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Sampath Wahala EcoBusiness Management Special Degree Program Creativity Techniques

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Divergent & Convergent Creative Thinking Tools 2

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Divergent thinking 3 Is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Many possible solutions are explored in a short amount of time, and unexpected connections are drawn. After the process of divergent thinking has been completed, ideas and information are organized and structured using convergent thinking.

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Convergent thinking 4 is a term coined by Joy Paul Guilford as the opposite of divergent thinking. It generally means the ability to give the "correct" answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity, for instance in most tasks in school and on standardized multiple-choice tests for intelligence. Convergent thinking is the type of thinking that focuses on coming up with the single, well-established answer to a problem.

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5 Map of Convergent Thinking

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 6 Force Field Analysis

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7 Write a brief statement of the problem to be solved Describe what the situation would be like if everything fell apart absolute catastrophe Describe what the situation would be like if everything were ideal With catastrophic at the left and ideal at the right, draw a center line

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Force Field Analysis contd.. 8 On the range, list the forces that are contributing to make the situation more ideal and those contributing to make it more catastrophic Strengthen an already positive force Weaken an already negative force Add a new positive force

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Forced Relationships

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10 This is an idea generating technique that appears in many books about creative thinking and creative thinking or innovation tools. First Step choose something totally unrelated to the problem or challenge you or your group are working on. Second Step List everything you or your group know about it. (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?physical, visual, tactile,all senses, good and bad)

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Forced Relationships EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 11 Third Step List everything you or your group know about your problem or challenge. (WWWWWHand using all the senses) Fourth Step Take items/details/aspects from the first list and FORCE FIT them to features or details from the second list. Your goal is to see if the features from the randomly chosen, unrelated thing/animal sparks ideas for improving, Changing, correcting features of the problem.

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Ex. EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 12 A traditional example or warm-up for doing this consists of 1st. Ask the person or group to write everything they know about a canary (or a bird in their country. 2nd. Ask the person or group to write everything they know about the chair they are sitting in. 3rd. Then I ask them to combine (FORCE FIT or make a FORCED Relationship) one item from the canary list with the chairs list with the goal to improve, change, correct the chair design or to generate ideas for designing the ultimate chair.

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 16 Idea Grids

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 17 First Step With this Creating Tool we first generate 12 to 24 ideas through Brainstorming or any other technique. Second Step Then draw a grid made up of as many vertical and horizontal cells as you have ideas. Third Step Combine the ideas on the vertical side of the grid with the ideas on the horizontal side one by one and write them into the separate boxes where the two ideas meet.. 6 ideas can Then produce 36 ideas, 12 can produce 24, 100 - 10,000

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 18 Fourth Step Read over the ideas you have produced and select the Best to work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use.

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 21 Progressive abstraction

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 22 Shortage of Entry Level Professional Employees Shortage of Professional Employees Shortage of Human Capacity at Professional Level

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 23 Interrogatories (5Ws/H)

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 24 Why How When Where Who What

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 25 Associations/Images Technique

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 26 1. Leader assists group in identifying the problem or opportunity to be expanded 2. Leader asks participants to select a solution to the problem, phrased in the form of a goal or wish 3. Leader picks a key concept to the goal/wish statements 4. Leader asks the group to think of a world that is remote from the world of the problem (leader chooses the remote world) 5. Leader request to set aside the problem and goal/wish developed and to lists associations and images that characterize the remote world

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Associations/Images Technique EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 27 1. Leader directs the group to relate the list of associations and images of the remote world to the world of the problem 2. Leader directs group to develop second-generation associations and images from any one of those listed in step 6, extracting key principles and applying them in a more realistic way without diluting the innovation 3. Group selects and implements appealing ideas developed in step 7

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 28 Wishful thinking

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29 1. Develop a problem statement 2. Open solution space to all possibilities, i.e. anything is possible 3. State alternative in terms of a wish or fantasy 4. Convert each wishful statement to a more practical one 5. Move on to the normal analytical problem solving approach to develop a solution

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EBM 415 Lec 3 Creativity Techniques 30 Analogy/Metaphor technique

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31 1. Withholding evaluation, generate a list of objects, persons, situations or actions that are similar but unrelated to problem 2. Select one of the analogies and describe it in detail (avoid any reference to original problem) 3. Examine items and translate them into statements that apply to the problem 4. Examine each statement and discuss its application to the problem

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Techniques to spark great ideas 32 Great expectations Be childish Focus 80/20 principle Structure idea sessions Break patterns Fresh Perspective Make it real Practice

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