((roach called +)"I-+ which is a ste($by$ste( (rocedure that hones in on the ideal solution, o!ten makin#
that solution trans(arently obious merely by the (roblem$de!inition statement itsel!.
5sin# well known solution$selection techni9ues such as +Pu#h )nalysis,+ the (roblem$soler can 9uickly consider the
(lusses and minuses o! indiidual solutions, relatie to some +datum+ solution, and recommend the best solution,
considerin# all im(ortant IT7 re9uirements.
Summary. The T"I- a((roach is a (ower!ul yet creatie a((roach !or solin# (roblems and !or addressin# di!!icult
situations in human relations. Its stren#th lies both in C.E its ability to state solution #oals, and CBE its ability to identi!y
hi#h$leel solutions to com(le' (roblems. It handles (roblems inolin# human (sycholo#y, inter(ersonal relationshi(s,
and (rocesses in which human bein#s may or may not be (artici(atin#. Its solutions em(hasi6e system sim(licity, reduced
cost, and reliability $ achieed by usin# the resources aailable within the system, rather than hain# to #o outside o! the
system seekin# answers. The T"I- a((roach is also the most (ower!ul and creatie a((roach !or solin# technical
(roblems related to (roducts, (roduct lines and manu!acturin# (rocesses. ) little known, but ery leera#ed use o! T"I- is
to use it to accurately (redict the deelo(ment o! any (roduct or technical system !or the !uture, and then to achiee any
such deelo(ments in &ust months and years. )ll o! these uses o! T"I- hae been eri!ied by the Leonardo da Vinci
Institute and by the author in the world2s most (rominent com(anies.
Identi!y the (roblem.
:hat would hae been the outcome o! a tradeo!! solution;
8ow was T"I- a((roach e!!ectie;