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Program Overview
There is a lot of new competition out there, and everyone must work smarter and better. That is what this program is all about: thinking, acting, and doing things differently. When you do this, you get better and different results.
Program Objectives
At this program's conclusion, participants should be able to:
- Explain how creativity can improve business choices and operations.
- Recognize idea killers and use tactics to stop them.
- Use a host of techniques to generate ideas.
- Control chaos through process.
- Clearly communicate and sell ideas.
The following outline highlights some of the course's key learning points. As part of your training program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of the participant materials prior to the session(s).
Course Outline
In the Beginning: A Fast and Loose History of Creativity and Innovation
History has taught us many great lessons about creativity. What do we do with this information now in our own era? We use all the lessons from the past to shape our future creativity. This introductory part of the program introduces the concept of creativity and its benefits.
The Perfect Pairing: Creativity and You
In the next segment, we will examine the way people think about creativity and what it means for personal effectiveness. We will also consider ways to harness the power of business creativity to move forward on the challenges in the world right now. Most important, we will tackle the problem of idea killers and what to do about them.
Taking the First Steps: Get Out of Your Rut and Find Your Groove
Ideas are everywhere. (Don't look, but they are around you right now!) Most of the time, it's not a shortage of ideas that's a problem. It's too many ideas-or too many OLD ideas-that get in the way of truly innovative solutions. In this section, we will examine a host of tools and discuss their purpose and application. Participants might start to think about each tool in the larger context of the business challenges they are currently facing.
Turning on the Tap: More Ideas
This component of the course explores additional tools participants can use to generate ideas and solve problems in new ways. It also includes actions participants can take to incorporate creativity into their daily routines for the rest of their lives.
Harnessing Chaos: Process Tools
Process can kill an idea before it's had the chance to be fully developed and evaluated. Process can decide whether that frontline employee who came up with an offbeat suggestion ever comes back to the table with another improvement, idea, suggestion, or tip. Process is what determines "how we do things around here," and that includes how we generate, incubate, grow, encourage, and implement new ideas. This part of the program explores process tools, traps, and techniques for keeping the idea process on track.
Buy This Idea Now!: Communication Tools
If creativity is the fuel that makes innovation go, then communication is the oil that keeps it from grinding to a halt. In this segment of the program, participants will look at the importance of audience analysis and selling ideas.
Full Steam Ahead: Leading Innovation
This part of the program is about making sure that leaders (both formal and informal) encourage innovation and creativity. It also includes specific problems to watch for and solutions for combating them.
Next Steps: Wrapping It All Up
This program concludes with participants identifying specific actions they will take to improve innovation and use creative thinking every day on the job.
By the end of this session, participants will be armed with the tools to creatively attack the next problem they encounter.
