Real creativity - a practical approach to problem solving

In any context, people are required to establish practical, creative habits that allow them to innovate, solve problems and collaborate positively. Throw into that mix the fact that any PhD project is an exercise in problem solving and that every pitch, funding bid or publication requires novelty, and it is clear that people benefit from the ability to come up with new and workable ideas. This highly interactive workshop, by Jamie McDonald, is designed to equip participants with a number of tools and approaches for alleviating the pressure of problematic situations, generating new and insightful ideas and developing them into suitable ways forward. The aim is to develop creative and confident people who can rely on their resourcefulness, creativity and skills to break new ground, to solve problems and to perform well.

Content:

• Introductions and context for the workshop
• Working with perception, patterns and pressure
• Opening a creative frame of mind
• Moving from problems to solutions
• Managing a creative process
• Innovation
• Creativity tools from blue skies to the fine details
• Building a personal map of creativity
• Review and keeping your creativity flowing

Learning outcomes

By the end of the programme, participants will have learned...

• how to work effectively with models and tools for creating ideas and solving problems,
• a creative method for generating a flexible view on problematic situations,
• which factors and conditions support you in practising creative thinking,
• an approach to generating ideas, developing them into plans and offering constructive critique on them,
• how to begin addressing real problems and situations you face, and applying the tools above to them.

Methods

This workshop is a highly experiential, hands-on workshop – we won’t be lecturing or diving deeply into theory. We use small group, paired and whole group discussions to review a range of focused, reality-based activities that raise fundamental aspects of creative thinking and problem solving. There is no role play, and we ask participants to apply what they are learning to genuine situations, to make things practical, useful and personal, as well as enjoyable and informal. Models and personal experience are the foundation of the programme. Please come along ready to reflect, to contribute and to practlce.

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current workshop, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

• intellectual competences:
  • creativity
  • problem solving
  • vision
• personal effectiveness:
  • flexibility
  • self-confidence
• task-orientedness:
  • organisation & coordination
    
    

For whom?

• PhD students & postdocs - 18 places available

When & where?

• October 02 & 03, 2024 - 09:30-16:30
• Location: Campus Diepenbeek, Building D, room A4

Preparation?

Come along with some specific situations, or problems in mind that you want to apply your creative thinking to. These could usefully be from different aspects of your life – one interpersonal, one work-based and one life or career based for example. We will use these on the programme.

Registration?

• Register here from June 20 until September 15, 2024.
• Please register only if you can attend both days.
• As places are limited, registering does not automatically imply that you will be able to participate. You will be notified by email after the registration deadline has passed.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• DS BSH: category 'research management & communication skills' - workshop on general research skills
• DS HLS: category 'transferable skills' - compulsory elective course
• DS ST: category 'research management' - workshop on PhD management or equivalent