Creative Thinking: New Thinking, New Results

Stop telling your staff to “think outside the box” and start providing them with the skills to do so.

Overview: Thinking differently and being truly creative is difficult in today’s fast paced, risk intolerant and capital constrained environment. We often hear leaders ask or wish their people would “think outside the box” more. Leaders at all levels can help foster learning and innovation. This workshop will provide you with the practical tools to “see” problems as opportunities and let go of the old ways of dealing with them by using new thinking tools.

What will be covered? This day begins with understanding how our educational system and other factors in our life shape our thinking patterns that lead to incremental or familiar change that is not innovative. You will uncover your unique blend of preferences and strengths in the four stages of the creative process. Mapping these preferences (creative profiles) can help teams learn to respect and synchronize different thinking and problem solving orientations with their fellow team mates. You will learn to use a three stage process to find the right question/problem, see the current reality more clearly, and conceptualize ideas that will delight your customers. Most importantly you will learn to think differently, deeply and have fun doing it.

At the conclusion of this workshop participants will be able to:

  • Articulate why it is so difficult to “think outside the box” when coaching and developing others to be more creative
  • See your own blend of creative strengths in association with others thereby increasing mutual understanding, and collaboration while decreasing conflict from diverse points of view and working styles
  • Develop innovative ideas that create value and differentiation
  • Respectfully challenge conventional business practices
  • Flex your problem solving style for the associated stage in the innovation process
  • Understand what fosters and impedes innovation and risk taking in organizations.

This workshop is hosted by the CPA Association of Alberta AND the public is also welcome to register. Join US!