Creative Thinking &

Problem Solving

Enya Ameza-Xemalordzo
(PhD, LLM, MBA, MSc, Gdip, BSc)
Department: Marketing & Corporate Strategy
Faculty & College: Business School

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 Introduction

• What is Creative Thinking?

• Creative Thinking Process
• Creative Thinking Skills
• Principles of Creative Problem Solving

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 Objectives
After watching this session, you will be able to:

• Define Creative Thinking?

• Describe the steps of the Creative Thinking Process
• List the Creative Thinking Skills
• Explain the Principles of Creative Problem Solving

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 What is Creative Thinking?
• The ability to think of new ideas
• “a way of looking at problems or situations from a fresh perspective
that suggests unorthodox solutions”
- The Business Dictionary

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 What is Creative Thinking?
Considering
Thinking something, judging or
reasoning

Acquiring
Creative Thinking
information,
processing, Imagination,
knowing, perception,
remembering, language, and
Cognition understanding, planning
judging, and
problem solving

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 What is Creative Thinking?

Convergent Thinking that aims to find the single

Thinking best correct answer

Thinking

Divergent Thinking that seeks to generate new,

Thinking unexpected answers

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 What is Creative Thinking?

Lateral A different perception than what is

Thinking the general

Thinking

Vertical
Thinking Logical/analytical

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 The Creative Process
1. Preparation: exploring the dimension of the problem
2. Incubation: problem is internalize into the unconscious mind
3. Insight: creative idea bursts forth into conscious awareness
4. Verification: idea is consciously verified.

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 Creative Thinking Skills
The ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and
sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities
or job functions involving
• Ideas (cognitive skills)
• Things (technical skills), and/or
• People (interpersonal skills)
• Divergent/lateral thinking skills

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 Creative Solution

• Novelty
• Effectiveness
• Ethnicality

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
Principles of Creative Problem Solving
• The Uniqueness Principle
• The Purpose Principle
• The Solution-After-Next Principle
• The Systems Principle
• The Limited Information Collection Principle
• The People-Design Principle
• The Betterment Timeline Principle

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
Principles of Creative Problem Solving

The Uniqueness Solution also has to be

Each problem is unique
Principle unique

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
Principles of Creative Problem Solving

Start looking into the

The Purposes Principle Focus on the problem
problem

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 Principles of Creative Problem Solving

Design solution for the

The Solution-After-Next Envision glitches and
present, and also for the
Principle provide future solutions
future

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
Principles of Creative Problem Solving

Anticipate a problem
Each problem is part of a
The Systems Principle when implementing and
larger problem
develop solutions

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 Principles of Creative Problem Solving

The Limited Information Data is not always Solve the problem with
Collection Principle accurate available information

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
Principles of Creative Problem Solving

The People-Design The solution is for use of Involve people in every

Principle people step of the design

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 Principles of Creative Problem Solving

The Betterment Timeline Monitor and improve it

Keep the solution alive
Principle from time to time

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi
 Thank you!

Department of Marketing, Business School

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology, Kumasi