This training programme teaches critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and decision making skills to professionals and managers. It uses practical case study exercises to illustrate principles and allow participants to develop competencies like using problem solving tools, thinking creatively, and communicating conclusions effectively. The core learning experience involves assessing thinking styles, understanding how to add value through innovative problem solving, and gaining skills to make better business decisions. The programme explores creating environments where innovation thrives and provides techniques to develop creative solutions to real-world problems.

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Advanced Creativity, Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving for Professionals and Managers
Graham Phelps www.grahamphelps.co.uk
contact@grahamphelps.co.uk
INTRODUCTION
The quality of your results is based on the quality of your decisions. Your best
decisions are built on a sharp and focused ability to analyse situations, people and
probabilities. This interactive training programme will develop these skills and more.
Highly successful organisations are renowned for developing internal climates where
innovation and creative solutions thrive. This highly creative, yet practical explores
what is involved in establishing such a business environment, and will demonstrate
to delegates how to develop innovative and creative solutions to real world business
problems when they return to their workplace.
The core learning experience centres around a series of practical case study
exercises, which will be drawn on to illustrate the key principles involved in critical
thinking and innovative problem solving. It will also enable the delegates to test their
knowledge and expertise.
Participants will develop the following competencies
 Ability to use and wide range of problem solving tools, techniques and trusted
methods – individually and within a team – to make better decisions faster
 Improved skills of creativity and lateral thinking; developing these skills in
others
 Learn the skills of critical thinking and how to build analytical models
 Improved problem-solving and decision making, plus the ability to
communicate your thoughts, ideas and conclusions
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This programme is designed specifically for those professionals and managers
from almost any area: HR, IT, Finance, Operations, Marketing and Strategic
Planning. Including:
1. Technical and financial professionals making complex decisions – either
short, medium or long-term
2. Supervisors and managers who wish to increase their effectiveness in
problem analysis, developing creative solutions and decision making
3. Senior managers seeking to improve their own and their department’s
approach to decision making and problem solving in a timely manner
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
 Assess their own thinking and communicating style preferences through a variety
of profiling and benchmarking tools

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 Understand how to add value through critical thinking and innovative problem
solving
 Appreciate the vital importance that communication and active listening have in
building a sustainable environment, where great decisions are consistently taken
 Understand, at a detailed level, how to use a wide variety of problem solving
tools effectively
 Develop their ability to think “outside the box”
 Have obtained the necessary skills to make better business decisions
 Recognise the difference between solving problems and finding solutions
 Takeaway a toolkit of creative techniques to enable them to cope with the
challenges which lie ahead
 Determine pragmatic methods for effective management decision making
 Appreciate the impact of personality on the decision making process
 Evaluate and apply a structured approach to generate solutions to organisational
issues when making decisions
 Assess personal and organisational decision making creativity and set an agenda
for progression
 Apply appropriate creative analysis techniques that generate successful solutions
TRAINING METHODOLOGY
This programme will involve the use of high impact visual aids, case study exercises,
reference manual, story-telling, examples of best practice and appropriate video/DVD
material. The use of flip-charts, syndicate programmes and peer review sessions will
encourage a fully participative and enjoyable event.
PROGRAMME SUMMARY
Highly successful organisations are renowned for developing internal climates where
innovation and creative solutions thrive. This highly creative, yet practical programme
explores what is involved in establishing such a business environment, and will
demonstrate to delegates how to develop innovative and creative solutions to real
world business problems when they return to their workplace.
The core learning experience centres around a series of practical case study
exercises, which will be drawn on to illustrate the key principles involved in critical
thinking and innovative problem solving. It will also enable the delegates to test their
knowledge and expertise.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
Day 1: Defining the problem and fundamental principles
 Systematic Problem Definition (6 Basic Questions)
 Systematic Problem Definition (Grid)
Find Creative Solutions using creativity tools

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 Brainstorming
 Reverse Brainstorming - Fish Bone Diagrams / Ishikawa/ Cause and Effect
diagrams
 Imagineering and visualisation
 Mind Mapping
Evaluate and select solutions – practical short cuts for quick
decisions
 Pro’s and Con’s
 Force field analysis
 Cost/Benefit Analysis
 Feasibility/Capability Analysis
Day 2: Problem solving – a summary of advanced techniques
 Overview of Modelling
 Setting system boundaries
 Evaluating Potential Actions
 Decision-making tools:
 Multiple Criteria Analysis
 SWOT
 Porter’s Five Forces
 CDAM
 Multivoting
 Survey’s, focus groups and research-based data
 Force field analysis
 Reality Checks for Practicality
 Case study: Managing a change situation
Day 3 Part 1: Developing critical and analytical thinking
 Learning how to learn – a critical evaluation of our preferred style of learning
 Defining the creative environment
 Establishing the right climate
 Creative approaches explored
 Practical examples and exercises
 Overview of principal Tools & Techniques
Day 3 Part 2: Developing creative thinking
 Thinking outside the box – left/right brain thinking
 Reasons for poor decisions
 Managing the risk
 Decision making applied
 Review of major learning points
 Discussion on any remaining barriers and solutions
 Using problem solving strategies to plan for creative and innovative
solutions

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Day 4 Part 1 – How to make better decisions faster
 Influencing for success – a critical evaluation of our preferred style of
influencing
 Developing a Stakeholder Analysis – Power versus Influence
 Opportunities and Challenges as opposed to problems
 Developing a “meetings strategy” to solve problems and make decisions
 The steps for effective problem solving and decision making – using several
different models
 Practical examples and exercises
Day 4 Part 2: Communicating your ideas and decisions to
your team
 Planning the successful Team – a critical evaluation of our preferred style of
team working
 The different communication styles and when to use each one
 Appreciating the diversity of others communications preferences
 Perception and communicating with others
 Changing your response to stereotypical perceptions
 Developing a strategy for change – implementing critical thinking and
problem solving in the real world
 Case studies and practical exercises
Day 5: From intentions to actions
 Defining organisational conflict in terms of how this impacts our problem
solving culture
 Applying techniques to resolve conflicts
 Developing SMART objectives
 Developing a comprehensive Personal Business Plan for implementation
over 3, 6 9 and 12 months from today
 Giving and receiving constructive critical peer feedback
CASE STUDIES
A number of case studies and management exercises will be used during this
course.