Technical Module - Creative Thinking Skills

Trainer: Prof. Dr. Barjoyai Bardai

Date: 2 - 6 April 2010

Anyone can start thinking creatively, and we all have the potential to think up great new ideas. However, many people haven't had the opportunity to discover that capacity among themselves. Therefore, I am so lucky to have Prof. Dr. Barjoyai Bardai to share his knowledge about this topic. His lesson was interesting and full of beneficial inputs.

What is creativity?

 Creativity is a lifestyle, a personality trait, a way of perceiving the world, a way of thinking, a way of living and a way of growing.

Let's test your mind:

What do you see in each picture after it is flipped?

Look Closely !

The Art of Creative Thinking

Creative thinking skills show you practical ways to become a more creative thinker. It develops your understanding of the creative process; overcomes barriers to create new idea; broadens your vision; builds on new ideas; develops a creative attitude; becomes more confident as a creative thinker. The basic rules in creative thinking are:

• Be imaginative - promote imagination
• Have initiative to provoke your mind by "Thinking Wrong"
• Defer judgement -  better still bt pass judgement
• Use movement in thinking - all the time

The Innovation Process

Technological innovation is a critical factor for the survival and growth of most industrial enterprise, and should not be left to chance if it can be planned and controlled in a meaningful way. The most critical factors in technological innovation process are:

• A marker orientation
• Relevance to the organization's corporate objectives
• An effective project selection and evaluation system
• Effective project management and control
• A source of creative ideas
• An organization receptive to innovation
• Commitment by one or a few individuals

How does one deal with a road block that springs up in the middle of an innovation development process?

•  increase the amount of relevant information available to the problem solver
• increase the number of potential alternative that are generated and thus improve the chances of finding a very good solution
• Increase competitive advantage by producing more unusual solution

Once the team has ideas on how to approach the problem, rank the solutions and select the best approach. Develop the solution or solutions to the problem and select the best solution. During the development process, don't forget to keep the marketplace in mind because for an "invention" to become "innovation" it must succeed in the marketplace.