How do you create an idea-friendly environment within a library system? Ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, but like tiny seedlings they also can wither and die quickly if not protected. This workshop will give you tools and processes to help nourish your own ideas and those of others...even in typically bureaucratic environments. This workshop for library community managers, innovators, and emerging leaders who want to enhance their own creativity and who want to be able to lead for creativity and innovation will learn to:
- Understand the creative process and how to effectively use it
- Learn how to identify and appreciate different thinking styles
- Understand how and when to use several creative thinking tools
- Use mindmapping to clarify thinking and make it visual for others
- Use metaphorical thinking to generate "out of the box" ideas
- Understand the qualities of a successful creative process
- Be able to use a simple model to make creative projects more successful
- Develop a self-mastery plan to improve creative leadership abilities
In today's world, the ability to think creatively is the key to greater career success and enjoyment. This workshop will provide you with tools and a framework for creative thinking...as well as a chance to apply it to your real-work situations.
Workshop Description: In this hands-on, interactive workshop, you will have a chance to apply simple, proven tools and techniques to a real-work issue important to you and to learn from the discussions of these issues with your workshop associates. Through class discussion, individual analysis, and group exercises you will learn how to stimulate and nourish your own ideas and the ideas of others. You will also have a chance to develop a self-mastery plan that can help you continue to grow in your ability to think creatively and lead the crative thinking of others.
Pre-workshop assignment: : In order to help you apply the tools and techniques offered in this workshop to an issue important to you, there are some simple pre-thinking exercises and some additional reading material at the blog: thinksmart.typepad.com/libraries/
Preliminary Course Outline
- Understanding the Creative Process
- Everyone has creative potential
- Learning to appreciate different thinking styles
- The Tao of Creativity: Lightning vs Design
- The two phases and one rule of creativity
- Expressing Your Own Creativity
- First: Aspire!
- Using mindmapping to make thinking visual
- Ask the most powerful creative question
- Connecting the unconnected through metaphorical thinking
- Engaging Others in the Creative Proces
- The qualities of a successful creative process
- Strengths and hazards of group thinking
- Four barriers to effective brainstorming
- The power of stimulus versus the blank page
- Leading for Creativity
- Identifying qualities needed to lead creativity
- How to develop a self-mastery plan
- Using a simple model for leading creativity projects
Workshop Instructor: Joyce Wycoff