Nicola

Creative Thinking – the theory

3

Attention…..Escape……Movement

Movement Play imaginatively with this suggestion and generate ideas from

it without judgement or criticism. Encouraging mental

movement.

“Let’s try to generate at least 10 ideas for ways to manage

patients arrivals in outpatients without a receptionist or a desk”

Attention Looking closely, observing with fresh perspective and really

noticing current rules and assumptions.

“patients who come to outpatients must first come to reception”

Escape Challenge or block an existing rule is encouraging escape from

the current mental valley.

“the Trust has made it illegal to have a receptionist and a desk in

outpatients”

Creative thinking Warm Ups

WARM UP 1

You have 1 minute to fill in the circles with as

drawn ideas as possible (the sheet is 2 sided)

Ready Steady….

HOW MANY?

Did anyone do 40?

WARM UP 2

You have 2 minutes to think of as many

alternative uses of the household object on your

table

Ready Steady….

DEBRIEF • Fluency – how many uses you can come up with

• Originality – how uncommon those uses are (e.g.

“sim card tool” is more uncommon than “holding

papers together”)

• Flexibility – how many areas your answers cover (e.g.

cufflinks and earrings are both accessories, aka one

area)

• Elaboration – level of detail in responses; “keeping

headphones from getting tangled up” would be worth

more than “bookmark”

WARM UP 3

You have 4 minutes to turn the shapes you have

been given into a picture. Uncommon subject

matter, implied stories, humour, and original

perspective all earn high marks.

Ready Steady….

DEBRIEF

• Uncommon subject matter

• Implied stories

• Humour

• Original perspective

Nicola

Brainstorming and Multivoting

BRAINSTORMING………. “Generate a wide variety of ideas from ALL participants

WITHOUT criticism or judgment.”

Brainstorming

Successful

brainstorming:

•Encourage creativity

• Involve everyone

•Generate excitement

and energy

•Levels out hierarchy

Brainstorming Steps

1. Review the topic, clarify as needed

2. Take a minute or two of SILENT thinking

3. Go around the table for each person to give

an idea.

4. After the first round, members can pass.

5. Once one member passes, let all members of

the group shout out ideas.

When ideas start to flow…let them come!

Brainstorming cont.

-Go for Quantity….NO DISCUSSION at this

stage.

-NO CRITICISM of ideas…not even a groan or a

grimace….or even ‘that’s a great idea’!

-Build on each others ideas

-Encourage wild ideas.

-One conversation at a time.

-Write ALL ideas on flipchart for all to see

Brainstorming - Practice.

In your group.

- allocate a facilitator.

- 10 minutes

Generate at least 20 different ways to recycle

junk mail.

Affinity Grouping and Multivoting

• Affinity grouping is a brainstorming method in

which participants organise their ideas and identify

common themes. In the brainstorming all ideas

need to be recorded on Post ITs and posted up

onto the flip chart.

• Multi-voting is a structured series of votes by a

team, in order to narrow down a broad set of

options to a few.

1. Clarify and remove duplicates.

2. Start by choosing two ideas.

3. Agree with the group whether they are related.

If they are related put them together.

4. At the end of the exercise there should be less

than 10 groups of post it notes.

5. Give a short descriptive header to each group.

Affinity Grouping

Multi-voting Steps

-Number each idea.

-Each person can have 1/3rd of the ideas to vote on.

eg if 21 ideas were generated, each person gets 7 votes. They can not

vote on one idea more than once.

-Tally votes.

-Eliminate ideas with few votes.

- If this identifies 3 -4 ideas to work with stop here.

Otherwise repeat with the remaining items.

Selection Criteria

Add some criteria to help the voters

Suggestions might be depending on the change -

Ideas that can be started fast

The change is reasonably low cost

The effort is small compared to the impact

The idea can be tested without getting ‘permission’

from others

Is the most creative!

Multi-voting Steps

Voting methods:

-Colored sticky dots

- Individually write choices on piece of paper

-Go to the list and indicate your choice w/marker

-A show of hands as each number is called out.

-Remember selection criteria

Creative Team Practical

Balloon Sculptures

Instructions

1. One balloon for each member of the team. Blow

the balloons up, leaving an inch or more at one

end to give enough room to twist the balloon into

the sculpture without bursting it.

2. Work together to build a balloon sculpture that

represents your team.

3. You have 8 minutes. Ready steady…..

DEBRIEF

• What they have learned about other

participants that you didn't know before?

• How they think this activity will benefit future

teamwork?

• Nominate a representative from the team to

present the finished sculpture to the room and

discuss what the final design represents.

Summary

• Creativity involves breaking established patterns

• Warm up exercises can help

• Brainstorming – broad idea generation

• Multi voting – narrowing down options

• Team creativity – joint problem solving helps with

team building and learning