Workshop 2: Creativity Synergizes Teams
“When I use drawing to express an idea, I get different results than if I try to express it with words.”
Main Point: Using visual thinking to develop ideas and unleash game changing team potential.
Time Break Down: 40- 60 minutes to total
Lesson Overview – 10 minutes
Video – 5 Minutes
Exercises – 20 minutes
Discussion – 10 minutes
Assessment – 5 minutes
Lesson Overview:
Most teams are assembled because there is a problem they are trying to solve. Today we are going to pull creativity out of the studio and unleash the problem solving potential in the team (Kelley & Kelley) .By doing this as a group, we are able to share the process, encourage ownership of ideas, and learn from each other. We will need to understand three main concepts: visual thinking, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking.
Visual thinking What happens when you physically write something down and put it on paper. “Words and numbers are fine, but only drawing can simultaneously reveal both the functions characteristics of an idea and its emotional content. To draw an idea accurately, decisions have to be made that can be avoided by even the most precise language; aesthetic issues have to be addressed that cannot be resolved by the most elegant mathematical calculation. Drawing forces decisions (Brown, p. 86).
Divergent Thinking: Is the practice of coming up with as many ideas as possible. This is a great way to strengthen your creativity muscle that we talked about in workshop one.
Convergent Thinking: Narrowing down your ideas and asking why.
CREATIVE EXERCISES
Visual Thinking Exercise: Make a Sandwich
1. Using tradition or nontraditional pieces of a sandwich
2. Draw a sandwich that exemplifies parts of your team. (5 Minutes)
Divergent + Thinking Mind Map
1. In the middle of a large page write “Creativity in the Workplace” and circle it.
2. Take ten minutes and divert some ideas. You can use pictures and words
3. Once you are done try to pick out three themes. This is the convergent part.
4. Make a note of 3 things you can implement from there.
