Creative Thinking and Innovation

Duration: Offered as a 90 minute webinar or 2 days in class

Course Overview

Creative thinking and innovation are vital components in both our personal and professional lives. However, many people feel as though they are lacking in creativity. What most of us do not recognize is that we are creative on a daily basis, whether it’s picking out what clothes to wear in the morning or stretching a tight budget at work. While these tasks may not normally be associated with creativity, there is a great deal of creativity involved to get those jobs done.
While some people seem to be simply bursting with creativity, others find it a struggle to think outside the square. If you fall into the latter category, it is important to understand that boosting your creative and innovative abilities takes practice. Recognizing and honing your own creative potential is a process. That’s what this course is all about.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the difference between creativity and innovation
  • Recognize your own creativity
  • Build your own creative environment
  • Explain the importance of creativity and innovation in business
  • Apply problem solving steps and tools
  • Use individual and group techniques to help generate creative ideas
  • Implement creative ideas

Course Outline

1. Course Overview

2. What Is Creativity and Innovation?

  • Creativity and Innovation: A Breakdown
  • Know Your Creative Potential

3. Individual Creativity

  • Know Yourself
  • Boost Your Creative Juices

4. Get Creative

5. Developing the Right Environment for Creativity

  • What Does a Creative Environment Look Like?
  • Build Your Creative Environment

6. Creativity and Innovation in Business

  • The Role of Creativity and Innovation in Business
  • The Birth of the Four Seasons: A Case Study

7. Where Does Creativity Fit Into the Problem-Solving Process?

  • Problem-Solving Models
  • Phase One
  • Phase Two
  • Phase Three

8. Defining the Problem

  • Problem Identification
  • Eight Essentials to Defining a Problem
  • Tie It All Together
  • Using the Power of Eight

9. Creative Techniques

  • The RAP Model
  • The Shoe Swap Technique
  • Walk A Mile
  • Using Mind Mapping
  • Map It Out!
  • Metaphors and Analogies
  • Make a Metaphor
  • Situation/Solution Reversal
  • Reverse It to Solve It
  • Bring on the Toys!
  • Draw It Out!

10. Encouraging Creativity In A Team

  • Brainstorming
  • Plan It Out!
  • Rolestorming
  • Act It Out!
  • The Stepladder Technique
  • Brainwriting
  • The Slip Writing Technique

11. Putting It All Together

  • Nancy Clue and the Case of the Software Upgrade
  • Create Ideas and Choose Your Solution

12. Personal Action Plan