Words can sometimes limit creativity. Humans are generally very visual and have evolved to sense the world primarily thorough focused looking and observation. As a result, a large part of the brain...
Handout: Problem Solving Questions
The following is a series of questions presented under a number of categories that help to analyse a given problem. The set of questions can be used in a handout for people who want to explore a gi...
Crisis Management: How to Have a Plan Before it is Too Late
This is a useful exercise that helps delegates to quickly come up with a plan to respond to a crisis. In today’s dynamic world, crisis management is crucial. Risk prediction and risk management is ...
Brainstorming Exercise: Dialectic Inquiry
Sometimes it is important to scrutinise a plan to make sure it is valid. A common method used is known as Devil’s Advocate. This is basically an individual who has been given the role of an adverse...
Problem Solving Exercise: If Time Was Not an Issue
When solving problems, it is sometimes easy to dismiss new ideas straight away by worrying about lack of resources or lack of time. A new idea is usually very fragile and cannot stand much scrutiny...
Branding Exercise: What Is My Company Like?
Companies develop different cultures. It is important to know how the company is seen both internally and externally. Internally, it helps to bind the team and make everyone coordinate their effort...
Problem Solving Exercise: Look at the Problem from a Kid’s Point of View
A particularly useful problem solving technique is to see a given problem from the point of view of a 10 year old. This view point usually helps to simplify both problems and solutions and as a res...
Bullet Proofing Your Ideas: What Can Possibly Go Wrong?
Most brainstorming sessions revolve around problem solving and coming up with new solutions. This is useful in generating ideas, though it does not provide many opportunities to find out what happe...
Creativity Exercise: Introducing Random Associations
This is a template for a problem solving exercise that help generates a variety of solutions. The technique can be used in brainstorming or any creative thinking activity. It aims to bring randomne...
Crisis Management: Brainstorm a Solution
This exercise combines crisis management and brainstorming. You can use it as a template for a series of exercises on problem solving using different methods depending on what you are covering in y...
Goal Setting Exercise: Challenge Assumptions
Sometimes we take things for granted. We assume certain conditions are true and remain true until it is too late. This happens often in industries that evolve very quickly or markets that change ra...
Team Building Exercise: Slowest Balloon
This team building exercise presents groups with challenges which require solutions to seemingly easy problems. Delegates need to plan, construct and execute their solutions quickly in order to bea...
Brainstorming Exercise: Brain Sketch
In this exercise, delegates practice a visual brainstorming technique known as Brain Sketch (VanGundy 1988). The aim of this technique is to encourage visual solutions in isolation and also facilit...
Giving Feedback Exercise: Avoid Destructive Feedback
When first presented with new ideas, many seem to be quick to highlight the potential problems with the idea rather than focusing on its potential. This attitude often leads to destructive criticis...
Brainstorming Exercise: The Most Unlikely Solution
In this brainstorming exercise, delegates get to think about the most unlikely solutions or ideas in a systematic way. The aim of this brainstorming technique is to encourage out-of-the-box thinkin...
Brainstorming Exercise: Rolestorming Technique
While brainstorming, sometimes people may feel reluctant to voice their ideas especially if they want to raise a concern or highlight a problem. This is particularly common when senior staff or man...
Brainstorming Exercise: Rotating Roles
In this brainstorming exercise participants take different roles to contribute to the problem solving activity. This allows them to contribute without fear of being laughed at or criticised. The ro...
Brainstorming Exercise: Display Your Ideas
Purpose In this brainstorming exercise delegates learn to come up with ideas separately and then together as a large group. The brainstorming technique helps those who are more comfortable in sma...
