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Creative Thinking For Innovation

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Introduction
Creative Thinking for Innovation Overview
Workshop Session Plan
Key Learning Outcomes

Workshop Focus:
Creative ways to think and see differently
Duration:
Full day workshop
Target Audience:
Creatives, Management, Staff
Expected Outcomes:
Improve creativity and looking beyond the box

Let’s get inspired first…

Introduction

Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is created (such as an idea, a joke, an artistic or literary work, a painting or musical composition, a solution, an invention etc.). The ideas and concepts so conceived can then manifest themselves in any number of ways, but most often, they become something we can see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. The range of scholarly interest in creativity includes a multitude of definitions and approaches involving several disciplines; psychology, cognitive science, education, philosophy (particularly philosophy of science), technology, theology, sociology, linguistics, business studies, songwriting and economics, taking in the relationship between creativity and general intelligence, mental and neurological processes associated with creativity, the relationships between personality type and creative ability and between creativity and mental health, the potential for fostering creativity through education and training, especially as augmented by technology, and the application of creative resources to improve the effectiveness of learning and teaching processes. Wikipedia on Creativity.

Creative Thinking for Innovation is designed to break traditional thinking out of the mold. In workplaces it is easy to become stale and uninspired when challenged to create new ideas. Creativity emerges from relaxation, positive thinking and an ability to look at issues in a different way with curiosity and enthusiasm. Creativity is a natural ability and to a varying extent everyone is creative. Gillian Lynne the choreographer of cats told the author of WBTU that creativity is like a muscle and that its continual use will expand it.  Creativity is right brain thinking and may appear illogical to linear and methodical approaches of problem solving. However, the power of creativity enables insights that can be seen in a logical, methodical manner. Creativity can be taught as Edward de Bono (Lateral Thinking inventor) has demonstrated in his management seminars all around the world.  Creativity can also be cultivated through practice e.g. poetry, art, dance, singing, graphic design and other forms of design. When accessing the right brain ideas become limitless emerging from non-thinking spaces.  So the challenge is to step out of the thinking mind.

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Creative Thinking for Innovation Overview

Many staff lose the art of creativity by continual routine or function, feeling a sense of dullness and tiredness. Creative Thinking for Innovation will assist in helping staff and management see in new and exciting ways. The course explores creativity from a range of perspectives including the arts, inspiration and clowning as lateral approaches. The participants will have the opportunity to play some creative thinking games and will be given a creative journal to record ideas.

The course is run for a full day.  A half day can be arranged as an truncated introduction to creativity.

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Workshop Session Plan

Thinking About Thinking

1. About thinking
2  Emotional Intelligence
3. The Mind
4. How We Think Determines What We See
5. What is Reality?
6. Blind spot test

Perceptions and ‘Pick-A- Box’ Thinking

7. What is Perception?
8. Perceptual Tests
9. Free Thinking
10. Inspiration
11. The Arts: poetry, surrealism, cartoons
12. Creative Thinking

Parallel Thinking

13. Lateral Thinking (Edward de Bono techniques)
14. Practical exercise
15. REAL HOPE Values Based Thinking

Ways and Means of Thinking

16. Visual Thinking
17 Transformative Thinking
18. Challenge your Thinking

Collaborative and Interactive Thinking

19. Melting the ICE of thinking (inspire, challenge and empower)
20. Activity in collaboration
21. Clowning and lateral thinking

Brain Teasers

22. The Law of Attraction

Ideas Generation

23. Creative Journals

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Key Learning Outcomes

  • To understand cognitive and emotional intelligence
  • To gain insights into the expansiveness of the mind
  • To develop an understanding of the power of perception
  • To question the notion of reality
  • To become aware of the gaps in our awareness
  • To learn skills in the different styles of unlocking perception and creativity
  • To learn skills parallel thinking
  • To learn skills in accessing internal values
  • To learn to challenge perceptions and certainty
  • To learn alternatives to debate
  • To develop collaborative skills
  • To experience creativity through activities
  • To learn creativity through games
  • To practice journaling to record ideas as they emerge