We continue with this series of posts to explain very interesting procedures when it comes to generating new ideas and promoting creative activity. Remember that you can expand this information with books such as Development of creative thinking, from the University of London.
Synectics is a term of Greek origin that refers to the action of joining different elements that due to their characteristics and nature are few significant together, that is, they are not connected at all. Synectic theory is of an operational type, is based on the creation of a group of very diverse people in a grouping to pose problems and solve them. Its use is classic for formation of creative work groups. In synectics, one will act through psychological mechanisms consciously in creative human activity.
It is a method of squeezing brains in a detailed and systematic way while combined with periods of experimentation and market research. The group will be made up of experts from different fields (art, science, engineering, economics, medicine ...) and jointly they will hold discussion and analysis sessions. The premises of synectics are the following:
- The creative process can be described In a concrete way, it is also understandable and trainable.
- The cultural phenomenon of invention is similar in art and science, composed of the same psychic processes.
- The creative process is similar in the individual and in the group.
The technical - practical phases of the synectic process to be taken into account are the following:
- How the problem appears: posed to creatives or by creatives.
- Make the Strange Familiar: analysis to reveal components and factors.
- How to understand the problem: Detailed analysis down to minutiae to complete the process and achieve the maturation of the problem as it appears.
- Operational mechanisms: Among them metaphorical analogies relating to the problem as it is understood.
- Make the familiar strange: the problem is perceived as alien to us. We work from an objective perspective, making a move from a personal perspective to a neutral perspective.
- Psychological states: mental activity towards the problem reaches the states of speculation that synectic theory describes as the psychological climate more conducive to innovation.
- Integration of states with the problem: Once the states have been reached, the closest analogy to the problem is conceptually compared.
- Innovative point of view: It arises from the previous integrative comparison, with a more technical sense.
- Research solution or goal: point of view is put into practice for testing, or is the subject of further investigation.