PURPOSE:To develop the awareness and the skills necessary to solve problems creatively.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES1. Define creative problem solving.2. Be familiar with common mental blocks to creative

thinking process.3. Explore ways to be more creative.4. Know the steps to the creative problem solving process.5. Be familiar with: Brainstorming, Mind mapping and

Multivoting6. Apply tools to solve a problem.

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

A. What is creative problem solving? B. Why don’t we think creatively more

often? C. How can we be more creative? D. What is the creative problem solving

process? E. What are some other specific creative

problem solving tools and techniques? F. Application of learning.

What is creative problem solving?

The creative person uses information with knowledge to form new ideas.

The real key to creative problem solving is what you do with the knowledge.

Creative problem solving requires an attitude that allows you to search for new ideas and use your knowledge and experience.

Change perspective and use knowledge to make the ordinary to extraordinary .

DEFINITION

“Creative problem solving is - looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking

something different.”

EXERCISE SOLUTION

1) Why we don’t think creatively more often?

2) What are the barriers that get in our way?

Time Why change? Usually don’t need to be creative Habit Routine Haven’t been taught to be creative

Why don’t we think?............. MENTAL BLOCKS

Mental blocks are reasons (attitudes) why we don’t “think something different.”

1. The _______ answer.2. That’s not _________.3. __________ the rules.4. Be ______________.5. ________ is frivolous. 6. That’s not my _____.7. ________ ambiguity.8. Don’t be _________.9. __________is wrong. 10. I’m not __________.

1. The right answer.

2. That’s not logical.

3.Follow the rules.• Why rules should be challenged:

1. We make rules based on reasons that make a lot of sense.2. We follow these rules.3. Time passes, and things change.4. The original reasons for the generation of these rules may no longer exist, but because the rules are still in place, we continue to follow them.

4.Be practical.

5.Play is frivolous.

.

How can we be more creative?Jot down at least 3 ideas that come to your mind.

6.That’s not my area.7.Avoid ambiguity.8.Don’t be foolish.9.To err is wrong.10.I’m not creative.

BEING MORE CREATIVE

GOLDEN RULES OF CREATIVE THINKING

1. Start small trying to discover new ways to be creative, ___________.

2. __________ to abandon the old, obsolete ways of doing things and explore new ways.

3. It is not possible to change the way we think about everything. ________ in which to try creative thinking techniques.

4. Understand that creative thinking requires __________, but it is worth it!

5. Remember that creative thinking is both _______ and__________!!!

6. _________ on what you can reasonably do. Trying to do too many things at once compromises the effort and may take away from the results.

7. _________creative thinking for today as well as tomorrow.

8. Include other people in the creative thinking process with you. __________fosters creative thinking.

9. Include _______ and ______ in your creative thinking process as well as ___________.

10. Keep ________________.

1. “but start.”2. “Give yourself permission”3. “Target specific areas”4. “time”“hard work” and “fun!!!”6. “Focus”7. “Practice”8. “Collaboration”“new and different” “innovating”

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

STEP 1. State what appears to be the problem.The real problem may not surface until facts have been gathered and analyzed. Therefore, start

with what you assume to be the problem, that can later be confirmed or corrected.STEP 2. Gather facts, feelings and opinions. What happened? Where, when and how did it occur? What is it’s size, scope, and severity? Who and what is affected? Likely to happen again? Need to be corrected? May need to assign priorities to critical elements.STEP 3. Restate the problem.

The real facts help make this possible, and provide supporting data. The actual problem may, or may not be the same as stated in Step 1.

STEP 4. Identify alternative solutions.Generate ideas. Do not eliminate any possible solutions until several have been discussed.

STEP 5. Evaluate alternatives. Which will provide the optimum solution? What are the risks? Are costs in keeping with the benefits? Will the solution create new problems?

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS (CONTD.)

STEP 6. Implement the decision! Who must be involved? To what extent? How, when and where? Who will the decision impact? What might go wrong? How will the results be reported and verified?STEP 7. Evaluate the results. Test the solution against the desired results. Make revisions if necessary.

10 QUESTIONS TO ENCOURAGE IDEAS

1. What if…?

2. How can we improve…?

3. How will the Optimist Member and/or the community benefit?

4. Are we forgetting anything?

5. What’s the next step?

6. What can we do better…?

7. What do you think about…?

8. What should we add?

9. What should we eliminate?

10. What other ideas do you have...?

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

BRAINSTORMINGPurpose:To generate a large number of ideas in a short period of time.Rules for Brainstorming:

The more ideas the better! No discussion No idea is a bad idea Build on one another’s ideas Display all ideas

BRAINSTORMING EXERCISE

How Do We Motivate Our Local Optimist Club Members?

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES - MULTIVOTING

Purpose: To help a group of people make a decision with which they are comfortable.

Definition: A way to vote to select the most important or popular items (alternatives) from a list.

MULTIVOTINGSteps

1. Generate a list of items and number each item.2. If two or more items seem similar, they may be combined. 3. If necessary, renumber the items.4. Write down the numbers of the items you feel are the major cause of the problem.5. Share your votes by a show of hands.6. Eliminate those items with the fewest votes.7. Repeat steps 3 (renumber) through 6 on the list of remaining items. Continue this process until only a few items remain. If a clear favorite does not emerge, the group may discuss the items listed and make a choice.

MIND MAPPING EXERCISE Over-sized blank sheet of paper. Select word, phrase or problem statement

to serve as a focus for discussion. Print it in the middle of the paper. Enclose

it in a box or oval. Let a word pop out of your mind.

Print it anywhere on the paper. Underline it and connect the line with the

problem statement (or key phrase or word)you are working.

Record the next idea and connect it tooriginal focus point or the prior thought.

Continue printing and connecting words.

EXAMPLE

HELPFUL HINTS

COMPLETED MAP

APPLICATION OF LEARNING