Problem Solving & Creative Thinking

Introduction

Problem solving & creative thinking training courses at Redcliffe provide a practical framework for understanding, defining, and solving problems in a structured business context. This session introduces the following important factors:

• What exactly is ‘creative thinking’?
• When is it appropriate?
• What are the typical problems faced in a work environment?
• Fully defining the problem
• Problem definition tools
• Applying ‘5 Whys’
• The value of the process
• Using data effectively
• Example business issues
• Exercise: What are the problems?

Creativity: What It Is and How to Get It

• Sessions define creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills
• Enable the development of creative thinking ability, and the right time to do so
• The 'Disney Creative Strategy' is covered as our first example
• The second example covered in creative thinking workshops is the ‘Toyota Approach’
• Exercise: Team creativity – the process: taking an actual problem from definition to solution

Identifying Multiple Solutions

• Sessions consider 'more than one way'
• We’ll evaluate multiple approaches
• Discuss various solution tools
• Exercise: Which solution – and why?

Innovative Problem-Solving in Practice

• Don’t try to solve irrelevant or immaterial problems
• Some things can’t be ‘fixed’, but they can always be improved
• Participants connect to the big picture
• Gaining buy-in to your ideas
• Always use ‘even better if’
• Putting your ideas across
• Defining the benefits
• Exercise: “Here’s an idea…”

The Way Ahead

• Recognise when “mission accomplished” has been achieved
• Keep an open mind
• Identify further development areas
• Consider immediate goals with creative thinking training courses
• Exercise – My action plan
• Q&A session
  

A highly successful individual delivers Redcliffe’s problem-solving and creative thinking skills training. Over four decades, his career was fast-tracked to senior management at Lloyds Bank. Headhunted to join a merchant bank at the main board director level, it becomes clear why we’ve chosen this specialist.

With over 40 years of experience in the UK banking and financial services sector, there’s nobody better suited.

Since retiring to become a freelance soft skills training consultant, our specialist has served as an external Master Trainer for HSBC and the Bank of China. At HSBC, he helped screen and assess prospective and existing trainers for soft skills capabilities and has delivered ‘train-the-trainer’ programmes. At the Bank of China, he has designed and successfully delivered a comprehensive presentation skills programme to members across the company.

This expert has an excellent background and reputation for delivering soft skills training. He has presented in the UK, Europe and across the world, always receiving excellent feedback on creative thinking workshops and similar sessions.

Creative thinking skills training at Redcliffe ensures participants take the time to think critically and creatively. Above all, sessions encourage the use of common sense and sound judgement when required. We explore when to apply this common sense and how to use it to your advantage.

Sessions consider:

• Essential skills to facilitate effective problem-solving and thinking
• How to think creatively and productively whilst remaining strictly within a firm's guidelines
• How to build and expand decision-making & creative problem-solving skills
• The use of traditional and creative tools for identifying causes & generating creative solutions to problems
• How to employ and utilise creativity and techniques of lateral thinking as business tools
• Analysis and the solving of actual work problems are covered in creative thinking workshops
• Logical application and timely creative approaches
• Integration into strategic approaches and overall business objectives

Problem-solving and creative thinking workshops are essential for professionals required to analyse problems, challenge assumptions, and deliver effective solutions in a fast-paced environment. Sessions are recommended for:

• Leaders and Managers: To drive innovation, enhance team performance, and make critical decisions
• Technology Professionals: To navigate new challenges, manage complex systems, and adapt to emerging technologies
• Marketing and Finance Teams: To develop new ideas, experiment, and solve complex problems
• Compliance, Internal Audit & Risk Teams: To improve risk management, oversight, control and challenges using innovative solutions
• Relationship/Customer Facing Teams: To effectively manage the unexpected, unique, and spontaneous problems, daily
• Creative thinking training courses are ideal for individuals looking to refresh existing skills or wishing to acquire those required to navigate daily life and thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing work environment

At Redcliffe, creative thinking skills training helps you recognise and develop personal creativity, giving you the confidence to use these newfound and trusted techniques.

This session also teaches you how to recognise personal capacity and how to develop it further. By applying a structured process to identify problems and potential issues, course participants will generate a wide range of solution-based ideas. From here, one or more issues are assessed for communication and implementation and through this technique, attendees find many benefits.

Training is highly interactive. We encourage participants to apply and manage a selection of evidence-based creative approaches through individual and collaborative work.