CREATIVITY in TRAINING Prior to this call, I sent some pre-reading materials with a goal to expose you to the CPS model and language. In this hour, we will Review the Traits, Model, Techniques and Tools It is my hope to heighten your interest in creative problem solving while offering tools you can use in your daily work and to add to your training “bag of tricks.” Prior to coming to this call I asked you to consider creative people and their characteristics – can you share an example and a trait – giving everyone a chance to share? An overview of Creative Problem Solving Tools and Techniques

TRAITS IDENTIFIED IN CREATIVE PEOPLE The ability to find appropriate problems The ability to defer judgement Desire for originality Failure to conform to social pressure Tolerance of ambiguity Deep commitment (needed to acquire sufficient & specific knowledge). Some you may have shared… ADJECTIVES: independence, self-confidence, enthusiasm, spontaneity, curiosity, idealism, and a wide variety of interests. Furthermore many creative people are risk-takers, enjoy adventure, are high in energy, have a variety of interests and, are somewhat childlike in their playful nature

Why Creative Problem Solving (CPS)? Develop practical interpersonal and communication skills Improve the capacity to think creatively Experience intellectual challenge and growth Learn to overcome barriers & habits Strengthen the ability to manage diverse groups Utilization of tools to help define complex problems, generate solutions and transform solutions into action Here are some benefits to CPS – others that I’ve found beneficial: the use of language, tools and strategies to communicate ideas, tools to help me and others overcome barriers Adapted from: http://www.buffalostate.edu/centers/creativity/General/Benefits.html

Osborn/Parnes CPS Model Objective (Mess) Finding - identifying the goal, challenge and future direction. Fact Finding - collecting data about the problem, observing the problem as objectively as possible. Problem Finding - examining the various parts of the problem to isolate the major part, stating the problem in an open-ended way. Idea Finding - generating as many ideas as possible regarding the problem, brainstorming. Solution Finding - choosing the solution that would be most appropriate, developing and selecting criteria to evaluate the alternative solutions. Acceptance Finding - creating a plan of action. This is the original model found in your pre-reading material. Alex Osborn – Advertising Agency and Father of “Brainstorming” discovered that RULES helped increase ideas/innovation. Osborn met Parnes – together they developed process including convergence. Conducted studies and found that creativity skills can be taught A simplified model was developed by Firestien, Vehar, and Miller in the 1980’s. All versions stagger divergent (brainstorming) with convergent (narrowing) ideas. Davis, G. (1998). Creativity is Forever. Kendall Hunt

CPS Model Explore the Challenge Generate Ideas Prepare for Action (Mess & Fact Finding) Generate Ideas (Problem & Idea Finding) Prepare for Action (Solution & Acceptance Finding) It would be great if… I wish… How to… How might… In what ways might… What might be all the… What I see myself doing is… A simpler version was developed – NOTICE language – “STATEMENT STARTERS” to guide the stage and help with idea generation What is the goal, wish, or challenge upon which you want to work? What’s the situation or background? What are all the facts, questions, data, feelings that are involved? What is the problem that really needs to be focused on? What is the concern that really need to be addressed? What are all the possible solutions for how to solve the problem? How can you strengthen the solution? How can you select the solutions to know which one will work best? What are all the action steps that need to take place in order to implement your solution?

“If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is just one more step forward.” Thomas Edison This slide gets into the notion of making mistakes. Not allowing ourselves to make mistakes is one barrier to creative thinking. Can you think of others? Barriers to creative thinking: Thinking – “Creativity comes from creative types” (I’m not creative!) MOST COMMON Competition Time Pressure – also not allowing enough time for relaxation and incubation of ideas Adult Learning – one main barrier is defensiveness Too busy or too involved in a problem that we do not think creatively about its solution Habits & Routines - - Let’s take a look at how habits and routines are sometimes so ingrained that we don’t even know they exist.

By adding one line, turn this: IX Into 6 Try this for example…discuss our notion to react instantly a line being straight. Let’s try this before moving to slide 8 - Crossing arms/thumbs exercise.

Why are the following statements true? 3 + 3 = 8 8 – 0 = 0 What are your thoughts about these equations? We habitually want to solve this mathematically – at least at first glance. We typically do this with ideas as well. When we practice to consider other ways of looking at problems/concerns/issues – we can overcome habits that get in our way of being more creative – Some others… Practice – thinking of different ways to solve problems Break from day-to-day habitual thinking. ASK – someone outside of your domain for ideas.

MISTAKE QUOTIENT I may have introduced the “Mistake Quotient” at the Training Point. Referring to Edison’s quote on slide 6 – let’s embrace the concept of allowing – first ourselves & of course, also others – a Mistake quotient: 30 mistakes! If you need more, you’ll get 30 more! Overcome the fear of criticism – practice using a “Mistake Quotient” (for others – AND yourself) We effect how others respond to us by our demeanor. People must believe in themselves and their ideas in order for others to believe in them. After the individual has received the negative response there is a good chance that they will not pursue it or further creative endeavors of that sort. Some of you have been exposed to Ben Zander – do you recall how he respond to mistakes? “Fascinating”!

Creativity can solve almost any problem Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything. George Lois George Lois gives us this comment – about creativity and habits. Creativity depends on: Experience (including knowledge and technical skills). Talent Ability to think in new ways & The Capacity to push through uncreative dry spells. (PRACTICE – we will be doing so later) CREATIVTY requires: Incubation period (time to let ideas bubble up)…talk about driving, taking a shower, walking from sleep… Time to focus on work (protected from distractions) Sharing ideas (Reduce competition) When people are doing work they love and when work is valued & recognized – CREATIVITY will Flourish!

Creative Techniques Generating lots of ideas Combining existing ideas in different ways for new purposes Seeing the same thing but thinking of something different Selecting unique and useful ideas and solutions to everyday challenges Pieces of the CPS model can be used as techniques…practice to improve creativity. The model itself takes deliberate practice over time.

Divergent Tools Brainstorming Mind mapping Pluses, Potentials, & Concerns Forced Connections Words Pictures Analogies Brainstorming is the most common divergent tool – there are many other ways to generate lots of ideas… Here are a few other examples – you have a sample Mind Map and PPC in your handouts Discuss what a Forced Connection is and the practice and example MOVE TO NEXT SLIDE: If I asked you to generate ideas for “What ways might creative problem solving tools improve my trainings”?

What ideas do you get from this picture? “What ways might creative problem solving tools improve my trainings”? (Keep in mind that you may have already started generating ideas – and “forced connections” like looking at this picture helps to stretch your thinking or get you unstuck - ) Examples might be: Courageously break out of habits, Speak louder, Develop strong content material Develop strong exercises

Divergent Rules Defer Judgment Piggyback on other ideas Strive for Quantity Record, don’t discuss Seek unique ideas Before we move to examples of Convergent tools on slide 15 – lets look at #14 – Rules are the most important piece when diverging and converging! “Deferring Judgment” can mean both negative and positive comments about an idea. The idea to diverge is to obtain many ideas – judging comes later when converging.

Convergent Tools Hits & Clusters Card Sort Rank Order Evaluation Matrix The process is a dynamic balance between divergent and convergent thinking – between generating options and selecting options. Convergent tools are used to select options – narrow down the ideas that were generated in each stage. Have you ever been in a “brainstorming” session that ended after ideas were generated – people leave exhausted and wondering what next? Now what? Using convergent tools help to identify promising ideas that you have ownership/authority over and get you to a point of putting the ideas into action – so you won’t be wondering “what next”? Discuss the use of hits (highlighting) & clusters, Card sort, rank order, and Evaluation Matrix – MOVE to next slide to show example – you also have an example in your handouts…. Practice hits and clusters from “In what ways can we improve our clinical supervision skills…”

5 2 3 1 F 4 M Male vs. Female Specialize in Co-occurring Supervisory Experience Knowledge of CJ System MSW Total 5 2 3 1 F 4 M 11 Interviewee A Interviewee B 10 12 Interviewee C The evaluation matrix is a great tool for evaluating and prioritizing among from 2 to 20 choices To use the evaluation matrix, decide on a ranking scale such as 1,3, and 5.  1 has the lowest desirability, 3 middle level, and 5 is the highest desirability.  Ask yourself "Will it...?" or "Does it...?" and score the option against the criterion. Work down each column to rank each option for the same criterion.   Then go to the next column/criterion.  This will reduce the possibility that you will favor one option over the others once you see how you rank it.  http://www.positive-way.com/business/evaluati.htm Interviewee D 11 Criteria (1-5) 1 = Lowest desirability 3 = Moderate 5 = High desirability Ask: Will it…does it…meet the criteria. Evaluation Matrix

Convergent Rules Use Affirmative Judgment Be Deliberate – avoid snap judgments Work to improve options Be open to novelty Again – as I’ve mentioned Rules are very important to keep in mind. It was important to defer judgment when diverging – now it is important to judge the ideas – but do so affirmatively! Instead of saying “we can’t because…” try “how can we”? REVIEW & Summarize (and then we will practice Brainstorming – NEXT SLIDE): CPS process: Diverge & Converge (Osborn/Parnes – model….) Defined creativity and traits of people, process, environment etc. Some techniques & tools we can use and practice: Rules to diverge and converge Allow for mistakes – barriers & habits that can stifle creative thinking Language - statement starters Pluses, Potentials, Concerns

Practice Brainstorming How might we use “creativity in training”? Defer judgment Utilize tools to develop presentation Offer “Affirmative Judgment” tool as an evaluative component OTHERS???? Remember the rules for diverging: defer judgment, piggyback on other ideas, strive for quantity, generate ideas without discussing, seek unique ideas… Try – I’ve listed a few here – tell us what your ideas are to HMW…

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. - Charles Darwin

Websites www.buffalostate.edu/centers/creativity www.mycoted.com www.cpsb.com www.rogerfirestien.com www.mindtools.com www.creativelearning.com www.ccl.org www.positive-way.com/business/evaluati.htm www.myskillsprofile.com