By Reshim.org

In today's fast-moving world, solving complex problems effectively lies at the heart of every nonprofit's mission. As a Program Manager at Reshim.org, I'm constantly seeking innovative ways to boost our impact. Recently, I came across a promising approach: leveraging AI to refine problem statements and craft innovative solutions. My journey into this field began when I delved into MIT's Supermind Ideator tool. You can join their waiting list here: https://ideator.mit.edu/

In the meantime, try my step-by-step algorithm. It draws inspiration from the Supermind Ideator algorithm, with a touch of systems thinking added in. You can use it to enhance your strategic work, even on the free Chat-GPT platform.

Step-by-Step Guide: Navigating Innovative Problem-Solving with AI

Step 1: Refining Problem Formulation

Prompt 1: Refine the problem statement (your initial problem statement here)

Answer the following questions:

• What are different parts of my problem?
• What are different types of my problem?
• What other problem is my problem a part of?
• What are the underlying causes of this problem?
• When thinking systemically, what larger systems could this problem potentially be related to?
• What are some useful analogies to my problem?
• Considering all these insights, what am I missing from my current problem statement?

→ Take the answers and refine your initial problem statement. Keep running Prompt 1 with the updated wording until you have a comprehensive problem description that covers all relevant aspects.

Step 2: Brainstorming Solutions

Prompt 2: Generate potential solutions for the Problem.

Answer the following questions:

• What ideas could be inspired by how (name your field) works?
• What wild and unconventional ideas could be inspired by how (name your field) works?