CREATIVITY:  IDEAS  AND  INNOVATION  
STUDY  GUIDE  
 
Creativity  and  Innovation  in  Business  

Creativity  and  innovation  play  a  huge  role  in  business.  Virtually  every  product  in  existence  has  resulted  
from  an  interaction  of  these  two  concepts.  Learning  how  to  be  creative  will  help  give  you  tools  to  enhance  
the  way  you  and  your  organization  do  business.    

The  Role  of  Creativity  and  Innovation  in  Business  

Take  a  look  around  the  room.  What  items  embody  creativity  and  innovation?  
Why  are  creativity  and  innovation  important  for  business?  
 

The  Birth  of  the  Four  Seasons  Hotel  Chain:  A  Case  Study  

In  1961,  Isadore  Sharp  opened  the  first  Four  Seasons  Motor  Hotel  in  downtown  Toronto.  At  this  time,  
guests  had  two  options  for  overnighting:  they  could  choose  a  smaller  hotel  with  a  cozy  atmosphere  but  
few  amenities,  or  a  larger  impersonal  hotel  with  all  the  amenities  imaginable.  Each  type  of  hotel  had  its  
benefits  as  well  as  its  shortcomings.  The  smaller  hotel  simply  could  not  offer  a  business  traveler  the  
options  they  needed,  like  a  meeting  room.  On  the  other  hand,  due  to  its  sheer  size,  the  larger  hotel  left  
guests  feeling  anonymous.  
 
To  offer  travelers  the  best  of  both  worlds,  Isadore  Sharp  created  his  new  business  model:  the  medium  
sized  hotel.  With  only  220  rooms,  he  knew  that  he  would  have  to  charge  prices  much  higher  than  his  
competitors  in  order  to  afford  state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art  amenities.  How  would  he  overcome  this  obstacle?  
 
Sharp  decided  that  if  his  hotel  was  creative  and  innovative  in  terms  of  customer  service,  guests  would  
pay  the  premium  prices.  To  better  gauge  what  services  to  offer,  Sharp  enlisted  the  help  of  his  guests.  
Based  on  their  feedback,  Sharp  decided  to  offer  services  that  would  make  guests  feel  like  they  were  at  
home  or  in  their  own  office.    
 
To  replicate  the  sought  after  at-­‐home  feeling,  the  Four  Seasons  was  the  first  hotel  to  offer  shampoo  in  the  
showers,  hairdryers,  makeup  mirrors,  24-­‐hour  room  service,  bathrobes,  dry  cleaning,  and  pressing.  To  
replicate  the  “in  their  own  office”  feeling,  the  Four  Seasons  was  the  first  hotel  to  install  a  two-­‐line  phone  
in  every  guest  room,  a  big  well  lit  desk,  and  24-­‐hour  secretarial  service.  This  revolution  in  customer  
service  set  the  Four  Seasons  hotel  chain  apart  from  their  competitors.    
 
(The  information  for  this  case  study  came  from  Roger  Martin’s  book  The  Opposable  Mind:  Winning  
Through  Integrative  Thinking.)  
 
 

 
  
 

Where  Does  Creativity  Fit  Into  the  Problem-­‐Solving  Process?  

Being  creative  is  an  everyday  thing.  We  are  faced  with  many  decisions  on  a  daily  basis  and  some  of  our  
choices  require  a  fair  amount  of  thought.  Practice,  along  with  a  thorough  understanding  how  we  solve  
problems,  can  help  us  boost  our  creative  potential.  
 

The  Problem-­‐Solving  Model  

Phase  Three:  
Phase  One:  Problem   Phase  Two:  
Planning  and  
Iden1fica1on   Decision  Making  
Organizing  
Iden1fy  apparent   Iden1fy  
problem   Plan  a  course  of  
alterna1ve  
ac1on  
solu1ons  
Seek  and  analyze  
the  causes  
Choose  the  best  
Define  the  real   Implement  
solu1on  
problem  
 
 
 
This  process  is  the  very  basis  for  informed  and  consistent  problem  solving,  and  creativity  is  a  key  part  of  
the  entire  model.  Each  phase  is  equally  important:  proper  identification  of  the  problem,  creativity  in  
identifying  solutions,  innovation  in  implementing  solutions.    
 
The  first  stage  of  problem  solving  involves  proper  identification  of  the  problem.  This  stage  is  vital  since  it  
will  enable  you  to  generate  the  right  solutions.  Do  not  rush  this  stage:  make  sure  you  know  what  the  
problem  is  before  you  proceed.    
 
The  second  stage  involves  creativity  and  the  generating  of  ideas.  This  stage  revolves  around  identifying  
your  options  and  deciding  which  option  will  be  the  best  to  solve  your  issue.    
 
The  third  stage  involves  innovation:  making  a  plan  and  implementing  the  ideas  generated  in  the  second  
stage.    
 
  
 

Another  Perspective  for  Creative  Problem  Solving  

Here  is  another  model  that  we  can  use  for  creative  problem  solving:  

Prepara1on   Incuba1on   Insight   Evalua1on   Elabora1on  

 
This  model  comes  from  Mihaly  Csikszentmihalyi’s  book  Creativity:  Flow  and  the  Psychology  of  Discovery  
and  Invention.    
 
Here  is  a  more  detailed  breakdown  of  the  model.    
o Preparation  Phase:  During  this  phase,  we  are  becoming  immersed  in  a  set  of  problematic  
issues  that  are  interesting  or  arouse  curiosity.  
o Incubation  Phase:  This  phase  is  the  percolation  phase.  Here  we  have  ideas  churning  around  
in  our  heads.  This  is  the  phase  when  unusual  connections  between  ideas  can  begin  to  emerge.    
o Insight:  This  phase  is  the  “Aha!”  moment,  as  Oprah  would  say.  It’s  the  time  when  the  pieces  of  
the  puzzle  come  together.  
o Evaluation:  This  is  the  phase  when  we  must  decide  if  the  insight(s)  made  in  the  previous  
phase  have  any  value.  Are  they  worth  pursuing?    
o Elaboration:  If  our  insights  have  value,  we  elaborate  and  act  on  them.  This  phase  transforms  
our  ideas  into  a  plan.  We  take  the  abstract  and  make  it  concrete.    

 
  
 

Keeping  an  Open  Mind  

Part  of  the  problem-­‐solving  process  is  re-­‐evaluating  and  evolving.  This  will  ensure  that  you  reach  the  best  
solution  possible.  Consider  how  perception,  definition,  and  analysis  overlap:  

Solving  Problems  the  “Right”  Way  

There  is  no  one  “right”  way  to  solve  a  problem.  If  there  was,  it  would  be  much  simpler  to  decide  on  a  
solution  and  apply  it!  With  so  many  different  kinds  of  problems  to  deal  with,  there  is  no  system  that  
works  in  every  situation.  Many  solutions  are  possible,  and  some  are  better  than  others.  
 
Your  skill  as  a  problem-­‐solver  depends  on  your  expertise  with  the  tools  and  your  knowledge  of  how  to  
use  them.  You  know  you  don’t  always  solve  problems  step  by  step.  Sometimes  you  have  a  solution  before  
you  know  what  problem  it  solves.  (For  example,  you  decide  to  move  your  bed  against  another  wall  and  
you  find  out  the  next  morning  that  the  sun  doesn’t  wake  you  up  so  early.)  However,  for  many  situations,  
having  formal  steps  to  follow  can  help  you  create  flexible,  workable  solutions.  
 

Phase  One  

Let’s  take  a  look  at  the  first  phase  of  the  three-­‐phase  model:  Problem  Identification.  Let’s  look  at  each  of  
the  three  steps  in  this  process.  In  all  steps,  your  focus  is  on  the  problem  itself.    

Perception  

You  ask  yourself:  Is  there  a  problem?  Where  is  the  problem?  Whose  problem  is  it?  This  is  the  exploration  
stage.  It  includes  whatever  you  do  to  get  a  handle  on  the  problem.    
 
What  are  the  symptoms?  Funny  noises  in  the  engine,  an  unhappy  look  on  your  employee’s  face,  or  a  
change  in  the  productivity  rate?  You’ve  got  to  find  out  what  the  problem  is.    
  
 
The  purpose  of  this  phase  is:  
o To  surface  an  issue.  
o To  make  it  okay  to  discuss  it  (legitimize).  
o To  air  different  points  of  view.  
o To  avoid  perception  wars.  
o To  get  group  agreement  to  work  on  the  problem.  
 
Steps  in  this  phase  include:  
o Legitimizing  the  problem;  make  it  okay  to  discuss  it.  
o Asking,  “How  does  the  problem  feel?”  and,  “What’s  the  real  problem?”  
o Identifying  the  best,  worst,  and  most  probable  situation.  
o Identifying  whose  problem  it  is.  

Definition  

Here,  we  state  the  problem  as  a  question.  Our  goal  is  to  grasp  the  general  idea  of  the  problem  and  then  
draw  the  rope  tighter  to  get  a  more  specific  idea  of  the  problem.  
 
Steps  in  this  phase  include  identifying:  
o What  is  the  problem?    
o What  is  not  the  problem?  

Analysis  

Now  that  we  have  a  general  idea  of  the  problem,  we  will  use  analytical  tools  to  define  it  even  further.  
Steps  in  this  phase  can  include  the  following  techniques.  
 
Ask  basic  questions,  such  as  who,  what,  where,  when,  why,  and  how.  
 
Break  it  down  into  smaller  pieces.  For  example,  if  we  know  that  the  problem  is  that  revenue  is  down,  
we  can  break  it  down  into  possible  areas  of  cause:  manufacturing,  shipping,  or  sales.  
 
Ask  the  expert.  Find  a  person  who  has  dealt  with  this  sort  of  issue  before.  
 
Move  from  generalizations  to  specific  examples  as  a  way  of  testing  what  the  problem  is  or  is  not.  For  
example,  you  could  say,  “Our  company  has  really  been  doing  poorly  all  year.”  We  could  further  identify  
how  the  company  has  been  doing  poorly;  let’s  say  that  the  production  department  in  particular  has  been  
less  efficient,  costing  the  company  money.  Then,  we  can  look  at  what  aspect  in  particular  is  doing  poorly.    
 
This  analysis  can  be  looked  at  in  the  shape  of  a  funnel.  We  move  from  the  top  of  the  funnel  (the  general  
issue)  to  the  bottom  of  the  funnel  (the  specific  issues):  
 
  
 
 

Phase  Two    

The  next  phase  of  the  problem=solving  model  (idea  generation)  involves  a  high  level  of  creativity.  
Remember,  you  must  have  completed  the  first  phase  (identifying  the  problem)  before  you  move  onto  
creating  possible  solutions.  As  well,  if  the  problem  you  are  trying  to  solve  involves  group  input,  be  sure  
that  all  group  members  agree  that  the  problem  has  been  accurately  identified.  If  people  don’t  agree  on  
the  problem,  they  will  never  agree  on  a  solution!    

Creative  Thinking  Methods  

Here  are  some  tools  you  can  use  to  come  up  with  ideas.    
 
Brainstorming  
Draw  a  circle  in  the  middle  of  a  page  and  write  down  your  problem.  Then,  draw  lines  from  that  circle  and  
write  possible  solutions.  Don’t  worry  if  some  ideas  are  unconventional;  this  is  a  time  for  creative  
thinking,  not  critical  thinking.  The  purpose  of  this  exercise  is  to  capture  the  range  of  ideas.  
 
  

Allow  50%  of  

staff  to  work  
from  home  

Build  onto  
Get  rid  of   exis1ng  office  
management  
Need   space  
Larger  
Office  
Space  

Eliminate  staff  
Move  to  a   room  and  use  
larger  office  
the  space  for  
space  
storage  

 
 
Checkerboard    
This  is  a  more  organized  form  of  brainstorming  and  can  be  particularly  helpful  for  people  who  don’t  like  
how  chaotic  a  brainstorming  session  can  become.  With  this  method,  you  organize  your  thoughts  into  a  
table.  We  still  want  creative  thinking  rather  than  critical  thinking,  but  this  method  may  help  you  develop  
ideas.  
 
Here  is  an  example  of  a  checkerboard.    
 
Main  Problem   Possible  Specific  Solutions  

Roof  at  the  office   Have  construction  done   Have  staff  work  from   Arrange  to  have  the  
needs  to  be  shingled   in  the  summer  to   home   roof  worked  on  in  the  
minimize  the  effect  on   night  
the  workplace  

People  are   Dock  their  pay  for  time   Bring  the  problem  to   Provide  incentives  for  
consistently  showing   missed   their  attention   good  attendance  
up  late  for  work  

Colleagues  are  leaving   Post  a  sign  stating   Speak  to  the  people   Assign  a  cleaning  
dirty  dishes  in  the   expected  behavior   responsible   schedule  for  each  day  
staff  room   individually  
  
 
Next,  cut  up  solutions  and  move  them  around,  or  use  your  computer.  This  can  help  you  organize  your  
ideas  and  generate  even  more  solutions!    
 
Research  and  Report  
We  do  not  have  to  reinvent  the  wheel.  Look  at  what  others  have  done.  Do  some  research  and  prepare  a  
report.  With  some  investigation,  you  might  just  find  the  perfect  solution  to  your  problem.  Or  you  might  
just  learn  what  not  to  do!  

Evaluation  

Now  that  we  have  been  through  the  creative  process  and  generated  ideas,  it’s  time  to  evaluate  the  
solutions  to  find  the  best  fit.  
o Sort  solutions  by  category.  This  can  be  similar  to  the  checkerboard  above,  just  with  some  
critical  thinking  applied.  
o Identify  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  to  each  solution.  
o Identify  what  you  like  about  each  idea  and  what  you  don’t  like.  
o Number  your  ideas  in  order,  from  the  one  that  seems  the  most  feasible  to  the  one  that  seems  
the  least  feasible.    

Decision  Making  

Once  you  have  evaluated  the  options,  it’s  time  to  make  a  decision.  Here  are  some  ways  you  can  do  it:  
o Get  a  consensus  from  the  group  on  the  best  solution.  
o Don’t  limit  yourself  to  one  option;  you  may  find  that  you  can  combine  solutions  for  super  
success.  (This  is  called  the  both/and  method.)  
o Eliminate  the  solutions  that  the  group  as  a  whole  won’t  consider.  
o Try  to  focus  on  agreements  during  all  voting.  
o Use  straw  voting:  Take  a  quick,  non-­‐binding  yes/no  vote  on  the  current  solution  as  proposed.  
o Try  negative  voting:  Rather  than  asking  who  is  for  a  solution,  ask  who  is  against  the  proposed  
solution.  
o Back  off!  The  group  may  need  some  time  to  evaluate  the  options  before  making  a  decision.  

Phase  Three  

The  last  phase  involves  innovation.  We  take  the  chosen  idea  generated  from  our  creativity  phase  (Phase  
Two)  and  plan  how  to  implement  the  idea.  In  addition  to  planning,  we  perform  the  implementation  of  the  
solution.  After  all,  we  have  to  try  out  our  solution  sometime!  

Planning  

For  the  planning  portion,  start  by  breaking  the  task  into  manageable  chunks.  Then,  for  each  mini-­‐task,  
plan  the  following  information:  
o What  needs  to  be  done?  
o Who  will  do  it?  
o What  resources  will  we  need?  
o How  much  time  will  it  take?  (Set  a  deadline!)  
 
  
Once  all  the  smaller  tasks  are  planned  out,  you  will  have  an  idea  of  how  long  the  main  solution  will  take  
to  implement.  You  will  also  want  to  make  sure  that  the  above  questions  are  answered  for  the  main  task.  

Implementation  

Implementation  is  a  cycle  of  three  activities:    

o Figuring  out  what  you  are  going  to  do  
o Doing  it  
o Reacting  to  what  happened  or  getting  feedback  

Solution  Planning  Worksheet  

It  can  help  to  lay  out  what  you  are  planning  to  do.  Here  is  an  example  of  a  solution  planning  worksheet.  
 
Problem:   Staff  shortage  

Solution:   Hire  more  staff  

Task  1   Hiring  budget  needs  to  be  assessed.  

What  needs  to  be  done?   Budget  needs  to  be  assessed  to  know  how  many  people  we  
can  afford  to  hire  

Who  will  do  it?   Deborah  from  Accounting  

What  resources  will  they  need?   All  resources  in-­‐house  

How  much  time  will  it  take?   Targeted  completion  date:  Dec.  31  

Task  2   Establish  company  presence  at  local  job  recruiting  fairs.  

What  needs  to  be  done?   Contact  people  who  run  recruitment  fairs  and  reserve  a  
spot  for  our  company  

Who  will  do  it?   Bill  and  Barb  from  Human  Resources  

What  resources  will  they  need?   Table,  Chairs,  Company  Brochures,  Applications,  
Decorations  

How  much  time  will  it  take?   Targeted  completion  date:  March  1  

Task  3   Advertise  Openings.  

What  needs  to  be  done?   Job  advertisements  need  to  be  created  and  posted  on  
company  website  

Who  will  do  it?   Sheila  from  Human  Resources  and  Bob  from  Tech  Support  

What  resources  will  they  need?   All  resources  in-­‐house  

How  much  time  will  it  take?   Targeted  completion  date:  Jan.  20  
  
Defining  the  Problem  

Figuring  out  the  root  of  a  problem  can  be  a  challenge.  Sometimes  it’s  hard  to  know  what  we  need  to  fix  
because  problems  can  be  quite  complex.  Defining  a  problem  takes  time  and  practice.    
 

Problem  Identification  

The  first  and  most  important  undertaking  of  your  problem-­‐solving  efforts  needs  to  be  defining  the  
problem.  You  cannot  work  on  something  if  you  don’t  know  what  it  is.  You  have  to  resist  the  tendency  to  
start  working  on  the  problem  as  soon  as  you  know  one  exists,  and  instead  develop  an  understanding  of  
whether  you  are  addressing  the  problem  or  merely  a  symptom  of  it.    
 
We  should  go  after  the  problem  rather  than  attack  symptoms.  This  way,  we  can  create  higher  quality  
solutions  that  in  turn  will  eliminate  or  reduce  the  symptoms.  As  well,  this  will  resolve  the  problem  much  
more  easily  than  when  you  attack  the  surface  only.  Most  importantly,  you’ll  also  know  that  you  are  taking  
on  a  worthwhile  problem.    
 
Asking  the  right  questions  and  avoiding  assumptions  is  vital  in  this  phase.    
 

Eight  Essentials  to  Defining  a  Problem  

Although  we  make  decisions  all  the  time,  some  decisions  come  easier  than  others.  The  first  step  is  to  
define  the  problem  clearly.  We  have  eight  suggestions  to  help  you  do  this  as  easily,  efficiently,  and  
effectively  as  possible.    

Rephrase  the  Problem  

Sometimes  what  we  want  to  see  is  not  what  other  people  see.  When  the  boss  sees  sales  drop  and  he  tells  
his  team  to  work  harder,  he’s  not  likely  to  see  much  of  a  result.  He’s  telling  people  what  to  do  for  his  
benefit.  Unfortunately,  this  approach  does  very  little  to  engage  people.  Instead,  he  could  rephrase  the  
problem  and  ask  people  what  they  feel  connects  them  to  their  work.  He  can  take  an  interest  and  ask  what  
they  can  do  to  make  their  jobs  easier  or  make  work  processes  more  efficient.  In  this  way  he  engages  
people,  finds  out  what  could  be  affecting  their  sales,  and  can  come  up  with  solutions  instead  of  just  telling  
people  to  be  “more  productive.”  By  showing  people  what’s  in  it  for  them  and  involving  them  in  the  
problem-­‐solving  process,  the  boss  is  motivating  his  employees  to  find  creative  solutions.    
 
If  you  have  a  hard  time  with  wordsmithing,  grab  a  dictionary  and  thesaurus  (or  look  at  online  versions)  
and  play  with  your  problem  statement  by  changing  it  several  times.  Start  with  one  word  or  short  phrases.  
If  you  don’t  enjoy  word  games  very  much  or  feel  yourself  struggling,  ask  for  help  from  a  colleague  or  
friend.    
 
Here’s  an  example.  If  the  problem  seems  like  “Our  production  costs  have  increased,”  start  replacing  
words  to  become  clearer  about  what’s  going  on:  
o “Our  sales  are  down  slightly  from  last  year.”  
o “Our  customer  volume  is  down  from  last  year.”  
  
o “Wages  have  stayed  the  same.”  
o “Production  costs  are  the  same  from  last  year.”  
 
By  doing  this  type  of  rewording,  you  can  narrow  things  down  and  determine  that  the  real  problem  isn’t  
that  your  production  costs,  it  is  the  decrease  in  sales.  The  problem  appears  to  be  that  sales  are  down.  
Finding  out  why  will  be  your  next  step.    

Expose  and  Challenge  Assumptions  

We  assume  a  lot.  It’s  human  nature.  Unfortunately,  assumptions  can  really  interfere  with  getting  an  
accurate  problem  statement.    
 
When  defining  your  problem,  write  a  list  and  include  as  many  assumptions  you  can  think  of,  especially  
the  obvious  ones.  This  helps  to  clarify  the  problem.  Then,  test  each  assumption  and  find  out  if  some  of  
them  are  actually  wrong,  or  if  you  imposed  them  on  yourself.  
 
One  common  assumption  is  to  say,  “We’ve  never  done  it  that  way,  so  we  won’t  be  allowed  to  do  it  in  the  
future.”  

Use  Facts  

Sometimes  we  see  a  problem  and  just  want  to  jump  in  and  fix  it.  However,  we  are  also  generally  
responsible  for  things  like  time  and  money,  so  it’s  important  that  we  look  at  the  details  and  determine  
what  the  problem  really  is.  Find  the  data  you  need  to  define  the  problem.  If  you  need  creative  aids  to  help  
with  your  thinking,  use  them.  Draw  a  picture  or  a  graph  to  help  gather  and  focus  your  thoughts.  Ask  
questions  and  gather  information  that  honestly  describes  the  problem  so  that  you  can  get  specific  about  
it.    
 
“You  take  too  many  coffee  breaks,”  is  a  very  vague  statement  of  a  problem.  “You’ve  taken  five  coffee  
breaks  today  and  I  feel  it  is  affecting  your  productivity,”  is  specific.  With  straightforward  problems  like  
this  one,  you  will  find  that  defining  the  problem  and  bringing  it  to  the  other  person’s  attention  will  often  
resolve  it.  There  are  very  few  people  who  will  continue  to  challenge  the  supervisor  once  they  
demonstrate  an  awareness  of  the  problematic  behavior  being  repeated.    

Grow  Your  Thinking  

Problems  are  often  related  to  other  problems.  They  can  be  a  small  element  of  a  larger  issue,  so  this  
element  of  problem  definition  includes  considering  the  problem  as  part  of  something  larger.  To  do  this,  
you  make  the  problem  more  general.    
 
Ask  questions  such  as    
o “What’s  this  connected  to?”  
o “What  is  this  an  example  of?”  
o “Where  have  we  seen  this  before?”  
 
Leveraging  the  word  play  we  used  earlier,  replace  specific  words  with  more  general  ones.  “Budget”  
becomes  “finances,”  “office  desk”  becomes  “furniture,”  “mouse”  becomes  “pest.”  
  
Shrink  Your  Environment  Temporarily  

Since  each  problem  is  likely  made  up  of  smaller  problems,  one  way  to  figure  out  the  issue  is  to  split  it  into  
smaller  pieces.  Break  the  problem  down  into  subsections.  This  allows  you  to  consider  specific  details  
pertaining  to  each  factor  involved  in  the  issue.  This  will  help  you  gain  an  understanding  of  the  bigger  
problem,  as  well  as  the  effect  that  the  smaller  problems  have  on  one  another.    
 
An  example  could  be  that  you  need  to  increase  your  income  by  $2000  a  month.  Break  this  problem  down  
into  manageable  chunks.    
o I  have  been  spending  $1000  a  month  on  home  renovations.  I  can  cut  this  back  to  $200.  
o I  can  put  in  extra  hours  at  work.  
o I  can  ask  for  a  pay  increase.  
o I  can  do  odd  jobs  like  cleaning  to  generate  income.    
o I  can  stop  going  out  for  coffee  and  save  $100  a  month  by  making  coffee  at  home.  
o I  can  prepare  lunch  at  home  instead  of  eating  out.  This  will  save  me  $300  a  month.  
 
Shrinking  your  environment  is  very  effective  when  you  have  a  problem  that  is  overwhelming.  It  allows  
you  to  focus  on  something  tangible.  You  can  again  use  word  play  to  great  benefit  here,  using  words  that  
are  more  accurate  in  their  definition.  “Vehicle”  becomes  “taxi”  or  “car.”  “Budget”  becomes  “our  
department’s  budget”  and  then  “our  department’s  travel  budget.”    

Practice  Multiple  Perspectives  

Although  the  problem  may  be  very  clear  from  where  you  are  looking  right  now,  that  may  not  be  the  case  
from  everyone  else’s  perspective.  If  our  sales  are  decreasing,  we  may  think  it’s  because  our  sales  team  is  
not  being  effective,  but  maybe  our  competition  has  dropped  their  price  and  added  a  feature  to  their  
product  that  makes  them  more  appealing  than  we  are.  
 
Rewrite  the  problem  from  several  different  perspectives.  How  does  your  customer  look  at  this  problem?  
What  about  your  sales  team?  Your  courier?  Add  perspectives  for  people  in  different  roles.  How  would  
your  spouse  see  this?  A  former  teacher?  A  local  business  association?  The  people  at  the  café  down  the  
street?    

Turn  it  Upside  Down  

One  powerful  perspective  for  defining  your  problem  is  to  look  at  it  from  the  reverse  direction.  If  you  want  
more  of  something,  figure  out  what  you  get  less  of  as  a  result.  Investigate  what  happens  to  decrease  sales,  
or  to  sell  fewer  products,  or  to  lose  more  games.  If  you  feel  that  sending  an  employee  to  a  conference  is  
too  expensive,  consider  what  happens  when  you  do  not  send  them.    
 
Change  your  perspective  and  consider  things  from  angles  you  had  not  yet  considered,  and  consider  the  
consequences.  What  about  setting  up  a  bare  bones  product  that  does  not  have  all  the  same  elements  as  
the  fancy  items  people  are  buying  from  your  competition?    
  

Frame  the  Problem  Purposely  and  Positively  

This  is  something  we  borrow  from  goal  setting.  Our  brains  will  focus  on  things  that  are  positive  and  
exciting.  Even  more  effective  is  to  reframe  what  you  think  as  the  problem  into  a  positive  and  engaging  
question,  because  our  subconscious  loves  to  ponder  questions  and  will  start  working  on  them  
immediately,  even  if  we  don’t  think  we’re  thinking  about  it.  For  example,  instead  of  thinking,  “We  need  
our  employees  to  quit  smoking  because  smokers  are  driving  up  costs  of  our  benefit  plan,”  try,  “How  can  
we  encourage  our  employees  to  live  long  healthy  lives  and  live  to  be  happy  people?”  

Using  the  Power  of  Eight  

Complete  the  following  mini-­‐case  studies.  

 
Problem  One:  Revenue  in  the  company  is  down  15%  from  last  year.  
Assignment:  Define  the  problem  using  the  “Rephrase  the  Problem”  and  “Expose  and  Challenge  
Assumptions”  elements.  
 
Problem  Two:  There  has  been  a  rash  of  billing  related  customer  complaints  in  your  department.    
Assignment:  Define  the  problem  using  the  “Grow  Your  Thinking”  and  “Practice  Multiple  Perspectives”  
elements.  
 
Problem  Three:  Staff  meetings  in  your  department  are  perceived  as  ineffective.    
Assignment:  Define  the  problem  using  the  “Rephrase  the  Problem”  and  “Expose  and  Challenge  
Assumptions”  elements.  
 
Problem  Four:  Employees  have  been  repeatedly  leaving  early  for  lunch.  
Assignment:  Define  the  problem  using  the  “Grow  Your  Thinking”  and  “Practice  Multiple  Perspectives”  
elements.  
 
 
Creative  Techniques  

Depending  on  our  level  of  familiarity  with  a  topic,  being  creative  can  be  difficult.  When  faced  with  a  
difficult  situation,  we  need  to  be  prepared  and  have  a  variety  of  strategies  in  our  toolkit  that  can  help  us  
with  idea  generation.    
 
In  this  session,  you  will  learn  about  a  variety  of  techniques  to  help  with  idea  generation.  You  will  also  
complete  several  exercises  to  reinforce  the  concepts.    

The  RAP  Model  

Companies  maintain  a  competitive  edge  by  enhancing  existing  products  and  developing  new  products.  To  
accomplish  this  goal,  we  need  to  train  ourselves  to  think  differently  about  our  existing  products  and  
services.  However,  being  faced  with  enhancing  an  existing  product  to  create  a  new  product  can  be  quite  a  
creative  challenge.  Enter  the  RAP  model.    
 
  
The  RAP  model  has  been  designed  to  get  you  thinking  about  how  to  create  new  products  and  services  
from  existing  products  and  services.  The  model  asks  questions  to  help  give  focus  to  your  thinking  and  to  
help  you  view  a  product  in  a  different  light.  Here  is  a  breakdown  of  the  acronym  and  the  questions  
associated  with  each  of  the  concepts.    
 
R:  Replace  
o What  materials  or  components  could  you  substitute  to  make  a  new  product?  
 
R:  Remove  
o How  can  you  simplify  your  product  and  reduce  it  to  its  core  functions?    
o How  can  you  make  this  product  more  efficient?  
 
R:  Reorder  
o How  can  you  change  the  order  or  rearrange  the  use  of  this  product?    
o What  components  could  you  substitute  to  change  the  order  of  this  product?  
 
A:  Amalgamate  
o What  products  or  services  could  you  combine  to  make  a  new  product?    
o What  items  can  you  integrate  to  create  a  new  product?    
o What  components  can  you  put  together  to  maximize  the  uses  of  this  product?  
 
A:  Amplify  
o What  features  could  you  add  to  amplify  this  product?    
o What  components  could  you  change  to  give  this  product  a  different  look  and  feel?    
o What  components  could  you  add  to  your  product  to  give  it  more  consumer  value?  
 
A:  Alter  
o How  can  you  adapt  this  product  to  serve  another  purpose  or  use?    
o What  are  others  doing  in  your  industry  to  adapt  and  change  their  products  to  the  market?  
 
P:  Put  to  another  use  
o Instead  of  scrapping  a  product,  would  there  be  a  way  to  use  this  idea  somewhere  else?    

Case  Study  

An  excellent  example  of  the  RAP  Model  at  work  is  the  invention  of  the  sticky  note.  In  1968,  Dr.  Spencer  
Silver  was  attempting  to  develop  a  super-­‐strong  adhesive,  but  instead  he  accidentally  created  a  low-­‐tack,  
reusable  adhesive.  For  years,  Silver  promoted  his  invention  but  had  little  luck  finding  a  proper  use  for  the  
product.  In  1974,  a  colleague  of  Dr.  Silver’s  came  up  with  the  idea  of  using  the  adhesive  to  anchor  his  
bookmark  in  his  hymn  book,  and  so  the  sticky  note  was  born!  
 
With  the  help  of  a  colleague,  Dr.  Silver  managed  to  create  a  new  product  from  an  existing  product.  The  
men  altered  an  existing  product  and  put  an  existing  product  to  another  use.  

Summary  

Use  the  questions  in  the  RAP  model  as  a  guide  to  brainstorm  potential  ideas  for  developing  an  existing  
product  or  for  creating  a  new  product.  Your  goal  in  the  brainstorming  process  is  to  generate  as  many  
ideas  as  possible.  Do  not  eliminate  ideas  until  you  have  exhausted  the  creative  process.  As  you  get  
  
comfortable  using  the  technique,  alter  and  add  questions.  Having  the  right  questions  to  fit  your  problem  
can  help  the  idea  generation  stage  go  much  more  smoothly.    
 

The  Shoe  Swap  Technique  

Isolating  your  thinking  to  examine  an  issue  can  bring  about  great  insight  and  perspective.  Human  beings  
can  naturally  jump  toward  a  particular  issue  in  both  their  thinking  and  feelings.  They  can  move  from  
being  neutral  to  being  optimistic  in  seconds.  This  “waffling”  makes  planning  and  coming  up  with  ideas  a  
difficult  task,  especially  in  a  group  setting  where  some  people  are  uncomfortable  speaking  their  mind.  
This  is  particularly  common  when  there  is  conflict  or  competition  among  members  of  the  group.  
 
The  shoe  swap  technique  calls  for  members  of  a  group  to  each  play  a  thinking  role.  Each  member  selects  
or  is  given  a  pair  of  shoes  that  represents  a  role  or  certain  style  of  thinking.  The  roles  associated  with  
each  pair  of  shoes  are  based  upon  the  six  dominant  thinking  styles  that  emerge  in  group  settings:    
o The  creative  person  
o The  fact-­‐based  person  
o The  intuitive  person  
o The  process-­‐oriented  person  
o The  devil’s  advocate  
o The  people  pleaser  
 
The  model  below  gives  a  breakdown  of  the  shoes  and  what  style  of  thinking  each  pair  represents.  
 

Sandals:  The  person  who  uses  intui1on  to  make  decisions.    

High  Heels:  The  person  who  plays  devil's  advocate.  They  uncover  what  
won't  work.  

Slippers:  The  person  who  is  eager  to  make  everyone  happy.  They  are  
the  people  pleaser.      

Hiking  Boots:  The  person  who  is  very  organized  and  process-­‐oriented.  

Sneakers:  The  person  most  comfortable  with  genera1ng  new  ideas.    

Loafers:  The  person  who  is  drawn  to  the  facts  and  is  very  logical.    

 
  
 
When  employing  this  technique,  it  is  important  to  note  that  certain  people  will  better  identify  with  
certain  roles.  Although  there  are  probably  two  or  three  roles  that  we  can  each  identify  with  in  some  ways,  
most  people  tend  to  fit  in  one  category  or  thinking  style  the  best.  Alternatively,  there  are  some  thinking  
styles  that  will  bring  people  out  of  their  comfort  zone.  For  example,  a  person  who  likes  to  keep  the  peace  
and  please  others  may  find  it  slightly  uncomfortable  playing  the  devil’s  advocate.    
 
There  are  a  variety  of  ways  to  implement  this  technique.  You  could  have  each  person  pick  the  role  they  
are  most  comfortable  with.  If  you  know  the  group  you  are  working  with  well  enough,  you  could  assign  
people  roles  they  may  not  normally  assume.    
 
Stretching  a  person’s  comfort  zone  can  enable  them  to  view  things  from  a  different  perspective,  but  you  
don’t  want  to  make  people  feel  too  uncomfortable.  Make  sure  they  are  stretched  just  enough  but  not  so  
much  as  to  hinder  the  activity’s  progress.    
 
An  additional  approach  would  be  to  have  all  members  of  the  group  assume  the  same  role  at  the  same  
time.  Once  many  ideas  have  been  generated,  have  all  the  group  members  switch  to  another  role.    
 
This  technique  is  useful  for  understanding  different  perspectives.  Since  the  roles  represent  the  six  
dominant  thinking  styles  that  emerge  in  group  settings,  role  playing  these  styles  can  help  give  us  great  
insight  into  how  other  people  think.  For  example,  if  you  are  a  loafer  person  (drawn  to  facts  and  very  
logical),  you  may  find  it  very  difficult  to  identify  with  and  understand  a  sandal  person  (uses  intuition  to  
make  decisions).  This  technique  teaches  you  about  other  thinking  styles  and  can  give  you  a  better  
understanding  of  why  people  act  as  they  do.  
 

Using  Mind  Mapping  

Understanding  Mind  Mapping  

Mind  mapping  is  a  creative  technique  that  helps  to  organize  a  main  idea  and  its  major  sub-­‐topics.  This  
visual  aid  helps  the  mapper  break  a  complex  idea  down  into  manageable  chunks.    
 
Here  is  how  to  create  a  mind  map.  
1. On  a  piece  of  paper,  put  your  main  idea  at  the  center  of  the  map.  Try  to  limit  the  amount  of  words  
needed  to  describe  your  main  idea.  Be  clear  and  concise  to  avoid  unnecessary  clutter  on  your  map.    
2. Major  sub-­‐topics  related  to  the  main  idea  branch  off  from  the  main  idea.  Write  or  draw  these  sub-­‐
topics  in  a  circular  shape  around  your  main  idea.  Draw  a  line  between  the  main  idea  and  the  sub-­‐
topics  to  indicate  the  link  between  ideas.  Again,  use  only  a  couple  of  words  to  describe  your  sub-­‐
topics.    
3. You  can  add  another  layer  of  information  to  your  map  by  adding  detail  to  your  sub-­‐topics.  Write  or  
draw  this  information  around  your  sub-­‐topics.  
4. The  third  step  can  be  repeated  as  many  times  as  required.  This  will  give  your  idea  greater  focus  
and  your  map  greater  detail.  
 
This  technique  is  a  great  tool  to  help  flesh  out  all  of  the  parts  associated  with  an  idea.  When  something  is  
written  down,  it  helps  to  move  the  idea  from  being  abstract  to  being  concrete  and  can  help  you  to  feel  less  
overwhelmed  with  your  task.  Additionally,  visualizing  the  parts  of  an  idea  can  help  prevent  overlooking  
something  vital.    
  
 
The  physical  layout  of  the  mind  map  also  lends  itself  to  easily  adding  more  information.  As  well,  this  
technique  can  be  as  creative  as  you  like.  To  add  a  little  spice  to  your  map,  you  can  add  drawings  to  
represent  the  main  idea  and  its  sub-­‐topics.    

Creating  a  Mind  Map  

To  help  you  fully  understand  the  concept,  here  is  an  example  of  a  mind  map.  
 
Step  One:  Write  a  list  of  the  main  topic  and  the  sub-­‐topics.  
 
Main  Topic:  
o Vacation  to  Italy  
 
Sub-­‐Topics:  
o Get  Passport  
o Flights  
o Hotel  
o Sightseeing  
o Things  to  Take  
o Travel  Insurance  
o Transportation  
 
Step  Two:  Begin  constructing  your  mind  map.  Place  the  main  topic  at  the  center  of  your  map.  Place  your  
sub-­‐topics  in  a  circular  shape  around  your  main  topic.  Use  lines  to  show  the  relationship  between  your  
main  topic  and  sub-­‐topics.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Step  Three:  Enhance  your  mind  map  by  adding  relevant  information  to  your  subtopics  and  modifying  
them  as  needed.    

 
 

Metaphors  and  Analogies  

Defining  Metaphors  and  Analogies  

Metaphors  and  analogies  can  be  great  tools  for  sparking  creativity.  A  metaphor  is  a  figure  of  speech  that  
compares  two  unrelated  objects.  A  simple  equation  for  creating  metaphors  is  “The  (first  item)  is  a  
(second  item).”  Examples:  
o His  mind  is  a  prison.  
o My  hamster  is  a  king.  
 
An  analogy  is  a  figure  of  speech  that  compares  two  unrelated  objects  in  order  to  show  a  point  of  
similarity.  Here  is  an  example  of  an  analogy:  “In  life,  you  need  to  take  the  old  out  of  your  backpack  in  
order  to  put  the  new  in.  Sort  through  the  tools  you  have,  keep  the  ones  you  need,  and  leave  room  for  ones  
to  develop.”    
  
 
The  analogy  between  the  contents  of  a  backpack  and  personal  development  tries  to  emphasize  that  
personal  development  is  a  continual  process  of  evaluation.  Just  like  carrying  a  backpack,  you  cannot  carry  
everything  and  you  must  evaluate  what  tools  are  important  for  you  on  your  journey.    
 
While  metaphors  and  analogies  may  seem  similar,  they  are  not.  Remember,  a  metaphor  compares  two  
unlike  objects.  An  analogy  compares  two  unlike  objects  in  order  to  show  a  point  of  similarity.  
 

Using  Metaphors  and  Analogies  to  Express  Ideas  

Using  metaphors  and  analogies  can  be  a  great  creativity  exercise  as  they  help  us  view  a  concept  through  a  
different  lens.  By  looking  at  these  objects  in  a  different  light,  we  create  the  opportunity  to  forge  
unexpected  connections.  Additionally,  metaphors  and  analogies  paint  a  descriptive  picture  of  a  concept.  If  
a  concept  is  particularly  difficult  to  understand,  it  may  be  easier  to  grasp  if  it  is  reframed  using  one  of  the  
above  techniques.  For  example,  saying  “The  heart  of  the  car  is  its  transmission”  is  a  lot  easier  to  
understand  than  explaining  how  other  parts  of  the  car  (such  as  the  alternator,  pistons,  sensors)  would  
not  function  without  the  transmission  working  properly.  The  beauty  of  this  metaphor  is  that  even  if  we  
know  nothing  about  transmissions,  instantly  we  have  some  insight  into  how  vital  this  part  is  to  a  vehicle.    
One  point  to  remember  when  using  metaphors  and  analogies  is  to  make  sure  your  audience  will  
understand  the  references.  When  someone  hears  a  metaphor  or  analogy,  the  message  being  sent  should  
automatically  ring  true.  If  you  use  obscure  references  unknown  to  your  audience,  your  message  will  fall  
flat.  Using  a  well-­‐known  metaphor  like,  “Time  is  money”  will  probably  resonate  more  with  your  audience  
than  saying,  “Making  money  is  a  Sisyphean  endeavor.”    
 

Situation/Solution  Reversal  

The  Process  

The  situation/solution  reversal  is  a  unique  approach  to  brainstorming.  To  use  this  technique,  start  with  
two  questions:  
o Ask,  “How  could  I  cause  the  problem?”  rather  than,  “How  do  I  prevent  this  problem?”  
o Ask,  “How  do  I  achieve  the  opposite  effect?”  rather  than,  “How  do  I  reach  the  goal?”  
 
These  questions  are  designed  to  get  you  thinking  about  a  situation  in  a  backward  way.  
 
The  steps  to  employing  this  technique  include:  
1. Properly  identify  the  problem.    
2. Reverse  the  problem  by  asking  the  two  sets  of  questions  posed  above.  
3. Brainstorm  as  many  answers  to  the  questions  posed  as  possible.  Allow  all  ideas  to  be  written  
down.  Do  not  attempt  to  filter  ideas  at  this  stage.    
4. When  you  have  completed  your  brainstorming,  look  at  the  ideas  that  have  been  generated.  
Reverse  all  of  these  ideas  into  solutions  for  your  original  problem.  
5. Assess  your  solutions.  Are  any  of  the  ideas  viable?  

 
  
Case  Study  

Linda’s  department  has  just  installed  a  new  program  for  billing.  Lately,  the  department  has  received  a  
high  volume  of  complaints  with  customers  confused  about  the  layout  of  the  new  monthly  statements.    
 
Linda  has  scheduled  a  meeting  with  her  staff  to  address  the  issue.  After  checking  for  any  glitches  in  the  
software  program,  she  has  narrowed  down  the  problem  to  be:  “How  do  we  inform  our  customers  about  
the  new  layout  of  the  monthly  bill  in  the  effort  to  increase  customer  satisfaction?”  
 
Instead  of  posing  this  question  to  her  staff,  Linda  decides  to  implement  the  situation/solution  reversal.  
Linda  arrives  at  the  meeting  and  asks  the  following  question:  “How  do  we  keep  our  customers  in  the  dark  
about  the  new  layout  of  the  monthly  bill  in  the  effort  to  decrease  customer  satisfaction?”  
 
Linda  notices  looks  of  surprise  on  the  employees’  faces  as  she  instructs  them  to  generate  ideas  for  how  
we  can  achieve  this  goal.  She  also  instructs  them  to  write  down  whatever  ideas  they  can  think  of;  the  
process  for  filtering  ideas  will  come  later.  
 
The  group  generated  the  following  potential  solutions:  
o Hang  up  on  the  customer  when  they  call  
o Be  rude  to  the  customer  when  they  call  
o Change  the  layout  again  to  confuse  them  even  more  
o Don’t  include  anything  extra  in  the  next  monthly  bill  to  explain  the  changes  
 
When  the  idea  generating  stage  slows,  Linda  instructs  her  team  to  look  at  each  idea  and  reverse  it.    
 
The  group’s  reversed  solutions  were:  
o Be  polite  to  the  customer  when  they  call  
o Be  patient  with  a  customer  when  they  call  
o Assure  customers  that  this  layout  change  will  be  in  place  for  some  time  to  come  and  that  their  
department  is  doing  everything  they  can  to  minimize  confusion  
o Assure  customers  that  the  billing  department  will  be  including  some  literature  in  the  next  
monthly  statement  to  explain  the  changes  
 
Linda  found  that  the  Situation/Solution  Reversal  technique  worked  well  with  her  employees.  The  group  
was  enthusiastic  about  the  approach  and  had  fun  in  the  creative  process.  The  reversed  solutions  provided  
ideas  on  how  to  manage  the  billing  changes  and  the  employees  and  Linda  went  away  from  the  meeting  
with  a  clear  idea  of  how  to  handle  their  issue.    
 
The  Situation/Solution  reversal  can  be  a  great  technique  because  it  forces  you  to  brainstorm  a  problem  
and  potential  solutions  in  a  different  way.  This  method  can  help  to  generate  unexpected  solutions  and  has  
an  added  bonus  of  being  a  lot  of  fun!  
 
 
 

 
  
Bring  on  the  Toys!  

The  Nine  Intelligences  

Howard  Gardner’s  theory  of  multiple  intelligences  has  given  us  great  insight  into  the  way  people  learn.  
Gardner’s  theory  encompasses  nine  different  intelligences  (described  below).  While  individuals  can  
possess  different  intelligences,  they  normally  fit  into  one  mode  of  intelligence  best.  
 
Verbal-­‐Linguistic  
This  person  has  fantastic  verbal  skills  and  is  the  quintessential  wordsmith.  
 
Mathematical-­‐Logical  
This  person  has  the  ability  to  think  abstractly  and  is  quite  good  with  numbers.    
 
Musical  
This  person  has  musical  ability.  They  can  produce  rhythm  and  understand  pitch.  
 
Visual-­‐Spatial  
This  person  is  able  to  think  in  images  and  pictures.  They  can  visualize  what  is  not  concretely  in  front  of  
them.  
 
Bodily-­‐Kinesthetic  
This  person  has  great  control  over  their  body  and  is  able  to  handle  objects  in  a  skillful  manner.  (Think  of  
a  basketball  player  or  a  gymnast.)  
 
Interpersonal  
This  person  has  emotional  intelligence.  They  are  able  to  navigate  and  respond  to  the  moods  of  others.  
 
Intrapersonal  
This  person  is  highly  self-­‐aware.  They  are  quite  clear  on  what  their  inner  attitudes,  values,  and  beliefs  are.  
 
Naturalist  
This  person  is  one  with  nature.  They  are  adept  at  interacting  with  the  natural  world.  
 
Existential  
This  person  questions  the  meaning  of  human  existence.  They  ponder  questions  such  as  “How  did  we  get  
here?”  
 
This  theory  has  also  given  us  great  insight  into  the  way  people  learn.  We  now  know  that  some  people  
learn  better  by  hearing  (auditory),  by  seeing  (visual),  or  by  hands  on  (bodily-­‐kinesthetic).  This  
information  is  important  when  we  are  trying  to  tap  into  our  own  creativity  and  the  creativity  of  others.  
Offering  people  a  creative  alternative  to  solving  a  problem  can  be  a  great  method  to  jump-­‐start  their  
thinking.  Instead  of  offering  the  traditional  paper  and  pen  approach,  give  people  the  opportunity  to  
problem  solve  using  methods  listed  below.  This  is  a  great  way  to  be  creative,  solve  a  problem,  and  have  
fun  in  the  process!  

 
  
Draw  Instead  of  Write  

Sometimes,  in  the  beginning  stages  of  generating  an  idea,  it  can  be  hard  to  express  in  words  what  you  are  
thinking.  Drawing  offers  an  alternative  method  to  express  what  you  are  trying  to  verbalize.  Additionally,  
a  drawing  can  help  trigger  other  thoughts  and  make  new  connections  between  ideas.    
 
With  the  drawing  technique,  the  creator  often  has  more  freedom  than  with  verbalizing  an  idea  as  
language  can  be  a  restrictive  structure.  Drawing  also  has  the  added  benefit  of  transforming  an  idea  from  
being  abstract  to  concrete.  Being  able  to  “see”  the  idea  can  help  give  you  greater  focus  and  a  better  
understanding  of  what  you  need  to  do.    
 
Think  of  drawing  your  dream  house.  You  could  describe,  in  words,  to  your  builder  what  the  house  would  
look  like.  However,  differences  in  interpretation  could  result  in  you  having  the  house  you  don’t  want.  
Drawing  a  blueprint  helps  you  and  others  to  better  see  your  vision.    

Use  Objects  

Using  objects  (like  modeling  clay  or  building  blocks)  can  also  be  a  great  creativity  technique.  As  with  
drawing,  using  objects  makes  a  problem  physical  –  it’s  now  something  you  can  touch.  This  technique  suits  
those  who  learn  best  by  doing  rather  than  hearing  or  reading  about  a  problem.    
 
Using  objects  is  especially  good  when  we  are  in  the  beginning  stages  of  idea  generation.  Objects  can  help  
us  better  understand  the  problem,  which  is  vital  for  generating  solution-­‐based  ideas.  
 
 
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