Assignment 1

Individual Creative Thinking Skills

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Contents

Executive Summary...............................................................................................................................2
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Individual blocks of creative thinking....................................................................................................3
Approaches for creative thinking...........................................................................................................5
Alternate approaches to creative thinking............................................................................................5
Creative Training Plan............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................9
Reference..............................................................................................................................................9

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 Executive Summary

Creative thinking is known to be one of the most interesting and valuable subjects in
businesses. Creativity which is the originality of an idea is the building block of the business
to endure success. It motivates the organizations to tackle with complicated conditions and
enable employees to dig brains sensibly to produce cost- effective solutions towards the
problems. The main purpose of this paper is to apprehend individual blocks of creative
thinking and evaluate the structures techniques and approaches with the pros and cons in
context with live project/case study and to develop a training plan based on analysis and
evaluation of the individual blocks and alternative development approaches plan to promote
creative thinking skills with a view to enhance innovation and corporate entrepreneurship

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 Introduction
Creative thinking is known to be one of the most interesting and valuable subjects in
businesses. Historically creativity is the one which brings about the values to the
organizations in every era and every sort of working environment (Noof, 2019.). Creativity is
the construction of ideas which coves from the inner side of intellectual brains. Those who
have the inner abilities and confidence in oneself develops the creative ideas which are the
original ideas that are value driven. One who keeps confidence in the original idea knows
how to drive it for bringing innovations in the organizations (Swathi, 2013). Creativity which
is the originality of an idea is the building block of the business to endure success. It
motivates the organizations to tackle with complicated conditions and enable employees to
dig brains sensibly to produce cost- effective solutions towards the problems (V & enberg,
2004). Creativity improves problem solving skills and enhance employee’s confidence in his
own abilities and so in many cases its gives a hard time to the executives to not to follow the
past experiences (Mostert, 2007). The main purpose of this paper is to apprehend individual
blocks of creative thinking and evaluate the structures techniques and approaches with the
pros and cons in context with live project/case study and to develop a training plan based on
analysis and evaluation of the individual blocks and alternative development approaches plan
to promote creative thinking skills with a view to enhance innovation and corporate
entrepreneurship.

Individual blocks of creative thinking

Creative thinking skills and decision making is a difficult process. There are numerous
barriers raised in the individual ideas when they pop from the intellectual brains to solve
problems. In some situations, organization allows employees to think creatively to find
solutions but later on some other apprehensions comes as the solutions to the same problems.
For this situation the misconceptions rise as wrong problems are identified, prompt
judgements on the facts named to be the problems and failing in mitigating the challenges.
Organizations call this set of situations as the cognitive blocks (Mostert, 2007). According to
some old school of thoughts, individual blocks of creative learning are categorized as
emotional, intellectual, social, cultural and environmental (Arnold, 1962)

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As the world is growing faster the individual blocks of creative learning modifies with the
new contents. The emotional blocks modified to the strategic blocks and then to individual
mindsets which are discussed below.

Emotional Blocks

Emotional blocks are perceptions of the individuals that creates barrier to make the
individual, not see the clear picture of the problem. It restrains from the thinking process
about the solutions because of numerous available information’s, distracted sources and
restricting oneself to not to answer to the problems are some cons of emotional blocks. On
the other hand, when comes to positive side emotional blocks the identification of reasonable
mistakes and failure in the process confront the individuals and therefore provide the chance
to select the most valuable creative solutions. Emotional blocks are related to cultural blocks
and the environmental blocks which are external in nature. In some case the individual
cultural stops the individuals to adopt some challenges and environmental barriers are
imposed due to surroundings.

Strategic Blocks

Strategic blocks are the name given to number of blocks such as value blocks, self-image
blocks, perceptions and inflexibilities. Strategic blocks comes when an individual not feels
comfortable in thinking and restrict himself from the adoption to change (Jones, 1988). Value
blocks as a part of strategic block in which the individual lose his beliefs in obtaining the idea
generations. Perceptions blocks are the lack of awareness and misconceptions in the ideas
being generated. Lack of self confidence in the individuals and their internal hesitations are
the physiological barriers which combines up the strategic blocks.

Mindset Blocks

Mindset blocks are directly linked to individuals intellectual mind. There are some substantial
barriers which restricts individual creative thinking skills. First is “trying to find the right
answer”. As there is no one solution for the specific problem son finding the right one is
much difficult when there are multiple options available. Second is the “logical barrier”, this
says that the use of metaphors in real life situations are illogical to some extent. Use of logic
is of great strength when comes to creativity and so the enemies distract the individuals to
falls in the trap of metaphors. Third is the “Serious attitude”, which become barrier when one
keeps himself stubborn at their disciplines. Historical leaders consult with fools and pose

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humorous jester while facing tough problems. So blocking this barrier individuals need to
mingle and flexible when comes to think out of the box (“Do You Recognize Mental Blocks
to Creative Thinking?,” 2020).

Approaches for creative thinking

There are several approaches which leads to the creative thinking namely, Creative problem
solving – CPS, brainstorming, SCAMPER, lotus blossom and mind mapping.

CPS is among the high rated, extremely recommended creativity tool developed by Gough in
1979. In this the number of particpants are allowed to sit together and the incorporate there
ideas on the paper. The common ideas will be selected and get considerations for further
processes.

Brainstorming is the mapping of the ideas and generate the best creative idea (Parnes
n.d.1963). There are four rules for brainstorming such as no space for criticism, freedom of
contributing ideas, availability of as many ideas as possible and divergent thinking skills.

SCAMPER techniques also keep a dominant place as a tool for problem solving meanwhile
producing the creative ideas. It uses the clear statements for the modification of the issues.
The constructs on which the SCAMPER techniques stands are substitutes, combine, adopt,
modify, placement, eliminate and reverse. It needs a checklist to select the best options and
eliminate the unnecessary ones (Tomey n.d.2007)

Lotus blossom is another technique for creative thinking. The theme of this tool is to
generate the ideas on the petals and explore as many as possible. The ideas start from the
centre of the flower and then extend towards the layers of petals (V & enberg, 2004)

Alternate approaches to creative thinking

Taking here the real life of Safia Minney (“Profile,” n.d.) moving fashion industry towards
the greater sustainability. As an individual the success lies in the executive coaching and
mentoring the ideas. The environmental degradation is one of the major issue in current days
and moving the organization towards sustainability is a creativeness that one can develop for
innovations. Entrepreneurs from all sectors of the industries are facing challenges to leading
themselves towards sustainable processes. The alternative approaches for building creativity

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lies in the leadership of every organization. The situation from last few months due to
pandemic issues are raising concerns for the investors and the employees of the organization
in seeking ways for the securing and brighter future.

Siloed Thinking

The first thing is to rethink whatever you have ever learned from the past practices. There lies
an awareness within the leader communities and the existing theories and skills that will
contribute towards todays facts. The existing theories of creativity are being questioned
around the world that those who follow strict rules and capitalistic approaches are facing
failures in these current situations.

Reshaping your own ideas.

The second alternative approach is to reshape your own ideas. As a leader what are your own
structured ideas and now how you see them to be effective in these current situations.

Integrity

Leaders have to show integrity towards their team. They do not have to keep separate
themselves from their personal and professional values. Each decision a leader takes have to
first put himself in his personal shoes. How his family takes this decision if he implement it
on those. Today’s world needs a kind leader who is well versed in systematic thinking and
keeps the space of soft skills, intellectual thinking and personal effectiveness. One of the
well-known leader who inspire her employees with integrity is Anita Roddick Founder of
The Body Shop who hug her employees freely enjoy unforgettable bonds.

Servant leader

Start thinking of yourself as a servant leader. Such practice shows honesty, empathy and
listening to the other people which gives a chance of ideas from other brains. Individual role
is to be a steward of both the employees of the company and for the planet too. By creating
this skill, you focus on compensations and collaboration which give ways to forward-
thinking in the organizations.

Executive coaching

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Leaders have to believe in founding and driving peoples. Allowing employees to rejoice in
social innovations and partnering with others. Leaders have to find ways to merge altruism
and business ethics for running organization towards success. This will create wisdom and
facts that are the obvious requirement of this current world (“Leading For The Emerging
Future,” 2020)

Creative Training Plan

Creative thinking is a mode of searching human needs and developing new outcomes by
using the creativity tools. It complements the intellectual thinking process with subordinates
to get enhanced and effective outcomes. There are four stages of the thinking methods that
are: Inspiration, synthesis, idea generation and implementation.

The training plan is the designed with the number of participants on a particular day. It
comprises of the events like Check-in, a theoretical input phase, an energizer, a practical
workshop, presentation of the results, ending with the feedback and in the last the overview
of the training day (Gumula, 2020)

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As a real-life project, a one-day training programme on creativity for sustainability to be
conducted by Safia Minney for one of her new project which is the Zero-carbon in fashion
industry.

1). Check-in: the number of 40 participants from the growing tree has been selected. At
check-in all the participants will be honoured for their introductions.

2). Input: all the participants are now given time to do four things. Generate an idea, idea
enhancement, idea selection and then prototyping according to the theories explained to them

3). Energizing: Creativity game to be played which is “Grandma, Lion and Samurai” just
like “rock, paper and scissors” but in place of making the gestures people draw faces in front
of selected ideas. “The grandmother points her finger and scolds the samurai, the samurai
raises his blade and beheads the lion, the lion’s roar scares the grandmother”. Participants
divides in two groups and they both select their winner and thus one will win by defeating the
opponent.

4). Now the workshop session begins by putting theory into practice.

 Focusing on the ways to ground creative ideas of giving sustainable value to the
fashion business with engagement to secure natural environment.
 Focus on the cultural values when embedding sustainability.
 Tools should be addresses and the ways of driving the creative approaches.
 Enhancement of the role of leaders in creating the value-driven leadership.

5). Final Presentation by the leader.

 Elaboration of organization personal values and mitigation to sustainable leadership

 Create the importance of cultural leadership and indulge it into the transformation of
Zero-carbon businesses.
 Recognition of the workforce, honouring for the speedy progress and develop
environmental concern leadership.
 Talks related to sharing values with other business for combine effects towards
sustainability moves.

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6). Check-outs: The ending notes to create trusted forums with other business leaders for
combining efforts towards sustainability.

 Tools to maintain sustainable leadership

 Development of key values and confidence among the peers
 Motivated and flexible environment with the will to promote sustainable approaches
to move fashion industry towards Zero-carbon approaches.

Conclusion
Creativity is the ability of an individual to dig the inner mindset and generate new ideas for
the innovations. This paper talks about the individual thinking blocks in the first place.
Thinking blocks are the barriers which restrain the individuals to think out of the box. Then
we talk about the historical approaches for the creativity which were CPS techniques,
brainstorming, SCRAMPER, locus blossom and mind-mapping. Later on, we find some
alternative approaches to individual creativity which we discussed as Siloed thinking, dig
your inner side, integrity, servant leadership and executive coaching. The best strategies
which utilises to remove problems and find new innovations lies in the encouragement
activities which are scheduled by the organization. The organization develops a training plan
usually in forms of one day workshops. The purpose of such events is to dig and find creative
ideas for future success and sustainable innovations.

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