1. OUT OF THE BLUE CREATIVITY & PROBLEM SOLVING IN LEADERSHIP

2. PERSONAL INTRODUCTIONS  Name  Role  Why here ?

3. PROGRAMME  Personal introductions  Simplicity  Critical thinking  It’s on the cards  How to provoke  The Six Thinking Hats method  Metaphorically speaking  Mind Mapping  Synectics  Reframing

4. SIMPLICITY  The workshop materials have been prepared with this principle in mind  deBono said that we place far too much importance on complexity & that simplicity is a value worth striving for  “dealing with complexity is an unnecessary & inefficient waste of time, attention & mental energy”  “there is never any justification for things being complex when they could be simple”

5. The Ten Rules of Simplicity You need to 1.Put a very high value on simplicity 2.Be determined to seek simplicity 3.Understand the matter very well 4.Design alternatives & possibilities 5.Challenge & discard existing elements 6.Be prepared to start over again 7.Use concepts 8.Break things down into smaller units 9.Be prepared to trade off other values for simplicity 10.Know for whose sake the simplicity is being designed

6. CRITICAL THINKING  The ability to be in control of one’s thinking  Examine how one is reasoning  Thinking about thinking  The ability to recognise strengths & weaknesses in one’s thinking & improve it  Understanding the assumptions at the foundation of a path of reasoning  Realising the limitations of one’s frame of reference

7. IT’S ON THE CARDS (pairs)  List some work problems you would like to solve creatively  For each, record on a card : - a label / name - a label / name - up to six defining characteristics - up to six defining characteristics - your name at the bottom - your name at the bottom

8. PROBLEM LABEL : CHARACTERISTICS : 1.- 2.- 3.- 4.- 5.- 6.- YOUR NAME :

9. HOW TO PROVOKE (after Edward deBono)  Creativity can be understood by regarding the human brain as a self organising information information system  Such a system makes & uses patterns in a logical way which explains creativity  These patterns become preferred, & our usual way of recognising things  We think of any new situation through our existing patterns  The brain can only see what it is prepared to see  We tend to see only the idea we already have  This is powerful & efficient method  Think of a river (information) falling onto a surface (the brain)  The pattern is the water course

10.  Lateral thinking is escaping the main track of thinking, moving across this instead of along it, as in normal thinking (vertical thinking)  Provocation (Po) is a deliberate & systematic attempt to think differently, & produces a movement away to a new position eg cars should have square wheels eg cars should have square wheels  The tools & techniques for lateral thinking are the means of provocation  One of these tools is the Six Thinking Hats method

11. THE SIX THINKING HATS METHOD  Developed by Edward de Bono in 1986  A powerful,simple technique for Lateral Thinking  IBM reduced meeting time by 40% but kept effectiveness  Used in peace processes in South Africa & Northern Ireland  A systematic way of thinking creatively : everyone thinks in the same way at the same time

12.  Works from traditional connections between ‘thinking’ & ‘hats’  “Put your thinking hat on’’  “Wearing my management hat,I’d strongly advise we should do this”(role switch)  Each hat represents a different type of thinking  Putting on a hat means thinking exclusively in that mode  Each hat is a tool selected for a particular purpose  Any hat,any individual

13. THE WHITE HAT  Think of a piece of paper carrying information  “What information do we have?  What information is missing?  What information would we like?  How are we going to get it?”  In a meeting,set aside proposals & concentrate on the information to hand

14. THE RED HAT  Think of a warm,red fire  This hat concerns emotions, hunches, intuition, feelings  Wearing it allows you to put forward your feelings without apology/justification  “I just don’t like the way this is being done  My gut feeling is that this will never work”  Intuition can be wrong,but it can be valuable to bring emotions out into open

15. THE BLACK HAT  Think of a sombre judge in black robes punishing wrong-doers  It cautions us from making mistakes  It points out that something will not work  “Our policies do not allow us to do that  We cannot achieve that target”  Overuse of the black hat can kill creativity

16. THE YELLOW HAT  Think of sunshine,a logical positive view  It looks for what is possible,how something can be achieved  The benefits are reasonably based  “This might work if we could transfer some staff to the site  Let’s look at the benefits of your suggestion”  There should be some self conscious effort to search out benefits/value

17. THE GREEN HAT  Think of abundant growth,vegetation  Think of new ideas & alternatives  Think of possibilities & hypotheses  “We need some new ideas here  Lets find some alternatives  Lets think creatively”  Unlike Yellow Hat,ideas need not be logical  Using the Green Hat,you can ask directly for some creative effort

18. THE BLUE HAT  Think of ‘cool’,the sky & overview  It controls the thinking process by reviewing it  It sets the agenda for thinking  “Should we start off with some White Hat thinking?  Putting on my Red Hat,I feel really angry with the way this meeting is going  Lets summarise that argument “

19.  Usually,but not exclusively,worn by the chairperson  Any group member can productively put on the Blue Hat to make the thinking process more effective  The Blue Hat is for thinking about thinking

20. SEQUENCING  “Begin & end with Blue. In between, use any reasonable sequence”(de Bono)  Move the process of discussion in a desired order  eg -Blue, White, Red, Yellow, Green, Black, Blue -Blue, White, Red, Yellow, Green, Black, Blue  Each part/hat should be time limited – try two minutes

21. THE SIX THINKING HATS  TOPIC/PROBLEM :  SEQUENCE OF HATS :  DURATION OF EACH HAT :

22. METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING  Metaphors imply a way of thinking & a way of seeing  We try to understand one element of experience in terms of another  We say that A is (or is like) B  If we say “the man is a lion”, we use the image of a lion to draw attention to the lion-like aspects of the man  Metaphors produce a one-sided insight, eg emphasising bravery, strength or ferocity  The same man may also be a chauvinist pig, a saint, a bore, of a recluse

23. METAPHORS ACTIVITY ONE In pairs:  Each draw a picture to represent the culture of the team or service you work in  Use a images, symbols, colour & a few words Let your partner interpret your picture

24. METAPHORS ACTIVITY TWO Complete the following sentence, using the card you have selected : “ If Bradford Council were a detail from card, it would be a …….. it would be a …….. because it’s …….. because it’s ……..

25. MIND MAPPING  Created by Tony Buzan  Left brain thinking: Right brain thinking: analysis synthesis analysis synthesis dissociation association dissociation association step by step logic fuzzy logic step by step logic fuzzy logic straight lines circles straight lines circles maths music maths music words images words images rationality intuition rationality intuition reason dream reason dream  Used for first thoughts, generating ideas, creative thinking, organising ideas, taking notes

26. SYNECTICS  Greek word “synectikos” meaning “bringing forth together or “bringing things into unified connection”  All things, regardless of dissimilarity, can somehow be linked together  It’s discovering the links that unite seemingly disconnected elements  This increase creative output, emphasises the emotional & the irrational so that they can be used with precision  Synectics is: based on the fusion of opposites based on the fusion of opposites based on analogical thinking based on analogical thinking synergistic – the result is greater than the sum of it’s parts synergistic – the result is greater than the sum of it’s parts

27. PUZZLES & PROBLEMS  A PUZZLE : A single answer knowable on advance, you simply have to find it – eg a crossword A single answer knowable on advance, you simply have to find it – eg a crossword  A PROBLEM Many alternative answers, which cannot be known in advance, as the problem is unique, & the solutions have to be created by the problem holder Many alternative answers, which cannot be known in advance, as the problem is unique, & the solutions have to be created by the problem holder

28. CLASSICAL PROBLEM SOLVING  DEFINE THE PROBLEM observation, perception, diagnosis observation, perception, diagnosis  EXPLORE THE PROBLEM gather information, reflection, creativity, analysis gather information, reflection, creativity, analysis  GENERATE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS imagination, creativity, open-mindedness imagination, creativity, open-mindedness  CHOOSE A SOLUTION reasoning, analysis, decision making reasoning, analysis, decision making  IMPLEMENT THE SOLUTION planning, delegation, time management, review & evaluate planning, delegation, time management, review & evaluate

29. REFRAMING  To change the meaning about something  This causes a change in perception & opens up new possibilities  Frames are used in NLP to provide a context, focus or guidance for thoughts & actions  NLP uses various frames: OUTCOME - what you want to achieve, & the resources required to achieve it OUTCOME - what you want to achieve, & the resources required to achieve it ECOLOGY – what impact on other systems, body, family, work, environment, community ECOLOGY – what impact on other systems, body, family, work, environment, community EVIDENCE – how will you know when you have achieved your outcome, what will you see, hear, feel & experience? EVIDENCE – how will you know when you have achieved your outcome, what will you see, hear, feel & experience? AS IF – acting as if the outcome has been achieved AS IF – acting as if the outcome has been achieved BACKTRACK - to check what has been agreed, understood BACKTRACK - to check what has been agreed, understood

30. REFRAMING ACTIVITY In pairs:  Help your partner to reframe their problem  Use the OUTCOME, ECOLOGY, EVIDENCE, AS IF frames  Use the BACKTRACK frame to check your understanding about the results of your discussion  Review the advantages & drawbacks of the process