Unthink! An Ingenious Creative Problem-Solving Workshop

How can even seemingly impossible business challenges be addressed and ultimately solved? By Unthinking! Using proven individual and team creative problem-solving techniques that question basic assumptions, reframe the challenges, and trigger the creative brain in new ways, surprising and original connections can be made that will solve even the most intractable business challenges.

Drawing on over three decades of research into applying state-of-the ideation techniques, Unthink! An Ingenious Creative Problem-Solving Program is filled with proven, easy-to-learn, and above all practical, creative techniques. Use this two-day workshop to generate fresh perspectives and creative solutions to a wide variety of business challenges, including: 

• Business Strategy 
• New Products and Services 
• Sales and Marketing
• Process Efficiencies
• Supply Chain and Logistics
• Customer Experience  

Workshop Outcomes

1. Learn how to “unthink’ using state-of-the-art creative problem-solving and team ideation techniques
2. Become comfortable dealing with ambiguity, including reconciling paradoxical or even “impossible” challenges
3. Generate a range of ideas/solutions to the submitted business challenge
4. Learn how to facilitate team ideation sessions
5. Have the confidence, bolstered by the provided technique “how-to cards,” to use the learned “un-thinking” techniques with cross-functional teams to address even the most difficult business challenges

Delivery Options

• Virtual Live (Sessions of 3.5 Hours each) uses Zoom or Microsoft Teams to facilitate a variety of team breakout exercises
• On-Campus at Caltech
• On-site at your organization's facilities or off-site/retreat
• Blended delivery

Workshop Program Details

Pre-Session

Module 1. Learning Ideation Processes by Solving Real-World Business Challenges

To create the “action-learning” participant experience, the facilitator will match the business challenges submitted by the participants to the dozen or more team ideation techniques being discussed/practiced in the program.  The submitted challenges could include “conventional” creative challenges such as inventing, branding and/or positioning new products and services, but also include a wide range of other organizational challenges such as strategic planning, talent recruiting and retention, process innovation process improvements, promoting better customer experiences, improving sales, cost cutting, etc.   

Main Session: The Un-Thinking Group Experience  

Module 2: The Limitations of Brainstorming

In this module, the program facilitator will:

• Share research on the ineffectiveness of brainstorming as a group creative technique 
• Offer a better, modern-day adaptation of brainstorming (created and validated in over 1000 sessions by the course leader): Triggered Brainwalking 

Module 3: Un-Thinking Ideation: Theory and Practice 

In this module, the program facilitator will:

• Introduce the theory and practice of effective group ideation processes
• Stress the importance of including cross-functional team members and subject matter experts in an ideation session
• Share learnings (from over 1500 ideation sessions) which ideation techniques have the greatest likelihood of generating ideas to solve different kinds of creative challenges
• Discuss how to customize the techniques with specific prompts/mental triggers
• Share how to sequence/choreograph the ideation technique to achieve optimal idea outputs while maintaining participant energy levels

Module 4: Team Ideation: Questioning Techniques and Their Application  

In this module, the group will experience and discuss:

• Three questioning techniques: Questioning Assumptions, Twenty Questions, Problem Re-Definition 
• The advantages, applications, and limitations of each
• The successful applications of these techniques to business model re-invention, solving “impossible challenges,” re-inventing sales strategies and tactics, etc.  

Module 5: Team Ideation: Metaphorical Techniques and Their Application

In this module, the group will experience and discuss:

• Three questioning techniques: Questioning Assumptions, Twenty Questions, Problem Re-Definition 
• The advantages, applications, and limitations of each
• The successful applications of these techniques to business model re-invention, solving “impossible challenges,” re-inventing sales strategies and tactics, etc.  

Module 6: Team Ideation: Visual Techniques and Their Application 

In this module, the group will experience and discuss:

• Three (of four considered) visual techniques, including Picture Prompts, Magazine Rip and Rap, Deja View Process Mapping, Strategic Continuums  
• The advantages, applications, and limitations of each
• The successful application of these techniques to process improvement, branding and positioning, customer and consumer insights, etc. 

Module 7: Team Ideation: Fantastical Techniques and Their Application  

In this module, the group will experience and discuss:

• Three (of five considered) visual techniques, including Customer Wishing, Great Thinkers, Semantic Intuition, Worst Idea or Silly Idea, Product Personification Role Play
• The advantages, applications, and limitations of each
• The successful applications of these techniques to solving “impossible” challenges, organization process improvements, business strategy, cost cutting, new product and service creation

Module 8: Ideation Facilitator Best Practices

In this module, the group will experience and discuss:

• Volunteer facilitators experience and constructive critiques
• The 10 “Rules” of ideation facilitation 

Module 9: Individual Un-Think Creative Techniques

In this module, the group will experience and discuss:

• The Mindmapping Technique and its application in business writing, overcoming procrastination, and making more effective presentations   

Module 10: Organization-Wide Un-Thinking 

In this module, the group will experience and discuss:  

• The Whiteboard Technique as an alternative to ineffective suggestion box programs includes how it can:
• Address team motivation challenges and effectiveness
• Be used as a talent retention tool by promoting team participation and creative contributions
• Generate an ongoing stream of original and practical ideas to address a wide range of organizational challenges

Post Session 

Module 11: Transfer of Ideation Techniques 

• How-to sheets/recipe cards of all the techniques used in the program will be sent to all session participants so that can feel confident facilitating the techniques with their teams
• Copies of Bryan Mattimore’s Book, Idea Stormers, How to Lead and Inspire Creative Breakthroughs (Wiley Jossey-Bass) can also be made available to all participants at the author’s discount 

Who Should Attend

The Unthink! Workshops are ideal for senior leaders and managers who must lead effective team-building sessions, leaders charged with generating breakthrough ideas, and teams who need an in-depth understanding of the theory and application of state-of-the-art creative problem-solving processes. Emerging leaders will find that adopting Unthink techniques can help elevate careers, enhance mindsets and company culture, and help increase organizational profitability and growth.