Creative techniques can enhance training by helping trainers develop, deliver, and promote courses in new ways. There are many creative techniques that fall into four broad categories: challenges, alternatives, random connections, and provocations. While some techniques may not work for every trainer, experimenting with different techniques is encouraged to discover which ones are most effective. The document provides examples of specific creative techniques like boundary examination and breaking conventions to spark new ideas.

1. The Creative Gorilla – Creative Techniques for Trainers
LEARNING POINTS
• Creative techniques can enhance the way you develop, deliver and promote training, helping
you to create more value for your department and your organisation
• There are many techniques you can apply, either analytical or intuitive
• You can group most techniques in four categories
• Most should take you little effort to learn or use and will repay the investment of your time
• Though some techniques will work successfully for you, some may not. Only by trying them,
will you know which suit you best.
“Everyone has the spark of creativity in
them. It is the job of the leader to inspire
and release that spark." ~ Paul Sloane.
Using Creative
Techniques in
Training
CATEGORISING TECHNIQUES
REASONS TO USE CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
In this article you will review creative
Do you ever ask “How can we provide techniques you can use to enhance the
more value in our training department”? development, delivery and promotion of
Have you ever tackled a difficult situation training courses. There are scores, if not
with your colleagues and struggled to hundreds of creative techniques to
identify the core issues? Have you begun explore problems, generate ideas,
to design a training programme and been evaluate ideas and plan implementation.
stumped for fresh ideas? Do you seek Fortunately, to make things simple, most
new ways to involve participants in your of them fall in to four loose categories
development programmes? Perhaps you using the acronym CARP:
would like to find new ways to promote
Challenges – challenging assumptions,
your training courses or set your courses
boundaries, the rules, to help look at
apart from the crowd?
problems in different ways and to
You can tackle all of these topics (and generate ideas
more) using creative thinking techniques.
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2. The Creative Gorilla – Creative Techniques for Trainers
Alternatives – finding alternative and the analytical (e.g. boundary
perspectives and / or uses. Considering examination, morphological analysis). To
who else has done this, what else is be truly creative you must flex between
similar, where might something like this the two styles of thinking.
be done, has this been done previously
It may seem odd to describe creative
etc…
techniques as "analytical"; however, if
Random connections – using the stimulus one considers "creativity" as a way to
of random materials (words, pictures, stretch your thinking then analytical
objects) to generate ideas techniques are quite appropriate. Those
with a more analytical mind should take
Provocations – using metaphor, analogy,
heart that creativity isn't just warm and
exaggeration and distortion, in fact
fluffy! Those with a more intuitive bent
anything that will help provoke ideas
should welcome the opportunity to use a
Of course the cynical may rearrange the
more structured approach. As a trainer,
CARP acronym to suit their viewpoint!
rejoice that there is a need for all types of
thinkers in creativity.
ADVICE
Don’t be too precious about the TECHNIQUES AND EXAMPLES
categories. The authors of the excellent
In this article I can present only a few
book “How to Start a Creative Revolution
techniques that I have found useful. I
at Work” use alternative headings, the
trust these will whet your appetite to
four “Rs”: Revolution, Related Worlds;
discover more techniques.
Random links and Re expression. You may
find other definitions. Boundary examination
I find the benefit of “chunking” into
With this model (please see overleaf) I
categories is that I can quickly recall
have built on a concept by de Bono. The
techniques under each and I can ensure I
model encourages you to increase
use a good range of techniques to
possible solutions by substituting words
stimulate my creativity. This is not to say
to describe your situation.
that some techniques won’t overlap, e.g.
between challenge and provocation. The “So” section prompts you for ideas
and this enables you to synthesise the
When you start to use techniques you will exploration and idea generation phases of
find you can split them in to the more problem solving.
intuitive (e.g. visualising, rich pictures)
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3. The Creative Gorilla – Creative Techniques for Trainers
WORD/PHRASE WHICH IMPLIES / ASSUMES SO
How It is only the how. Could also be Understand the best time for sales; understand where we make
“when”, “where” best sales and do not currently make sales
Can We are currently able to Replace with “might” so it expands our possibilities
We It is only us in this room Consider who else might be able to sell our courses e.g. associate
trainers; a non‐competitive company; ex attendees. Replace
with “our staff and others”
Improve They are currently bad. Have we Check trends over years. Compare our sales to other companies?
checked this? Relative to what? Consider our targets – be more specific about the definition e.g.”
Improve implies only a gradual Sales by 30%”
improvement. Is this what we What if we substitute, “upgrade” or “expand” or “enrich”
want? Might we prefer more
radical improvement?
Sales We are only selling the courses. What if we replaced sales with: auction; deal; trade?
We need to earn more revenue Consider why we need to do this – what is the objective
Of Our This only applies to our courses Consider if we want to market courses for other people and take
a commission
Training This applies to training only What if we said “coaching”, “mentoring”, or “facilitating” – could
we expand our product range?
Courses This applies to full‐length Could we consider alternate timings? What alternatives to
courses. courses are there? What if we substitute “options”, “modules”,
or “lessons”?
Random Connection Yes! And I can put a label on the bottle
with the ten key learning points.
These techniques are useful to develop
radical ideas or when you have a “blank The sports cap is interesting. I can sip
piece of paper” and are stuck. You can use water and reseal it ‐ I control the flow.
random words (e.g. open a book, point to Perhaps I could give people a device to
a line and find the nearest noun), pictures signal when they have information
and objects to stimulate ideas. overload? Perhaps I could have vending
machines dispensing interesting
For example, I need ideas to enhance a
information (DVDs?) to people when they
course. I choose a random object from my
want it. That might help shift workers?
(untidy!) desk, a water bottle with a
sports cap. How can I relate this to my Note the building of ideas. With more
course? people and more time I could perhaps
generate more radical ideas, but these are
Perhaps I can give everyone sports bottles
not bad for a moment’s reflection.
(as on bikes) they can fill up throughout
the day and keep it after the course?
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4. The Creative Gorilla – Creative Techniques for Trainers
TIPS 3. Now take one of the conventions and
ask “How might this be different?” or
• Keep it REAL. I can imagine a water
a similar question
bottle but playing with it adds to the
richness of ideas • For example (generating ideas as I
• Make it truly random. Picking an write) senior executives tend to travel
object that seems to fit with your a lot. Could we supply them with
issue rarely produces original ideas. summaries of internal courses on
For this reason, have someone else Podcasts or written notes? Could we
choose your object provide audio courses to people who
work on a production line? Neither
Break the conventions are radical ideas but perhaps
innovative in your organisation.
It can be useful to break the conventional
ways we think and act. For this technique: TIP
Keep to the facts, e.g. don’t list opinions
1. List all the conventions you can
why senior executives don’t attend ~ this
about your situation. For
tends to lead to preconceived solutions
example, you want to increase
the profile of training. Your list of An extension of this technique is to use a
conventions might include: checklist of questions to alter various
• Our training courses run in the conventions e.g. time, duration, size and
internal meeting room; volume. Let’s use an example of a training
course you want to change.
• Our courses run for regular
periods (half day, one day, two WHAT WOULD WE DO IF WE: REDUCED e.g. held
days); the course in a two person tent; only had
• Senior executives attend our one hour to run the course? MAGNIFIED
internal courses once a year, they e.g. had 5000 attendees per course?
attend external courses three REARRANGED e.g. started the course at the
times; and so on end and worked backwards? SUBSTITUTED
e.g. used the office cleaner or MD, not the
2. Write as many facts as possible, even
trainer to train it? COMBINED e.g. the Stress
obvious facts like “we send all
Management course with the Health and
participants joining instructions”.
Safety course? ADAPTED e.g. had everyone
From these “obvious” facts, radical
attend the diversity course in a
ideas may flow
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5. The Creative Gorilla – Creative Techniques for Trainers
wheelchair? MODIFIED e.g. ran it without a
CHALLENGE: “How can we improve the influence of
single PowerPoint slide? the training department?”
Metaphor / analogy: Going to a health club
EXERCISE
CHARACTERISTICS P/N WHAT DOES HOW CAN
Think of one of your courses. “Spring ASSOCIATED THIS REVEAL WE COUNTER
WITH METAPHOR ABOUT THE OR ENHANCE
board” from the suggestions I have made
/ ANALOGY SITUATION? THIS?
above, to generate some ideas for your You have to N We must We should
course. go at least make build a
three times a consistent plan to
week to effort to influence
You will see from my examples that the benefit influence, not people
suggested changes should be reasonably piece meal
You have to N There will be Set this as
radical. “What would we do if we knocked be disciplined temptation part of our
ten minutes off the course?” is unlikely to to attend to give up corporate
regularly objectives
stimulate much creativity. It is also more Some clubs N What price Let’s talk
fun to set challenging stimuli and more are expensive do senior with them
to join management and
fun builds a creative climate. want us to understand
pay for more how we
influence? might
Metaphor / analogy model influence
them
Review the model in Column 2 before It makes you P There are List the
feel great real benefits benefits
reading on.
when your to us that
fitness greater
Metaphors and analogy can provoke new improves influence
ideas. This model puts structure around will bring.
Post them
what is an intuitive technique. where we
can see
People with an analytical approach find them!
the model helps them use metaphors for
To use it (see example below):
both problem exploration and idea
1. Find a metaphor for your situation as
generation. To learn the theory of
in the second row of the model
metaphor, see our article, “The Power of
Metaphor”. 2. Forget your situation. List many
characteristics about the metaphor in
Essentially the model works by using
column one
metaphorical characteristics. That is you
3. Identify whether characteristics are
find a metaphor, identify its
Positive or Negative in column two.
characteristics and apply them to your
Ensure you have a balance.
situation.
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6. The Creative Gorilla – Creative Techniques for Trainers
4. List what those characteristics reveal TIP
about your situation
Some ways to enhance creativity in your
5. Ask yourself “How can I / we counter
role:
or enhance this?”
• Avoid approaching challenges with
Our example is truncated but could be as
your own beliefs, values and
long as the list of characteristics.
assumptions to the fore – an open
Users sometimes criticise the model, mind is important
because, like other techniques, it does not • Surface hidden assumptions you have
always produce original ideas. However it about an issue and probe the problem
quickly surfaces ideas you might not think boundaries so that you don’t limit
of for some time; it is efficient. your response
It works well if you use it alone, but works • Allow yourself and others to be
better in groups where it stimulates great childlike and play with ideas
discussion. Try it as a technique in your
• Say “Yes and” NOT “Yes but”. Don’t
training e.g. when people have to plan to
judge prematurely
apply their learning back at work
• Accept that confusion, ambiguity and
(metaphors for obstacles are…?)
uncertainty exist. Don’t spend too
CONCLUSION much time seeking the perfect answer
• Everybody has the ability to be
Creative techniques are a useful tool for
creative, nurture this ability and allow
trainers that can help you to develop new
it to bloom
ideas for developing courses and leading
your department. The ones shown are all • Network, talk with others and ask
practical techniques that we have used questions. Getting a different
for our own training courses. They are perspective on a situation can often
simple to use and require only an open reduce its potential to overwhelm you
mind and some of the principles listed in • Be open to new influences, tune your
the next column. creative antennae to pick up faint
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PASS THIS ARTICLE ON TO A signals of new ideas
COLLEAGUE WHO MAY APPRECIATE IT. Source: Inspired by “Conceptual Blockbusting” ~
James L. Adams and OU course B822 “creativity,
Innovation and Change.”
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7. The Creative Gorilla – Creative Techniques for Trainers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR ABOUT YES! AND…
John Brooker started Yes! And… is a creative facilitation
his career in the RAF company working internationally with
and went on to leaders in medium to large organisations
become a Senior Vice who must tackle an important challenge,
President with Visa. opportunity or project, creatively. The
Since 2001 he has run his own company, company facilitates people to:
Yes! And…
• Explore situations, create ideas and plan
John is a Solutions Focus Professional, a action in outstanding meetings
Kaizen Training Black Belt Facilitator, a • Think flexibly, communicate powerfully
Basadur Simplex Process Facilitator, and act with agility
qualified in Group Mastery and a NLP
• Innovate in a structured and creative
Business Practitioner.
way
He has an MBA from the Open University
To find out more, please:
and tutors on the OU “Creativity,
Read: www.yesand.biz
Innovation and Change” MBA Course.
Speak: +44 208 8699990
His regular clients include major
organisations such as Visa Inc, EADS and Write: hi@yesand.co.uk
BT Openreach, as well as Government
departments.
As well as the UK, John frequently works
internationally in Europe, Sub Saharan
Africa and the Middle East.
John writes the “Creative Gorilla” articles
on creative leadership and flexible
thinking, distributing it internationally
twice a month. To sign up, send an e‐mail
with “Subscribe” in the subject line, your
first and surname and country of
residence.
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