Creative thinkningAhmed Ragab

What is creative thinking?Creative thinking is the process of generating novel ideas and alternative courses of action, no matter how good those ideas and alternatives might be.

Creative thinking is often characterized as thinking outside the box.

Creative thinking barriersSearching for the one right answerMost educational systems teach that there is one right answer to a problem. This is a boon to creativity since it acts as a block to brainstorming.

Focusing on being logicalBeing logical is valuable when evaluating ideas and implementing them, however, focusing too much effort on being logical in the early imaginative phases discourages the use of intuition.

Blindly following the rulesOften times, creativity depends on our ability to break existing rules so we can find new ways of doing things.

Constantly being practicalSuspending practicality for a while frees the mind to consider creative solutions that, otherwise, might never arise.

Fearing looking foolishCreative thinking is no place for conformity. New ideas are rarely born in a conforming environment. People tend toward conformity to avoid looking foolish.

Fearing mistakes and failureTrying something new often leads to failure, however, failure should not be seen as an end; but rather as pit stops toward success.

The Creative Process1-Preparation:: Prepare the mind for creative thinking (formal education, work experience, etc)2-Investigation:: Develop a solid understanding of the problem or decision3-Transformation:: View the similarities and differences in the information collected

4-Incubation:: Give the subconscious time to reflect on the information (daydream, relax, etc)5-Illumination:: The creation of an innovative idea 6-Verification:: Validate the idea is accurate and useful (conduct experiments, prototypes, etc)7-Implementation:: Transform the idea into reality

Creative thinking typesConvergent thinking: is the ability to see the similarities and connections among various data and events.

Divergent thinking: is the ability to see differences among various data and events.

Creative thinking techniquesAnalogical ThinkingBrain stormingMind mappingLateral thinking(Edward de Bono)Six thinking Hats

Analogical Thinking

The most common creative process is analogical thinking--the transfer of an idea from one context to a new one. Perhaps 80 percent of creative ideas are rooted in analogical thinking, and examples abound in every field of human creativity

Brain stormingBrainstorming is a process in which a small group of people interact with very little structure with the goal of producing a large quantity of novel and imaginative ideas.

Mind mappingMind-mapping is a graphical technique that encourages thinking on both sides of the brain, visually displays the various relationships among ideas, and improves the ability to view a problem from many sides.

Lateral thinkingseeking to solve problems by apparently illogical meansa process and willingness to look at things in a different waya relatively new type of thinking that complements analytical and critical thinking not part of our mainstream education - yet

a fast, effective tool used to help individuals, companies and teams solve tough problems and create new ideas, new products, new processes and new services.

a term that is used interchangeably with creativity

Six thinking HatsIntuitiveInformativeConstructiveCautiousCreativeReflective

The Red HatWhat do you feel about the suggestion?What are your gut reactions?What intuitions do you have?Dont think too long or too hard.

The White HatThe information seeking hat.What are the facts?What information is available? What is relevant?When wearing the white hat we are neutral in our thinking.

The Yellow HatThe sunshine hat.It is positive and constructive.It is about effectiveness and getting a job done.What are the benefits, the advantages?

The Black HatThe cautious hat.In black hat the thinker points out errors or pit-falls.What are the risks or dangers involved?Identifies difficulties and problems.

The Green HatThis is the creative mode of thinking.Green represents growth and movement.In green hat we look to new ideas and solutions.Lateral thinking wears a green hat.

The Blue HatThe control hat, organising thinking itself.Sets the focus, calls for the use of other hats.Monitors and reflects on the thinking processes used.Blue is for planning.

C.V Writing

It is targeted on the specific jobIt is carefully and clearly laid outIt is informative but conciseIt is accurate in content, spelling and grammarBe honest

Job Skills You Should List on Your ResumeCommunication SkillsInterpersonal SkillsResearch and PlanningOrganizational SkillsManagement Skills

Cover letter writingWhat is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a formal letter that accompanies your rsum. Use it to introduce yourself to potential employers, and to convince them that youre the right person for the job.

What information to include in your cover letter

Your cover letter should givean employer an idea of who you are,andexplain what skills you could bring to the job.

ContentParagraph 1: a positive, formal introduction outlining how you heard about the opportunity, listing the documents you have enclosed (such as your CV). Paragraph 2: outline why you are interested in the role and the organization, demonstrating in depth research and mature reflection on how the opportunity fits into your career plans.

Paragraph 3: highlight your key skills and experiences. Paragraph 4: highlight your key skills and experiences. Paragraph 5: end positively outlining when you will be available for interview

Interview Skills

Dress for the Job or CompanyListenDon't Talk Too Much Don't Be Too FamiliarUse Appropriate Language

Don't Be CockyTake Care to Answer the QuestionsAsk QuestionsDon't Appear Desperate