Think creative! What does the word “creativity” mean to you? If you think it is just about arts and crafts think again. Some employers put such a high value on creative thinking that they even build in time and space for creative thinking into the working day. Try thinking “visionary” instead and you can relate this more easily to increased performance at work. This group activity supports the learning outcome “Developing skills for career management and employability: Showing initiative and enterprise” ” in the ACEG framework for careers and work- related education, Knowledge and Skills 2012, Marfleet Lane, Hull, HU9 5RN,,

What is the purpose of this task? To explore how creative thinking can open up new possibilities What will you learn from this task? How to apply a creative approach to solving a puzzle How to think in new ways to expand your ideas You will need For task 1: two copies of the circles worksheet for every participant For task 2: one copy of the dots worksheet for every participant. One dots solution sheet.

Task 1: Circles Using one circles worksheet, take one minute to write the name of a different circular object in each of the circles. Use strict timing! Feedback how many objects you thought of

Review Task 1 If you wrote “planet” did you also write “Jupiter, Mars...” ?, if you wrote “coin” did you write “1p, 2p…” in more than one circle? This is called hitch-hiking of ideas where ideas are stretched Now repeat the exercise using the second sheet, this time allow only 30 seconds

Task 2: Dots Ask participants to join the 9 dots using exactly 4 straight lines without taking their pen off the paper. Allow two attempts. Project the solution onto a board or on a flip chart or as a hand out.

Review Task 2 Our thinking is often limited by what we think of as the boundaries or limitations of the task but are they really there? Did it occur to you that the lines could extend outside the imaginary box around the dots or did you assume this was the limit of where you could go? Do you see the dots and the box as part of a bigger picture or as the limit of the picture? We often create these artificial boundaries for ourselves when making decisions or trying to solve problems.