Innovation & Creativity

Course details

Business is a constantly changing environment. What used to work often no longer works. Without change and growth, businesses come under ever increasing threats from competition. How do you motivate the key players in your organization to be more innovative, find new ways of doing business, find better ways of solving problems, and stop problems before they even occur?

This Innovation and Creative Thinking course is designed to show people how to think outside the box. This includes being more innovative and creative in the way you approach various situations, such as creating new products, managing a serious problem, or running simple day-to-day activities. An old adage advises to “Work smarter, not harder”, and this course can show you how.

Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand and apply innovation
• Use different techniques to come up with creative solutions
• Determine what techniques are appropriate for what problems
• Choose the smartest solution

Course Outline:

What Are Innovation, Creativity, and Thinking Outside the Box? Why Are They Important?

• Definitions and explanations
• Gaining Business Advantage
• Saving Costs
• Improving Efficiencies

Who Really Is Innovative and Creative?

Why We Are Taught NOT to Be Creative.

• Stopping your brain from exploding
• It’s just too complicated (Oh no it’s not!)
• It’s not part of my job

Why Should We Be Innovative?

• Because problems just keep happening
• Because the competition is
• Because standing still is a slow death
• Because we can

Practical Exercises

• Practical exercises using the different techniques
• Individual and team working activities
• Really stretching your talents

Different Techniques for Different Problems

• Business problems
• New product ideas
• Business advantage
• Business streamlining
• Everyday ordinary issues

Generating a 'Shortlist' of Ideas

• Techniques for generating ideas
• Choosing a shortlist
• Deciding which ones to investigate further

Selecting the 'Best' Idea for a Given Problem

• Making balanced decisions
• Not wasting other ideas
• Picking the idea with the greatest impact and easiest implementation

How to Encourage Your Company/Department to Be More Dynamic, Innovative, Creative, and Exciting

• When is the right time to be innovative?
• Spreading the Word.
• What’s in it for me?