Creative Problem Solving for

Entrepreneursor “How to Harness Your

Creativity and Make it Work for You!”

Myths about Creative Problem-Solving in the Workplace

• It’s not important.- creative thinking waste time• I don’t have time.- just do the same old thing• I already have the answer.• I’m not creative!

If you’re indifferent to creative thinking, you’ve failed to see that new ideas are crucial survival

skills in a rapidly changing world!

Why is Creativity needed for business success?

• Watch this one minute clip• Creativity in Business - Creative Process Ideas

in organizations & Rentacrowd - Kevin Kelly Motivation speaker

• http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=113297093790220038&hl=en

Refining Our Perceptions

• Can you see the old lady?

• Can you see the young lady?

• What did you do to change your perspective?

Can you answer this puzzle?

Remove two matchsticks, move two matchsticks and still have three equal rectangles!

• You can’t study for creative problem-solving; just relax and do it!

Paying Attention to Details

• Read questions carefully

• Look for the obvious• Alter your perception

or paradigms• Turn the puzzle up-

side down to get a new view!

Think Outside of the Box!

Use four lines to

connect all the

dots without your

pencil leaving the paper!

Thinking Outside the Box?You can’t solve this puzzle

otherwise!

Here are some other puzzles to test your creativity!

In the following line of letters, cross out six letters so that the remaining letters, without altering their sequence, will spell a familiar English word:

B S A I N X L E A T N T E A R S

Answer: BANANAS!

The Great Detective Exercise

The Great Detective was touring rural England. At one crossroads, a sign that identified each of five roads had been blown over. How did he determine which road to take?

He set it up with the correct sign pointing to the town he had just come from ensuring that all the other directions would be correct.

Get out of your chair and try something new!

Exercise: Can you think of a way in which you put a sheet of newspaper on the floor so that when two people stand face to face on it, they won’t be able to touch one another? Cutting or tearing the newspaper is not allowed! Neither is typing up the people or preventing them from moving.

Answer: Place the newspaper on the floor in a doorway, close the door and have two people stand on each side of the door on

the newspaper!

Exercise: You walk into a room and you find John and Mary lying dead on the floor. There’s broken glass and water all around them. How did they die?

They are both fish!

Changing your Perceptions and Paradigms is important!

Creativity is essential for e-business

--You will need to be creative in developing your business plan

--Unique products or unique twists on old products could make you lots of money.

-- You will need to be problem solving faster than competitors

--Creativity is FUN- makes the job a joy instead of dread.

--Positive attitude make you and your business stand out from the crowd.