WELCOME

PLUG UR BRAIN
CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
Trainers

_ Hemlata Ramsohok Jomadar,

Lead Research, Advisory and
Knowledge Management
Let’s warm up

• Stand up and arrange yourselves

in line from the oldest to the
youngest
• Tell us your name
• Objective for attending the course
 Objective of Training

• Development of creativity potential.

• Freedom to think in fresh, innovative
ways
• Develop enthusiasm for group
involvement
• Enjoyment of the problem-solving
process
 About the course…

• We will work slowly

• We want to be precise
• We want to work skillfully
• We will all work as a team
 Question Number 1
How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
The correct answer is:

Open the refrigerator,

put in the giraffe and
close the door.

This question tests

whether you tend to
do simple things in an
overly complicated
way.
 Question Number 2
How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
Wrong Answer: Open the
refrigerator, put in the
elephant and close the
refrigerator.

Correct Answer:
Open the refrigerator, take out
the giraffe, put in the elephant
and close the door.

This tests your ability to think

through the repercussions of
your actions.
Question Number 3

The Lion King is

hosting an animal
conference. All the
animals attend
except one. Which
animal does not
attend?
Correct Answer:

The Elephant.

The Elephant is in the

refrigerator.

Remember?

This tests your memory.

OK, even if you did not answer
the first three questions
correctly, you still have one more
chance to show your abilities.
Question Number 4
There is a river you must cross. But crocodiles inhabit it.

How do you manage it?

Correct Answer: You swim across. Why?
All the Crocodiles are attending the Animal
Conference.

This tests whether you learn quickly from your

mistakes.
Bougez un bâton seulement pour
obtenir quatre triangles
Defining creativity and innovation
 Creativity

creativity (krē-a-tiv’) – the ability to create

create (krē-āt’), v.t. to bring into being or

form out of nothing; to bring into
being by force of imagination: to
make, produce, or form: to design: to
invest with a new form, office or
character: to institute. (Chambers 1989)
 Innovation

innovation (in’ō-vāshun) – the act of

innovating

innovate (in’ō-vāt), v.t. to renew; to

introduce as something new. - v.i. to
introduce novelties: to make
changes. (Chambers 1989)
 Innovation is not…

• Discovery
• Einstein’s formula E=MC2 is a discovery, a fundamental that
belongs to the whole of humanity.

• Invention
• When we find a practical application for a discovery, for
instance, the steam engine, the electric bulb...such an
application becomes an invention. It may be patented. An
invention belongs to the patent owner for a specific duration.

• Research and Development

• Research and development, refers to the efforts in
fundamental research (non- patentable) or applied research
(patentable)
 Innovation Involves
Being Creative and
critical

Challenging status quo

 Innovation
• A better way of doing things
• An improvement
Alexander Old Phone
Graham
Bell’s
Phone
??
1st Cell Phone
1876 March 6, 1983
2020
Razr 2006
Types of innovation
 Product Innovation

Improving the features of a product or creating new

products
 Process innovation
Improving or changing the process by which a product or
service is produced or delivered, e.g. MC Donald, FedEx, Dell
 Marketing innovation
Development and implementation of new marketing techniques
such as changes in design, packaging, pricing, promotion and
positioning

The container is tinted blue, and when

the batteries in the base are lighted, the
product looks like a miniature lava lamp
or aquarium.
 Organizational Innovation

Development and implementation of new organizational methods in

commercial application, workplace design, organizational Structure, external
relations of a firm, e.g. Franchising, business restructuring, subcontracting a
function for the first time
 Types of Innovation (Contd)

 Technology Innovation
 Development of new technology, e.g. aerospace
 Business Innovation
 Radically reconceiving products and services; redefining
market space and redrawing industry boundaries, e.g.
Southwest, Google, eBay
 Strategy Innovation
 Strategy Innovation is about challenging existing industry
methods of creating customer value in order to meet
newly emerging customer needs, add additional value,
create new markets and new customer groups for the
sponsoring company
 Class discussion

• Do you think creativity and

innovation are important?
Framework for 21st Century Skills
 Core Subjects

• English • Government
• Reading or • Economics
Language Arts • Arts
• Mathematics • History
• Science • Geography
• Foreign
Languages
• Civics
 Thinking and Learning Skills

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Skills
• Creativity & Innovation Skills
• Communication & Information Skills
• Collaboration Skills
 ICT Literacy

• Information and communications

technology (ICT) literacy is the
ability to use technology to
accomplish thinking and learning
skills
 Life Skills

• Leadership
• Ethics
• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Personal Productivity
• Personal Responsibility
• People Skills
• Self Direction
• Social Responsibility
 21st Century Content

• Global Awareness
• Financial, Economic, Business
and Entrepreneurship Literacy
• Civic Literacy
• Health & Wellness Awareness
Creativity and Innovation and
Skills—A Necessity for Survival
Can We Learn to Be Creative and
innovative?

Yes!
“I don’t have a creative bone
in my body!”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpockele/
Nature or. Nurture?
What % of your brain do you
use?
 Tools and techniques to promote
Convergent and Divergent thinking
• Brainstorming • Lotus diagram
• Mind-Mapping • Gantt Chart
• Fishbone • Attribute Listing
diagram • SCAMPER
• Pareto diagram • What IF
• Histogram
• 5 Whys
• Affinity diagram
• Force field
analysis
 Mind exercise

At the end of a birthday party, the hostess

realised that there were ten apples left in a
basket. She distributed an apple to each
children who were leaving. After all the ten
children have taken the apples, there was still
one apple left in the basket. Why?
 Mind exercise

A man was drinking coffee at his table by the

window. He was enjoying the view outside
when suddenly on impulse; he jumped out of
the 100-storey building . He landed safely ,
unhurt in any way. There was nothing to
cushion his landing. How was this possible?
http://psycharts.com/opt_illus.html
Innovation process
 Toys and Games

- Whatever be our age or gender, all of us like

to receive gifts for Christmas. This year,
Father Christmas is not well and still thinking
about what new games/ toys he will bring to
the world.
 Activity

• Your team has been designated to help

Father Christmas in coming up with the new
games/ toys.
• Tell us how you will go about.
• You have five minutes for this activity.
 Unleashing your creativity to
innovate
Interpreting needs
and wants

Evaluating ideas Generating

opportunities

Representing ideas Collaborating to build

ideas

Reflecting upon ideas

 Process for innovative thinking
Skill set Behaviours Skills
Interpret  Being open to • Observation
experiences • Challenging
 Being mindful/aware assumptions
 Being provocative • Research/questioning
 Being curious • Take end users
 Having big perspectives
picture/open thinking
 Having empathy

Generate • Being experimental • Divergent thinking

• Being able to move out using a range of
of own comfort zone different stimuli
and take risks • Convergent thinking
• Being self critical using a range of
• Being constructive criteria
 Process for innovative thinking
Skill set Behaviours
Collaborate • Engendering trust and
honesty
• Being frank and open
able to share
• Building on ideas
• Being confident
• Being flexible
• Being open to learning
• Having empathy
Reflect • Capacity to focus dreams/
visualisations
• Having insight
• Being able to transcend
reflections
Skills
• Ability to work
productively in a
range collaborative
situations
• Ability to improve
ideas through broad
networks
• Ability to give and
receive feedback
• Ability to listen
• Schedule time
• Structure reflection
• Capture insights
• Use insights
 Process for innovative thinking

Skill set Behaviours Skills

Represent • Seeing things from others • Ability to present
point of view business benefits
• Confidence to present • Ability to facilitate
• Being articulate and warm meetings
• Passion for idea • Prototyping
• Business acumen

Evaluate • Rigour and belief in • Evaluation skills

quality • Marketing skills
• Capacity to self critique
• Use data to spark new
ideas
Interpreting needs
Video- Design thinking
How do you interpret needs/
Problems?
 Useful skills

• Observation
• The ability to challenge assumptions
• Asking questions
• Interpreting user needs and desires
 Observation

• Observation helps to identify problems and it

can also be a powerful way of opportunities
to use.
Observe customers
 Think about it…..

• People want a fast and convenient

way to spread butter on bread.
• Can you to create a product to make
‘spreading butter on bread’ fast and
convenient.
Can it satisfy your need?
Are you a good oberver
 Strategies to help improve your
powers of observation
• Focus on parts of the whole picture and
systematically work through each part
• Draw what you see in detail and to scale
• Use a checklist to guide your observation
• Use all your senses to observe
• Be curious and open, reserve judgement
 Why?

A doctor in London had a brother in

Manchester, who was a lawyer. But the
lawyer in Manchester did not have a
brother in London who was a doctor.
Why?
 Can you explain?

• John and Mary are lying dead on the floor

of the apartment they live in. Surrounding
them is broken glass and water. A breeze is
blowing in the window.
Challenging Assumptions
Video
 Challenging assumptions

Challenging assumptions raises questions like:

Why can't we?
What about if?
Why not?
They don't have to be answered, they trigger creative thinking.
 Strategies to challenge assumptions

• Experimenting with ideas like reversing the

norm, for example:
 What if we worked at night instead of the
day?
 What if we ate dinner for breakfast?
• Asking what if…?‟ questions, for example:
 'Parking stations are really ugly. What if they
were decorated?
 Challenging assumptions

Assumption Challenge Innovation

Books Books are the only Why can‟t we
way people will put books onto
read books a computer to
because they‟re make them
traditional, we like more
to feel them, we transportable?
like to navigate
Retail outlets Need people to Why can‟t
serve customers people serve
because they like themselves if
to be served and it we provide a
makes sure that different store
they get what they layout
want
 Challenging assumptions

Assumption Challenge Innovation

Tickets Tickets have to be Why can‟t they
issued by the seller be printed out
to prevent fraud on home
computers if
they have an
individual
identifier
Money
Telephone
Soft drink
Supermarket
Social Work
House
Though certain products can satisfy certain
needs, think whether they are practical?
 GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES

INTERPRETING
NEEDS AND
WANTS
GENERATING
EVALUATING
IDEAS
OPPORTUNITIES

REPRESENTING COLLABORATING
IDEAS TO BUILD IDEAS

REFLECTING
UPON IDEAS
 S’il vous plait …
dessine-moi
un mouton
une chaise

CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHAIR
 S’il vous plait …
dessine-moi
un mouton
une chaise 2020
 Which Side is Yours?...

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

uses logic uses feeling
detail oriented "big picture" oriented
facts rule imagination rules
words and language symbols and images
present and past present and future
math and science philosophy & religion
can comprehend can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
knowing believes
acknowledges appreciates
order/pattern perception spatial perception
knows object name knows object function
reality based fantasy based
forms strategies presents possibilities
practical impetuous
safe risk taking
Which Side is Yours?...
Left Brain + Right Brain
=
Whole Brain

85
 Which Side is Yours?...

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

uses logic uses feeling
detail oriented "big picture" oriented
facts rule imagination rules
words and language symbols and images
present and past present and future
math and science philosophy & religion
can comprehend can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
knowing believes
acknowledges appreciates
order/pattern perception spatial perception
knows object name knows object function
reality based fantasy based
forms strategies presents possibilities
practical impetuous
safe risk taking
86
© National Productivity and Competitiveness Council
 ‘Whole brain thinking’

+
DIVERGENT CONVERGENT
or ‘RIGHT BRAIN’ or ‘LEFT BRAIN’
THINKING THINKING
or Creative thinking or Critical thinking

There is no such thing that it is better to be left

brain dominated or right brain dominated. You
need both kinds of thinking to function well.
87
Right Brain, Left Brain
Exercise

88
Look at the following,
Say the COLOUR,
not the word

89
BLACK

90
WHITE

91
GREEN

92
YELLOW

93
RED

94
PINK

95
RED

96
What is the problem??

97
The right brain tries to say
the colour

The left brain tries to read the

colour

98
De quel côté la danseuse tourne t-
elle? Côté droit ou gauche?
Exercise

•Using your pencil, point to

each part of the face from top
to bottom naming them out
loud as you go.
•Now this time lightly trace
over the face from top to
bottom naming the parts out
loud as you go. Repeat this
step at least once.
•There is no need to label the
parts on the drawing as shown
in the example

102
Exercise ( ctd..)

Now complete the vase by drawing the

mirror image of the face you’ve already
completed, attempting to make it as
symmetrical as possible

103
 Enlevez six lettres et découvrez un fruit.
Vous avez 30 secondes !

BSAINXLEATNTERES
Brainstorming technique

© National Productivity and

 Brainstorming

Brainstorming creates new ideas, solves

problems, motivates and develops teams.

The Round Robin technique

• Everyone takes a turn offering an idea
• Anyone can pass on any turn
• Continue until there are no more ideas
• All ideas are listed as they are offered

Freewheeling
• Share ideas all at once
• List all ideas as they are ‘shouted out’
106
 Ground rules

• Don’t edit what is said and remember not

to criticise
• Go for quantity of ideas at this point;
narrow down the list later
• Encourage wild or exaggerated ideas
• Build on the ideas of others ( e.g. One
member might say something that ‘sparks’
another member’s idea
• Don’t ignore the obvious
107
© National Productivity and
 Reverse brainstorming technique

How do you prevent a new

product from being successful?
 GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES

Reverse brainstorming technique

Reverse brainstorming is a good technique to try when it is
difficult to identify solutions to the problem directly.

Instead of asking, "How do I solve or

prevent this problem?" ask, "How
could I possibly cause the problem?"
And instead of asking "How do I
achieve these results?" ask, "How
could I possibly achieve the opposite
effect?"
 Paper Clip Exercise

Let’s be more creative, in 5

mins brainstorm about new
uses of this paper clip.

110
Protect your idea
Lotus blossom technique
 Lotus Blossom Technique

• Developed by Yasuo Matsumura, Director of

the Clover Management Research (Japan).
When to use it
• Use it when you want to develop creative
ideas.
• Use it when you are having problems creating
more ideas.
• Use it when you are trapped by a single mode
of thinking.
• Use it to create seeds of ideas that can trigger
further good ideas.
 How to use it

Step 1
Draw up a lotus blossom diagram made up of
a square in the center of the diagram (the
pistil) and eight circles (petals) surrounding
the square
 How to use it

Step 2
Write the central idea or problem in the center
of the diagram (yellow square)

CENTRAL IDEA
 How to use it

Step 3
Look for ideas or solutions for the central
theme. Then write them in the flower petals
(pink circles).
 How to use it

Step 4
Each idea written in the circles becomes the
central theme of a new lotus blossom
 How to use it

Step 5
Follow step 3 with all central ideas

Step 6
Continue the process until all ideas have been
used.
 Activity

1. A telephone company wants to reward its

loyal customers with a unique gift that will
remind them of the telephone. Use the lotus
blossom technique to come up with
innovative ideas.
2. A biscuit factory has plenty of leftover
biscuit scraps. Could you help the owner to
find new users for the scraps so that they
become a new and profitable product for the
company? Use the lotus blossom technique.
 Activity

3. You are the owner of a shop selling trendy

clothes to youngsters. The shops to your left
and right, also in the same line of business
are likewise doing good business with their
summer fashion sale. Your shop is in between
these two shops. Use the lotus blossom
technique to brainstorm on how you could
improve your sales too.
 GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES

S.C.A.M.P.E.R
Generating New Products and Services
 What is SCAMPER?

• Checklist that helps you to think of

changes you can make to an existing
product to create a new one. You can
use these changes either as direct
suggestions or as starting points for
lateral thinking.

• Created by Bob Eberle and based on the

ideas of Alex Osborn
SCAMPER stands for:

S - Substitute - components, materials, people

C - Combine - mix, combine with other
assemblies or services, integrate
A - Adapt - alter, change function, use part of
another element
M - Modify - increase or reduce in scale,
change shape, modify attributes (e.g. colour)
P - Put to another use
E - Eliminate - remove elements, simplify,
reduce to core functionality
R – Rearrange/Reverse - turn inside out or
upside down
 S- Substitute Something

Helper Questions
• What materials or resources
can you substitute or swap
to improve the product?
• What other product or
process could you use?

Trigger Words
alternate, colorize, exchange, fill in for,
locum, proxy, relieve, rename,
repackage, replace, reposition, reserve,
shape, stand in for, surrogate, swap,
switch, take the place of
 C – Combine it with something else

Helper Questions
• What would happen if you
combined this product with
another, to create something
new?
• What could you combine to
maximize the uses of this
product?
• What materials could be
combined?
Trigger Words
amalgamate, become one, blend, bring
together, coalesce, come together,
commingle, conjoin, fuse, intermix, join, link,
merge, mingle, mix, package, relate, unite
 A- Adapt something to it

Helper Questions
• What else is like it?
• Is there something similar to it, but
in a different context?
• What could I copy, borrow or
steal?
• What ideas could I incorporate?
• What ideas outside my field can I
incorporate?
Trigger Words
acclimatize, adapt oneself, adapt, adjust, alter,
amend, become accustomed, bend, change, conform,
contextualize, copy, emulate, fit, get a feel for, get
used to, incorporate, make suitable, match, modify
 M- Magnify/Minify it

Helper Questions
• What can be made smaller or larger?
• What can be made higher or shorter?
• Can I increase/decrease its
frequency?
 M- Modify it

• How can this be altered for the

better?
• What can be modified? Is
there a new twist?
• Change meaning, color,
motion, sound, odor, form,
shape?
• Change name?
• What changes can be made in
the plans? In the process?
 P- Put it to some other use

What else can this be used for?

• Can you use this product somewhere else, perhaps
in another industry?
• Who else could use this product?
• How would this product behave differently in another
setting?
• Could you recycle the waste from this product to
make something new?
 E- Eliminate or elaborate

Helper Questions
• How can I simplify it?
• What parts can be removed
without altering its function?
• What’s non-essential or
unnecessary?
• Should I split it into different
parts?
Eliminate
Trigger Words reverse gear

abolish, control, curb, destroy, disregard, do away 360º

with, eradicate, exclude, excrete, expel, exterminate, rotating
get rid of, reduce, reject, remove, restraint, restrict, cabin
shorten, simplify, temper, throw out, tone down
 R- Rearrange/reverse it into
something else

Helper Questions
• What would happen if you reversed this
process or sequenced things
differently?
• What if you try to do the exact opposite
of what you're trying to do now?
• What roles could you reverse or swap?
• Push or pull
Trigger Words
adjourn, annul, back up, change the date, change,
delay, drive backward, go backward, invalidate,
invert, move backward, move, overturn, postpone,
put off, quash, readjust, rearrange,
Apply SCAMPER to this product
 COLLABORATING TO BUILD IDEAS

INTERPRETING
NEEDS AND
WANTS

EVALUATING GENERATING
IDEAS OPPORTUNITIES

REPRESENTING COLLABORATING
IDEAS
TO BUILD IDEAS
REFLECTING
UPON IDEAS
 COLLABORATING TO BUILD IDEAS

Skill set Behaviours Skills

Collaborate • Engendering trust and • Ability to work

honesty productively in a
• Being frank and open range of
able to share collaborative
• Building on ideas situations
• Being confident • Ability to improve
• Being flexible ideas through broad
• Being open to learning networks
• Having empathy • Ability to give and
receive feedback
• Ability to listen
 REFLECTING UPON IDEAS
INTERPRETING
NEEDS AND
WANTS

EVALUATING GENERATING
IDEAS OPPORTUNITIES

REPRESENTING COLLABORATING
IDEAS TO BUILD IDEAS

REFLECTING
UPON IDEAS
 REFLECTING UPON IDEAS

Skill set Behaviours Skills

Reflect • Capacity to focus dreams/ • Schedule time

visualisations • Structure reflection
• Having insight • Capture insights
• Being able to transcend • Use insights
reflections
REFLECTING UPON IDEAS

Reflection is a mode of thought which covers a

range of ways of thinking and learning about our
experience.

Example:
• Thinking things over
• Sleeping on it
• Looking at things from a different perspective
• Letting it settle and
• Putting a new angle on it
 REPRESENTING IDEAS

INTERPRETING
NEEDS AND
WANTS

EVALUATING GENERATING
IDEAS OPPORTUNITIES

REPRESENTING COLLABORATING
TO BUILD IDEAS
IDEAS
REFLECTING
UPON IDEAS
 REPRESENTING IDEAS

There are two stages in representing an idea: The

first involves a detailed description, example or
representation of the idea in practice.

This might mean:

• drawing a plan
• making a model
• drawing a picture
• writing a proposal
• developing a prototype
• putting together a PowerPoint presentation.
 EVALUATING IDEAS

INTERPRETING
NEEDS AND
WANTS
EVALUATING GENERATING
IDEAS OPPORTUNITIES

REPRESENTING COLLABORATING
IDEAS TO BUILD IDEAS

REFLECTING
UPON IDEAS
 The marshmallow challenge

• Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning

team is the one that has the tallest structure measured
from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow.
That means the structure cannot be suspended from a
higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.
• The Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire
marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure.
Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the
team.
The marshmallow challenge
• Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team
can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti
sticks, as much or as little of the string or
tape. The team cannot use the paper bag as
part of their structure.
• Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape:
Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up
the tape and string to create new structures.
• Teams must not be holding on to the structure
when the time runs out. Teams holding the
structure will be disqualified.
Egg Drop

• Design a delivery system that will

protect a raw egg dropped from a
height of ……..on to a hard
surface.
 THANK YOU

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