Thinking Together:A Thinking Styles Approach to

Group CreativityA Workshop for the

PS21 EXCEL Convention, 28 Nov 2008

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Workshop Big Ideas• Individual creativity may be limited

• Group creativity is based on collaboration

• However, groups often report low creativity

• Individuals believe they can perform better than groups

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Check-ins

• In pairs, discuss what creativity is

• Share at the table your discoveries and questions.

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Check-ins

• Cards - Purpose: Identify thinking preferences, introduce each other

• What’s your creative outlet?

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Thinking Attributes Defined

Behavioral Attributes Defined

Clear thinkerLogical problem solver

Enjoys mathRational

Learns by mental analysis

Intuitive about ideasImaginativeVisionary

Enjoys the unusualLearns by experimenting

Practical thinkerLikes guidelines

Cautious of new ideasPredictable

Learns by doing

Intuitive about peopleSocially awareSympatheticEmpathetic

Learns from others

EXPRESSIVENESSThe outward display of emotions toward others and the world at large

ASSERTIVENESSSThe degree of energy invested in expressing thoughts, feelings and beliefs

FLEXIBILITYWillingness to accommodate to the thoughts and actions of others

Advertisements as CreativeOutputs

• Ads are egs of creative outputs you see everyday

• Targetted at specific thinking styles,

• Ad Exercise : Which thinking styles are targetted by the ads you’ve been given?

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Mental Models

• Our mental representation of something existing in the real world.

• May not be accurate.

• We bring our mental models into group life, affecting group creativity.

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Group Creativity

• Mental Models of common behaviours:

• Expressiveness

• Assertiveness

• Flexibility

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Expressivenessthe outward display of

emotions toward others andthe world-at-large

Quiet Alone Reserved Spontaneous Gregarious Performer

1/3 2/3 3/3

Assertivenessthe degree of energy

invested in expressingthoughts, beliefs and feelings

Peacekeeper Amiable Easy going Competitive Driving Telling

Emergenetics ® LLC

1/3 2/3 3/3

Flexibilitythe willingness to

accommodate to thethoughts and actions of

others

Likesdefined

situations

Likescontrol

Likesdifferent

points of viewLikes

ambiguityPuts

others’needs

before self

Strongopinions

1/3 2/3 3/3

Creative Output

• In your groups, create:

• a sculpture of cards

• an advertisement to sell it, to reach all 4 thinking styles

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Group Creativity

• Creative results based on:

• Commitment

• Communications (debate?)

• Collaboration

Noel E K Tan, 2008. All Rights Reserved.

For more info:

• Email Noel E K Tan at noel@go-trailblazer.com