The move from the old economy to the new knowledge based economy places a premium on adding value through knowledge, skill and above all else, creativity. We need to promote a culture of innovation where staff strive to increase productivity and reduce cost through providing innovative solutions and challenging old ways of thinking. Peter Drucker said: “The enterprise that does not innovate inevitable ages and declines. And in a period of rapid change such as the present, an entrepreneurial period, the decline will be fast.” Organizations today need people who can approach situations with creative ideas and innovative solutions. We also need to think and see problems in new ways and different perspectives realizing that there may be more than merely one “right” answer. This workshop demonstrates what innovation is and how it may be implemented by using creativity to generate ideas and solutions and how such thinking may be fostered and developed in the participants and their staff. At the same time it will help equip participants with the ability to approach challenges and problems with techniques and tools for practical application in real life.
Course Outline
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this workshop participants will be able to:
- Know the difference between creativity and innovation
- Recognise creative principles and techniques and how to apply them
- Use various creative thinking techniques to assist in a more creative and innovative approach to problem solving and ideas generation.
- To appreciate how our perceptions act as filters for our thinking processes and behaviors – hence the need to reframe problems and situations
- Create an innovative and creative workplace environment
- Create a better climate to foster creativity in the workplace – changing attitudes
- Create a better climate to foster creativity in the workplace – environment
- Be equipped with a framework and set of tools and techniques for idea generation and problem solving
Course Content
| Module | Topics Covered | Activity | |
| Module 1 : Recognising Creative Principles |
1.1 : What is Creativity
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Activity Creative Cola |
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1.2 : The Classical Creative Methods
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1.3 : How The Mind Works – Critical Thinking versus Creative Thinking
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Activities The Identical list, Confusing the Brain, Whole Brain Thinking |
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1.4 : Understanding the Differences Between Innovation and Creativity
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Module 2 :Reframing the Mind –Understanding and Changing our Perceptions |
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Activities Look across the Circle, Check your Assumptions, The Inference Test, etc |
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| Module 3 Create a Better Climate to Foster Creativity in the Workplace (Part 1 – Changing Attitudes) | 3.1 : Myths about Creative Thinking and Problem Solving that People Have
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3.2 : Recognise the Negative Attitudes that Block Creativity
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3.3 : Recognise the Mental Blocks Creative Thinking and Problem Solving
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3.4 : Develop Positive Attitudes for Creativity
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3.5 : Characteristics of the Innovative Person
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| Module 4 Create a Better Climate to Foster Creativity in the Workplace (Part 2 – Environment and Culture) | 4.1 : The Environment for Creative and Innovative thinking
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4.2 : Avoid Work Conditions That Stifle Creativity
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4.3 : Mentally and Physically Prepare for Creativity
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| Module 5 Creative thinking techniques |
5.1 : Ideas Generating Questions
To use this technique think of an item or object and think of all the possible uses of that object without regard for what the object is normally used for. |
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| 5.3 : “Improvements to” This is the counterpart to the above. This technique focuses on altering an item to enhance its original, given purpose |
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| 5.4 : “What –Iffing” This technique is a tool for releasing the mind from its normal constraints |
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| Module 6 Using Creative Techniques to Generate Innovative Solutions – “Think out of the Box” |
6.1 : Brainstorming the Professional Way
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Practical methodology
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| 6.2 : Trigger Concepts A trigger concept (or idea or random seed) is an idea creating technique operated by bringing an unrelated idea into the problem and forcing connections or similarities between the two |
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6.3 : Thinking Out of the Box – Exercises
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| Module 7 Seek Out New and Innovative Ways to Solve Problems |
7.1 : Classical Standard Ways of Problem Solving
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| Module 8 Implementation Planning |
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| Achieving Personal Change and Growth |
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| Review, Evaluation and Close | ||
| Methodology | This programme will be highly exponential in nature with short presentations, group discussions and presentation, practical exercises, self-awareness questionnaires, sharing of real life personal experiences and the opportunity for reflection | |