Creative Thinking

By Mr. Pankaj Kumar

Rai Business School

“Good decisions require good thinking!”

Idea

Why Do We Use A Light Bulb For An Idea?

“Let there be light!” To see where there was dark before Light bulb = invention = idea

What is creative problem solving?

The creative person uses information 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.

DEFINITION

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

EXERCISE

Connect all nine dots with four (4) straight continuous lines without your pen (or pencil) leaving the paper.

A SOLUTION

Creative thinking is not only with the things like the discovery of electricity or the polio

vaccine, or the writing of a novel or the development of color television.

Creative thinking is not reserved for certain occupation nor is it restricted to super

intelligent people.

What is Creativity?

An Ability.

An Attitude.

A Process.

An Ability. Creativity is the ability to imagine or invent something new. Creativity is not the ability to create out of nothing (only God can do that), but the ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Some creative ideas are astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple, good, practical ideas that no one seems to have thought of yet.

A low-income family devises a plan to send their son to a leading university. That’s

creative thinking.

An Attitude. Creativity is also an attitude: the ability to accept change and newness, a willingness to play with ideas and possibilities, a flexibility of outlook, the habit of enjoying the good, while looking for ways to improve it. We are socialized into accepting only a small number of normal things, like chocolate ice cream for example. The creative person realizes that there are other possibilities, like peanut butter and banana sandwiches, etc.

A family turns the street’s most undesirable space into the

neighborhood beauty spot. That’s creative thinking.

A Process. Creative people work hard and continually to improve ideas and solutions, by making gradual alterations and refinements to their works. Contrary to the mythology surrounding creativity, very, very few works of creative excellence are produced with a single stroke of brilliance.

A motivational leader develops a plan which doubles his Sunday evening attendance.

That’s creative thinking.

Examples of practical, everyday creative thinking:

Selling to the “impossible” customer

Ways to simplify record-keeping

Keeping the children occupied constructively

Making employees really like their work

LET’S TALK ABOUT:

Why don’t we think creatively more often?

What are the barriers that get in our way?

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

What are some other barriers that get in our way?

MENTAL BLOCKS

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

MENTAL BLOCKS

1. The _______ answer.2. That’s not _________.3. __________ the rules.4. Be ______________.5. That’s not my _____.6. I’m not __________.

MENTAL BLOCK # 1

1. The right answer.

Only one?

MENTAL BLOCK # 2

2.That’s not logical.

MENTAL BLOCK # 3

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.

MENTAL BLOCK # 4

4. Be practical.

MENTAL BLOCK # 5

5. That’s not my area.

MENTAL BLOCK # 6

6. I’m not creative.

BEING MORE CREATIVE

How can we be more creative?

Jot down at least 3 ideas that come to your mind.

“Creative thinking is simply finding new, improved ways to

do anything.”

How to strengthen creative thinking ability?

Believe it can be done.

Here is a basic truth: To do anything, we must first believe it can be done. Believing something can be done sets the mind in motion to find a way to do it.

“When you believe something is impossible, your mind goes to work for

you to prove why. But, when you believe, really believe, something can be

done, your mind goes to work for you and help to find the ways to do it.”

Any Questions???