After the harvesting process, it is necessary to take each individual idea and to work directly on that idea in an attempt to turn the idea into a usable idea. The ultimate purpose of any creative effort is the production of ideas that are feasible, valuable, and acceptable. Occasionally, such ideas are produced during the creative session itself, but much more often there is still work to be done on an idea before it becomes directly usable. Even when ideas seem perfect, they need to be subjected to the treatment process in order to see if they can be further improved.
A useful checklist of the treatment steps is given here. Fuller coverage of this important subject is given in the body of the book.
The treatment process can be a lengthy one and it may not be practical to apply it to every single idea that is put forward in the creative session. This is a matter of need, circumstance, and choice. It needs to be said, however, that even unpromising ideas can change dramatically as a result of effective “treatment”.
The real-life constraints such as cost, legality, acceptability, and so on, are now brought in as shaping factors. Can the idea be shaped to fit these constraints? These constraints are not used as rejection criteria but in a constructive shaping way. Can this idea be carried out more cheaply? Is there a way of making this idea legal?
While shaping factors refer more to external constraints, the tailoring refers more to the resources of the organization. Can the idea be tailored to fit our resources? Resources include people, time, motivation, money, and so on. Is there a way of making this idea usable by us?
The effort is to increase the “power” of the idea. The “power” of an idea is the way the idea provides value. There is no reason to suppose that the first formulation of the idea is necessarily the most powerful. Even a good idea can be made better and a weak one can be made strong. The focus is on the value of the idea.
Ideas have their weak points even if these are not actual defects. Here we focus on reinforcing those weak points. Perhaps an idea is rather complex, can it be made simpler? Perhaps an idea would be more acceptable if it were made optional. What are the weak points? What can we do about them?
Here the attention shifts from the idea itself to the “take-up” of the idea. Who is going to have to decide on the idea? Who is going to have to implement the idea? Whose cooperation and goodwill is necessary for the success of the idea? We focus on such matters and see how the idea can be changed to increase the likelihood of take-up.
There is a direct comparison between the proposed idea and the idea it is going to replace. There is a comparison between the new way of doing things and the current way of doing things. There may also be a comparison between alternative new ideas that have been proposed. The comparison focuses on points of difference, points of value, and points of difficulty.
Here we use black hat thinking to find the faults and defects in the idea. This should be a thorough search. An effort is then made to correct these faults and defects. The purpose is to improve the idea and also to anticipate what will happen in the evaluation stage.
The consequences of putting each idea into action are followed forward into the future. What is likely to happen immediately, in the short term, in the medium term, and in the long term? This can only be reasonable expectation and guessing. The actual time frames depend on the nature of the idea itself. In the light of this examination of consequences, do we need to make any changes in the idea? If a new road will only increase the traffic load in the long term, what should we do?
Can the idea be tested? Can we devise a way of testing the idea? Can the idea be modified to make it more testable? An idea that is testable stands a much better chance of being chosen. A successful testing provides power to the supporters of the idea. If nothing else, is there a possible “information test” in which collection of existing information might support the idea?
How is this idea likely to be evaluated by those who are going to do the evaluation? How can the idea be modified to meet these needs? How should the idea be presented? Knowledge of the evaluation process and the actual people involved is helpful here.
The treatment process completes the creative, constructive, and positive action on behalf of the new idea. The next stage is the evaluation process, and the creative idea should expect no better treatment than that given to any idea from any source. That is why the treatment stage is so important. If it is not done well, a good idea may be lost and the creative effort may be wasted. Ideas that seem wonderful because of their novelty need to be properly treated to get them to provide real value. The euphoria of novelty is only a value to the creators of the idea. The emphasis must be on use value, feasibility, resources, and fit.