Dynamics of Creative Thinking

Creative thinking means thinking outside the box. Often, creativity involves lateral
thinking, which is the ability to perceive patternsthat are not obvious.

Creative thinking might mean devising new ways to carry out tasks, solve problems, and
meet challenges. It means bringing a fresh, and sometimes unorthodox, perspective to
your work. This way of thinking can help departments and organizations be more
productive.

Evolution, synthesis, revolution, reapplication, changing direction. Many classic creative

thinking techniques make use of one or more of these methods. Note in this section that
the goal is to produce a good quantity and agood quality of new ideas and solutions so
that the best ones may be chosen. Exactly how those ideas are generated is less important
than the ideas themselves. Remember, the goal is more important than the path.

Creativity =surprise +originality + beauty + utility

Brainstorming

Alex Osborn, advertising writer of the fifties and sixties, has contributed many very
powerful creative thinking techniques. Brainstorming is probably the best known and
certainly one of the most powerful. For a fuller treatment, see his book, Applied
Imagination.

Brainstorming isan idea generating technique. Its main goals are:

() to break us out of our habit-bound thinking:

(2)to produce a set of ideas from which we can choose. (No one wants to have a choice of
onlyone product when buying laundry detergent or cars, so why have achoice of only one
solution when working ona problem?)
Convergent thinking is measured by tests like remote associations test or insight
problems. These problems are solved when you apply one of the methods below:

1. Make a unique association between parts of the problem. This looks again
similar to flexibility or how fluid is your categorisation schema enabling you
to thínk out of the box and not be limited by typical categories or
associations.
2. Take a novel approach (and not the typical approach) to problem-solving. To
me, this again looks similar to originality.
3. See the problem from a different perspective. To me, this looks like how
quickly youcan adopt multiple perspectives the speed with which you can
take alternate perspectives and is similar to fluency.
Formal Creative Thinking

Itis possible to think creatively allthe time. There are some people who simply fizz with
new ideas and seem to see everything slightly differently from those around them.

These are the people who are always asking 'Why?', and Why not?".

They are natural problem-solvers and innovators.

However, for most people, creative thinking requires more effort. They prefer to save their
creative thinking for when it is really necessary.
Typical examples of times when you might take the time to use creative thinking
techniques include:

" When you are facing a major problem or issue, and you cannot see an
obvious way forward.
"At times of change,when it is hard to see what might lie ahead, and you
want to think about possible scenarios.
When there is a lot of disagreement about what needs to happen next, and
no compromise seems possible without a lot of effort.
When youneed something new, that hasn't been tried before, butyou are
not sure what.

Dynamics of Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is expressed in several ways. Here are some of the types of creative
thinking you might see in the workplace.

Analysis

Before thinking creatively about something, youfirst have to be able to understand it.
This requires the ability to examine things carefully to know what they mean. Whether
you are looking at atext,a data set, alesson plan, or an equation, you need to be able to
analyze it first.
Open-Mindedness

To think creatively, set aside any assunmptions or biases youmay have, and look at things
in a completelynew way. By coming to a problem with an open mind, you allow yourself
thechance to think creatively.

Problem-Solving
Employers want creative employees who will help them to solve work-related issues.
When faced with a problem, consider ways that you can solve it before asking for help. If
youneed the input of a manager, suggest solutions rather than just presenting problerns.

Organization

This might seem counterintuitive: Aren't creative people known for being somewhat
disorganized? Actually, organization is an essential part of creativity. While you might
need to get a bit messy when trying out a new idea, you need to organize your ideas so
others willunderstand and follow through with your vision.

Communication

People willonly appreciate your creative idea or solution if you communicate it effectively.
You need to have strong written and oralcommunication skills.

Also need to be able to understand a situation fully before thinking creatively about it.
That means you also need to be a good listener. You may come up with a unique solution
by asking the right questions and listening to the answers.