Get in Touch

Course Outline

Introduction to Creative Problem Solving

  • Comprehending creativity and the nature of creative thinking
  • The significance of creativity in problem resolution, innovation, and decision-making
  • Recognizing barriers to creative thinking and strategies for overcoming them
  • The creative problem-solving journey: from issue identification to solution implementation

Defining and Framing the Problem

  • Differentiating between symptoms and the core problem
  • Crafting a clear and actionable problem statement
  • Clarifying objectives, constraints, and desired outcomes
  • Reframing problems to uncover new perspectives

Gathering and Analyzing Information

  • Identifying relevant data and evidence
  • Posing effective questions to grasp the problem's nature
  • Examining facts, assumptions, and underlying causes
  • Structuring information to facilitate creative analysis

Identifying Root Causes

  • Looking past symptoms to uncover fundamental causes
  • Applying the 5 Whys Method
  • Constructing a Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram
  • Utilizing cause-and-effect analysis to organize complex problems
  • Selecting the most pertinent causes for deeper investigation

Generating Creative Solutions and Alternatives

  • Techniques for producing a broad range of ideas
  • Balancing divergent and convergent thinking
  • Questioning assumptions and exploring alternative viewpoints
  • Applying De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats
  • Cultivating associations and unconventional solutions
  • Practical exercises based on real-world business or organizational challenges

Evaluating and Selecting Solutions

  • Setting criteria for assessing ideas
  • Objectively comparing alternatives
  • Evaluating feasibility, impact, risks, and resource requirements
  • Employing Scatter Diagrams and other analytical tools where suitable
  • Aligning creativity with practical business needs

Structured Problem Solving with the 8D Method

  • Overview of the 8D problem-solving approach
  • Defining the problem and forming an effective problem-solving team
  • Identifying and executing corrective actions
  • Validating results and preventing future occurrences
  • Applying the methodology to a practical case study

From Idea to Action

  • Converting selected solutions into actionable plans
  • Defining responsibilities, resources, milestones, and deadlines
  • Recognizing potential implementation risks
  • Tracking progress and measuring outcomes

Introduction to Design Thinking

  • Grasping the fundamentals of Design Thinking
  • Building empathy with users and understanding their needs
  • Defining the challenge from a user-centric perspective
  • Ideation, prototyping, and testing solutions
  • Leveraging Design Thinking to tackle ambiguous and complex problems

Integrated Creative Problem-Solving Workshop

  • Applying selected creative thinking and problem-solving techniques to a practical challenge
  • Integrating root-cause analysis, idea generation, evaluation, and action planning
  • Working individually and/or in teams on trainer- or client-provided problems
  • Presenting proposed solutions and receiving feedback

Retrospective and Continuous Improvement

  • Reviewing the problem-solving process and outcomes
  • Identifying successes, failures, and areas for improvement
  • Developing an improvement plan
  • Utilizing the START / STOP / CONTINUE retrospective framework
  • Spotting opportunities to apply creative thinking in daily work

Workshop Summary

  • Recap of key principles and techniques
  • Personal action items
  • Transferring learning to current tasks and projects
  • Final discussion and Q&A

Requirements

None

Target Audience

  • Individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of creative thinking mechanisms and boost effectiveness
 7 Hours

Number of participants


Price per participant

Testimonials (4)

Upcoming Courses

Related Categories