Creativity, Problems Solving and Decision Making

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.” Albert Einstein

It’s a process that helps you redefine the problems and opportunities you face, come up with new, innovative responses and solutions, and then take action. The tools and techniques used make the process fun, engaging, and collaborative.

Creativity, Problems Solving and Decision Making not only helps you create better solutions, it creates a positive experience that speeds the adoption of new ideas. After understanding the thinking mechanisms, we will provide you with methods and tools that you will practice during the sessions and that can help you at work or in life, and from the most mundane situations to the most difficult or unusual ones

Objectives

• Build and expand decision making, critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills
• Apply logical and creative approaches to solving problems and making decisions
• Use traditional and creative tools for identifying causes and generating solutions
• Employ creativity and lateral thinking as business tools
• Analyze and solve actual problems facing them at work
• Gain confidence in asking the 'right questions' and overcoming the stress of making complex decisions
• Demonstrate and build credibility with upper management
• Develop strategic approaches to problem-solving and decision making

Who Should Attend

Managers, supervisors and administrators who will benefit from better problem solving and decision-making skills, and business professionals who want to take their critical thinking to the next level by using both their experience and intuition to make the right moves and decisions.

Modules

Day 1

• Problem solving and decision making
• Definitions and tools: an overview
• The link between problem-solving and decision making
• The principle of organizing our thinking about problems
• Identifying our own mind traps
• Brain analysis and ways of learning
• Right brain, left brain thinking
• Assessing your thinking style and how it influences the way you approach problem-solving

Day 2

• Learning how to shift from right brain to left brain and increasing your ability to balance both sides of the brain
• Right decisions at the right times
• The rational approach to problem-solving (Kepner-Tregoe)
• Techniques of recognizing problems
• Information analysis
• Difference between causes and symptoms
• The helicopter approach
• Problem analysis
• Decision analysis
• Potential problem analysis

Day 3

• Problem analysis supplementary tools
• Root cause analysis
• The importance of the 'why' question
• Ishikawa fishbone concept
• Assumptions in the workplace
• Pareto analysis
• The agile critical thinking framework
• The RED model and business situation applications
• Decision making supplementary tools
• Being decisive and principles of decision making
• The How-How method
• Decision analysis weighted worksheet
• Consensus decision making
• The decision-making process

Day 4

• Creativity and Problem solving
• Assessment of creativity and ways to think creatively
• Lateral thinking tips
• Creativity and its use as a business tool
• Barriers to creativity and ways to overcome them
• The hemispheres of the brain
• Brainstorming tips and tools
• Six thinking hats
• Implementing an action plan

Day 5

• Applications of techniques
• People problems and solutions
• Analysis and solution of real-life problems presented by participants
• Action plan to apply problem solving and decision making skills when returning to the workplace