Creative Thinking Workshop

Research from IBM, RMIT and other global sources shows that senior executives believe creativity must be a vital skill of its employees in order for the organisation to compete most effectively in the marketplace. Unfortunately, other research confirms that many professionals don’t believe they are creative, and even if they were, they wouldn’t be able to apply their creativity to real problems in the workplace.

This creative thinking workshop is designed to teach participants the definitions and principles of strategic problem solving, the different ways people think creatively, and common techniques for generating ideas in a variety of different formats or settings. The workshop has two options depending upon the participants: one agenda focuses on people working within a corporate or organisation environment, and the second focuses on people working in agencies and other client-service consultancies.

Suggested Participants

People in supervisory positions are most suited for this program as they will be able to apply the creative thinking techniques within their team.

Learning Outcomes

The desired outcome of this workshop is improved creativity and enhanced problem-solving skills among participants and and their work groups or teams.

Specific Points of Emphasis

• Definitions of key aspects of creative problem-solving:  strategic vs. creative thinking; linear vs. lateral thinking, open vs. closed thinking
• A simple overview of how the brain makes ideas, and what tools, elements and stimuli are needed to generate ideas
• Strategies to increase creativity within a team and individually (“solo creativity”)
• How to manage and facilitate a brainstorm
• Merchandising and packaging ideas to sell to supervisors or clients

Workshop Variations

Creativity is often a barometer of the health of an organisation, so it’s strongly recommended that this workshop build on the existing creative practices of the team. Also, to bring the principles and techniques to life in the workshop, it’s often helpful to have a real situation facing the team to bring the problem-solving principles and brainstorming techniques to life. The workshop is typically a half-day agenda, although it can be shortened to a two-hour module by editing the content accordingly. Finally, some teams have a natural “creative facilitator” among their members, so it’s also possible to adapt this workshop to incorporate this person as a co-facilitator, or to spend 1-on-1 time after the workshop to help them understand and apply the techniques.

Workshop Details

The maximum number of participants is usually 20-25 people.  The minimum number is 6. Workbooks are provided as part of the training, providing workshop exercises and techniques. Depending upon the agenda and content, the workshop can be conducted as an all-day, half-day or two-hour event.

For More Information

Please use the form below to contact me for more information about the workshop, to discuss how it might be conducted or adapted to suit your participants, or to receive more detail information, such as a sample agenda or initial estimate. You might also check out my page on Engagement Logistics.

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