Six Thinking Hats Six Thinking Hats is a book by Edward de Bono which describes a tool for group discussion and individual thinking involving six colored hats. "Six Thinking Hats" and the associated idea parallel thinking provide a means for groups to plan thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive way, and in doing so to think together more effectively.[2] Underlying principles[edit] The premise of the method is that the human brain thinks in a number of distinct ways which can be deliberately challenged, and hence planned for use in a structured way allowing one to develop tactics for thinking about particular issues. de Bono identifies six distinct directions in which the brain can be challenged. In each of these directions the brain will identify and bring into conscious thought certain aspects of issues being considered (e.g. gut instinct, pessimistic judgement, neutral facts). Since the hats do not represent natural modes of thinking, each hat must be used for a limited time only. Summary[edit]
Synectics Synectics is a problem solving methodology that stimulates thought processes of which the subject may be unaware. This method was developed by George M. Prince (April 5, 1918 - June 9, 2009)[1] and William J.J. History[edit] The process was derived from tape-recording (initially audio, later video) meetings, analysis of the results and experiments with alternative ways of dealing with the obstacles to success in the meeting. The name Synectics comes from the Greek and means "the joining together of different and apparently irrelevant elements Gordon and Prince named both their practice and their new company Synectics, which can cause confusion as people not part of the company are trained and use the practice. Theory[edit] Synectics is a way to approach creativity and problem-solving in a rational way. According to Gordon, Synectics research has three main assumptions: One important element in creativity is embracing the seemingly irrelevant. Books[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
Brainstorming The Brainstorming (brainstorm) method is a semi-structured creative group activity, used most often in ad-hoc business meetings to come up with new ideas for innovation or improvement. Members of the group are encouraged to put forward ideas about a problem and how it may be solved, in order to generate as many ideas as possible, even if they are not always usable alternatives. The idea behind brainstorming is, that a group of people can achieve a higher (synergy) level of creativity than the sum of the participants separately. Brainstorming Rules Three major rules for a successful brainstorm session are: Participants should be encouraged to come up with as much ideas as possible, however strange they are (there are no bad ideas). Brainstorming hints Some hints for a successful brainstorm session are: Use an experienced facilitator. The effectiveness of brainstorming Book: Michael Michalko - Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity) - More Management Methods, Models and Theory
6 Thinking Hats - Bono de, Edward The Six Thinking Hats technique (6TH) of Edward de Bono is a model that can be used for exploring different perspectives towards a complex situation or challenge. Seeing things in various ways is often a good idea in strategy formation or complex decision-making processes. The 6TH technique is designed to help individuals deliberately adopt a variety of perspectives on a subject that may be very different from the one that they might most naturally assume. In wearing a particular thinking hat, people play roles, or "as if" themselves into a particular perspective. For instance, one could play the devil’s advocate, even if only for the sake of generating discussion. Each of the Hats is named for a color that is mnemonically descriptive of the perspective one adopts when wearing the particular hat. The 6 hats and the perspectives they represent are: De Bono’s hats are indicative of both emotional states as well as frames of mind (i.e., perspective from which an issue is viewed).
Category:Creativity Techniques This A to Z of Creativity and Innovation Techniques, provides an introduction to a range of tools and techniques for both idea generation (Creativity) and converting those ideas into reality (Innovation). Like most tools these techniques all have their good and bad points. I like to think of these creativity and innovation techniques as tools in a toolbox in much the same way as my toolbox at home for DIY. It has a saw, spanner, hammer, knife and all sorts of other things in it, they are all very useful, but you have to pick the right tool (creativity / Innovation technique) for each job. This site will try and provide a little guidance along with each tool to let you know whether it's best used for cutting paper or putting in nails. For the future, the aim is to also have sub-categories which will identify Techniques for; Problem Definition - including problem analysis, redifinition, and all aspects associated with defining the problem clearly. Subcategories
Thinking Methods: Creative Problem Solving They further divided the six stages into three phases, as follows: 1. Exploring the Challenge (Objective Finding, Fact Finding, and Problem Finding), Generating Ideas (Idea Finding), and Preparing for Action (Solution Finding and Acceptance Finding). Description: Since the arrival of the now classical Osborn-Parnes structure, any number of academic and business entities have re-sorted and renamed the stages and phases of what we now call the Creative Problem Solving Process (CPS). However, the originators' fundamental approach remains in tact. The Creative Problem Solving Institute of Buffalo, New York, has finessed the Osborn-Parnes process to include a divergent and a convergent stage within each of the six stages. In his 1988 book, Techniques of Structured Problems, Arthur B. Mess FindingData FindingProblem FindingIdea FindingSolution Finding Where to Learn CPS
50 Life Secrets and Tips Memorize something everyday.Not only will this leave your brain sharp and your memory functioning, you will also have a huge library of quotes to bust out at any moment. Poetry, sayings and philosophies are your best options.Constantly try to reduce your attachment to possessions.Those who are heavy-set with material desires will have a lot of trouble when their things are taken away from them or lost. Possessions do end up owning you, not the other way around. Become a person of minimal needs and you will be much more content.Develop an endless curiosity about this world.Become an explorer and view the world as your jungle. Stop and observe all of the little things as completely unique events. Read “Zen and the Art of Happiness” by Chris Prentiss.This book will give you the knowledge and instruction to be happy at all times regardless of the circumstances.
SCAMPER technique training for lateral thinking The SCAMPER technique uses a set of directed questions which you answer about your probortunity in order to come up with new ideas. The stimulus comes from forcing yourself to answer questions which you would not normally pose. The questions direct you to thinking about a probortunity in ways which typically come up with new ideas. SCAMPER is an acronym which stands for questions relating to the following: In essence you should ask yourself questions relating to each of the SCAMPER words to come up with new ideas. Spend some time developing questions which challenge your current way of thinking. Brainstorming Toolbox software can be used to spark off suitable questions or you can generate your own manually. NB. Please try this technique for yourself and you will certainly improve at coming up with new ideas. To move to the next technique, click on the green door to continue the green (Advanced Brainstorming) tour.
Creativity techniques Creativity techniques are methods that encourage creative actions, whether in the arts or sciences. They focus on a variety of aspects of creativity, including techniques for idea generation and divergent thinking, methods of re-framing problems, changes in the affective environment and so on. They can be used as part of problem solving, artistic expression, or therapy. Some techniques require groups of two or more people while other techniques can be accomplished alone. Aleatory techniques[edit] Aleatoricism is the incorporation of chance (random elements) into the process of creation, especially the creation of art or media. In short, aleatoricism is a way to introduce new thoughts or ideas into a creative process. Improvisation[edit] Improvisation is a creative process which can be spoken, written, or composed without prior preparation.[1] Improvisation, also called extemporization, can lead to the discovery of new ways to act, new patterns of thought and practices, or new structures.
10 Strategies to Increase Your Energy & Prevent the After-Lunch Crash Do you usually get tired around 1-2pm? Does your motivation/work quality drop off after lunch? You’re not alone. Every day, millions of people around the world suffer from the infamous “post-lunch” energy crash. Today I’m here to deliver some great news your way: this early afternoon energy crash CAN be avoided using some simple strategies. Yes, it is possible to FEEL GOOD after lunch! Here are 10 Optimal Living strategies that will keep you rocking high energy levels in the afternoon & help you overcome the dreaded crash. These strategies might not all work for you, but I suggest you use the same approach as Bruce Lee did for martial arts: try everything, keep what works best for you, and create your own “style”. 1. When we cook food, the heat de-activates the food’s enzymes. With each meal, always try to have raw veggies or fruits. 2. Out of all the foods we eat, meat is the hardest to digest. Remember how felt last time you had a big steak? 3. 4. Skeptical? 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Phil
Top 10 Thinking Traps Exposed Our minds set up many traps for us. Unless we’re aware of them, these traps can seriously hinder our ability to think rationally, leading us to bad reasoning and making stupid decisions. Features of our minds that are meant to help us may, eventually, get us into trouble. Here are the first 5 of the most harmful of these traps and how to avoid each one of them. 1. The Anchoring Trap: Over-Relying on First Thoughts “Is the population of Turkey greater than 35 million? Lesson: Your starting point can heavily bias your thinking: initial impressions, ideas, estimates or data “anchor” subsequent thoughts. This trap is particularly dangerous as it’s deliberately used in many occasions, such as by experienced salesmen, who will show you a higher-priced item first, “anchoring” that price in your mind, for example. What can you do about it? Always view a problem from different perspectives. 2. Consider the status quo as just another alternative. 3. Be OK with making mistakes. 4. 5.
5 Ways To Hack Your Brain Into Awesomeness Learn More While You Sleep So say you haven't followed that first step up there and choose to continue sleeping like other mere mortals. A very minor change in your schedule can still let you use your sleep patterns to your advantage, by making you smarter. Holy Shit, How Can I Do It? No, we're not talking about those scams where they have you put a tape recorder under your pillow and let it teach you Spanish while you're asleep. Note: "Sleep on it" is simply an expression. They did a study at Harvard that proved this technique works. No, the participants who slept on it and had 24 hours for the information to fester in their brain did the best on the test, while those who only had 20 minutes did the worst. Wasting your time, nerds, go to sleep. How Does It Work? Scientists say the ability your brain has to retain information works in three different ways: acquisition, consolidation and recall. So does this technique work with the "sleep two hours a day" system we mentioned earlier?
3 Life-Changing Pieces of Advice: Rebeca Hwang When I was student at MIT, I learned an important lesson from one of my personal heroes, Amy Smith. She's a hero because she invented the "screenless hammer mill" when farmers in Senegal were struggling with the process of separating rocks from grains when making flour. Expensive screens broke all too easily and were hard to replace in poor remote rural villages. Her invention, which was recognized by the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, looked at the existing problem at a new angle. Instead of screens, she used airflow to separate unground grain and rocks from flour. By applying simple aerodynamics, she eliminated the need for screens altogether, and increased grinding rates by 60 times. This story has served me well in my start-up career. 1. While the unlucky group took on average two minutes to flip every page and count the total number of pictures on the newspaper: 27. 2. 3.
10 simple ways to save yourself from messing up your life - Step Stop taking so much notice of how you feel. How you feel is how you feel. It’ll pass soon. What you’re thinking is what you’re thinking. It’ll go too. Tell yourself that whatever you feel, you feel; whatever you think, you think. Adrian Savage is a writer, an Englishman, and a retired business executive, in that order. Read full content