Creative Problem Solving Paperclips

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Creative Problem SolvingPaperclips Dumplings
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Course Objectives

• On this course you can expect to
• learn some techniques to enhance your personal
  creativity
• develop an understanding of how creativity can
  boost your ability to solve problems
• apply idea generation and problem analysis
  techniques to real issues

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Uses for . . . . . . . .
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• . . .
• . . .
• . . .
• Connect all the dots with 3 unbroken lines

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• . . .
• . . .
• . . .

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Seeing things differently - animalsLosing our
best staff

• The British Council I sometimes think is like an
  owl.
• What are the characteristics of an owl?
• Sleeps in the day We dont teach much during
  normal working hours
• Hunts (works) at night We teach mainly early
  morning and late afternoon / evening
• Staff dont want to star work early /
  finish late, so they leave the organisation

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Seeing things differently - animals

• If your company were an animal what would it be?
• Why?
• Can you relate this to any problems?

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Seeing things differently Trigger
conceptsProblem Lack of customers in a
restaurant Trigger concept sunshine

• Ask yourself these questions
• 1. How is the problem like the trigger concept?
• 2. Does the problem have the trigger concept in
  it?
• 3. What does the trigger concept do?
• 4. What is the trigger concept like?
• 5. What is the trigger concept not like?
• 6. What does the trigger concept suggest?

• We see it every day, it changes our moods, it
  changes with the seasons
• Yes, when its sunny (?)
• It shines, rises and sets, turns red in the
  evening, disappears behind clouds
• Huge, hot, yellow, round
• Rain, a house
• Happiness, beaches, holidays

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What solutions does this suggest?

• have summer garden / patio
• introduce a seasonal menu
• make the restaurant brighter with more natural
  light
• add a solarium
• change the opening and closing times
• give the restaurant a beach or Hawaiian theme
• have theme nights
• .
• .

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Seeing things differently - Comparisons

• Football
• Teams wear a kit
• Teams have 11 players
• Teams can buy, sell and loan players
• The best 11 start most matches
• The manager picks the team
• People pay to watch
• There are divisions for teams with different
  abilities
• Players are paid differently depending on their
  talents

• Theres a break in the game
• There are 1 or 2 games a week
• The players train every day
• Theres a long break in the summer
• Players have fixed term contracts
• The manager coaches the players, picks the team,
  buys and sells players.
• Players have agents who negotiate for them.
• Most teams have a supporters club

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Seeing things differently - ComparisonsThe
problem is Poor Internal Communication

• Introduce company uniforms - a sense of belonging
• Limit the number of people in the team
• Bring in a consultant to

• Teams wear a kit
• Teams have 11 players
• Teams can buy, sell and loan players
• The best 11 start most matches
• The manager picks the team

Create a culture where the best people are
rewarded with a place on the team
Have one person in charge of communicating
information
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Reverse it
Reverse it

• E.g. We are losing our market share becomes
• How can we lose more of our market share?
• Increase prices
• Dont advertise
• Refuse new customers
• Cancel existing customer contracts

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Superheroes

• Think of a superhero
• What special powers did that person have?
• How would s/he deal with the problem?