What is creative thinking, why do we need it and how do we learn it

1. What is Creative Thinking? Why we need it? And How to learn it?

2. Creative Thinking
How do we make a ball point pen
work in a zero gravity environment
(space)?
Who cares?
Spend $Millions
Get fired!
Don’t go to the moon!
Or
Change the Problem
How do we write in a zero gravity
environment?
Creative Thinking
What is Creative Thinking?
Why do we need Creative Thinking?
How do we learn Creative Thinking?

4. What is Creative Thinking?
A process such as brainstorming or
lateral thinking which improves your
ability to be creative and look at
problems in a fresh new way!
State of mind that generates new
ideas unique to you.
Free yourself from your strict logical
confines.
Become illogical!
Become flexible!
Lateral Thinking
BrainStorming
Strict Logical Confines
Become illogical

5. Why We Need Creative Thinkers
Solve Problems!
Develop better solutions to already
implemented solutions.
Prevent situations before they
manifest themselves.
Understand the ramifications of our
solutions.
Unlearn that which we have already
learned.
Treadmill Bike
Pet Rock
Flatulence
Deodorizer

6. Witty Quotes…
If it is not broke, don’t fix it!
Treat others the way you want to be
treated!
The early bird gets the worm!

8. How to learn Creative Thinking!
Everyone is capable of learning.
Does not replace logic, hard work,
information or training.
Helps get the job done better.
Repeatable Process.
Many Methodologies.
Many Techniques.
Positive
Thinking
Lateral
Thinking
Metaphoric
Thinking
Association
Triggering
Interpreting
Dreams

12. How to dye a fabric cheaper!
After a company failed at solving
how to cheaply dye their fabric a
researcher asked “How do mine
shafts work?” …
They are supported to keep the
shafts from collapsing.
Added a chemical that supported
the dye during the manufacturing to
enter the fabric.

13. Positive Thinking!
Shoe company sent two reps to a
developing country to see if it was a
candidate for a shoe factory…
One said “They don’t wear shoes
here, don’t build!”
The other said “They don’t wear
shoes here, unlimited opportunity!
Build two!”

14. Association Triggers
Company goal –Creativity and
Innovation.
Aim –“fun rather than drudgery”
Popular Cartoon used same theme
as goal.
Created cartoon book using cartoon
themes on creativity and innovation
associated with employees ideas
and experiences.
Offered rewards for anyone that
reduced marketplace product
delivery times.

15. Capturing and Interpreting Dreams
The subconscious is less inhibited
and continues to function when
sleeping.
Employees trained to keep pen and
paper to write dreams.
Factory worker solved problem that
engineers and vendors could not.
Dreamt about a slinky toy.
Occurred to him that a slinky-like
spring in a tube would keep it from
collapsing, rushed to work early and
successfully tested his idea!
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17. Creative Problem Solving (CPS)
Separate the situation into two
sections:
Divergent and Convergent
Spend 50% understanding the
situation.
Spend 50% on the solution.
50% of the solution is thinking about
the situation.
Never settle on the first good
solution.
“else” stimulates quality alternative
solutions.

18. CPS Case Study
Problem:
Lost productivity because supply
company workers are reading
newsprint used to cushion glass
product shipments.
Solution:
The company decided to hire blind
workers for this part of the factory
line.

21. What is Creative Thinking? Why we need it? And How to learn it?
The first NASA missions used pencils.
Project Gemini used mechanical pencils ordering 34 units (pencils) at a
cost of $128.89 USD per pencil which upset the public.
Paul Fisher designed a ballpoint pen that functioned in a weightless
environment, underwater, in multiple liquids and in temperatures
from -50 to +400 F.
Fisher’s pen cost $1 million USD to develop out of his own pocket.
NASA purchased 400 from Fisher cost $6 USD per unit for the Apollo
Project.
So did the Soviets.
Both still use the pens for space missions and YOU can buy them at
http://spacepen.com for $25 to $800 USD.