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Lateral Thinking Exercises: Enhance Creativity and Problem Solving Skills

Lateral Thinking Exercises

Lateral thinking exercises are designed to challenge conventional patterns of thought and inspire creative problem-solving. These exercises encourage individuals to consider novel perspectives and explore unconventional solutions to seemingly complex problems. By engaging in lateral thinking exercises, one can tap into the power of thinking outside the box and develop the ability to approach challenges with a fresh, innovative mindset.

The concept of lateral thinking was coined by Edward De Bono in 1973 and has since gained popularity as a key component of creative and critical thinking methods. Applying lateral thinking techniques allows individuals to break free of habitual thought patterns and uncover previously unconsidered possibilities. This approach is valuable not only for personal development but also for driving innovation and progress in various fields, including business, science, and technology.

Key Takeaways

  • Lateral thinking exercises foster creativity and innovation by challenging conventional thought patterns.
  • Techniques used in lateral thinking help individuals break free from habitual thinking and discover new possibilities.
  • The concept of lateral thinking is applicable across various fields, promoting innovation and problem-solving.

Understanding Lateral Thinking

Lateral thinking, a term developed by Edward de Bono in 1973, is an approach to problem-solving that aims to generate creative solutions instead of the most straightforward ones. It is sometimes referred to as horizontal thinking or divergent thinking, in contrast to vertical thinking, which follows a more linear and logical path. The key to lateral thinking is exploring alternative perspectives, embracing change, and often causing disruption to traditional ways of thinking.

An essential aspect of lateral thinking is its flexibility and adaptability, enabling individuals to tackle problems from unique or unexpected points of view. It encourages the generation of multiple alternatives and innovative solutions, allowing for a better understanding of complex situations. Practitioners of lateral thinking understand that the most obvious solution may not always be the best one, and they strive to examine all the possibilities.

In contrast, vertical thinking is about following established patterns and sequences, typically relying on logic, past experience, and existing knowledge. Although vertical thinking can be effective in many situations, it may not be the most suitable approach when dealing with complex, dynamic, or novel problems. Lateral thinking complements vertical thinking by challenging assumptions, offering fresh angles, and ultimately leading to more innovative solutions.

The application of lateral thinking can bring significant changes and disruption to traditional methods and beliefs. By identifying and exploring alternatives, lateral thinkers can uncover novel ways to address challenges or capitalize on opportunities, potentially transforming industries, organizations, or beliefs.

Using lateral thinking exercises, such as the famous “one egg left in the carton” puzzle, can help individuals sharpen their creative skills and nurture an innovative mindset. The ability to think laterally can be invaluable in various personal and professional contexts, enabling people to solve problems effectively, adapt to changing circumstances, and leverage their ingenuity to make a difference.

The Art and Science of Lateral Thinking

Lateral thinking is a creative approach to problem-solving that combines art, creativity, and logic to yield innovative and unexpected solutions. Developed by psychologist Edward de Bono in the 1970s, lateral thinking encourages a shift in perspective to break free from conventional reasoning methods.

Unlike critical thinking, which relies heavily on logic, analysis, and direct reasoning, lateral thinking adopts a more indirect approach. This allows individuals to explore a wider range of possibilities, encouraging creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. By fostering an open-minded environment, lateral thinking techniques can lead to unique and effective solutions.

One key aspect of lateral thinking is its emphasis on being aware of the thought process itself. By understanding how the mind processes information, individuals can learn to identify and resist established patterns, paving the way for innovation. This awareness is crucial in enabling individuals to push the boundaries of traditional reasoning.

A cornerstone of lateral thinking is the use of random stimulation to spark new ideas and thought patterns. This tool drives creativity, often leading to surprising and impactful insights. Random stimulation can take various forms, from introducing unrelated elements to a problem to brainstorming without restrictions to letting the subconscious mind work on a problem during moments of relaxation.

In summary, lateral thinking is a versatile and dynamic method that thrives at the intersection of art, creativity, and logic. Its core principles, namely an emphasis on awareness, random stimulation, and the cultivation of a creative and open-minded environment, empower individuals to break away from limiting thought patterns and explore new frontiers in problem-solving. By employing lateral thinking techniques, innovative and often unexpected solutions can be discovered.

Lateral Thinking Techniques

Six thinking hats.

The Six Thinking Hats method, developed by Edward de Bono, is an effective technique for enhancing lateral thinking. This approach encourages individuals to view problems from multiple perspectives by wearing six metaphorical “hats,” each representing a distinct way of thinking. By temporarily adopting these different mental states, individuals can explore alternative solutions, identify potential challenges, and ultimately foster innovation.

Mind Mapping

Another popular lateral thinking technique is Mind Mapping . Mind mapping involves visually organizing information, often through the use of diagrams or charts. To create a mind map, one starts with a central idea or problem and branches out to related concepts, themes, or possible solutions. This technique helps clarify complex issues, uncover hidden connections, and stimulate new ways of thinking. Additionally, mind maps can be an effective tool for collaborative problem-solving, as they provide a clear, visual representation of ideas that can be easily shared and discussed.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a well-known lateral thinking technique that encourages the generation of numerous ideas in a short amount of time. Brainstorming sessions typically involve a group of individuals working together to find creative solutions to a given problem or challenge. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts freely, without judgment or criticism, in order to foster an open atmosphere for exploration and innovation. After a brainstorming session, ideas can be evaluated, refined, and prioritized, leading to a more effective problem-solving process.

Lateral Thinking in Problem Solving

Lateral thinking is an essential skill for tackling complex problems and finding innovative solutions. This cognitive process involves looking at problems from different perspectives, breaking free from conventional thinking patterns, and considering alternative solutions to reach a desired outcome.

In problem-solving scenarios, lateral thinking helps individuals to think beyond their learned methods and biases. By incorporating a range of techniques, one can stimulate their mind to explore unchartered territories and generate unique ideas. Some of these techniques include brainstorming, mind mapping, and analyzing assumptions.

Problems come in various shapes and sizes, and conventional problem-solving approaches may not always be effective. Lateral thinking can be especially helpful when confronted with seemingly unsolvable problems or when conventional methods have exhausted their potential.

One way to enhance lateral thinking skills is through engaging in brain teasers and puzzles. These exercises often require individuals to discard their preconceived notions and adopt new ways of contemplating problems. Lateral thinking puzzles are a fun and engaging way to challenge the mind and expand creativity.

When applied to real-life scenarios, lateral thinking can lead to innovative solutions that may not have been considered otherwise. By encouraging an environment of open-mindedness and curiosity, both individuals and organizations can benefit from the creative problem-solving opportunities that arise from lateral thinking.

Incorporating Lateral Thinking in Various Fields

In advertising.

Lateral thinking in the advertising industry is essential for marketers to develop creative and innovative campaigns capable of capturing the attention of consumers. By challenging the status quo and looking for alternative perspectives, marketers can create memorable ads that differentiate their brand from the competition. This approach enables businesses to adapt to the ever-changing environment, make better use of resources, and achieve a higher return on investment.

Examples of lateral thinking in advertising include:

  • Storytelling : Presenting a product through an engaging narrative to create an emotional connection with the audience.
  • Disruptive visuals : Using unexpected visual elements to grab attention and provoke curiosity about the product or service.

The media industry can also benefit from incorporating lateral thinking techniques by encouraging the exploration of new ideas and underrepresented stories. Journalists, producers, and content creators can apply horizontal thinking strategies to spark conversations, challenge common assumptions, and provide fresh perspectives on current issues. A willingness to think outside the box in media helps establish an open, diverse environment that can drive change and foster innovative solutions.

For example, consider the following applications:

  • Investigative journalism : Detectives and journalists may use lateral thinking to uncover new leads and connections in complicated cases.
  • Scriptwriting : Writers can create captivating narratives that break from conventional tropes and explore unique scenarios.

In Workplace

Lateral thinking in the workplace is valuable for promoting a more dynamic and collaborative environment. Employees who are encouraged to think creatively are more likely to come up with innovative solutions to problems, spot new opportunities, and approach challenges with a fresh perspective. This can lead to improved productivity, increased job satisfaction, and a more agile and adaptable organization.

Ways to implement lateral thinking in the workplace:

  • Brainstorming : Regularly engage in brainstorming sessions, emphasizing free thinking and open-ended discussions.
  • Training : Provide training on lateral thinking techniques and encourage employees to apply them within their roles.

In Leadership

Incorporating lateral thinking in leadership practices can have a profound impact on a company’s overall success. Leaders who embrace horizontal thinking often cultivate an open-minded and inclusive culture, empowering team members to take risks, iterate, and learn from failures. This mindset fosters creativity and innovation, ultimately giving the organization a competitive advantage in various industries.

Effective applications of lateral thinking in leadership include:

  • Strategic planning : Questioning assumptions, looking for alternative ways to achieve objectives, and embracing uncertainty as a way to innovate.
  • Encouraging diverse perspectives : Actively seeking input from individuals with different backgrounds and experiences to generate a wider range of ideas and solutions.

Lateral Thinking and Artificial Intelligence

Lateral thinking is a skill that can help solve problems creatively, generate new ideas, and challenge assumptions. It involves looking at issues from various perspectives, often considering unconventional and non-linear approaches. In this context, the integration of lateral thinking into artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to lead to innovative and more adaptable AI solutions.

AI systems have traditionally focused on logical and analytical problem-solving, which can sometimes struggle with finding creative or unconventional solutions. By incorporating lateral thinking techniques into AI algorithms, AI systems can potentially overcome some of these limitations. This approach can enable AI systems to tackle problems that require outside-the-box thinking, adaptability, and a more human-like understanding of complex situations.

Some researchers are working on developing AI systems with lateral thinking capabilities. One approach involves using random stimulation, where AI algorithms are fed random inputs to encourage them to explore unique solution paths. Another technique includes implementing alternative and altered perspectives, allowing AI to challenge its own assumptions and consider a broader range of possibilities.

Developing AI models with lateral thinking abilities can have numerous applications across various industries and domains. For example, in product design, an AI system with lateral thinking capabilities might discover innovative and previously unconsidered design solutions. In medicine, AI-powered lateral thinking could lead to novel treatments or diagnostic techniques that significantly improve patient outcomes.

Ultimately, incorporating lateral thinking into AI has the potential to make AI systems more adaptable, creative, and capable of tackling complex problems. As research in this area progresses, we can expect to see AI systems that not only think more like humans but also potentially surpass human capabilities in terms of problem-solving and innovation.

Benefits of Lateral Thinking

Lateral thinking offers numerous benefits to individuals and organizations, as it promotes a creative approach to problem-solving. By considering alternatives and embracing disruption, lateral thinking helps foster imagination and innovation.

One of the key advantages of lateral thinking is its ability to break the status quo and promote flexibility in thought processes. This approach allows for the identification of unconventional solutions that may not be immediately obvious. Exploring different perspectives leads to a more comprehensive understanding of complex challenges and encourages the development of unique solutions.

Furthermore, lateral thinking enhances self-awareness and allows individuals to become more attuned to their thought patterns and decision-making processes. This heightened self-awareness leads to better self-management and can improve leadership skills. By understanding and embracing a range of diverse ideas, leaders can make better-informed decisions in the face of uncertainty.

In addition to fostering a creative mindset, lateral thinking helps to strengthen teamwork and collaboration. By incorporating diverse perspectives and encouraging the sharing of ideas, teams can develop a more holistic understanding of challenges they face. A deepened sense of empathy and respect for the unique contributions of each member can lead to more innovative solutions.

Overall, the practice of lateral thinking contributes to the development of individuals and organizations by opening up new avenues for problem-solving, promoting a flexible and adaptable mindset, enhancing self-awareness, and strengthening leadership and collaboration.

Lateral Thinking Exercises and Examples

Lateral thinking exercises challenge the traditional thought patterns and stimulate the mind to find creative solutions. These exercises, puzzles, and brain teasers rely on unconventional thinking, breaking free from linear, step-by-step logic.

One example of a lateral thinking exercise is the random objects technique. In this method, individuals are provided with a random stimulus, such as a word or object, and then encouraged to make connections between that object and the issue they want to resolve. By forcing oneself to consider unrelated items, the brain may discover novel solutions.

Another type of exercise involves challenging assumptions. To practice this, create a list of assumptions around a particular problem, and then deliberately contradict them. With these new perspectives, it becomes easier to see alternative solutions that may have been missed before. For instance, in the classic “nine dots” puzzle, participants are asked to connect all nine dots using four straight lines without lifting the pencil from the paper. Many individuals assume the lines must remain within the grid, but the solution requires going outside the grid’s boundaries.

Provocative operation is another lateral thinking technique focused on generating unique ideas. This method introduces absurd statements or wild ideas, which are intentionally illogical or unrealistic. The goal is to find the hidden value in these provocations and derive innovative ideas from them. For example, imagine a car that runs on water instead of gasoline. This notion might inspire ideas for alternative fuel sources.

Finally, the concept of “backwards planning” can also be applied in lateral thinking exercises. In this method, we start at the desired outcome and work our way back to the current situation. By reversing the linear thinking process, we can identify new pathways to reach the objective, which might not have been obvious when working forwards.

In conclusion, practicing lateral thinking exercises using techniques such as random objects, challenging assumptions, provocative operation, and backwards planning can be valuable in developing creative solutions to complex problems. By engaging in these exercises, individuals can break free from traditional thought patterns and find innovative ways to approach challenges.

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20 Problem Solving Activities to Improve Creativity

20-problem-solving-activities-to-improve-creativity

Creative problem solving requires creative problem solving activities. Even if you know all of the problem solving steps , it’s important to know exercises to actually execute each phase.  These exercises are techniques on how to improve problem solving skills and the art of problem solving.

Listed below are 20 interactive exercises that will help you through each step of the problem solving process.

Problem Solving Activities

Note: For the sake of demonstration, we use the same example for each exercise, in this case, the difficult problem of opening a jar of peanut butter (to make a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich of course).

Step 1: Define the Problem

Problem solving activities that help you phrase and understand the problem you are trying to solve:

#1. Newspaper Headline – Try writing your problem as if it were a headline in a newspaper. You can write it as if the problem still exists, or as if the problem were already solved. Try Tabloid headlines for even more creative ideas.

Example: “Local man attempts to provide joy to the world by opening a jar of peanut butter.”

#2. Future Party – Imagine it’s one year from today; what did you solve in the last year? How is the world different based on the solution? What were the steps you took to solve the problem?

Example:  “I can’t believe it’s been a year since we ate all the peanut butter from that crazy tight jar.”

#3. 40-20-10-5 – Explain your problem in up to 40 words. Then cut it down to 20 words; then to 10, then finally to only 5 words. These 5 words are the root of your problem (and likely the root of your solution as well).

Example:  (Starting at 10 words) “I want to open up this jar of peanut butter.” -> “Open this peanut butter jar.”

#4. Explain Life I’m Five – Explain your problem as if you were talking to a 5-year old kid. Use basic language and simple metaphors if necessary. Inspired by the subreddit ELI5 .

Example:  “There’s yummy-ness in this jar that I want to get out.”

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Problem solving activities that help you generate a list of possible solutions that will solve your problem*:

#5. Ad Game – Have people mill about the room. When someone offers up an idea, everyone emphatically says “Yes!” and then the group continues to generate ideas, often building off the last idea that was just offered.

Example:   “We should use a tool to open this jar.” “Yes!” “And it should not hurt our hands.” “Yes!” “And it’ll be nearly effortless.” “Yes!”

#6. Dumbest Idea First – Hold a contest to get the dumbest idea out first. Encourage everyone to think of the absolute dumbest possible solutions to the problem. After you have a long list, go back through and see which ones may not be all that dumb.

Example: “Let’s open it using C4 explosives.”

#7. What Would X Do – Pretend you’re someone famous (or someone you admire) and ask yourself how they would solve the problem, what options would they consider?

Example:  (as Gandhi) “I will go on a hunger strike until the jar is ready to be open.”

#8. 10x10x10 Matrix – Generate a list of 10 ideas for solving the problem. Pick one of those ideas and generate 10 variations of that idea. Pick one idea from the new list and generate 10 more variations.

Example: (with just 5 ideas): –Round 1 (based on tools)–Dynamite, Power Drill, Vise grip, Scissors, Hammer. –Round 2 (based on vise grip)–Metal clamp, Pliers, Glue, Cement, Sticky Glove. –Round 3 (based on sticky glove)–Lots of tapping, Rubbing the seal, Punching, Soft caresses, Really strong hand.

*Note: Some of the exercises may not produce the perfect solution, but they can get you thinking differently.

Step 3: Decide on a Solution

Problem solving activities that help you narrow your list of possible solutions down to the best solution.

#9. Futures Wheel – Pick a possible solution and write it in the center of a piece of paper. List possible direct results/consequences of the solution around the center idea. List possible indirect results/consequences based on the direct results/consequences. Find more info here .

Example: Really strong hand leads to: ability to open other types of jars as well, big forearms, possible blisters, …

#10. Thiagi’s 35 – Use a point system to determine the preferred solution among your team, turning a possibly subjective discussion into an objective group decision. You can find a more detailed explanation on Thiagi’s site .

Example: Really strong hand – 7pts. Punching the jar – 3pts. A soft caress – 1pts.

#11. Idea Trial – When you can’t get agreement on which solution to choose, have the proponents of each idea represent them in “court.” Go through opening arguments, call witnesses and allow closing statements. Have the project board choose the winner.

Example: “Really strong hand, is it true you could also be used for terrible things, such as opening a can of sardines?”

#12. Coin-Flip – When deciding between two equally good solutions, flip a coin. When the coin is in the air, take note of what you secretly hope the result is and go with that (if you really can’t decide between the two, then go with the actual result of the coin-flip). Inspired by this poster.

Example: Heads is strong hands, tails is a soft cares. *Toss.* (I really don’t want to have to caress this jar of peanut butter…) Strong hands it is!

Step 4: Implement the Solution

Problem solving activities that help you implement the solution you have chosen:

#13. End in Mind – To create your plan, start with the end in mind and work backwards.  Establish key milestones and dates in reverse order, starting with the end-of-project celebration and ending with today.

Example: Eat delicious PB&J sandwich (5pm), Make delicious PB&J sandwich (4:58pm), Open Peanut Butter Jar (4:57pm), Build up grip strength (4:47), …

#14. Idea Mock-ups – Create a mock-up of the solution. You can a create physical mock-up using the various supplies in your office or a virtual mock-up using images from around the web.

Example: Tell me you wouldn’t buy this incredible product .

#15. Gamification – Turn the completion of your project into a game. Establish rules for how you earn points, create badges to celebrate milestones and track game progress. Learn more about gamification .

Example: For each squeeze of the PB Gripper, you get 1 point. 100 points earns you the Gripper Badge, 500 points earns you a pudding cup. After 1,000 points you should be able to open the Peanut Butter jar.

#16. Be a Character – Add some fun to your work by executing your plan as if you were a fictional character. Think about how they would operate and get into character.

Example: (as the Incredible Hulk): HULK SMASH!

Step 5: Review the Results

Problem solving activities that help you review the results you achieved and the way you achieved them:

#17. Apply McLuhan – Answer McLuhan’s tetrad of questions in context of your solution: 1) What does your solution enhance? 2) What does it make obsolete? 3) What does it bring back that was once obsolete and 4) What does it flip into when taken to the extreme?

Example: Using a strong grip to open the jar: 1) The ability to get peanut butter, 2) Other tools for opening jars, 3) The joy of cooking my own food, 4) Only eating peanut butter and nothing else.

#18. Word on the Street – Conduct “word-on-the-street” type interviews with members of your team, asking them how they felt about the project and the solution.

Example: “Sir, what’s your opinion on this new development on the ability to consume delicious peanut butter?”

#19. Stop-Start-Continue – Review the way you completed your project and pick activities you should stop (things you did on this project that you don’t think are necessary for future projects), start (things you didn’t do on this project but that you should do on future projects) and continue (things you did on the project that you should do on future projects).

Example: STOP doing every single exercise for one solution. START finding snacks to eat while waiting to get to the solution. CONTINUE eating peanut butter.

#20. Find the Funny – Write a monologue or stand-up set that covers some of the funny moments or ideas from the project. Share it with your team.

Example: What’s the deal with airline peanut butter?

Creative Problem Solving

The purpose of the above problem solving activities is to get you to think about the problem in a different way and have some fun while solving it–both of which will enhance your creativity in finding and implementing a solution. And as Einstein ( probably ) said:”The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

Note: The example used may be a bit facetious but these exercises do work for tougher problems. I wanted to include an example to facilitate understanding and it happened to be around snack time.

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9 thoughts on “20 Problem Solving Activities to Improve Creativity”

problem solving and creativity exercises

Thanks for sharing this article.

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problem solving and creativity exercises

Would you allow us to translate this (in Hungarian and Romanian) and use it in our class?

problem solving and creativity exercises

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problem solving and creativity exercises

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problem solving and creativity exercises

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 brainstorm warm up exercises

6 brainstorming warm-up exercises to activate your creativity

Reading time: about 8 min

  • Organization and evaluation
  • Teamwork and collaboration

At its foundation, brainstorming is a creative activity. It fosters out-of-the-box thinking to solve complex problems and deliver creative solutions. But creativity isn’t just a tap you can turn on and off. It’s a skill and a muscle that needs exercise. And just like any muscle, you should warm up your creative muscles before exercising them.

Jumping into a brainstorming session “cold” can reduce your and your team’s effectiveness. Your brain needs to warm up to perform at its best. 

So before you head to your next brainstorming session, learn how brainstorming warm-ups can help you, and try these brainstorming warm-ups to get the creative juices flowing. 

The benefits of brainstorming warm-up activities

You might think that brainstorming itself is a warm-up exercise that kickstarts creative thinking. But if you go into an ideation session without prepping, it will take longer for you to access your creativity and get into the “zone” mentally. Like a cup of coffee before an early-morning meeting, brainstorming exercises charge your mental batteries and get you ready for the task ahead.

Plus, brainstorming is about more than individual ideas. It’s also about collaboration.  

The best brainstorming sessions are about tapping into people’s collective creativity, bouncing thoughts off each other, and building on one another’s ideas. To do this successfully, team members have to trust one another and feel safe and comfortable enough to share openly—even if their thoughts are outlandish, unconventional, or not yet fully formed. 

And this is where warm-up activities can come in handy. 

Creative warm-up exercises help teams loosen up, break the ice, build trust, and shift their mental focus into a more relaxed and creative headspace. In other words, brainstorming warm-up exercises help get your mental gears moving before ideation sessions so that you and your team are ready to hit the ground running with original ideas.  

Top 6 brainstorming warm-up exercises 

How exactly do you warm up a brain? (Hint: It’s not by wearing a beanie.) 

Try the following brainstorming exercises to help you stretch your creative muscles and boost your innovation and problem solving skills.  

1. Alternate Uses

Alternate Uses is an ideation exercise that boosts divergent, out-of-the-box thinking.  

How it works:

  • Set the timer for three minutes.  
  • Pick an ordinary object, like a toothbrush. 
  • Jot down as many ideas as you can of alternate ways you could use that object. For example, a toothbrush could be used to clean things, brush your eyebrows, or create a fun paint splatter effect for an art project.
  • Go around the room and have each team member share their favorite ideas. 

This is a fun and easy exercise that works for groups of all sizes. And by the end, you should have a wide mix of practical, unusual, and silly ideas. You might even be surprised at how creative you can get after a couple rounds of exercises. This activity is a great way to warm up your brain and get comfortable with your team before diving into a serious brainstorming session.

brainstorm warm up exercises

2. Bad ideas

Brainstorming is all about generating ideas without judgment. The more creative and weird, the better! But getting people to share unpolished thoughts is easier said than done. 

The Bad Ideas exercise helps your team approach ideas with an open mind by encouraging them to consider all the possible benefits and applications of even the wildest proposals.

How it works:  

  • Get in groups of two or three people. 
  • Assign each group an objectively bad idea, like “Sandpaper Socks” or “Ketchup-flavored Popsicles.”
  • Give the groups five minutes to discuss all the potential benefits, uses, and selling points for their assigned product. 
  • Have each group pitch the team on their bad idea. 

Have fun with it. Bad Ideas is a simple activity that can kickstart out-of-the-box thinking and help your team focus on benefits and possibilities rather than all the ways an idea could fail—which is the perfect mindset for generating exciting and original ideas during your formal brainstorming meeting. 

brainstorm warm up exercises

3. The expert

The Expert is a lot like the Bad Ideas exercise. The goal is to get into an open mindset that focuses on possibilities instead of roadblocks. 

  • Assign one person to be “the expert.”
  • Have the rest of the group shout out two unrelated nouns. These will be combined into a new “product.” For example, let’s say the team suggests “table” and “sneaker.” The product would be a “sneaker table” or “table sneaker.”
  • The assigned person then acts as the expert of that product and tries to sell the team on all its wonderful benefits and features. 

This is a challenging exercise and does put your “expert” on the spot. But if your team is game, it’s a great way to help your group think on their feet and creatively solve problems.  

brainstorm warm up exercises

4. Run-on story

You may have played this game during a party ice breaker. The Run-On Story is when a group creates a story one sentence at a time. 

  • Pick a moderator and have them share a simple prompt (like “Harry’s beach vacation”). Keep it simple and broad so the group can fill in the details as they go.
  • Go around the room, one person at a time. Each person shares one sentence that continues the story. 
  • Keep going until the story finds a natural conclusion or after you’ve gone around the group a few times. 

The Run-On Story activity is an exercise in improvisation, which relies on quick thinking and creativity. It also encourages active listening as each person has to pay attention to how the story is unfolding so they can add to the narrative constructively when it’s their turn. 

These are essential skills for brainstorming, too. Teams that listen and collaborate well during an ideation session are better able to build on one another’s ideas to create innovative solutions (and they often end up with surprising conclusions).

5. Write with both hands

The left and right sides of our brains control different areas of thought and function. The left hemisphere primarily controls our logical and pragmatic thought (and the right side of our body). The right hemisphere controls our creative, spatial, artistic, and imaginative cognition (and the left side of our body). 

Brainstorming works best when both l imaginative ideas and logical problem-solving skills work together. This creative warm up exercise helps you tap into both sides of your brain function.

  • Give a blank sheet of paper and two pencils to each person. 
  • Instruct each person to write their full name simultaneously with both hands in opposite directions. So, your right hand would write your name normally while your left hand would write your name backwards, in a mirror image, right to left. 

This might be difficult at first, but stick with it. Once your group has mastered their names, you can up the ante by prompting them to draw a picture. Drawing simultaneously like this activates both sides of the brain and warms up your focus and attention to detail. 

From jumpstarting your mental process to breaking the ice with your team, creative warm-up exercises can help you go into your next ideation session primed for collaborative and creative brainstorming.

6. Do you agree?

Lucid’s Visual Activities are dynamic, engaging team activities that help you gain insights, understand opinions, and analyze data. They make it easy to catch up, align, and make decisions. Use one of our existing icebreaker templates or create your own, and in seconds, your team can gain consensus on their favorite books, the best burger toppings, and much more.

This activity is simple enough in concept, but it can really facilitate interesting discussions and promote creative individuality among your team, leading to unique ideas and perspectives.

  • Open a Lucidchart document or Lucidspark board, and select the Visual Activities icon from the navigation menu on the left-hand side.
  • Search for “Do you agree?” in the search bar and click on it.
  • Take time to personalize the statements your team will express opinions on, and add more if you’d like.
  • Preview your changes and click Save changes when you’re finished.
  • Click Share for a link to send your team members.
  • Once your team members follow the link, they can each click Start and click and drag each sticky note to the matrix. They’ll click Submit at the bottom once they’re finished.

When your whole team has submitted their answers, the responses will be presented visually so you can immediately identify and discuss commonalities and differences. Defend your most controversial thoughts, identify opinions you agree on, and more. This activity challenges individuals to think about their unique opinions and can set them up to give authentic opinions later in a brainstorm.

problem solving and creativity exercises

Now that you’ve got your team’s creative juices flowing, use these tips and tricks to facilitate ideation sessions in Lucidspark.

About Lucidspark

Lucidspark, a cloud-based virtual whiteboard, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This cutting-edge digital canvas brings teams together to brainstorm, collaborate, and consolidate collective thinking into actionable next steps—all in real time. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidspark.com.

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101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving

by cm-administrator | May 8, 2020 | Problem Solving

problem solving and creativity exercises

Employees who possess problem-solving skills are highly valued in today?s competitive business environment. The question is how can employees learn to deal in innovative ways with new data, methods, people, and technologies? In this groundbreaking book, Arthur VanGundy — a pioneer in the field of idea generation and problem solving — has compiled 101 group activities that combine to make a unique resource for trainers, facilitators, and human resource professionals. The book is filled with idea-generation activities that simultaneously teach the underlying problem-solving and creativity techniques involved. Each of the book?s 101 engaging and thought-provoking activities includes facilitator notes and advice on when and how to use the activity. Using 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving will give you the information and tools you need to: Generate creative ideas to solve problems. Avoid patterned and negative thinking. Engage in activities that are guaranteed to spark ideas. Use proven techniques for brainstorming with groups.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?

Business team using creative problem-solving

  • 01 Feb 2022

One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown. Business leaders can overcome this barrier by mobilizing creative team members and providing space to innovate.

There are several tools you can use to encourage creativity in the workplace. Creative problem-solving is one of them, which facilitates the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Here’s an overview of creative problem-solving and why it’s important in business.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving?

Research is necessary when solving a problem. But there are situations where a problem’s specific cause is difficult to pinpoint. This can occur when there’s not enough time to narrow down the problem’s source or there are differing opinions about its root cause.

In such cases, you can use creative problem-solving , which allows you to explore potential solutions regardless of whether a problem has been defined.

Creative problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes and encourages exploring open-ended solutions. It also focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity in the workplace . Its benefits include:

  • Finding creative solutions to complex problems : User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation’s complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it.
  • Adapting to change : Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt. Creative problem-solving helps overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.
  • Fueling innovation and growth : In addition to solutions, creative problem-solving can spark innovative ideas that drive company growth. These ideas can lead to new product lines, services, or a modified operations structure that improves efficiency.

Design Thinking and Innovation | Uncover creative solutions to your business problems | Learn More

Creative problem-solving is traditionally based on the following key principles :

1. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a problem, while convergence narrows them down to a shortlist. It balances these two practices and turns ideas into concrete solutions.

2. Reframe Problems as Questions

By framing problems as questions, you shift from focusing on obstacles to solutions. This provides the freedom to brainstorm potential ideas.

3. Defer Judgment of Ideas

When brainstorming, it can be natural to reject or accept ideas right away. Yet, immediate judgments interfere with the idea generation process. Even ideas that seem implausible can turn into outstanding innovations upon further exploration and development.

4. Focus on "Yes, And" Instead of "No, But"

Using negative words like "no" discourages creative thinking. Instead, use positive language to build and maintain an environment that fosters the development of creative and innovative ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Whereas creative problem-solving facilitates developing innovative ideas through a less structured workflow, design thinking takes a far more organized approach.

Design thinking is a human-centered, solutions-based process that fosters the ideation and development of solutions. In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar leverages a four-phase framework to explain design thinking.

The four stages are:

The four stages of design thinking: clarify, ideate, develop, and implement

  • Clarify: The clarification stage allows you to empathize with the user and identify problems. Observations and insights are informed by thorough research. Findings are then reframed as problem statements or questions.
  • Ideate: Ideation is the process of coming up with innovative ideas. The divergence of ideas involved with creative problem-solving is a major focus.
  • Develop: In the development stage, ideas evolve into experiments and tests. Ideas converge and are explored through prototyping and open critique.
  • Implement: Implementation involves continuing to test and experiment to refine the solution and encourage its adoption.

Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

While there are many useful tools in the creative problem-solving process, here are three you should know:

Creating a Problem Story

One way to innovate is by creating a story about a problem to understand how it affects users and what solutions best fit their needs. Here are the steps you need to take to use this tool properly.

1. Identify a UDP

Create a problem story to identify the undesired phenomena (UDP). For example, consider a company that produces printers that overheat. In this case, the UDP is "our printers overheat."

2. Move Forward in Time

To move forward in time, ask: “Why is this a problem?” For example, minor damage could be one result of the machines overheating. In more extreme cases, printers may catch fire. Don't be afraid to create multiple problem stories if you think of more than one UDP.

3. Move Backward in Time

To move backward in time, ask: “What caused this UDP?” If you can't identify the root problem, think about what typically causes the UDP to occur. For the overheating printers, overuse could be a cause.

Following the three-step framework above helps illustrate a clear problem story:

  • The printer is overused.
  • The printer overheats.
  • The printer breaks down.

You can extend the problem story in either direction if you think of additional cause-and-effect relationships.

4. Break the Chains

By this point, you’ll have multiple UDP storylines. Take two that are similar and focus on breaking the chains connecting them. This can be accomplished through inversion or neutralization.

  • Inversion: Inversion changes the relationship between two UDPs so the cause is the same but the effect is the opposite. For example, if the UDP is "the more X happens, the more likely Y is to happen," inversion changes the equation to "the more X happens, the less likely Y is to happen." Using the printer example, inversion would consider: "What if the more a printer is used, the less likely it’s going to overheat?" Innovation requires an open mind. Just because a solution initially seems unlikely doesn't mean it can't be pursued further or spark additional ideas.
  • Neutralization: Neutralization completely eliminates the cause-and-effect relationship between X and Y. This changes the above equation to "the more or less X happens has no effect on Y." In the case of the printers, neutralization would rephrase the relationship to "the more or less a printer is used has no effect on whether it overheats."

Even if creating a problem story doesn't provide a solution, it can offer useful context to users’ problems and additional ideas to be explored. Given that divergence is one of the fundamental practices of creative problem-solving, it’s a good idea to incorporate it into each tool you use.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a tool that can be highly effective when guided by the iterative qualities of the design thinking process. It involves openly discussing and debating ideas and topics in a group setting. This facilitates idea generation and exploration as different team members consider the same concept from multiple perspectives.

Hosting brainstorming sessions can result in problems, such as groupthink or social loafing. To combat this, leverage a three-step brainstorming method involving divergence and convergence :

  • Have each group member come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down to ensure the brainstorming session is productive.
  • Continue the divergence of ideas by collectively sharing and exploring each idea as a group. The goal is to create a setting where new ideas are inspired by open discussion.
  • Begin the convergence of ideas by narrowing them down to a few explorable options. There’s no "right number of ideas." Don't be afraid to consider exploring all of them, as long as you have the resources to do so.

Alternate Worlds

The alternate worlds tool is an empathetic approach to creative problem-solving. It encourages you to consider how someone in another world would approach your situation.

For example, if you’re concerned that the printers you produce overheat and catch fire, consider how a different industry would approach the problem. How would an automotive expert solve it? How would a firefighter?

Be creative as you consider and research alternate worlds. The purpose is not to nail down a solution right away but to continue the ideation process through diverging and exploring ideas.

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Continue Developing Your Skills

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader, learning the ropes of design thinking can be an effective way to build your skills and foster creativity and innovation in any setting.

If you're ready to develop your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

problem solving and creativity exercises

About the Author

Innovator Logo 2022

10 brain workouts to help you think more creatively

  • 1 Dancing and eating
  • 2 Chindõgu!
  • 3 Putting up posters
  • 4 Collecting silly ideas
  • 5 Swapping words
  • 6 The dictionary oracle
  • 7 Too much of a good thing
  • 8 What if ...
  • 9 Brain-jogging
  • 10 The password-boost

Tina Seelig is an author und principal at Stanford University.

© Katherine Emery

Dancing and eating

Putting up posters, collecting silly ideas, swapping words, the dictionary oracle, too much of a good thing, what if ..., brain-jogging, the password-boost, some clever apps to get you thinking.

  • Brainsparker Creativity Cards : Stuck in your search for new ideas? These virtual cue cards take your thinking in new directions with surprising questions and catchphrases. Give it a go!
  • SimpleMind Pro - mind-mapping : Mind maps are wonderful for organising your thoughts and linking ideas. And thanks to this app, you won’t need a whiteboard.
  • Sketchbook : If you suddenly have an idea while out and about, the best thing is to record it straightaway. In this design app, for example, which provides the user with hundreds of sketch tools.

Get in the zone with tips from 5 creative minds

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Top 15 Problem-Solving Activities for Your Team to Master

May 27, 2022 - 10 min read

Brianna Hansen

Some people see problems as roadblocks, others see them as opportunities! Problem-solving activities are a great way to get to know how members of your team work, both individually and together. It’s important to teach your team strategies to help them quickly overcome obstacles in the way of achieving project goals.

In this article, you’ll explore 15 problem-solving activities designed to enhance collaboration and creativity. Additionally, if you want to discuss the insights and outcomes with your team after the activities, you can use Wrike’s actionable meeting notes template. This template allows you to record meeting discussions, assign action items, and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

The importance of problem-solving skills in today’s workplace

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According to a 2019  report by McKinsey , soft skills are increasingly important in today's world — and problem-solving is the top area in which skills are lacking. A company or team’s success weighs heavily on the willingness of managers to help employees improve their problem-solving abilities. Team building activities targeting focus areas like communication and collaboration, adaptability, or strengthening decision-making techniques help.

All problem-solving processes start with identifying the problem. Next, the team must assess potential courses of action and choose the best way to tackle the problem. This requires a deep understanding of your team and its core strengths. A problem-solving exercise or game helps identify those strengths and builds problem-solving skills and strategies while having fun with your team.

problem solving and creativity exercises

Problem-solving games aren't for just any team. Participants must have an open mind and accept all ideas and solutions . They must also have an Agile mindset and embrace different structures, planning, and processes. Problems usually arise when we least expect them, so there's no better way to prepare than to encourage agility and flexibility.

Another aspect to keep in mind when engaging in problem-solving games and activities: There are no winners or losers. Sure, some games might end with a single winner, but the true goal of these exercises is to learn how to work together as a team to develop an Agile mindset. The winning team of each game should share their strategies and thought processes at the end of the exercise to help everyone learn.

Here’s a list of fun problem-solving activity examples to try with your team. From blindfolds to raw eggs, these problem-solving, team-building activities will have your team solving problems faster than Scooby and the gang.

Classic team-building, problem-solving activities

1. a shrinking vessel.

Helps with: Adaptability

Why adaptability is important for problem-solving: Adaptability is highly associated with cognitive diversity, which helps teams solve problems faster , according to the Harvard Business Review. Innovation and disruption are happening faster than ever before . People, teams, and organizations that can adapt will come out on top.

What you’ll need:

  • A rope or string

Instructions:

1. Using the rope, make a shape on the floor everyone can fit into.

2. Slowly shrink the space over 10-15 minutes.

3. Work together to figure out how to keep everyone within the shrinking boundaries.

2. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Helps with: Collaboration

Why collaboration is important for problem-solving: “Collectively, we can be more insightful, more intelligent than we can possibly be individually,” writes Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline . We can solve problems better as a team than we can alone, which means developing your team’s collaboration skills will lead to better problem-solving outcomes.

What you’ll need (per team):

  • 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti
  • 1 roll of masking tape
  • 1 yard of string
  • 1 marshmallow

1. The goal of this exercise is to see which team can use the materials provided to build the tallest tower within an allotted time period. The tower must be able to stand on its own.

2. To make this exercise more challenging, try adding a marshmallow to the top of the tower. This team problem-solving exercise helps people think on their toes while building camaraderie and leadership.

3. Egg Drop

Helps with: Collaboration, decision-making

Why decision-making is important for problem-solving: Making decisions isn’t easy , but indecision leads to team paralysis, stagnant thinking, and unsolved problems. Decision-making activities help your team practice making quick, effective choices. Train your team’s decision-making muscles and they will become more adept at problem-solving.

  • A carton of eggs
  • Basic construction materials such as newspapers, straws, tape, plastic wrap, balloons, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, etc., tarp, or drop cloth
  • A parking lot, or some other place you don’t mind getting messy!

1. Each team gets an egg and must select from the construction materials.

2. Give everyone 20-30 minutes to construct a carrier for the egg and protect it from breaking.

3. Drop each egg carrier off a ledge (i.e. over a balcony) and see whose carrier protects the egg from breaking.

4. If multiple eggs survive, keep increasing the height until only one egg is left.

4. Stranded

Helps with: Communication, decision-making

Why communication is important for problem-solving: More employees work remotely than ever before. Good communication skills are vital to solving problems across  virtual teams . Working on communication skills while your team is together will help them solve problems more effectively when they’re apart.

Here's the setting: Your team has been stranded in the office. The doors are locked, and knocking down the doors or breaking the windows is not an option. Give your team 30 minutes to decide on ten items in the office they need for survival and rank them in order of importance. The goal of the game is to have everyone agree on the ten items and their rankings in 30 minutes.

Creative problem-solving activities

Helps with: Communication

What you'll need:

1. Divide everyone into small teams of two or more.

2. Select an overseer who isn't on a team to build a random structure using Lego building blocks within ten minutes.

3. The other teams must replicate the structure exactly (including size and color) within 15 minutes. However, only one member from each group may look at the original structure. They must figure out how to communicate the size, color, and shape of the original structure to their team.

4. If this is too easy, add a rule that the member who can see the original structure can't touch the new structure.

  • A lockable room
  • 5-10 puzzles or clues (depending on how much time you want to spend on the game)

1. The goal of this exercise is to solve the clues, find the key, and escape a locked room within the time allotted.

2. Hide the key and a list of clues around the room.

3. Gather the team into the empty room and "lock" the door.

4. Give them 30 minutes to an hour to find the key using the clues hidden around the room.

7. Frostbite

Helps with: Decision-making, adaptability

  • A blindfold
  • 1 packet of construction materials (such as card stock, toothpicks, rubber bands, and sticky notes) for each team
  • An electric fan

Instructions:  Your employees are Arctic explorers adventuring across an icy tundra! Separate them into teams of four or five and have them select a leader to guide their exploration. Each team must build a shelter from the materials provided before the storm hits in 30 minutes. However, both the team leader’s hands have frostbite, so they can’t physically help construct the shelter, and the rest of the team has snow blindness and is unable to see. When the 30 minutes is up, turn on the fan and see which shelter can withstand the high winds of the storm.

8. Minefield

  • An empty room or hallway
  • A collection of common office items

1. Place the items (boxes, chairs, water bottles, bags, etc.) around the room so there's no clear path from one end of the room to the other.

2. Divide your team into pairs and blindfold one person on the team.

3. The other must verbally guide that person from one end of the room to the other, avoiding the "mines."

4. The partner who is not blindfolded can't touch the other.

5. If you want to make the activity more challenging, have all the pairs go simultaneously so teams must find ways to strategically communicate with each other.

9. Blind Formations

1. Have the group put on blindfolds and form a large circle.

2. Tie two ends of a rope together and lay it in a circle in the middle of the group, close enough so each person can reach down and touch it.

3. Instruct the group to communicate to create a shape with the rope — a square, triangle, rectangle, etc.

4. If you have a very large group, divide them into teams and provide a rope for each team. Let them compete to see who forms a particular shape quickest.

Quick and easy problem-solving activities

10. line up blind.

1. Blindfold everyone and whisper a number to each person, beginning with one.

2. Tell them to line up in numerical order without talking.

3. Instead of giving them a number, you could also have them line up numerically by height, age, birthday, etc.

11. Reverse Pyramid

Helps with: Adaptability, collaboration

1. Have everyone stand in a pyramid shape, horizontally.

2. Ask them to flip the base and the apex of the pyramid moving only three people.

3. This quick exercise works best when smaller groups compete to see who can reverse the pyramid the fastest.

12. Move It!

  • Chalk, rope, tape, or paper (something to mark a space)

1. Divide your group into two teams and line them up front to back, facing each other.

2. Using the chalk, tape, rope, or paper (depending on the playing surface), mark a square space for each person to stand on. Leave one extra empty space between the two facing rows.

3. The goal is for the two facing lines of players to switch places.

4. Place these restrictions on movement:

  • Only one person may move at a time.
  • A person may not move around anyone facing the same direction.
  • No one may not move backward.
  • A person may not move around more than one person on the other team at a time.

13. Human Knot

1. Have everyone stand in a circle, and ask each person to hold hands with two people who aren’t directly next to them.

2. When everyone is tangled together, ask them to untangle the knot and form a perfect circle — without letting go of anyone's hand.

Our last two problem-solving activities work best when dealing with an actual problem:

14. Dumbest Idea First

Helps with: Instant problem-solving

1. "Dumb" ideas are sometimes the best ideas. Ask everyone to think of the absolute dumbest possible solution to the problem at hand.

2. After you have a long list, look through it and see which ones might not be as dumb as you think.

3. Brainstorm your solutions in Wrike. It's free and everyone can start collaborating instantly!

15. What Would X Do

1. Have everyone pretend they're someone famous.

2. Each person must approach the problem as if they were their chosen famous person. What options would they consider? How would they handle it?

3. This allows everyone to consider solutions they might not have thought of originally.

Looking for more team-building and virtual meeting games? Check out these virtual icebreaker games or our  Ultimate Guide to Team Building Activities that Don't Suck.

Additional resources on problem-solving activities

  • Problem-Solving Model : Looking for a model to provide a problem-solving structure? This detailed guide gives you the tools to quickly solve any problem.
  • The Simplex Process:  Popularized by Min Basadur's book, The Power of Innovation , the Simplex Process provides training and techniques for each problem-solving stage. It helps frame problem-solving as a continuous cycle, rather than a “one and done” process.
  • Fun Problem-Solving Activities and Games : Looking for more ideas? Check out this list of interesting and creative problem-solving activities for adults and kids!
  • The Secret to Better Problem-Solving:  This article provides tips, use cases, and fresh examples to help you become a whiz at solving the toughest problems.

How to organize problem-solving activities with Wrike

If you want to make problem-solving activities more effective, consider using team collaboration software such as Wrike. 

Wrike’s pre-built actionable meeting notes template helps you keep track of meeting discussions, assign action items, and keep everyone in the loop. It’s an effective tool to streamline your problem-solving sessions and turn insights into real projects.

Brianna Hansen

Brianna Hansen

Brianna is a content marketing manager at Wrike. When she's not writing about collaboration and team building games, you'll find her in the kitchen testing out the latest recipes, sharing her favorite wine with friends, or playing with her two cats.

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Team Building Exercises – Creativity

Strengthening creative thinking in your team.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

problem solving and creativity exercises

Jessica has a great team. Each person she manages is capable, experienced and hard working. But in team meetings, people seem reluctant to share insights and ideas.

What's more, even though everyone respects one another's views, they seem afraid to say things that might be perceived as silly, off-the-wall or wrong.

Jessica wants her team meetings to buzz with activity. She pictures a scene where people bounce ideas around, inspiring and challenging one another with their creativity and passion. But the reality is quite different.

What can Jessica do to invigorate team meetings and give people the confidence to join in and be more creative?

This article looks at five team-building activities you can use to strengthen your team members' creative thinking and collaboration skills.

Supporting Creative Thinking

Creativity is essential for driving innovation and a commercially competitive spirit. Yet, as organizations grow, the structures they put in place to improve productivity and efficiency often stifle creativity.

When organizations focus on productivity, they impose rigid procedures that make it difficult for team members to be creative, so it's important that managers support creative thinking. According to business and management professors Nora Madjar, Greg Oldham and Michael Pratt , employees who felt they were supported in their creative endeavors demonstrated significantly greater creativity than those who didn't. [1]

Research also shows that managers who make it clear that they expect team members to work creatively are perceived as being more supportive of new ideas. [2] One way to do this is through creative thinking exercises that enhance and encourage creativity in your team.

Creativity exercises also help people relax and de-stress. By encouraging play, interaction and bonding, they also help to increase engagement and improve morale.

Creativity Exercises

Use the exercises below to help your team think more creatively , or to "jump-start" a stalled problem-solving session.

You can use them in various ways, for example with department-specific or cross-functional teams . You could also use them to strengthen trust and communication between senior leaders, middle managers and front-line employees.

Exercise 1: Brainstorming

No article about promoting creativity in groups would be complete without the all time classic – Brainstorming .

Use brainstorming whenever you need to generate new ideas. Deciding which ideas to use comes later.

People and Materials

  • Someone to record ideas.
  • Something to record them on: sticky notes, a whiteboard, a flip chart, etc.
  • Sticky dots.
  • Flexible: typically 15-20 minutes.

Instructions

Brainstorming was the brainchild of advertising executive, Alex Osborne, and quickly became the most widely used creativity technique in the world. Today, there are many different versions of the rules, but there were only four in Osborne's original account:

  • Focus on quantity.
  • Withhold criticism.
  • Welcome unusual ideas.
  • Combine ideas and link them together.

Advice for the Facilitator

By the end of the activity, your team should have come up with a large number of ideas, some of which could have great potential.

Rather than treating the exercise as an end in itself, and letting all those ideas go to waste, use Affinity Diagrams to group related ideas together. Then, invite people to vote on their favorite ideas using the sticky dots, and discuss why they thought those were the best. You could then schedule a follow-up session for the team to come up with a plan for implementing their ideas.

If there is time at the end of the brainstorming session, ask the participants whether they thought it was a useful exercise in terms of team building as well as idea generation. Discuss what skills people need to participate fully, such as listening , encouraging , and persuading others .

Exercise 2: Debate

Psychology Professor Charlan Nemeth, of Berkeley and the London Business School, challenges the orthodox view of brainstorming. Her research showed that the instruction not to criticize the ideas generated can be counterproductive. [3] Instead, brainstorming participants who freely debated came up with significantly more and better ideas, both in their meeting and afterwards, than their counterparts who conformed to the usual rules. Nemeth’s theory is that dissent invigorates our thinking, even if it can feel difficult.

This exercise gives your team the chance to experience increased creativity through debate. Together they’ll practice being open to hearing and suggesting new ideas, and help break down barriers to their performance in the future.

  • Present your group with a problem that needs to be solved.
  • Ask them to generate as many ideas as possible.
  • Freewheeling is welcome – encourage team members to say anything that comes to mind.
  • Encourage debate and discussion of ideas as they arise.

During a debating session, discussion – and even criticism – of one another's ideas is to be encouraged, but it is important that the participants focus on the problem at hand, and criticism is not allowed to become personal. You may wish to borrow the "rules" of Constructive Controversy to keep the debate positive and cooperative.

At the end of the session, ask each person to write down any ideas they had during the session that they did not express, and also any ideas they may have had now that the discussion is over. Don't force people to share these ideas publicly, but discuss, first, their reasons for not expressing ideas – was it a case of self-censorship, fear of disapproval, or simply that someone else was speaking at the time, and the moment passed?

Second, talk about the ideas that people had after the session was complete. Discuss how debating with others stimulates your thoughts. Sometimes, you need time to digest all that has been said so that, after a period of reflection, yet more ideas are generated. Talk also about how individuals felt when others criticized their ideas. Did it shut them down, or open them up to new perspectives?

When all the ideas have been collated, encourage the group to reach a consensus on the best solution using a technique like Multi-Voting , and consider arranging a follow-up session to begin implementing the best ideas.

Exercise 3: Rolestorming

Rolestorming is a type of roleplay activity. It's great for encouraging team members to lose their inhibitions by adopting another character. It also helps them explore different perspectives and opinions, opening their minds to different viewpoints and helping them come up with new ideas in the process.

Team members are asked to approach a specified problem or issue from someone else's perspective. This could be a world leader, a celebrity, a hero, another member of the company or team, or even a family member.

Use this exercise to help cross-functional teams understand one another's roles better. This is also an ideal activity for exploring ways to improve company procedures, by removing bottlenecks and making handovers between teams more efficient.

Rolestorming can also be used any time you need to spark fresh ideas and re-energize a brainstorming or problem-solving session.

  • Any number of team members – people can work on their own, or in pairs or small groups.
  • A list of "role models," each written on a small slip of paper. There should be enough role models for everyone taking part in the exercise.
  • Paper and a pencil for each person to jot down notes.
  • Flexible: Typically 15-20 minutes.
  • Ask everyone on your team to take a slip of paper.
  • Make sure each person knows who their role model is before you begin the activity. If they're unfamiliar with this person, let them choose again.
  • Tell everyone to think like their role model: how would this person approach the problem? Give them ten minutes to come up with as many ideas as possible.
  • Once the time is up, discuss each person or group's approach to the problem.

Write everyone's ideas on a whiteboard. Talk about how this activity helped them break their current thinking patterns and come up with fresh ideas.

If the activity involved pretending to be someone else from the group, consider allowing that person to give their perspective and facilitate further discussion about the implications of their role that may not be obvious to "outsiders." This will help the team to understand one another's roles and responsibilities more clearly, so that they can work together more efficiently in future.

Use role models that everyone will be familiar with.

If you are asking team members to think like one another, it may be safer to ask them to think like an unnamed person in that role (an account manager, a developer, a project manager, etc.), rather than risk things becoming personal.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to use leaders in the business world. Well-known figures from literature, history, movies, politics, and pop culture would work as well. Some examples include:

  • Sir Richard Branson.
  • Hillary Clinton.
  • Steve Jobs.
  • Mahatma Ghandi.

Exercise 4: Balloon Sculptures

Encouraging your team to "think out of the box" can be a great way to get them to drop their defenses and connect with one another.

In " Quick Team Building Activities for Busy Managers ," Brian Cole Miller suggests getting your team members to make balloon sculptures that reflect how they see the team. [4] For example, balloons that are linked together could represent interdependence, while ones that are touching show connectivity.

This team building activity spurs creative thinking and helps team members express their commitment to the group. It's also useful as a way to discuss difficulties and communication breakdowns when people are not cooperating well.

  • One long balloon for each team member, along with spares.
  • A number of balloon pumps (not necessary but helpful).

Instead of using balloons, you can build sculptures with building blocks, or even with your organization's products.

  • Give one balloon to each member of your team. Demonstrate how to blow the balloons up, leaving an inch or more at one end to give enough room to twist the balloon into the sculpture without bursting it.
  • Tell everyone to work together to build a balloon sculpture that represents the team.

The informal nature of this activity can be particularly useful for building a team where individuals have different levels of authority. Often at work, participants lower down the organizational hierarchy feel inhibited by a more senior person's status. A non-threatening activity like this, which does not call for people to demonstrate great knowledge or skills, can help people connect with one another.

Often, different roles will emerge within the group that do not reflect their formal roles in the organization. Natural leaders may emerge to organize the activity, and people who typically perform very structured roles may demonstrate surprising creativity and flair.

Once the activity is finished, talk to your team about their experience. Ask what they have learned about other participants that they didn't know before, and how they think this activity will benefit future teamwork. Consider conducting a Team Management Profile based on the exercise.

To complete the exercise ask a representative from the team to present the finished sculpture to you, to the group – or even to another team at work – and discuss what the final design represents.

Exercise 5: All the News

In " The Big Book of Leadership Games ," Vasudha Deming suggests this exercise, in which you ask your team to mock up a newspaper predicting future events in your organization. [5]

All the News allows team members to get creative about what they think will happen in the organization or department in the future. It also promotes collaboration, loyalty and a sense of empowerment, as they develop an appreciation of how each participant is capable of shaping future outcomes.

You may prefer to keep this activity for an occasion when you can dedicate more time to it, such as at a team building Away Day or company retreat .

  • Enough people for groups of three to four participants, or a larger group of six.
  • Photocopies of the instructions for each group.
  • A flip chart and marker.
  • Tape, scissors, glue sticks, and plenty of newspapers (spanning different days) for each group.

45 minutes to one hour.

  • Each group will put together a newspaper using headlines only (not full stories). If you have one large group, ask them to create a complete paper. If you have several small groups, ask each to create a different section of the newspaper.
  • With the help of the participants, list the different sections (international news, local news, sports, arts and entertainment, and so on) on the flip chart. Assign sections to each group.
  • Pass out the instruction sheet and go over it so that everyone understands what they're doing. Remember, the group will create a newspaper, or newspaper section, out of headlines only. Ask them to "report" on predicted events. Be creative in how you interpret each section. You could, for example, use the obituary section to cover future "deceased" policies, products or procedures.
  • Once everyone has finished, put the newspapers up on the wall so everyone can read them.

At the end of the activity, talk with your team about how it helped foster collaboration and spur creative thinking. Discuss Tuckman's stages of team formation and the Four Dimensions of Relational Work , and look at how the group evolved. What roles emerged? Did anyone adopt the role of "editor," for example, and how did everyone else feel about that?

Ask everyone how they came to an agreement about what to put in the paper. Encourage participants to discuss the implications of particularly interesting stories. What inspired them? What emotions do they arouse in others? Do people agree or disagree with the vision of the future that they convey? And what, if anything, do they think should be done about it?

Consider bringing the group together again some months later to revisit their newspaper and see if their vision of the future has changed at all. What do they think of their headlines now?

Creative thinking is essential in organizations today. It is necessary for driving innovation and competitive spirit and an excellent way to promote team building, communication, trust, and problem solving skills.

One of the best ways to build creative thinking skills is to use exercises that encourage "out-of-the-box" thinking. Five examples of creative team building exercise are:

  • Brainstorming
  • Rolestorming
  • Balloon Sculptures
  • All the News

[1] Madjar, N., Oldham, G.R., and Pratt, M.G. (2002) 'There's No Place Like Home? The Contributions of Work and Nonwork Creativity Support to Employees' Creative Performance,' Academy of Management Journal , Volume 45, Number 4, August 2002. (Available here .)

[2] Tierney, P. and Farmer, S. (2004) 'The Pygmalion Process and Employee Creativity,' Journal of Management , Volume 30, Number 3, June 2004. (Available here .)

[3] Nemeth, C. J., Personnaz, B., Personnaz, M., and Goncalo, J.A. (2004) 'The liberating role of conflict in group creativity: A study in two countries,' European Journal of Social Psychology , 34, 365-374. (Available here .)

[4] Miller, B. (2003). " Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers ." New York: AMACOM.

[5] Deming, V. 2004. " The Big Book of Leadership Games ." McGraw-Hill.

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How to Use Creativity in Problem-Solving

problem solving and creativity exercises

Using creativity in problem-solving is a dynamic process that involves seeing challenges from unique perspectives, generating novel solutions, and redefining the status quo. It requires going beyond traditional methodologies and employing inventive thinking.

Table of Contents

Techniques such as brainstorming, lateral thinking, and mind mapping can help ignite your creative sparks. By cultivating a culture of creativity, you empower yourself and others to tackle issues innovatively, ensuring that the problem-solving process is effective but also exciting and rewarding.

Understanding the Role of Creativity in Problem-Solving

Creative problem-solving is an approach that combines imagination, innovation, and a broad sense of flexibility to find solutions to problems. It’s about shunning the traditional mindset that restricts our thoughts to only known and accepted techniques and methods. Instead, it encourages thinking outside the box, leveraging all cognitive resources, and pushing beyond the boundaries of standard methodologies to arrive at unique and often more effective solutions.

At the heart of creative problem-solving is the understanding that problems are often not what they initially appear to be. An issue may seem like a stumbling block. Still, with creative problem-solving, it can be transformed into an opportunity for innovation and growth. It’s about not accepting the immediate, apparent problem at face value but delving deeper into uncovering the root cause and addressing that, often leading to a more comprehensive and long-lasting solution.

Stages of Creative Problem-Solving

To appreciate what is creative problem-solving, it is crucial to recognize its critical stages. First is problem identification, which involves understanding the problem from different angles and perspectives. This stage lays the groundwork for the creative process by opening up many possibilities.

Next comes idea generation. This stage is the crux of the creative process, where traditional thinking is left behind, and innovative ideas can flourish. Techniques like brainstorming, free writing, and mind mapping are commonly used to spur creativity and encourage various possible solutions.

Finally, there’s the evaluation and implementation of the solution. This stage involves critically assessing the proposed solutions, selecting the best one, and implementing them. It’s important to remember that the solution’s effectiveness should be evaluated and adjustments made, if necessary, to ensure the problem is resolved.

In essence, creative problem-solving is a process that welcomes innovation, embraces change, and turns problems into opportunities for creative growth. It’s not about finding a solution but about using creativity to discover the best solution. The beauty of creative problem-solving is that honing this skill is possible and can be developed, ultimately leading to better decision-making and problem-solving abilities in all areas of life.

Harnessing Creativity: The First Step in Innovative Problem-Solving

Harnessing creativity is the cornerstone of innovative problem-solving. This involves challenging our usual thought patterns and opening ourselves to new ways of thinking. But how do we activate this creative engine within us? The answer lies in asking the right creative problem-solving questions.

Creative Problem-Solving Questions

Questions are the fuel that ignites the engine of creativity. They challenge our assumptions, expand our perspectives, and drive us to think outside the box. In problem-solving, creative questions can illuminate unseen possibilities and pathways toward innovative solutions.

The first step in harnessing creativity for problem-solving is understanding the problem in-depth. Questions such as “What is the core issue?” or “Why is this a problem?” can help identify the root cause rather than just dealing with symptoms. Understanding the problem at a granular level often reveals unique angles and opportunities for innovative solutions.

Once we deeply understand the problem, it’s time to generate ideas. Here, creative problem-solving questions are designed to push our thinking beyond usual boundaries. Questions like “What if the impossible were possible?” or “How would this problem be solved in a completely different context?” can spark unconventional ideas and unlock creative potential.

The next stage is about evaluating the solutions. Questions such as “What could be the potential impacts of this solution?” or “How can we improve this idea?” ensure we critically assess the proposed solutions from various angles. It’s vital to constructively challenge each idea’s viability, promoting further creativity and refinement.

Finally, we come to the implementation of the chosen solution. Questions like “What resources are needed to execute this solution?” and “What could be potential roadblocks, and how can we overcome them?” enable us to foresee any practical issues and address them proactively, thus ensuring a smooth execution of the solution.

Asking creative problem-solving questions can help unlock our inherent creative capabilities. By harnessing our creativity, we can drive innovative problem-solving and find solutions that are not just effective but also genuinely novel and groundbreaking. These questions are more than just tools; they are the catalysts that transform problems into opportunities for creative innovation.

Person using computer to learn about creativity in problem-solving

The Connection between Creativity and Effective Problem-Solving

Creativity is an invaluable tool in the problem-solving process. It empowers us to develop unique solutions that resolve the issue and provide opportunities for growth and innovation. But how is creativity used in problem-solving? Let’s dive into the nuances of this connection.

At its core, problem-solving is about finding solutions to obstacles or challenges. Traditional problem-solving techniques often focus on logical reasoning and proven methodologies. However, these techniques may only sometimes be sufficient, especially when dealing with complex or unprecedented problems. This is where creativity steps in.

How is Creativity Used in Problem-Solving

Creativity in problem-solving starts with reframing the problem. It prompts us to see beyond the apparent and understand the problem from different perspectives. This is particularly helpful when dealing with intricate issues, as it helps identify underlying patterns and relationships that might not be immediately apparent.

Once the problem is reframed, the next step is idea generation. This is where the power of creativity truly shines. Creative thinking encourages us to break free from conventional thinking patterns and explore a broader spectrum of possibilities. Brainstorming, mind mapping, or even daydreaming can help stimulate creative thoughts and generate innovative ideas.

Creativity also plays a critical role in evaluating and selecting the best solution. It allows us to envision how each potential solution might play out, assess the risks and benefits, and choose the most effective and innovative option.

Finally, creativity is instrumental in the implementation of the solution. It encourages us to think on our feet, adapt to unexpected challenges, and continuously refine the solution until the problem is fully resolved.

Creativity fuels each stage of the problem-solving process, transforming it from a mundane task into an exciting journey of discovery and innovation. So, whether you’re dealing with a minor hiccup or a major hurdle, remember to tap into your creative side. You might be surprised at the great solutions that emerge.

Exploring Techniques for Fostering Creativity in Problem-Solving

In the dynamic and competitive business world, a creative approach to problem-solving can be a significant differentiator. Now businesses require innovative solutions to keep up with rapidly changing environments and customer expectations. Here, we’ll explore techniques for fostering creative problem-solving in business.

How to Use Creative Problem-Solving in Business

Firstly, it’s crucial to cultivate an environment that encourages creativity. An open-minded culture supporting risk-taking and diverse perspectives can significantly enhance creative thinking. This includes welcoming all ideas during brainstorming sessions, regardless of how unconventional they seem, and celebrating successes and learning opportunities from failures.

Secondly, divergent thinking is a powerful tool for creative problem-solving. It involves generating multiple possible solutions to a problem rather than following a linear, logical path. Techniques like brainstorming or lateral thinking can stimulate divergent thinking, leading to more innovative problem-solving.

Another technique uses creative problem-solving frameworks, like the SCAMPER model (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse). These frameworks provide structured methods for thinking creatively and can be particularly useful in a business setting.

Also, fostering creativity requires constant learning and development. Encouraging continuous learning, such as attending seminars, workshops, or online courses on creativity and innovation, can significantly enhance creative problem-solving skills. Also, exposure to different industries, cultures, and ways of thinking can provide new perspectives and ideas.

Creativity can also be enhanced by embracing technology. AI and machine learning, for example, can provide insights and patterns that would be hard to spot otherwise, opening new avenues for creative solutions.

Lastly, it’s essential to recognize the power of rest in fostering creativity. Downtime, hobbies, or simple walks in nature can rejuvenate the mind and often lead to ‘Eureka’ moments when least expected.

Fostering creative problem-solving in business is not a one-size-fits-all process. It requires a blend of culture, techniques, learning, technology, and well-being that suits your team’s unique needs and dynamics. However, the rewards – innovative solutions, competitive advantage, and team satisfaction – make it an investment worth making.

problem solving and creativity exercises

Case Studies: Successful Implementations of Creativity in Problem-Solving

Applying creativity in problem-solving has led to groundbreaking solutions in various fields. In this context, we will explore several instances of creative problem-solving that resulted in successful and innovative outcomes.

Examples of Creative Problem-Solving

Example 1: accommodation.

Firstly, let’s look at a classic example from the business world: Airbnb. In its early days, the company needed help to gain traction. The founders identified a key issue: the quality of listing photos could have been better, deterring potential renters. In a creative problem-solving move, they hired professional photographers to take pictures of the rentals. This innovative approach significantly improved the appeal of the listings, and the rest is history. Airbnb’s success illustrates how a creative solution can transform a problem into an opportunity.

Example 2: Motor Industry

Next, consider the example of the automobile industry’s Tesla Motors . Confronted with the problem of fossil fuel dependency and its environmental impact, Tesla disrupted the conventional solution of tweaking existing fuel technologies. Instead, they creatively focused on developing high-performance electric vehicles, changing the industry’s perception and leading towards sustainable transportation.

Example 3: Healthcare

Another example can be found in healthcare, particularly in the fight against polio. In the 1950s, the ‘iron lung’ was the primary treatment for polio-induced respiratory failure. It was a cumbersome and expensive solution. Dr. Bjørn Aage Ibsen , confronted with a polio outbreak, creatively proposed a new method: positive pressure ventilation. This involved manually ventilating the patient with a tube inserted into their trachea. This became the precursor to modern mechanical ventilation, demonstrating the impact of creative problem-solving in healthcare.

Example 4: Education Lastly, consider the example from education: the Khan Academy . Recognizing that traditional classroom education could not cater to each student’s pace and learning style, Salman Khan saw an opportunity to teach differently. He used technology creatively to provide free online educational videos, fundamentally transforming the access and delivery of education on a global scale.

In these cases, the key to successful problem-solving was applying creative thinking. These examples of creative problem-solving underscore the power of innovative thinking in transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and advancement. The ability to think creatively in problem-solving is a valuable skill and, in many cases, a game-changer.

Overcoming Obstacles: Dealing with Challenges in Creative Problem-Solving

While creative problem-solving offers incredible potential for innovative solutions, it’s not without its challenges. However, these obstacles can often be overcome with a structured approach, such as the creative problem-solving model (CPS).

Creative Problem-Solving Model

The CPS model, initially developed by Alex Osborn and Sidney Parnes, provides a clear framework for navigating challenges that can arise during creative problem-solving. This model consists of four main steps: Clarify, Ideate, Develop, and Implement.

The first step, ‘Clarify,’ involves identifying the problem accurately and comprehensively. It’s easy to rush into solving a problem based on initial perceptions, which often results in treating symptoms rather than addressing the underlying issue. The CPS model emphasizes the importance of dedicating time to deeply understand the problem before jumping to solutions.

The second step, ‘Ideate,’ is generating various possible solutions. It’s common to experience blocks during this stage, such as sticking to familiar ideas or fearing judgment for unconventional thoughts. This step encourages divergent thinking, pushing past the initial, most apparent ideas to reach more unique and creative solutions.

Next, the ‘Develop’ stage involves converging on the most promising ideas and fleshing them into actionable solutions. Sometimes, the most creative ideas can seem risky or unrealistic. This stage, however, reminds us that these ideas often hold the most potential for innovative solutions and should be explored and developed rather than dismissed.

Finally, ‘Implement’ is about turning the solution into reality. Implementation can face many obstacles, from resistance to change, lack of resources, or unforeseen challenges. But the CPS model treats these not as dead ends but as parts of the problem-solving journey to be creatively overcome.

The creative problem-solving model provides a powerful tool to deal with the challenges of creative thinking. It offers a structured approach that fosters creativity, keeps the problem-solving process on track, and ultimately leads to innovative and effective solutions.

Person reading about creativity in problem-solving

Tools and Strategies for Enhancing Creativity in Problem-Solving

Creative problem-solving is a critical skill in today’s dynamic and complex world. It helps us navigate challenges with innovative and effective solutions. Various tools and strategies can enhance this process. Here, we delve into some of these creative problem-solving tools.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

Brainstorming.

Brainstorming is the most familiar tool. It’s a freewheeling method to generate many ideas without immediate judgment or criticism. It invites and encourages wild and divergent thoughts, which are later sifted and refined. This tool is particularly effective in groups where diverse perspectives can spark unique ideas.

Mind Mapping

Mind Mapping, another powerful tool, visually represents thoughts and their interconnections. You can reveal unexpected connections by mapping the problem and related ideas and fostering innovative solutions. It’s an excellent tool for complex problems that involve multiple dimensions or for situations where a holistic view is needed.

The SCAMPER Method

The SCAMPER method (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse) prompts users to ask specific questions about the problem. Each word in the acronym poses a different way to manipulate and think about the problem, leading to fresh insights and solutions.

Six Thinking Hats Technique

Then there’s the Six Thinking Hats technique by Edward de Bono. This tool urges users to assume different ‘hats’ or roles (like the optimist, devil’s advocate, creative, etc.) during problem-solving. This strategy ensures a comprehensive approach, capturing different perspectives and reducing bias in decision-making.

Alongside these tools, specific strategies can cultivate creativity in problem-solving. Encouraging a culture of openness, where diverse thoughts are valued, can lead to more prosperous, more creative problem-solving. Creating a safe space where risks are welcomed is beneficial, and failures are seen as learning opportunities rather than setbacks.

Moreover, taking regular breaks and engaging in different activities can stimulate creativity. Often, stepping away from a problem allows our subconscious minds to work on it, leading to unexpected insights.

Regularly practicing and using these tools and strategies can dramatically improve creative problem-solving abilities. They stimulate innovative thinking and help structure the process, making it more effective and efficient. By leveraging these creative problem-solving tools, we can transform how we approach problems, turning challenges into opportunities for innovation.

The Future of Creativity in Problem-Solving: Trends and Predictions

As we navigate through a world that is becoming progressively more complex and unpredictable, the importance of creativity in problem-solving cannot be overstated. While still valuable, traditional problem-solving methods often must catch up when dealing with unprecedented challenges. Creativity injects flexibility, innovation, and adaptability into problem-solving, making it a vital skill for the future. Here, we explore some trends and predictions of creativity in problem-solving.

Growing Creative Problem-Solving

Firstly, we will likely see greater recognition of the role of creativity in problem-solving across various sectors. From businesses to education systems, there’s a growing understanding that generating and implementing innovative solutions to problems for survival and growth is crucial. We can see more emphasis on fostering creativity in leadership roles and at all levels.

Tech-Enhanced Creative Solutions

Secondly, technology will continue to play a significant role in enhancing creativity in problem-solving. Advanced technologies like AI and machine learning can provide us with more data and insights, enabling us to understand problems better and develop more creative solutions. At the same time, technology can facilitate the creative problem-solving process through tools that stimulate creative thinking and collaboration.

However, as we increasingly rely on technology, there’s also a danger that we might limit our creativity by depending too much on algorithms and predefined solutions. Therefore, balancing technology and human creativity will be essential to future problem-solving.

Additionally, we expect to see more integration of diverse perspectives in problem-solving. As we face global problems across various fields and cultures, it’s becoming clear that the most creative and effective solutions often come from interdisciplinary and diverse teams.

Dynamic Problem Adaptation

Finally, resilience and adaptability in problem-solving will be emphasized as we move toward a more uncertain future. Creative problem-solving will be less about finding the correct answer and more about continuous learning and adapting to evolving situations.

The future of creativity in problem-solving looks bright, promising, and exciting. By recognizing the importance of creativity and harnessing it effectively, we can equip ourselves to navigate future challenges with innovative and effective solutions.

What is the role of creativity in problem-solving?

Creativity in problem-solving allows for the generation of unique, practical solutions. It involves thinking outside the box, challenging traditional assumptions, and viewing the problem from various perspectives. Creativity is crucial in problem-solving as it fosters innovation and adaptability.

How can creativity be harnessed in problem-solving?

Creativity can be harnessed in problem-solving by promoting a culture that supports risk-taking and values diverse perspectives, employing techniques like divergent thinking and creative problem-solving frameworks, engaging in continuous learning and development, embracing technology, and prioritizing well-being and rest.

What is the connection between creativity and effective problem-solving?

Creativity contributes to effective problem-solving by enabling the generation of numerous possible solutions, encouraging novel perspectives, and fostering flexibility and adaptability. These aspects, in turn, lead to more comprehensive and innovative solutions.

What challenges might one encounter in creative problem-solving?

Challenges in creative problem-solving include rushing to solve the problem without fully understanding it, experiencing blocks during the ideation stage, dismissing seemingly unrealistic or risky ideas, and encountering resistance or unforeseen challenges during the implementation stage.

How might the future of creativity in problem-solving look like?

The future will likely see greater recognition of the role of creativity in problem-solving across various sectors. Technology will play a significant role in enhancing creativity, but maintaining a balance with human creativity will be necessary. Integrating diverse perspectives and emphasis on resilience and adaptability will also characterize future problem-solving.

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Five creativity exercises to boost your artistic thinking

These popular creative exercises can recharge your imagination and help you thrive at work.

problem solving and creativity exercises

There are ample benefits to thinking creatively—not just at work but in our everyday lives as well. The theory of cognition argues that creativity is actually a necessary basis of human life. Creativity can lead to better problem-solving skills, mood, and health , and an overall increase in personal fulfillment and happiness—for everyone, not just for those who have creative jobs or think of themselves as “creatives.” Basically, when you’re given the chance to be creative, whether at work or in your personal life, you’re able to thrive. Here are some creativity exercises to get you started.

Five easy creative-thinking exercises

Use the easy creativity exercises below to stretch your creative muscles and push the boundaries of your daily creative thinking .  

While creativity knows no bounds, the act of creative thinking itself involves a bit of structure and planning . The first step of any creative thinking is to set a clear intention so that your thoughts are focused, organized, and useful. Orna Ross is a poet and proponent of creative intention setting. Ross argues that our goals, including creative ones, are often coupled with self-doubt. “Goals are often made from a mindset that sees you as flawed, in need of fixing,” Ross writes. “Creative intention recognizes that before you start, you stop and see that, actually, you are good enough as you are.” 

1. Creative intention setting

Let’s say you’ve been tasked with creating a new company product. Initially, you might experience overwhelming negative feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt. Maybe you don’t know where to start or don’t think you’re “creative enough” for this challenge. By setting clear and affirming intentions, you’re able to remove all those negative thoughts that get in the way of the creative process. Ross says when you remove all of that clutter, you are able to fill that space with new, creative ideas. Setting clear intentions also helps free yourself of any self-doubt and insecurity and allows you to focus on only whatever creative endeavor lies in front of you, which helps the ideas to flow easily . 

2. Eidetic imagery

Jacqueline Sussman is an author, speaker, seminar leader, coach, and one of the foremost practitioners of eidetic imagery psychology—a method that allows people to uncover stored images in their minds for personal creative development. Sussman has worked with some of the world’s top companies, including Google and Mattel, to help them establish a more creative work environment . The goal of her eidetic imagery method is to envision what you want to create in very concrete and specific ways so that you can better understand how to materialize it in reality. 

“Imagery and creativity go hand in hand,” Sussman says, “because any time we want to do something creative, we’re likely seeing images in our minds.” When you read a recipe, for example, you likely picture all of the ingredients the dish calls for. Maybe the recipe is for a delicious salad. As you read the ingredients list, you’ll likely start imagining the bright red tomatoes and the vibrant green lettuce. For this creativity exercise, what your mind is actually doing is calling forth eidetic images to assist you in creating that meal. 

Eidetic images are vivid images stored in our minds from all of our life experiences. You’re able to picture those tomatoes and lettuce because at some point in your life you’ve seen both of these vegetables. Eidetic images can be powerful tools to help flex your creativity because they allow you to concretely envision whatever it is you want to create—whether that is something as big as the design of a new company product or something as commonplace as choosing what to wear to work in the morning. By using eidetic imagery, your creative thinking becomes less abstract and distant and more concrete and tangible.

While working with Mattel, Sussman used eidetic imagery to help the design team unlock ideas for new toys. She says the first thing she did was have the designers work in a child’s playroom to try to get them into the mindset of how children play. “The adult has already been cut off from the real experience of how children play and create, which is kind of magical,” Sussman says. “But when you use imagery, you can literally see through the eyes of children and how they play.” 

She then had the group begin picturing kids at play in their mind’s eye, asking various questions like how are they playing? What are they saying? Are they standing still or moving around? Then she was able to move on to the toy itself: How does it look? How does it feel? How big or small is it? What is it? The goal was to try to see through the eyes of the child to better understand what was actually enjoyable and useful. “When practicing the eidetic imagery method, it’s important to not just sit and freely imagine these vivid images,” Sussman says, “but to also record all of the creative ideas that download in your mind throughout the process as you’re recalling these vivid images.” 

The eidetic image method as a creative-thinking exercise can be used in group brainstorming settings as well. 

3. Sketchnoting

Sketchnoting is a visual thinking method in which you take visual notes—rather than just text-based notes—in real time, during a lecture, meeting, or the like. According to Craighton Berman, the founder and creative director of product design company Manual Chicago and sketchnoting extraordinaire, this creativity exercise helps you process information by drawing images, text, and diagrams . But don’t be confused: Sketchnoting isn’t doodling; rather, it’s a deliberate process that requires hefty brainpower. 

Let’s say you’re sitting in a long, important meeting where a bunch of information is being thrown at you in various presentations—information you’re going to be required to recall later. Sketchnoting forces you to listen closely to the speakers, synthesize what they’re saying, and then represent that information through imagery that captures the idea. Instead of recording everything that’s being said, you are forced to decide on the most noteworthy information to creatively represent in your notes. This creative-thinking exercise thus allows you to hone your skills in observation, listening, structuring information, and thinking creatively. You can practice it every day by watching TED Talks and taking sketchnotes, for example. 

4. Freewrite

Sometimes when you’re stuck, the simple act of putting words on paper can help activate your creativity. Freewriting is a strategy that was developed by Peter Elbow in 1973. It’s incredibly simple: or a set amount of time, start writing and don’t stop. Just let the words flow and see where your mind takes you without thinking about sentence structure, spelling, or proper grammar. Don’t make a plan or think about what you’re going to write about. It’s kind of like brainstorming but in writing. Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes and go. 

The key is to not let your hand stop moving, even if you’re writing things like, “I can’t think of what to write next.” This allows your ideas to flow freely, without censorship. That will activate your creative thinking and generate a cloud of ideas. Most of what you write during the exercise will be nonsense, but you might be surprised by the ideas you come up with when you let your mind and pen run wild.

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5. 30 circles 

Whether you’re working alone or in a group , a simple warm-up can help activate your creativity. Thirty circles, originally created by the design agency IDEO , feels almost like an activity straight out of a high school art class—that’s why it works. The activity is simple: Print out a template with 30 blank circles on a large sheet of paper (you can also draw the circles yourself on a blank sheet). Then see how many circles you can fill with recognizable drawings in three minutes. 

The drawings can be of anything. People often start out drawing pizzas, soccer balls, even simple clocks, but as they fill in circle after circle, they’re challenged to come up with increasingly creative ideas. When the three minutes are up, you should share with the group what you came up with. If you did the exercise on your own, you should take some time to reflect on your work. A challenge like this, with a set of simple limitations, can help fire up the creative juices by freeing your mind from distractions and focusing on making something new. 

Practicing on-demand creativity at work is not easy, but there is inspiration to be found and creativity exercises to help. And if you train your creativity as you would train a muscle, it can get easier.

This article was originally published on February 10, 2020, and has been updated throughout by the editors.

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10 Must-try Innovation Games to Foster Creativity Innovation games are potent tools to foster creative thinking and team synergy, all wrapped up in fun and excitement. Check out our list of 10 must-try innovation and creativity games...

By Deanna Ritchie • Jan 30, 2024

This story originally appeared on Due

Innovation games are potent tools to foster creative thinking and team synergy, all wrapped up in fun and excitement. Check out our list of 10 must-try innovation and creativity games to play with your friends, family, and students!

Why innovation games?

Innovation games are not merely a source of amusement or a break from routine. They’re strategic exercises designed to stimulate creativity, encourage problem-solving, and cultivate a collaborative spirit within teams. When deployed effectively, these games can catalyze groundbreaking ideas and innovative solutions that elevate your business.

Looking for entrepreneurship games? See our list of some of the best entrepreneurship games to play .

Top 10 innovations games to spark creativity in your team

Embark on a journey of exploration and creativity with some of our favorite innovation games. Each one serves a unique purpose, from enhancing communication skills to fostering team synergy, all while injecting a dose of fun into the work environment.

1. Products: The Card Game

products card game

Products: The Card Game is a creative odyssey that unleashes your team’s imagination. Pretend you’re in a shark tank and sell your family on your big new idea!

  • How to Play:   Create genius or hilariously horrible products, then pitch your glorious inventions to friends and family. The game includes 180 Features (blue cards) and 70 Products (white cards) for infinite replayability.
  • Benefits: This game sparks innovation and inventiveness by challenging players to create unique and imaginative products. It fosters team synergy, making it perfect for a game night with friends, a class activity with students, an icebreaker to start a business meeting, and more. Includes rules with three unique ways to play, invent, and win.

2. Reverse Charades

Reverse Charades turns the classic game on its head, making teamwork the show’s star. In this entertaining twist, the team acts out a word or phrase while one enthusiastic individual takes the guessing stage.

  • How to Play: In a twist on the traditional game, the team acts out a word or phrase while a single person tries to guess it.
  • Benefits: This game promotes teamwork and allows everyone, even the quieter team members, to shine in the spotlight and express their creative instincts.

See also: 7 Ways to Improve Your Creative Flow as a Business Owner 

3. Word Association

Word Association is the linguistic playground where creativity knows no bounds. Dive into a world of spontaneous connections and quick thinking as players link words in a rapid-fire exchange. It’s not just a game of vocabulary; it’s a mental sprint where wit and imagination reign supreme.

  • How to Play: Start with a random word. Each participant takes turns saying a word associated with the previous one. The game continues until only one participant remains.
  • Benefits: This game sharpens mental agility and enhances the ability to communicate succinctly, paving the way for effective collaboration.

4. Improv Hero

invention charades

Improv Hero is where spontaneity takes the spotlight and creativity steals the show. Dive into the world of unscripted hilarity and quick thinking as players become the heroes of their own impromptu stories.

  • How to Play: Split the team into pairs or small groups and assign them a random scenario or prompt. The teams must improvise a scene based on the given scenario.
  • Benefits: This game encourages quick thinking and teamwork as participants build upon each other’s ideas to deliver an entertaining performance.

5. Quick Fire-Debate

Quick Fire-Debate is the intellectual battleground where opinions clash, and ideas ignite in a rapid-fire exchange of wit and wisdom. Engage in spirited debates on various topics, challenging your team to think on their feet and articulate their perspectives with finesse.

  • How to Play: Select a thought-provoking topic and divide the team into two groups: one supporting the topic and the other opposing it. Engage in a lively 1-minute debate, where participants use their creativity and persuasive skills to make their case.
  • Benefits: This game sharpens critical thinking skills and boosts confidence as team members express their arguments with creativity and flair.

Looking for more activities with invention education? Check out PBS’s invention education classroom. 

6. Creative Mime

Step into the silent realm of expression with Creative Mime, where imagination takes center stage in a wordless performance. This unique game invites players to communicate and interpret ideas, scenarios, and emotions through mime.

  • How to Play: Divide the team into pairs. One person in each pair mimics an object or concept without using any words or sounds. The other person tries to guess what the mime represents.
  • Benefits: This game enhances nonverbal communication and fosters a positive team atmosphere.

7. Twisted Charades

Twisted Charades injects a dose of unpredictability and laughter into the classic game, turning your typical charades night upside down. Brace yourselves for unexpected challenges and hilarious twists

  • How to Play: Similar to traditional charades, participants must convey abstract concepts, emotions, or entire stories through gestures and expressions.
  • Benefits: This game promotes emotional intelligence development and enhances empathy, strengthening team bonds.

8. Puzzle Bonanza

Puzzle Bonanza is not your average mind-bender; it’s an exhilarating journey into the world of brain-teasing challenges and collaborative problem-solving. Dive into a treasure trove of puzzles, each more intricate than the last, and watch your team unravel the mysteries together.

  • How to Play: Provide teams with a variety of puzzles. The team that finishes first is the winner.
  • Benefits: This game stimulates out-of-the-box thinking and fosters collaborative problem-solving.

9. Michelangelo

Michelangelo is not just a name from art history; it’s a game that invites you to channel your inner artistic virtuoso. Step into the shoes of the legendary Renaissance master and unleash your creativity on a canvas of challenges.

  • How to Play: Provide teams with sculpting materials. Challenge them to create sculptures based on given themes or prompts.
  • Benefits: This game allows for the tangible manifestation of creativity and celebrates individuality.

10. What’s in the Box?

whats in the box

What’s in the Box? Isn’t just a guessing game; it’s a suspenseful expedition into the unknown. The excitement builds as players use their senses and wits to decipher the mysterious contents of the box.

  • How to Play: Fill a box with random objects. One participant selects an item from the box and describes how it can be repurposed or used creatively in a different context.
  • Benefits: This game promotes creative problem-solving and divergent thinking, fostering resourcefulness and adaptability.

Innovation activities that are not games but still inspire creativity

While innovation games are a powerful tool for boosting creativity, they’re not the only method. Let’s delve into some creative activities that can inspire your team and foster a culture of innovation.

There are plenty more invention education activities on MIT Lemelson’s website. 

1. Creative Problem Solving

creative problem solving

How to Do It: Present a challenging problem or scenario to the team and ask them to generate as many creative solutions as possible within a given time.

Benefits: Ignite the spark of innovation as your team collaborates to explore and present inventive solutions, fostering an environment of creative excellence.

See also: Be a Better Business Owner By Boosting Creativity

2. Collaborative Art

How to Do It: Divide the team into small groups and ask them to create a collaborative artwork together.

Benefits: Promote team synergy and cultivate a culture of creative collaboration as each brushstroke contributes to a masterpiece of collective imagination.

3. Scavenger Hunt

H ow to D o It : Create a list of unique items for teams to find within a designated area. Teams must present the items in the most creative way possible.

Benefits: Spark inspiration and cultivate innovative thinking as teams showcase their finds in imaginative and unexpected ways.

4. Writing Marathon

How to Do It: Set a time limit and challenge team members to write a short story, poem, or piece of creative writing within that timeframe.

Benefits: Strengthen team bonds through storytelling, fostering a shared sense of unity and unlocking the power of narrative creativity.

5. Collaborative Music Jam

How to Do It: Gather musical instruments or use online platforms for virtual collaboration. Allow each team member to contribute to a collaborative musical piece.

Benefits: Celebrate diversity and cultivate an inclusive and creatively harmonious work environment through the symphony of collective creativity.

6. Cooking Challenge

How to Do It: Set up a cooking challenge where teams must create a dish using a specific set of ingredients.

B enefits: Encourage innovative thinking and resourcefulness as teams whip up culinary creations in the spirit of delicious creativity.

7. Design Your Dream Workspace

How to Do It: Ask team members to envision and design their ideal workspace, creating visual representations of their dream work environment.

Benefits: Inspire creative thinking and foster a shared purpose as each team member designs the blueprint for their imaginative work haven.

8. Creative Journaling

How to Do It: Provide each team member with a journal and encourage them to engage in creative journaling.

Benefits: Encourage self-expression and provide a platform for exploring personal thoughts and emotions, fostering a culture of creativity and introspection.

9. Mind Mapping

mind mapping

How to Do It: Choose a central theme or problem and ask teams to create mind maps to explore creative solutions and connections.

Benefits: Promote visual brainstorming and idea generation, fostering a culture of innovation as teams map out pathways to creative solutions.

10. Vision Board

How to Do It: Encourage team members to create vision boards representing their aspirations and goals.

Benefits: Encourage imagination and provide focus and inspiration for future work as team members craft visual representations of their collective dreams and ambitions.

How to pick the best innovation game (Step-by-step)

Step 1: understand your team’s dynamics.

Before selecting innovation games, assess your team’s dynamics, preferences, and communication styles. Consider factors such as team size, individual personalities, and the level of familiarity among team members.

Step 2: Define Objectives and Learning Outcomes

Clearly outline the objectives you aim to achieve through innovation games. Whether it’s enhancing communication, fostering creativity, or improving problem-solving skills , having specific goals will guide your game selection.

Step 3: Consider Time Constraints

Take into account the available time for the game session. Some innovation games may require more time for setup, explanation, and play. Ensure that the chosen games fit within the time constraints to maintain engagement.

Step 4: Cater to Diverse Preferences

Acknowledge the diversity within your team, including different learning styles and preferences. Opt for a mix of innovation games that cater to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners to ensure everyone can actively participate.

Step 5: Rotate Games for Variety

To prevent monotony, consider rotating innovation games regularly. Variety helps maintain interest and allows team members to experience different approaches to creativity and collaboration. Keep a repertoire of games and introduce new ones periodically.

Step 6: Match Games to Team Goals

Align the chosen games with your team’s overall goals and projects. Select games that mimic or directly relate to the real-world scenario your team is working on. This connection enhances the relevance of the games.

Step 7: Adaptability and Scalability

Choose innovative games easily adapted to different team sizes and settings. This adaptability ensures that the games remain effective in various contexts, whether you have a small team or are conducting a large-scale team-building event.

See also: Two Big Lessons on Creativity Every Business Should Learn

Step 8: Seek Feedback from Team Members

Encourage open communication by seeking feedback on past innovation games. Understand which games resonated most with team members and why. Use this feedback to refine your selection process and tailor future game choices.

Step 9: Embrace Technology

Incorporate technology-based innovation games for virtual teams or to add a digital element to in-person sessions. Explore virtual collaboration tools, online platforms, and mobile apps that can enhance the gaming experience.

Step 10: Monitor Engagement Levels

During and after each game session, assess the engagement levels of team members. Pay attention to energy, enthusiasm, and collaboration. This feedback can guide adjustments to your game selection for future sessions.

Frequently asked questions

1. what are innovation games, and why are they important.

Innovation games are strategic exercises designed to stimulate creativity, encourage problem-solving, and cultivate a collaborative spirit within teams. They go beyond amusement, acting as potent tools to catalyze groundbreaking ideas and innovative solutions.

2. What’s the purpose of playing innovation games?

The primary purpose of playing innovation games is to foster creative thinking, enhance communication skills, and promote teamwork within a fun and engaging context. These games serve as strategic exercises to inspire fresh ideas and solutions.

See the recommended community innovation starter kits to build your area into an innovation community from MIT.

3. Are innovation games only for entertainment, or do they have strategic benefits?

Innovation games are not merely sources of entertainment; they offer strategic benefits. When deployed effectively, they can lead to the generation of inventive ideas, enhance problem-solving skills, and strengthen collaboration within teams.

4. Can innovation games be used in entrepreneurship contexts?

Absolutely. Innovation games are versatile and can be particularly beneficial in entrepreneurship settings. They encourage out-of-the-box thinking, enhance communication, and promote the development of creative solutions—all essential elements in entrepreneurship.

5. What are some examples of innovation games to spark creativity?

Some examples of innovation games include “Products: The Card Game,” “Reverse Charades,” “Word Association,” “Improv Hero,” and “Quick Fire-Debate.” Each game serves a unique purpose, from boosting communication skills to fostering team synergy.

6. How do I play “Products: The Card Game”?

In “Products: The Card Game,” players create genius or hilariously horrible products and pitch their inventions. The game includes 180 Features (blue cards) and 70 Products (white cards) for infinite replayability. The benefits include sparking innovation, inventiveness, and fostering team synergy.

7. What is the objective of “Reverse Charades”?

“Reverse Charades” turns the classic game on its head by making teamwork the star. In this twist, the team acts out a word or phrase while one person guesses. The game promotes teamwork and allows everyone, even quieter team members, to shine in the spotlight.

8. How does “Word Association” contribute to creativity?

“Word Association” is a linguistic playground where players link words in a rapid-fire exchange, promoting mental agility and enhancing the ability to communicate succinctly. It stimulates creativity through spontaneous connections and quick thinking.

9. What is the role of “Improv Hero” in team dynamics?

“Improv Hero” puts spontaneity in the spotlight as players become the heroes of their own impromptu stories. The game encourages quick thinking and teamwork as participants build upon each other’s ideas to deliver entertaining performances.

10. Are there non-game activities that promote innovation and creativity?

Activities like creative problem-solving, collaborative art, scavenger hunts, writing marathons, collaborative music jams, cooking challenges, designing dream workspaces, creative journaling, mind mapping, and vision boarding are excellent non-game methods to inspire creativity and innovation.

11. How can these non-game activities contribute to team dynamics?

Non-game activities contribute to team dynamics by promoting collaboration, sparking inspiration, and encouraging innovative thinking. These activities enhance communication, strengthen bonds, and foster a culture of creativity within teams.

The post 10 Must-try Innovation Games to Foster Creativity appeared first on Due .

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35 problem-solving techniques and methods for solving complex problems

Problem solving workshop

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All teams and organizations encounter challenges as they grow. There are problems that might occur for teams when it comes to miscommunication or resolving business-critical issues . You may face challenges around growth , design , user engagement, and even team culture and happiness. In short, problem-solving techniques should be part of every team’s skillset.

Problem-solving methods are primarily designed to help a group or team through a process of first identifying problems and challenges , ideating possible solutions , and then evaluating the most suitable .

Finding effective solutions to complex problems isn’t easy, but by using the right process and techniques, you can help your team be more efficient in the process.

So how do you develop strategies that are engaging, and empower your team to solve problems effectively?

In this blog post, we share a series of problem-solving tools you can use in your next workshop or team meeting. You’ll also find some tips for facilitating the process and how to enable others to solve complex problems.

Let’s get started! 

How do you identify problems?

How do you identify the right solution.

  • Tips for more effective problem-solving

Complete problem-solving methods

  • Problem-solving techniques to identify and analyze problems
  • Problem-solving techniques for developing solutions

Problem-solving warm-up activities

Closing activities for a problem-solving process.

Before you can move towards finding the right solution for a given problem, you first need to identify and define the problem you wish to solve. 

Here, you want to clearly articulate what the problem is and allow your group to do the same. Remember that everyone in a group is likely to have differing perspectives and alignment is necessary in order to help the group move forward. 

Identifying a problem accurately also requires that all members of a group are able to contribute their views in an open and safe manner. It can be scary for people to stand up and contribute, especially if the problems or challenges are emotive or personal in nature. Be sure to try and create a psychologically safe space for these kinds of discussions.

Remember that problem analysis and further discussion are also important. Not taking the time to fully analyze and discuss a challenge can result in the development of solutions that are not fit for purpose or do not address the underlying issue.

Successfully identifying and then analyzing a problem means facilitating a group through activities designed to help them clearly and honestly articulate their thoughts and produce usable insight.

With this data, you might then produce a problem statement that clearly describes the problem you wish to be addressed and also state the goal of any process you undertake to tackle this issue.  

Finding solutions is the end goal of any process. Complex organizational challenges can only be solved with an appropriate solution but discovering them requires using the right problem-solving tool.

After you’ve explored a problem and discussed ideas, you need to help a team discuss and choose the right solution. Consensus tools and methods such as those below help a group explore possible solutions before then voting for the best. They’re a great way to tap into the collective intelligence of the group for great results!

Remember that the process is often iterative. Great problem solvers often roadtest a viable solution in a measured way to see what works too. While you might not get the right solution on your first try, the methods below help teams land on the most likely to succeed solution while also holding space for improvement.

Every effective problem solving process begins with an agenda . A well-structured workshop is one of the best methods for successfully guiding a group from exploring a problem to implementing a solution.

In SessionLab, it’s easy to go from an idea to a complete agenda . Start by dragging and dropping your core problem solving activities into place . Add timings, breaks and necessary materials before sharing your agenda with your colleagues.

The resulting agenda will be your guide to an effective and productive problem solving session that will also help you stay organized on the day!

problem solving and creativity exercises

Tips for more effective problem solving

Problem-solving activities are only one part of the puzzle. While a great method can help unlock your team’s ability to solve problems, without a thoughtful approach and strong facilitation the solutions may not be fit for purpose.

Let’s take a look at some problem-solving tips you can apply to any process to help it be a success!

Clearly define the problem

Jumping straight to solutions can be tempting, though without first clearly articulating a problem, the solution might not be the right one. Many of the problem-solving activities below include sections where the problem is explored and clearly defined before moving on.

This is a vital part of the problem-solving process and taking the time to fully define an issue can save time and effort later. A clear definition helps identify irrelevant information and it also ensures that your team sets off on the right track.

Don’t jump to conclusions

It’s easy for groups to exhibit cognitive bias or have preconceived ideas about both problems and potential solutions. Be sure to back up any problem statements or potential solutions with facts, research, and adequate forethought.

The best techniques ask participants to be methodical and challenge preconceived notions. Make sure you give the group enough time and space to collect relevant information and consider the problem in a new way. By approaching the process with a clear, rational mindset, you’ll often find that better solutions are more forthcoming.  

Try different approaches  

Problems come in all shapes and sizes and so too should the methods you use to solve them. If you find that one approach isn’t yielding results and your team isn’t finding different solutions, try mixing it up. You’ll be surprised at how using a new creative activity can unblock your team and generate great solutions.

Don’t take it personally 

Depending on the nature of your team or organizational problems, it’s easy for conversations to get heated. While it’s good for participants to be engaged in the discussions, ensure that emotions don’t run too high and that blame isn’t thrown around while finding solutions.

You’re all in it together, and even if your team or area is seeing problems, that isn’t necessarily a disparagement of you personally. Using facilitation skills to manage group dynamics is one effective method of helping conversations be more constructive.

Get the right people in the room

Your problem-solving method is often only as effective as the group using it. Getting the right people on the job and managing the number of people present is important too!

If the group is too small, you may not get enough different perspectives to effectively solve a problem. If the group is too large, you can go round and round during the ideation stages.

Creating the right group makeup is also important in ensuring you have the necessary expertise and skillset to both identify and follow up on potential solutions. Carefully consider who to include at each stage to help ensure your problem-solving method is followed and positioned for success.

Document everything

The best solutions can take refinement, iteration, and reflection to come out. Get into a habit of documenting your process in order to keep all the learnings from the session and to allow ideas to mature and develop. Many of the methods below involve the creation of documents or shared resources. Be sure to keep and share these so everyone can benefit from the work done!

Bring a facilitator 

Facilitation is all about making group processes easier. With a subject as potentially emotive and important as problem-solving, having an impartial third party in the form of a facilitator can make all the difference in finding great solutions and keeping the process moving. Consider bringing a facilitator to your problem-solving session to get better results and generate meaningful solutions!

Develop your problem-solving skills

It takes time and practice to be an effective problem solver. While some roles or participants might more naturally gravitate towards problem-solving, it can take development and planning to help everyone create better solutions.

You might develop a training program, run a problem-solving workshop or simply ask your team to practice using the techniques below. Check out our post on problem-solving skills to see how you and your group can develop the right mental process and be more resilient to issues too!

Design a great agenda

Workshops are a great format for solving problems. With the right approach, you can focus a group and help them find the solutions to their own problems. But designing a process can be time-consuming and finding the right activities can be difficult.

Check out our workshop planning guide to level-up your agenda design and start running more effective workshops. Need inspiration? Check out templates designed by expert facilitators to help you kickstart your process!

In this section, we’ll look at in-depth problem-solving methods that provide a complete end-to-end process for developing effective solutions. These will help guide your team from the discovery and definition of a problem through to delivering the right solution.

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing method or problem-solving model, these processes are a great place to start. They’ll ask your team to challenge preconceived ideas and adopt a mindset for solving problems more effectively.

  • Six Thinking Hats
  • Lightning Decision Jam
  • Problem Definition Process
  • Discovery & Action Dialogue
Design Sprint 2.0
  • Open Space Technology

1. Six Thinking Hats

Individual approaches to solving a problem can be very different based on what team or role an individual holds. It can be easy for existing biases or perspectives to find their way into the mix, or for internal politics to direct a conversation.

Six Thinking Hats is a classic method for identifying the problems that need to be solved and enables your team to consider them from different angles, whether that is by focusing on facts and data, creative solutions, or by considering why a particular solution might not work.

Like all problem-solving frameworks, Six Thinking Hats is effective at helping teams remove roadblocks from a conversation or discussion and come to terms with all the aspects necessary to solve complex problems.

2. Lightning Decision Jam

Featured courtesy of Jonathan Courtney of AJ&Smart Berlin, Lightning Decision Jam is one of those strategies that should be in every facilitation toolbox. Exploring problems and finding solutions is often creative in nature, though as with any creative process, there is the potential to lose focus and get lost.

Unstructured discussions might get you there in the end, but it’s much more effective to use a method that creates a clear process and team focus.

In Lightning Decision Jam, participants are invited to begin by writing challenges, concerns, or mistakes on post-its without discussing them before then being invited by the moderator to present them to the group.

From there, the team vote on which problems to solve and are guided through steps that will allow them to reframe those problems, create solutions and then decide what to execute on. 

By deciding the problems that need to be solved as a team before moving on, this group process is great for ensuring the whole team is aligned and can take ownership over the next stages. 

Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ)   #action   #decision making   #problem solving   #issue analysis   #innovation   #design   #remote-friendly   The problem with anything that requires creative thinking is that it’s easy to get lost—lose focus and fall into the trap of having useless, open-ended, unstructured discussions. Here’s the most effective solution I’ve found: Replace all open, unstructured discussion with a clear process. What to use this exercise for: Anything which requires a group of people to make decisions, solve problems or discuss challenges. It’s always good to frame an LDJ session with a broad topic, here are some examples: The conversion flow of our checkout Our internal design process How we organise events Keeping up with our competition Improving sales flow

3. Problem Definition Process

While problems can be complex, the problem-solving methods you use to identify and solve those problems can often be simple in design. 

By taking the time to truly identify and define a problem before asking the group to reframe the challenge as an opportunity, this method is a great way to enable change.

Begin by identifying a focus question and exploring the ways in which it manifests before splitting into five teams who will each consider the problem using a different method: escape, reversal, exaggeration, distortion or wishful. Teams develop a problem objective and create ideas in line with their method before then feeding them back to the group.

This method is great for enabling in-depth discussions while also creating space for finding creative solutions too!

Problem Definition   #problem solving   #idea generation   #creativity   #online   #remote-friendly   A problem solving technique to define a problem, challenge or opportunity and to generate ideas.

4. The 5 Whys 

Sometimes, a group needs to go further with their strategies and analyze the root cause at the heart of organizational issues. An RCA or root cause analysis is the process of identifying what is at the heart of business problems or recurring challenges. 

The 5 Whys is a simple and effective method of helping a group go find the root cause of any problem or challenge and conduct analysis that will deliver results. 

By beginning with the creation of a problem statement and going through five stages to refine it, The 5 Whys provides everything you need to truly discover the cause of an issue.

The 5 Whys   #hyperisland   #innovation   This simple and powerful method is useful for getting to the core of a problem or challenge. As the title suggests, the group defines a problems, then asks the question “why” five times, often using the resulting explanation as a starting point for creative problem solving.

5. World Cafe

World Cafe is a simple but powerful facilitation technique to help bigger groups to focus their energy and attention on solving complex problems.

World Cafe enables this approach by creating a relaxed atmosphere where participants are able to self-organize and explore topics relevant and important to them which are themed around a central problem-solving purpose. Create the right atmosphere by modeling your space after a cafe and after guiding the group through the method, let them take the lead!

Making problem-solving a part of your organization’s culture in the long term can be a difficult undertaking. More approachable formats like World Cafe can be especially effective in bringing people unfamiliar with workshops into the fold. 

World Cafe   #hyperisland   #innovation   #issue analysis   World Café is a simple yet powerful method, originated by Juanita Brown, for enabling meaningful conversations driven completely by participants and the topics that are relevant and important to them. Facilitators create a cafe-style space and provide simple guidelines. Participants then self-organize and explore a set of relevant topics or questions for conversation.

6. Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)

One of the best approaches is to create a safe space for a group to share and discover practices and behaviors that can help them find their own solutions.

With DAD, you can help a group choose which problems they wish to solve and which approaches they will take to do so. It’s great at helping remove resistance to change and can help get buy-in at every level too!

This process of enabling frontline ownership is great in ensuring follow-through and is one of the methods you will want in your toolbox as a facilitator.

Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)   #idea generation   #liberating structures   #action   #issue analysis   #remote-friendly   DADs make it easy for a group or community to discover practices and behaviors that enable some individuals (without access to special resources and facing the same constraints) to find better solutions than their peers to common problems. These are called positive deviant (PD) behaviors and practices. DADs make it possible for people in the group, unit, or community to discover by themselves these PD practices. DADs also create favorable conditions for stimulating participants’ creativity in spaces where they can feel safe to invent new and more effective practices. Resistance to change evaporates as participants are unleashed to choose freely which practices they will adopt or try and which problems they will tackle. DADs make it possible to achieve frontline ownership of solutions.

7. Design Sprint 2.0

Want to see how a team can solve big problems and move forward with prototyping and testing solutions in a few days? The Design Sprint 2.0 template from Jake Knapp, author of Sprint, is a complete agenda for a with proven results.

Developing the right agenda can involve difficult but necessary planning. Ensuring all the correct steps are followed can also be stressful or time-consuming depending on your level of experience.

Use this complete 4-day workshop template if you are finding there is no obvious solution to your challenge and want to focus your team around a specific problem that might require a shortcut to launching a minimum viable product or waiting for the organization-wide implementation of a solution.

8. Open space technology

Open space technology- developed by Harrison Owen – creates a space where large groups are invited to take ownership of their problem solving and lead individual sessions. Open space technology is a great format when you have a great deal of expertise and insight in the room and want to allow for different takes and approaches on a particular theme or problem you need to be solved.

Start by bringing your participants together to align around a central theme and focus their efforts. Explain the ground rules to help guide the problem-solving process and then invite members to identify any issue connecting to the central theme that they are interested in and are prepared to take responsibility for.

Once participants have decided on their approach to the core theme, they write their issue on a piece of paper, announce it to the group, pick a session time and place, and post the paper on the wall. As the wall fills up with sessions, the group is then invited to join the sessions that interest them the most and which they can contribute to, then you’re ready to begin!

Everyone joins the problem-solving group they’ve signed up to, record the discussion and if appropriate, findings can then be shared with the rest of the group afterward.

Open Space Technology   #action plan   #idea generation   #problem solving   #issue analysis   #large group   #online   #remote-friendly   Open Space is a methodology for large groups to create their agenda discerning important topics for discussion, suitable for conferences, community gatherings and whole system facilitation

Techniques to identify and analyze problems

Using a problem-solving method to help a team identify and analyze a problem can be a quick and effective addition to any workshop or meeting.

While further actions are always necessary, you can generate momentum and alignment easily, and these activities are a great place to get started.

We’ve put together this list of techniques to help you and your team with problem identification, analysis, and discussion that sets the foundation for developing effective solutions.

Let’s take a look!

  • The Creativity Dice
  • Fishbone Analysis
  • Problem Tree
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Agreement-Certainty Matrix
  • The Journalistic Six
  • LEGO Challenge
  • What, So What, Now What?
  • Journalists

Individual and group perspectives are incredibly important, but what happens if people are set in their minds and need a change of perspective in order to approach a problem more effectively?

Flip It is a method we love because it is both simple to understand and run, and allows groups to understand how their perspectives and biases are formed. 

Participants in Flip It are first invited to consider concerns, issues, or problems from a perspective of fear and write them on a flip chart. Then, the group is asked to consider those same issues from a perspective of hope and flip their understanding.  

No problem and solution is free from existing bias and by changing perspectives with Flip It, you can then develop a problem solving model quickly and effectively.

Flip It!   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   Often, a change in a problem or situation comes simply from a change in our perspectives. Flip It! is a quick game designed to show players that perspectives are made, not born.

10. The Creativity Dice

One of the most useful problem solving skills you can teach your team is of approaching challenges with creativity, flexibility, and openness. Games like The Creativity Dice allow teams to overcome the potential hurdle of too much linear thinking and approach the process with a sense of fun and speed. 

In The Creativity Dice, participants are organized around a topic and roll a dice to determine what they will work on for a period of 3 minutes at a time. They might roll a 3 and work on investigating factual information on the chosen topic. They might roll a 1 and work on identifying the specific goals, standards, or criteria for the session.

Encouraging rapid work and iteration while asking participants to be flexible are great skills to cultivate. Having a stage for idea incubation in this game is also important. Moments of pause can help ensure the ideas that are put forward are the most suitable. 

The Creativity Dice   #creativity   #problem solving   #thiagi   #issue analysis   Too much linear thinking is hazardous to creative problem solving. To be creative, you should approach the problem (or the opportunity) from different points of view. You should leave a thought hanging in mid-air and move to another. This skipping around prevents premature closure and lets your brain incubate one line of thought while you consciously pursue another.

11. Fishbone Analysis

Organizational or team challenges are rarely simple, and it’s important to remember that one problem can be an indication of something that goes deeper and may require further consideration to be solved.

Fishbone Analysis helps groups to dig deeper and understand the origins of a problem. It’s a great example of a root cause analysis method that is simple for everyone on a team to get their head around. 

Participants in this activity are asked to annotate a diagram of a fish, first adding the problem or issue to be worked on at the head of a fish before then brainstorming the root causes of the problem and adding them as bones on the fish. 

Using abstractions such as a diagram of a fish can really help a team break out of their regular thinking and develop a creative approach.

Fishbone Analysis   #problem solving   ##root cause analysis   #decision making   #online facilitation   A process to help identify and understand the origins of problems, issues or observations.

12. Problem Tree 

Encouraging visual thinking can be an essential part of many strategies. By simply reframing and clarifying problems, a group can move towards developing a problem solving model that works for them. 

In Problem Tree, groups are asked to first brainstorm a list of problems – these can be design problems, team problems or larger business problems – and then organize them into a hierarchy. The hierarchy could be from most important to least important or abstract to practical, though the key thing with problem solving games that involve this aspect is that your group has some way of managing and sorting all the issues that are raised.

Once you have a list of problems that need to be solved and have organized them accordingly, you’re then well-positioned for the next problem solving steps.

Problem tree   #define intentions   #create   #design   #issue analysis   A problem tree is a tool to clarify the hierarchy of problems addressed by the team within a design project; it represents high level problems or related sublevel problems.

13. SWOT Analysis

Chances are you’ve heard of the SWOT Analysis before. This problem-solving method focuses on identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is a tried and tested method for both individuals and teams.

Start by creating a desired end state or outcome and bare this in mind – any process solving model is made more effective by knowing what you are moving towards. Create a quadrant made up of the four categories of a SWOT analysis and ask participants to generate ideas based on each of those quadrants.

Once you have those ideas assembled in their quadrants, cluster them together based on their affinity with other ideas. These clusters are then used to facilitate group conversations and move things forward. 

SWOT analysis   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   #meeting facilitation   The SWOT Analysis is a long-standing technique of looking at what we have, with respect to the desired end state, as well as what we could improve on. It gives us an opportunity to gauge approaching opportunities and dangers, and assess the seriousness of the conditions that affect our future. When we understand those conditions, we can influence what comes next.

14. Agreement-Certainty Matrix

Not every problem-solving approach is right for every challenge, and deciding on the right method for the challenge at hand is a key part of being an effective team.

The Agreement Certainty matrix helps teams align on the nature of the challenges facing them. By sorting problems from simple to chaotic, your team can understand what methods are suitable for each problem and what they can do to ensure effective results. 

If you are already using Liberating Structures techniques as part of your problem-solving strategy, the Agreement-Certainty Matrix can be an invaluable addition to your process. We’ve found it particularly if you are having issues with recurring problems in your organization and want to go deeper in understanding the root cause. 

Agreement-Certainty Matrix   #issue analysis   #liberating structures   #problem solving   You can help individuals or groups avoid the frequent mistake of trying to solve a problem with methods that are not adapted to the nature of their challenge. The combination of two questions makes it possible to easily sort challenges into four categories: simple, complicated, complex , and chaotic .  A problem is simple when it can be solved reliably with practices that are easy to duplicate.  It is complicated when experts are required to devise a sophisticated solution that will yield the desired results predictably.  A problem is complex when there are several valid ways to proceed but outcomes are not predictable in detail.  Chaotic is when the context is too turbulent to identify a path forward.  A loose analogy may be used to describe these differences: simple is like following a recipe, complicated like sending a rocket to the moon, complex like raising a child, and chaotic is like the game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.”  The Liberating Structures Matching Matrix in Chapter 5 can be used as the first step to clarify the nature of a challenge and avoid the mismatches between problems and solutions that are frequently at the root of chronic, recurring problems.

Organizing and charting a team’s progress can be important in ensuring its success. SQUID (Sequential Question and Insight Diagram) is a great model that allows a team to effectively switch between giving questions and answers and develop the skills they need to stay on track throughout the process. 

Begin with two different colored sticky notes – one for questions and one for answers – and with your central topic (the head of the squid) on the board. Ask the group to first come up with a series of questions connected to their best guess of how to approach the topic. Ask the group to come up with answers to those questions, fix them to the board and connect them with a line. After some discussion, go back to question mode by responding to the generated answers or other points on the board.

It’s rewarding to see a diagram grow throughout the exercise, and a completed SQUID can provide a visual resource for future effort and as an example for other teams.

SQUID   #gamestorming   #project planning   #issue analysis   #problem solving   When exploring an information space, it’s important for a group to know where they are at any given time. By using SQUID, a group charts out the territory as they go and can navigate accordingly. SQUID stands for Sequential Question and Insight Diagram.

16. Speed Boat

To continue with our nautical theme, Speed Boat is a short and sweet activity that can help a team quickly identify what employees, clients or service users might have a problem with and analyze what might be standing in the way of achieving a solution.

Methods that allow for a group to make observations, have insights and obtain those eureka moments quickly are invaluable when trying to solve complex problems.

In Speed Boat, the approach is to first consider what anchors and challenges might be holding an organization (or boat) back. Bonus points if you are able to identify any sharks in the water and develop ideas that can also deal with competitors!   

Speed Boat   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   Speedboat is a short and sweet way to identify what your employees or clients don’t like about your product/service or what’s standing in the way of a desired goal.

17. The Journalistic Six

Some of the most effective ways of solving problems is by encouraging teams to be more inclusive and diverse in their thinking.

Based on the six key questions journalism students are taught to answer in articles and news stories, The Journalistic Six helps create teams to see the whole picture. By using who, what, when, where, why, and how to facilitate the conversation and encourage creative thinking, your team can make sure that the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the are covered exhaustively and thoughtfully. Reporter’s notebook and dictaphone optional.

The Journalistic Six – Who What When Where Why How   #idea generation   #issue analysis   #problem solving   #online   #creative thinking   #remote-friendly   A questioning method for generating, explaining, investigating ideas.

18. LEGO Challenge

Now for an activity that is a little out of the (toy) box. LEGO Serious Play is a facilitation methodology that can be used to improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills. 

The LEGO Challenge includes giving each member of the team an assignment that is hidden from the rest of the group while they create a structure without speaking.

What the LEGO challenge brings to the table is a fun working example of working with stakeholders who might not be on the same page to solve problems. Also, it’s LEGO! Who doesn’t love LEGO! 

LEGO Challenge   #hyperisland   #team   A team-building activity in which groups must work together to build a structure out of LEGO, but each individual has a secret “assignment” which makes the collaborative process more challenging. It emphasizes group communication, leadership dynamics, conflict, cooperation, patience and problem solving strategy.

19. What, So What, Now What?

If not carefully managed, the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the problem-solving process can actually create more problems and misunderstandings.

The What, So What, Now What? problem-solving activity is designed to help collect insights and move forward while also eliminating the possibility of disagreement when it comes to identifying, clarifying, and analyzing organizational or work problems. 

Facilitation is all about bringing groups together so that might work on a shared goal and the best problem-solving strategies ensure that teams are aligned in purpose, if not initially in opinion or insight.

Throughout the three steps of this game, you give everyone on a team to reflect on a problem by asking what happened, why it is important, and what actions should then be taken. 

This can be a great activity for bringing our individual perceptions about a problem or challenge and contextualizing it in a larger group setting. This is one of the most important problem-solving skills you can bring to your organization.

W³ – What, So What, Now What?   #issue analysis   #innovation   #liberating structures   You can help groups reflect on a shared experience in a way that builds understanding and spurs coordinated action while avoiding unproductive conflict. It is possible for every voice to be heard while simultaneously sifting for insights and shaping new direction. Progressing in stages makes this practical—from collecting facts about What Happened to making sense of these facts with So What and finally to what actions logically follow with Now What . The shared progression eliminates most of the misunderstandings that otherwise fuel disagreements about what to do. Voila!

20. Journalists  

Problem analysis can be one of the most important and decisive stages of all problem-solving tools. Sometimes, a team can become bogged down in the details and are unable to move forward.

Journalists is an activity that can avoid a group from getting stuck in the problem identification or problem analysis stages of the process.

In Journalists, the group is invited to draft the front page of a fictional newspaper and figure out what stories deserve to be on the cover and what headlines those stories will have. By reframing how your problems and challenges are approached, you can help a team move productively through the process and be better prepared for the steps to follow.

Journalists   #vision   #big picture   #issue analysis   #remote-friendly   This is an exercise to use when the group gets stuck in details and struggles to see the big picture. Also good for defining a vision.

Problem-solving techniques for developing solutions 

The success of any problem-solving process can be measured by the solutions it produces. After you’ve defined the issue, explored existing ideas, and ideated, it’s time to narrow down to the correct solution.

Use these problem-solving techniques when you want to help your team find consensus, compare possible solutions, and move towards taking action on a particular problem.

  • Improved Solutions
  • Four-Step Sketch
  • 15% Solutions
  • How-Now-Wow matrix
  • Impact Effort Matrix

21. Mindspin  

Brainstorming is part of the bread and butter of the problem-solving process and all problem-solving strategies benefit from getting ideas out and challenging a team to generate solutions quickly. 

With Mindspin, participants are encouraged not only to generate ideas but to do so under time constraints and by slamming down cards and passing them on. By doing multiple rounds, your team can begin with a free generation of possible solutions before moving on to developing those solutions and encouraging further ideation. 

This is one of our favorite problem-solving activities and can be great for keeping the energy up throughout the workshop. Remember the importance of helping people become engaged in the process – energizing problem-solving techniques like Mindspin can help ensure your team stays engaged and happy, even when the problems they’re coming together to solve are complex. 

MindSpin   #teampedia   #idea generation   #problem solving   #action   A fast and loud method to enhance brainstorming within a team. Since this activity has more than round ideas that are repetitive can be ruled out leaving more creative and innovative answers to the challenge.

22. Improved Solutions

After a team has successfully identified a problem and come up with a few solutions, it can be tempting to call the work of the problem-solving process complete. That said, the first solution is not necessarily the best, and by including a further review and reflection activity into your problem-solving model, you can ensure your group reaches the best possible result. 

One of a number of problem-solving games from Thiagi Group, Improved Solutions helps you go the extra mile and develop suggested solutions with close consideration and peer review. By supporting the discussion of several problems at once and by shifting team roles throughout, this problem-solving technique is a dynamic way of finding the best solution. 

Improved Solutions   #creativity   #thiagi   #problem solving   #action   #team   You can improve any solution by objectively reviewing its strengths and weaknesses and making suitable adjustments. In this creativity framegame, you improve the solutions to several problems. To maintain objective detachment, you deal with a different problem during each of six rounds and assume different roles (problem owner, consultant, basher, booster, enhancer, and evaluator) during each round. At the conclusion of the activity, each player ends up with two solutions to her problem.

23. Four Step Sketch

Creative thinking and visual ideation does not need to be confined to the opening stages of your problem-solving strategies. Exercises that include sketching and prototyping on paper can be effective at the solution finding and development stage of the process, and can be great for keeping a team engaged. 

By going from simple notes to a crazy 8s round that involves rapidly sketching 8 variations on their ideas before then producing a final solution sketch, the group is able to iterate quickly and visually. Problem-solving techniques like Four-Step Sketch are great if you have a group of different thinkers and want to change things up from a more textual or discussion-based approach.

Four-Step Sketch   #design sprint   #innovation   #idea generation   #remote-friendly   The four-step sketch is an exercise that helps people to create well-formed concepts through a structured process that includes: Review key information Start design work on paper,  Consider multiple variations , Create a detailed solution . This exercise is preceded by a set of other activities allowing the group to clarify the challenge they want to solve. See how the Four Step Sketch exercise fits into a Design Sprint

24. 15% Solutions

Some problems are simpler than others and with the right problem-solving activities, you can empower people to take immediate actions that can help create organizational change. 

Part of the liberating structures toolkit, 15% solutions is a problem-solving technique that focuses on finding and implementing solutions quickly. A process of iterating and making small changes quickly can help generate momentum and an appetite for solving complex problems.

Problem-solving strategies can live and die on whether people are onboard. Getting some quick wins is a great way of getting people behind the process.   

It can be extremely empowering for a team to realize that problem-solving techniques can be deployed quickly and easily and delineate between things they can positively impact and those things they cannot change. 

15% Solutions   #action   #liberating structures   #remote-friendly   You can reveal the actions, however small, that everyone can do immediately. At a minimum, these will create momentum, and that may make a BIG difference.  15% Solutions show that there is no reason to wait around, feel powerless, or fearful. They help people pick it up a level. They get individuals and the group to focus on what is within their discretion instead of what they cannot change.  With a very simple question, you can flip the conversation to what can be done and find solutions to big problems that are often distributed widely in places not known in advance. Shifting a few grains of sand may trigger a landslide and change the whole landscape.

25. How-Now-Wow Matrix

The problem-solving process is often creative, as complex problems usually require a change of thinking and creative response in order to find the best solutions. While it’s common for the first stages to encourage creative thinking, groups can often gravitate to familiar solutions when it comes to the end of the process. 

When selecting solutions, you don’t want to lose your creative energy! The How-Now-Wow Matrix from Gamestorming is a great problem-solving activity that enables a group to stay creative and think out of the box when it comes to selecting the right solution for a given problem.

Problem-solving techniques that encourage creative thinking and the ideation and selection of new solutions can be the most effective in organisational change. Give the How-Now-Wow Matrix a go, and not just for how pleasant it is to say out loud. 

How-Now-Wow Matrix   #gamestorming   #idea generation   #remote-friendly   When people want to develop new ideas, they most often think out of the box in the brainstorming or divergent phase. However, when it comes to convergence, people often end up picking ideas that are most familiar to them. This is called a ‘creative paradox’ or a ‘creadox’. The How-Now-Wow matrix is an idea selection tool that breaks the creadox by forcing people to weigh each idea on 2 parameters.

26. Impact and Effort Matrix

All problem-solving techniques hope to not only find solutions to a given problem or challenge but to find the best solution. When it comes to finding a solution, groups are invited to put on their decision-making hats and really think about how a proposed idea would work in practice. 

The Impact and Effort Matrix is one of the problem-solving techniques that fall into this camp, empowering participants to first generate ideas and then categorize them into a 2×2 matrix based on impact and effort.

Activities that invite critical thinking while remaining simple are invaluable. Use the Impact and Effort Matrix to move from ideation and towards evaluating potential solutions before then committing to them. 

Impact and Effort Matrix   #gamestorming   #decision making   #action   #remote-friendly   In this decision-making exercise, possible actions are mapped based on two factors: effort required to implement and potential impact. Categorizing ideas along these lines is a useful technique in decision making, as it obliges contributors to balance and evaluate suggested actions before committing to them.

27. Dotmocracy

If you’ve followed each of the problem-solving steps with your group successfully, you should move towards the end of your process with heaps of possible solutions developed with a specific problem in mind. But how do you help a group go from ideation to putting a solution into action? 

Dotmocracy – or Dot Voting -is a tried and tested method of helping a team in the problem-solving process make decisions and put actions in place with a degree of oversight and consensus. 

One of the problem-solving techniques that should be in every facilitator’s toolbox, Dot Voting is fast and effective and can help identify the most popular and best solutions and help bring a group to a decision effectively. 

Dotmocracy   #action   #decision making   #group prioritization   #hyperisland   #remote-friendly   Dotmocracy is a simple method for group prioritization or decision-making. It is not an activity on its own, but a method to use in processes where prioritization or decision-making is the aim. The method supports a group to quickly see which options are most popular or relevant. The options or ideas are written on post-its and stuck up on a wall for the whole group to see. Each person votes for the options they think are the strongest, and that information is used to inform a decision.

All facilitators know that warm-ups and icebreakers are useful for any workshop or group process. Problem-solving workshops are no different.

Use these problem-solving techniques to warm up a group and prepare them for the rest of the process. Activating your group by tapping into some of the top problem-solving skills can be one of the best ways to see great outcomes from your session.

  • Check-in/Check-out
  • Doodling Together
  • Show and Tell
  • Constellations
  • Draw a Tree

28. Check-in / Check-out

Solid processes are planned from beginning to end, and the best facilitators know that setting the tone and establishing a safe, open environment can be integral to a successful problem-solving process.

Check-in / Check-out is a great way to begin and/or bookend a problem-solving workshop. Checking in to a session emphasizes that everyone will be seen, heard, and expected to contribute. 

If you are running a series of meetings, setting a consistent pattern of checking in and checking out can really help your team get into a groove. We recommend this opening-closing activity for small to medium-sized groups though it can work with large groups if they’re disciplined!

Check-in / Check-out   #team   #opening   #closing   #hyperisland   #remote-friendly   Either checking-in or checking-out is a simple way for a team to open or close a process, symbolically and in a collaborative way. Checking-in/out invites each member in a group to be present, seen and heard, and to express a reflection or a feeling. Checking-in emphasizes presence, focus and group commitment; checking-out emphasizes reflection and symbolic closure.

29. Doodling Together  

Thinking creatively and not being afraid to make suggestions are important problem-solving skills for any group or team, and warming up by encouraging these behaviors is a great way to start. 

Doodling Together is one of our favorite creative ice breaker games – it’s quick, effective, and fun and can make all following problem-solving steps easier by encouraging a group to collaborate visually. By passing cards and adding additional items as they go, the workshop group gets into a groove of co-creation and idea development that is crucial to finding solutions to problems. 

Doodling Together   #collaboration   #creativity   #teamwork   #fun   #team   #visual methods   #energiser   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   Create wild, weird and often funny postcards together & establish a group’s creative confidence.

30. Show and Tell

You might remember some version of Show and Tell from being a kid in school and it’s a great problem-solving activity to kick off a session.

Asking participants to prepare a little something before a workshop by bringing an object for show and tell can help them warm up before the session has even begun! Games that include a physical object can also help encourage early engagement before moving onto more big-picture thinking.

By asking your participants to tell stories about why they chose to bring a particular item to the group, you can help teams see things from new perspectives and see both differences and similarities in the way they approach a topic. Great groundwork for approaching a problem-solving process as a team! 

Show and Tell   #gamestorming   #action   #opening   #meeting facilitation   Show and Tell taps into the power of metaphors to reveal players’ underlying assumptions and associations around a topic The aim of the game is to get a deeper understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives on anything—a new project, an organizational restructuring, a shift in the company’s vision or team dynamic.

31. Constellations

Who doesn’t love stars? Constellations is a great warm-up activity for any workshop as it gets people up off their feet, energized, and ready to engage in new ways with established topics. It’s also great for showing existing beliefs, biases, and patterns that can come into play as part of your session.

Using warm-up games that help build trust and connection while also allowing for non-verbal responses can be great for easing people into the problem-solving process and encouraging engagement from everyone in the group. Constellations is great in large spaces that allow for movement and is definitely a practical exercise to allow the group to see patterns that are otherwise invisible. 

Constellations   #trust   #connection   #opening   #coaching   #patterns   #system   Individuals express their response to a statement or idea by standing closer or further from a central object. Used with teams to reveal system, hidden patterns, perspectives.

32. Draw a Tree

Problem-solving games that help raise group awareness through a central, unifying metaphor can be effective ways to warm-up a group in any problem-solving model.

Draw a Tree is a simple warm-up activity you can use in any group and which can provide a quick jolt of energy. Start by asking your participants to draw a tree in just 45 seconds – they can choose whether it will be abstract or realistic. 

Once the timer is up, ask the group how many people included the roots of the tree and use this as a means to discuss how we can ignore important parts of any system simply because they are not visible.

All problem-solving strategies are made more effective by thinking of problems critically and by exposing things that may not normally come to light. Warm-up games like Draw a Tree are great in that they quickly demonstrate some key problem-solving skills in an accessible and effective way.

Draw a Tree   #thiagi   #opening   #perspectives   #remote-friendly   With this game you can raise awarness about being more mindful, and aware of the environment we live in.

Each step of the problem-solving workshop benefits from an intelligent deployment of activities, games, and techniques. Bringing your session to an effective close helps ensure that solutions are followed through on and that you also celebrate what has been achieved.

Here are some problem-solving activities you can use to effectively close a workshop or meeting and ensure the great work you’ve done can continue afterward.

  • One Breath Feedback
  • Who What When Matrix
  • Response Cards

How do I conclude a problem-solving process?

All good things must come to an end. With the bulk of the work done, it can be tempting to conclude your workshop swiftly and without a moment to debrief and align. This can be problematic in that it doesn’t allow your team to fully process the results or reflect on the process.

At the end of an effective session, your team will have gone through a process that, while productive, can be exhausting. It’s important to give your group a moment to take a breath, ensure that they are clear on future actions, and provide short feedback before leaving the space. 

The primary purpose of any problem-solving method is to generate solutions and then implement them. Be sure to take the opportunity to ensure everyone is aligned and ready to effectively implement the solutions you produced in the workshop.

Remember that every process can be improved and by giving a short moment to collect feedback in the session, you can further refine your problem-solving methods and see further success in the future too.

33. One Breath Feedback

Maintaining attention and focus during the closing stages of a problem-solving workshop can be tricky and so being concise when giving feedback can be important. It’s easy to incur “death by feedback” should some team members go on for too long sharing their perspectives in a quick feedback round. 

One Breath Feedback is a great closing activity for workshops. You give everyone an opportunity to provide feedback on what they’ve done but only in the space of a single breath. This keeps feedback short and to the point and means that everyone is encouraged to provide the most important piece of feedback to them. 

One breath feedback   #closing   #feedback   #action   This is a feedback round in just one breath that excels in maintaining attention: each participants is able to speak during just one breath … for most people that’s around 20 to 25 seconds … unless of course you’ve been a deep sea diver in which case you’ll be able to do it for longer.

34. Who What When Matrix 

Matrices feature as part of many effective problem-solving strategies and with good reason. They are easily recognizable, simple to use, and generate results.

The Who What When Matrix is a great tool to use when closing your problem-solving session by attributing a who, what and when to the actions and solutions you have decided upon. The resulting matrix is a simple, easy-to-follow way of ensuring your team can move forward. 

Great solutions can’t be enacted without action and ownership. Your problem-solving process should include a stage for allocating tasks to individuals or teams and creating a realistic timeframe for those solutions to be implemented or checked out. Use this method to keep the solution implementation process clear and simple for all involved. 

Who/What/When Matrix   #gamestorming   #action   #project planning   With Who/What/When matrix, you can connect people with clear actions they have defined and have committed to.

35. Response cards

Group discussion can comprise the bulk of most problem-solving activities and by the end of the process, you might find that your team is talked out! 

Providing a means for your team to give feedback with short written notes can ensure everyone is head and can contribute without the need to stand up and talk. Depending on the needs of the group, giving an alternative can help ensure everyone can contribute to your problem-solving model in the way that makes the most sense for them.

Response Cards is a great way to close a workshop if you are looking for a gentle warm-down and want to get some swift discussion around some of the feedback that is raised. 

Response Cards   #debriefing   #closing   #structured sharing   #questions and answers   #thiagi   #action   It can be hard to involve everyone during a closing of a session. Some might stay in the background or get unheard because of louder participants. However, with the use of Response Cards, everyone will be involved in providing feedback or clarify questions at the end of a session.

Save time and effort discovering the right solutions

A structured problem solving process is a surefire way of solving tough problems, discovering creative solutions and driving organizational change. But how can you design for successful outcomes?

With SessionLab, it’s easy to design engaging workshops that deliver results. Drag, drop and reorder blocks  to build your agenda. When you make changes or update your agenda, your session  timing   adjusts automatically , saving you time on manual adjustments.

Collaborating with stakeholders or clients? Share your agenda with a single click and collaborate in real-time. No more sending documents back and forth over email.

Explore  how to use SessionLab  to design effective problem solving workshops or  watch this five minute video  to see the planner in action!

problem solving and creativity exercises

Over to you

The problem-solving process can often be as complicated and multifaceted as the problems they are set-up to solve. With the right problem-solving techniques and a mix of creative exercises designed to guide discussion and generate purposeful ideas, we hope we’ve given you the tools to find the best solutions as simply and easily as possible.

Is there a problem-solving technique that you are missing here? Do you have a favorite activity or method you use when facilitating? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you! 

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problem solving and creativity exercises

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29 brainstorming techniques: effective ways to spark creativity

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Bright ideas don’t come as easily as flicking on a light. 

When it’s up to one individual to dream up a solution, it can be time-consuming and cause a lot of pressure. And when it comes to a group of people tasked with solving a problem, ideas might clash. Not to mention, everyone has a preferred method for their creative madness, making it difficult to get every team members’ wheels turning in the same direction.

That’s where brainstorming techniques come in. These techniques provide structure for brainstorming sessions, ignite creativity across all brainstormers, and ensure your ideas come to fruition. And luckily, there are lots of effective brainstorming techniques to choose from. 

What is brainstorming?

Here’s a general brainstorming definition: it’s an approach taken by an individual or team to solve a problem or generate new ideas for the improvement of a product, organization, or strategy. 

No matter your preferred method, most brainstorming techniques involve three steps:

Capture ideas

Discuss and critique the ideas

Choose which ideas to execute

Every brainstorming technique also involves the same ingredients. All you need is an individual or group of people, a problem to solve or an opportunity to address, and time. 

Brainstorming challenges

The golden rule of all brainstorming sessions is quantity over quality. The more ideas you have, the better your chances are that one will be worthy of execution. For these reasons, especially in group brainstorming sessions, be sure all team members check their criticisms at the door and let it be known that the only bad ideas are no ideas. 

Of course, not every brainstorming session will go off without a hitch. Some common brainstorming challenges include:

Unbalanced conversations, sometimes due to extroverts dominating discussions

The anchoring effect, meaning brainstormers cling to the first few ideas shared and don’t move on to others

Awkward silences, which often occur when participants are not prepared 

Perhaps you’ve experienced some of these uncomfortable brainstorming sessions yourself. Thankfully, there are plenty of tried-and-true, and also some unorthodox, brainstorming techniques and tools that tackle just these issues.

Analytic brainstorming techniques

Analytic brainstorming techniques

When you need to look at an idea from all angles or vet a problem thoroughly, analytic brainstorming techniques might be worth implementing. Consider the following brainstorming methods and tools to generate and qualify ideas.

1. Starbursting  

A visual brainstorming technique, starbursting should be used once you or your team of brainstormers has homed in on a single idea. To begin starbursting, put an idea on the middle of a whiteboard and draw a six-point star around it. Each point will represent a question:

Consider every question and how it might pertain to your idea, such as, “Who will want to buy this product?” or, “When will we need to launch this program?” This will help you explore scenarios or roadblocks you hadn’t considered before.

Best for: large group brainstorms, vetting ideas thoroughly

2. The five whys, a.k.a. why analysis

Similar to starbursting, the five whys brainstorming technique helps you evaluate the strength of an idea. Challenge yourself to ask “why” questions about a topic or idea at least five times and consider what new problems you surface—and, importantly, note how you can address them. To help organize your thoughts, consider using a flowchart or fishbone diagram in hand with this brainstorming technique.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, vetting ideas thoroughly

3. SWOT analysis

You might be familiar with SWOT analysis as it relates to strategic planning , and you might also be surprised to know that this concept can also be applied as a brainstorming exercise to help qualify an idea. The notion? Discuss the following aspects of your topic to determine whether it’s worth executing: 

Strengths : how does the idea dominate or stand out from competitors?

Weakness : are there any flaws in the idea that could jeopardize its execution?

Opportunities : what else can you capitalize on based on this idea?

Threats : what are potential downfalls that could arise if the idea is launched?

4. How Now Wow  

The How Now Wow brainstorming technique is all about categorizing ideas based on how unique they are and how easy they are to implement. Once you’ve collected several ideas, either individually or from team members, talk through where they fall in the How Now Wow spectrum:

How ideas are ideas that are original but not executable. 

Now ideas are unoriginal ideas that are easily executable.

Wow ideas are never-been-pitched before ideas that are also easy to implement.

Obviously, you want as many “Wow” ideas as possible since these are executable but also because they might set you apart from competitors or dispel monotony in a company. To help organize your ideas, consider using a matrix of four squares with difficulty weighted on the Y-axis and innovation on the X-axis. 

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, homing in on an executable solution

5. Drivers analysis

Just as the name implies, driver analysis is a brainstorming technique that analyzes the drivers or “causes” of a problem. To use this brainstorming technique, simply keep asking yourself or your team of brainstormers: “What’s driving [insert problem]?” and then, “What’s driving [insert answer to the previous question]?” Similar to why analysis, the deeper you dig into a problem, the more well-vetted it will be and the more confident you will be in executing solutions for those problems. 

6. Mind mapping

Another visual brainstorming technique, mind mapping addresses the anchoring effect—a common brainstorming challenge where brainstormers fixate on the first ideas instead of coming up with new ones. Mind mapping does this by using the first idea to inspire other ideas. 

You’ll need a large piece of paper or whiteboard to do this. Begin by writing down a topic and then drawing lines connecting tangential ideas to it. This essentially helps you paint a picture of your topic at hand and what might impact its execution or even expedite it.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, visual thinkers

7. Gap filling, a.k.a. gap analysis

When you’re struggling with how to execute an idea, that’s where gap filling comes in—to address the obstacles standing in your way. Begin by starting with a statement of where you are and then a statement of where you want to be. For example, “Our company creates smart watches; we want to expand our portfolio to also include fitness trackers.”

It’s worth writing these out on a large piece of paper or a whiteboard for all of your brainstormers to see, perhaps using a flowchart or mind map to do so. Then, list obstacles that are preventing you from getting where you want to be and work through solutions for each of them. By the end of your brainstorming session, you should have a clearer plan of how to get where you want to be. 

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, visual thinkers, honing in on an executable solution

Quiet async brainstorming techniques

Quiet brainstorming techniques

Best for businesses that are crunched for time or teams with more introverted individuals, these quiet brainstorming techniques allow brainstormers to contribute ideas on their own time and often anonymously. Look to the following methods to get your creative juices flowing, especially for remote teams with frequent virtual meetings .   

8. Brainwriting, a.k.a. slip writing

A nonverbal and in-person brainstorming technique, brainwriting addresses the brainstorming challenge of unbalanced conversations head-on. That’s because it requires participation and teamwork from every brainstormer, beginning with each person writing down three ideas relating to a topic on three separate slips of paper. Then everyone passes their ideas to the right or left and their neighbor builds on those ideas, adding bullet points and considerations. 

The slips of paper continue to be passed around the table until they’ve made it all the way around. Then, the brainstorm facilitator can digest all of the ideas themselves, or the brainstormers can discuss each idea out loud and determine what’s worth pursuing. Pro tip: limit this brainstorming technique to no more than 10 people to not be overwhelmed with ideas or time constraints.

Best for: group brainstorms and introverted team members

9. Collaborative brainwriting

You can think of collaborative brainwriting like a herd of cows grazing in a field, except it’s brainstormers grazing on ideas throughout a week, anonymously jotting down thoughts or ideas. Oftentimes a brainstorming facilitator will kick off this technique by posting a large piece of paper, sticky notes, or sharing a cloud-based document to jot down a few brainstorming ideas.

From there, team members can build off of those ideas on their own time and anonymously provide feedback. Be sure to set a clear deadline of when the brainstorming session closes to ensure all brainstormers have an opportunity to chime in.

Best for: individual brainstorming 

10. Brain-netting, a.k.a. online brainstorming

Great for remote teams, brain-netting is essentially a place for a team to brain dump their own ideas, whether that’s a Slack channel, Google Doc, or your project management tool . 

The notion is that brainstormers can add ideas whenever inspiration strikes and that the list will be ever-evolving. Of course, the team leader might want to inform their team of brainstormers of any important dates or deadlines when they need solutions to a problem. They may also want to hold a meeting to discuss the ideas. All brainstormers’ identities can be left anonymous even in the meeting. 

Best for: group brainstorms, introverted team members, remote teams

11. SCAMPER  

The SCAMPER brainstorming technique encourages brainstormers to look at an idea from different angles and it uses its acronym to inspire each lens: 

Substitute : consider what would happen if you swapped one facet of a solution for another.

Combine : consider what would happen if you combined one facet of a solution with another.

Adapt : consider how you could adapt an idea or solution in a new context.

Modify : consider how you can modify an idea to make it higher impact.

Put to another use : consider how else you could leverage your idea.

Eliminate : consider what you could remove from the idea or solution so that it’s simplified.

Reverse effective : finally, consider how you could reorganize an idea to make it most effective . 

When used in a group brainstorming session, you might want to use templates to track responses or pair the SCAMPER method with a brainwriting session to encourage all brainstormers to evaluate ideas from every angle. 

12. Lightning Decision Jam

Known as LDJ for short, the Lightning Decision Jam brainstorming technique requires 40 minutes to one hour to complete. What will you have by the end? Tangible results and buy-in from an entire team of brainstormers. 

This brainstorming technique is great for remote team alignment . It all begins with writing down positives about a topic or what’s working regarding the topic, then writing down negatives and identifying what needs to be addressed most urgently. This is followed by a few minutes of reframing problems as questions, then brainstorming solutions for those problems. 

Finally, your team uses a matrix to determine how high impact and how high effort your solutions are to decide which ideas are worth pursuing. For a more robust explanation of LDJ, watch this video by design agency AJ&Smart, which created the brainstorming technique. 

Best for: group brainstorms, remote workforces, tight deadlines, honing in on an executable solution

13. The idea napkin

Similar to LDJ, the idea napkin is essentially a brainstorming template that distills a broad topic into tangible solutions. How it works: Every brainstormer has an “idea napkin” that they commit one idea to, beginning by writing down their idea, as well as an elevator pitch for it. 

The idea napkin also includes a column for who the idea is targeting—meaning who you’re solving a problem for (customers, teammates, etc.)—and a column noting what problems your idea addresses. Brainstormers can fill out their napkins ahead of or during a brainstorming session, each is expected to present or share them. The final ideas will be placed on an impact and effort matrix to determine which are worth pursuing. 

Best for: group brainstorms, honing in on an executable solution

Roleplaying brainstorm techniques

Roleplay brainstorming techniques

Drama lovers rejoice! These roleplay brainstorming techniques encourage brainstormers to figuratively walk in someone else’s shoes or put on their hat—or six hats, in one instance—to address a problem or dream up ideas from a new perspective. An added benefit of this? When brainstormers take on a personality that’s not their own, it lowers inhibitions since it’s technically not their point of view being brought to the table.

14. Six thinking hats

This brainstorming technique requires a minimum of six brainstormers to wear imaginary hats—hence the name— that require them to look solely at an idea from one specific angle. For instance, one brainstormer might be wearing an impact hat and only concern themselves with the impact of an idea and another might be wearing a constraints hat and only looking at the constraints of an idea. 

You can pick and choose which angles are most important to your organization. And by the end of the group discussion, the whole brainstorming group should be able to hang their hats feeling confident about the ideas you’ll pursue.

Best for: group brainstorms (six or more people), introverted team members, vetting ideas thoroughly

15. Figure storming

Ever heard the phrase, “What would Abe do?” That’s pretty much the premise of this brainstorming technique in that brainstormers take on the identity of a famous or prominent figure, whether that’s a leader or celebrity, and put themselves in their brain space and how they’d approach an idea. 

This helps teams look at a topic through a different lens and, in the case of group brainstorms, alleviates any nervousness that brainstormers will put out bad ideas. Because they’re not putting out their ideas—they’re sharing someone else’s. So go on and give yourself a new job title for the day.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, extroverted team members

16. Role storming  

Role storming is similar to figure storming in that brainstormers take on different personalities to dream up ideas, but with one dramatic twist—brainstormers act out those ideas. 

Generally, brainstormers are asked to take on the role of an average person who will be affected by the idea or solution in question, whether that’s an employee, client, or another party, and they act out a scenario that could stem from the idea to help them decipher what problems might arise from it. Consider this brainstorming technique for more extroverted teams. 

Best for: group brainstorms, extroverted team members

17. Reverse brainstorming

Reverse brainstorming is grounded in a little bit of chaos. It encourages brainstormers to play the role of disruptors by brainstorming problems first and then solutions. To kick off the brainstorming questions, a team leader will usually ask, “How do we cause [insert problem]?”

Once your team has listed the causes, they’ll have a new and different perspective for coming up with solutions to problems. 

Best for: group brainstorms, idea generation, problem-solving

18. Reverse thinking

Reverse thinking is a bit of a mashup of the figure storming and six thinking hats brainstorming techniques. It encourages brainstormers to merely ask themselves, “What would someone else do in this situation?” Then, it prompts them to think through why that person’s solution would work or not and if your current solution is more effective. 

Best for: group brainstorms, extroverted team members, vetting ideas thoroughly

Group brainstorm techniques

Group brainstorming techniques

Most brainstorming techniques can be applied to groups of brainstormers, but these specific brainstorming techniques promote (and some even require) participation from everyone. When facilitated well, group brainstorming techniques not only yield more ideas but they can also:

Boost team morale through lighthearted brainstorming games and by involving participation in every step of the brainstorming process

Promote creative thinking, especially when brainstormers are given time to prepare their ideas and  a structured approach to solve problems

Bring more diverse ideas together, thanks to the unique perspective each brainstormer has and their individual strengths

All this to say, group brainstorming techniques are all about putting people’s heads together. 

19. Eidetic image method

The eidetic image method is grounded in setting intentions, and it begins with group members all closing their eyes to do just that. For example, if a company is setting out to design a new smartwatch, the brainstorming facilitator would encourage all brainstormers to close their eyes and quietly meditate on what smartwatches currently look like. 

Then the group would discuss and close their eyes once more and quietly imagine new features to add to the device. They’d all open their eyes and discuss again, essentially layering on the possibilities for enhancing a product. This brainstorming technique is ideal for revamping or building on an existing product or solution. 

Best for: visual thinkers, creating an idea anew

20. Rapid ideation

Great for teams that get sidetracked or have difficulty staying focused in meetings, the rapid ideation brainstorming technique encourages brainstormers to race against a clock and come up with as many ideas as possible—and importantly, not take themselves too seriously. This can be done by having brainstormers shout out ideas to a facilitator or write them on a piece of paper. You might find that some of the same ideas keep popping up, which likely means those are worth pursuing. 

Best for: extroverted team members, tight deadlines

21. Round-robin brainstorming

Participation is required for the round-robin brainstorming technique. Everyone must contribute at least one idea before the entire group can give feedback or share a second idea.

Given the requirement that everyone must share an idea, it’s best to allow brainstormers time to prepare ideas before each round-robin brainstorming session. This brainstorming technique is great for introverted team members and also for larger groups to ensure everyone can contribute. Moreover, the round-robin brainstorming technique also promotes the notion that the only bad idea is no idea. 

Best for: introverted team members and developing a surplus of ideas

22. Step-ladder brainstorming

Ideal for medium-sized groups of five to 15 people, the step-ladder brainstorming technique prevents ideas from being influenced by the loudest brainstormers of a group. 

Here’s how it works: A brainstorming facilitator introduces a topic to their group of brainstormers and then dismisses all but two brainstormers from the room. The two brainstormers left in the room discuss their ideas for a few minutes and then one brainstormer is welcomed back into the room and shares their ideas before the original two brainstormers divulge their ideas. 

Brainstormers are added back into the room one by one, with each new brainstormer sharing their ideas before the rest of the group divulges theirs, and so forth. Once the entire brainstorming group is back in the room, it’s time to discuss the ideas they’ve built together, step by step. 

Best for: introverted team members, vetting ideas thoroughly, honing in on an executable solution

23. Charrette

You might want to book a few rooms for this one. The charette brainstorming technique helps break up a problem into smaller chunks and also breaks up your brainstormers into separate teams to address them. 

For instance, you might reserve three rooms, write a topic or problem on a whiteboard, and have three sets of brainstormers walk into those rooms to jot down their ideas. Then, the sets of brainstormers rotate rooms and build off of the ideas of the group that was there before them. Consider it effective teamwork at its best.

Best for: vetting ideas thoroughly, honing in on an executable solution

More brainstorming techniques

For more unconventional approaches to get your individual or your team’s wheels turning, consider adding some of these brainstorming techniques to your arsenal of ways to ideate. 

24. ‘What if’ brainstorming

A very off-the-cuff brainstorming technique, “what if” brainstorming is as simple as throwing out as many “what if” questions surrounding a topic as possible, similar to the rapid ideation brainstorming technique. For instance, “what if this problem occurred in a different country,” or, “what if this problem occurred in the 1800s?” 

Walking through the scenarios might help spur new obstacles pertaining to your problem. Essentially, the “what if” brainstorming technique helps your team evaluate all the possibilities.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, creating an idea anew, vetting ideas thoroughly

25. Change of scenery  

It’s no secret that physical surroundings can impact your team workflow and even creativity. When your brainstorming session is in a rut, consider relocating to another location, perhaps a park, a walking meeting, or even a coffee shop.

Being in a new setting might spur new ideas and even loosen up your brainstormers so that they’re more open to sharing ideas and helping you achieve quantity over quality.  

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, creating an idea anew

26. Random word picker

As this name implies, this brainstorming technique is a little random. Begin by tossing words into a hat and then pull them out and discuss how they relate to your brainstorming topic at hand. You may want to use a template to keep track of your thoughts and any new ideas the word association sparks.

To further organize your thoughts, consider pairing this brainstorming technique with word banking, meaning categorizing random words together and then drawing associations between their category and the brainstorming topic. 

Best for: group brainstorms, creating an idea anew

27. Storyboarding

Turns out, storyboarding isn’t only for television and film. You can also apply this as a brainstorming technique, meaning illustrating or drawing a problem and possible solutions. Consider it another way to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, especially those your solution impacts. It’s also a means to visualize any roadblocks you might experience when executing a solution. 

Best for: individual or group brainstorms, problem-solving, vetting ideas thoroughly

28. Wishing

Wishing is as simple as it sounds: You just wish for the solution you want to build. Think: “I wish our company was carbon neutral,” and then think of the possible ways in which you could achieve this, as well as areas that might be impossible to address for this. This will help uncover obstacles you might face and maybe even shed light on what you’re capable of overcoming. 

Best for: individual or group brainstorms, creating an idea anew

29. Crazy eights

A short and fun brainstorming technique, crazy eights delivers on quantity by encouraging brainstormers to think quickly using a template that has eight boxes and only eight minutes on the clock to sketch out eight ideas. Once the timer stops, the group discusses their ideas. 

For a larger group, consider having each brainstormer narrow in on only three ideas and give them a longer time limit of six minutes to sketch them out in more detail.

Best for: group brainstorms, visual thinkers, developing a surplus of ideas

8 tips for a productive brainstorming session

No matter which brainstorming technique is right for you and your team, consider the following best practices to brainstorm most effectively . Of course, it all begins with the brainstorming facilitator and how they set the tone for the session.

1. Allow time to prep 

A brainstorming facilitator isn’t the only one in a brainstorming session who needs time to prepare for a meeting . They also should give brainstormers some context ahead of the session, such as in the form of a meeting agenda , to get in the correct mindset for the brainstorming session. 

At least one day is standard but as little as two to 10 minutes is useful. Moreover, brainstorming facilitators should also have a few ideas in their back pocket for any creative ruts that might creep in.

2. Set a clear intention

The more context you can provide brainstormers from the get-go, the more fruitful ideas they can produce. For instance, clearly spell out what types of ideas you’re looking for. Whether it’s quickly executable ones or ones that are entirely pathbreaking, identify specific targets to address. 

Additionally, be sure to let brainstormers know of any constraints you or your organization is operating under, including project timelines or budgets, so they’re generating executable ideas.

3. Invite new teammates and ideas

When the same people brainstorm together over and over, they can tend to produce the same ideas over and over. For this reason, consider introducing new people to your brainstorming session to shake up the usual and lend a fresh perspective—and hopefully fresh ideas—to your brainstorming topics. Invitees can be colleagues from different departments, customers or clients for a focus group, or an outside consultant.

4. Promote inclusivity

Every brainstorming session should be considered a safe space to share ideas—even unconventional ones. Remember, the only bad ideas are no ideas, and any idea shared shouldn’t be shot down or judged. In addition, the brainstorm facilitator should ensure every brainstormer is treated equally and given the same amount of time to talk. This might mean setting a timer for each brainstormer to talk and acknowledging those who are dominating conversations. Likewise, every brainstormer should be open and curious to ideas.

5. Think out of the box

Creative thinking begins with not taking ourselves too seriously. Just as you encourage inclusivity, encourage imperfections and out-of-the-box thinking, too. This could include anything from fun team building games to unique icebreaker questions. Hey, even a bevy of silly ideas to build off of is better than no ideas at all. Brainstorming techniques like wishing can encourage team members to open up.

6. Amplify creativity with music

Similar to how a change of scenery can inspire new ideas, even a little background music can promote creativity. Consider putting some on for your brainstorming session, and for the best results ensure it’s:

Instrumental

In a major key

On a fixed tempo and volume

7. Mix and match brainstorming techniques

Just as brainstorming techniques aren’t necessarily one-size-fits-all, they also aren’t all one-type-fits-every-session. Be prepared to pivot your brainstorming technique depending on what your group of brainstormers is most receptive to and also how many ideas you're juggling. 

8. Execute your ideas 

Coming up with bright ideas is great. But they’re pretty useless unless you effectively execute them. While some brainstorming techniques build the execution process into them, others might require you to follow up with brainstormers using project templates to map out a plan using creative solutions. 

Brainstorming is about quantity over quality

When done right, a brainstorming session shouldn’t feel like a chore but rather an opportunity to create something together, especially when your brainstorming technique supports different styles of thinking and expression. 

And whether you're operating as an individual or on a team, there’s something uniquely satisfying about seeing your ideas come to fruition. Get the creative ideas flowing, then customize your workflow management tool to turn those ideas into action. 

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Problem Solving Activities to Improve Team Creativity

Problem Solving Activities to Improve Creativity

“Every problem has a solution. You just have to be creative enough to find it.”                                                                                                               – Travis Kalanick

Problem-solving is a skill that undoubtedly comes into play to improve creativity, execute and deliver projects delightfully. Strong problem-solving skills to improve creativity is a crucial asset for any team. Whether you’re a manager or fresher, easy problem-solving tactics will help you glide over tough decision-making faster and approach problems smartly.

For example, in project management, your team might find itself questioning things like “How would we handle tight deadlines while maintaining the quality consistently?” or “How do we ensure that we effectively track progress on multiple projects?”.

These are common challenges that are bound to arise on the job. However, being prepared and having the ability to handle difficult or unexpected situations is what will guide you to the end.

Luckily, there are many ways to develop problem-solving skills to create innovative solutions. Here’s how one can rewire the brain for problem solving and creativity. Let’s start with the basics!

What Are Problem Solving Activities?

Simply put, problem-solving activities are activities that help in building the capability to solve problems and overcome challenges. While finding effective solutions to complex problems isn’t easy, a step-by-step process of solving the problem at hand ensures that you implement the most effective solution.

One can resolve almost any problem by using the right techniques learned through various problem-solving exercises. All processes of problem-solving begin with identifying and defining the problem. Thereafter, one evaluates the possible course of action and selects the best approach for solving the problem.

For example, if you are starting an online store and have listed down all possible problems that can arise in the process, with the right problem-solving techniques you cannot only eliminate those issues but also can bring out the best possible solution to help you scale and grow. 

Problem-solving activities are highly sought-after activities that help in imbibing key problem-solving skills.

Let’s take a look at these skills.

  • Analytical skills
  • Adaptability, Quick thinking ability
  • Logical reasoning
  • Communication skills
  • Perseverance, Motivation skills
  • Collaboration
  • Team skills
  • Cooperation
  • Decision-making skills, Leadership skills
  • Visual perception skills
  • Critical thinking skills, Negotiation skills

Read More: Excel in Project Execution With These 5 Surefire Tips

The Importance of Developing Problem Solving Skills in Today’s Workplace

You may question: How will I benefit from developing problem-solving skills in my team members? Are these skills important for my team to attain business goals?

Well, have you ever found yourself saying, “Let’s think outside the box for this project” to your team? We are certain that you have, and that is exactly why you need to understand what it takes to level up your team’s ability to convert problems into actionable solutions for the team to succeed together. After all, company performance is closely tied to improving team members’ problem-solving skills.

Good problem-solving skills encourage quick and creative thinking, leading to better decision-making and ultimately increased company growth. Teams and leaders who approach problems thoughtfully perform better and find realistic solutions.

Let’s take a step back and understand ‘ What it takes ?’ to level up your team’s ability to convert problems into actionable solutions.

The secret to a thriving business lies in solving problems effectively. This is where good teams outshine the mediocre ones, isn’t it?

So how do the good teams do it?

Good teams approach problems in a fresh and creative manner at every step of the way. They have learned how to generate ideas and come up with out-of-the-box solutions. 

Guess what they have mastered?

Yes, problem-solving skills!

Here are a few advantages that you should expect from your teams that have acquired problem-solving skills:

1. Better risk handling

Managing risk means acknowledging that undesired or uncertain events may occur at any stage of the process. Problem-solving skills help in being confident of your capability to turn risks into opportunities by going beyond the expected.

2. Better communication

Problem-solving skills equip you with solving issues in a way that minimizes accusations and brings about a resolution regarding the problem. This efficient approach helps foster intra-team communication eventually leading to better understanding.

3. Improved productivity output

Adopting problem-solving techniques at the workplace has a positive impact on total productivity . Problem-solving skills help in implementing solutions in an effective and timely manner without any hindrance.

4. A proactive mindset

A proactive mindset enables identifying and executing the solution to a specific problem. Defining, generating, evaluating, and selecting the best solution is possible only when one has mastered the problem-solving skill.

Remember that not all problems are the same. Moreover, it is unlikely that the same solution will work each time for a particular problem. Scope and type of problems will vary according to the size, type, and goals of an organization. Likewise, solutions will be different for each. Thus, problem-solving skills are absolutely invaluable at the workplace.

20 Fun Problem Solving Activities to Improve Creativity

Problem-solving activities help in developing the skill of problem-solving by practicing exercises to equip a team or an individual with a convincing ability to handle and overcome problems and challenges. The below activities guide through the set of actions, approaches, and processes that one should undertake for devising strategies for solving a problem creatively.

1. Dumbest Idea First

Helps With: Creative problem solving

Why is creative problem solving important for problem-solving?

Creative problem solving allows you to relax your assumptions and approach a problem in an imaginative, unconventional way. The skill focuses on divergent thinking, thus redefining problem-solving.

What you’ll need: Nothing!

Directions:

Yes, this is an important activity for problem-solving. Encourage everyone to voice the absolute random and dumb solution to the problem in front of them. Who knows, you might just get an idea that can be shaped into an effective solution.

Come to think of it, most successful start-up ideas once seemed like the dumbest!

2. 40-20-10-5 

Helps With: Analytical skill

Why is an analytical skill important for problem-solving?

Analytical skill helps in assessing information and finding solutions using knowledge, facts, and data. This skill ensures that any solutions you implement are backed up logically and have been adequately thought out.

To apply this rule, explain your problem in 40 words. Cut it down to 20, then to 10, and finally to 5 words. This 5-word problem statement is the root of your problem and maybe even the solution!

3. Brainstorm Ideas

Helps With: Lateral Thinking

Why is Lateral Thinking important for problem-solving?

Lateral Thinking involves generating ideas using an indirect and creative approach that is not immediately obvious. It deals in insight restructuring and consciously coming up with alternative solutions for the given problem.

Brainstorming ideas is a powerful and one of the best problem-solving activities to get your team’s creative juices flowing.

The purpose of this activity is to produce as many new and creative ideas as possible.

Once the list of ideas is ready, you can then go on to explore the feasibility of each idea to arrive at the most suitable one.

4. Gamification

Helps With: Perseverance, Motivation skill

Why is perseverance important for problem-solving?

Perseverance is being absolute in purpose to continue in the pursuit of an idea or a goal despite setbacks and roadblocks. The quality is a given if you wish to develop the skill of problem-solving.

Why is motivation skill important for problem-solving?

Motivational skills can be defined as actions or strategies that elicit a desired behavior or response. To solve a problem, deriving self-motivation to get to the core of the problem is foremost.

We all have heard the phrase, “Work Hard, Play harder”. Guess it’s time to incorporate it into your work routine!

Gamification will turn ‘work’ into an entertaining and fun activity. You are required to set different types of rules and objectives for the team which they have to follow to earn desirable rewards that will let them win the game or should we say, solve the problem?

5. Shrinking Vessel

Helps With: Adaptability, Quick thinking ability

Why is adaptability important for problem-solving?

Organizations that can adapt quickly have an obvious advantage over their competitors as they have conditioned themselves to effortlessly adapt to changing circumstances while facing problems.

Why is quick thinking ability important for problem-solving?

If you are a quick thinker, that means that you act on problems easily, while being efficient and accurate in thought.

What you’ll need: A Rope/String

A Shrinking Vessel is a problem-solving activity with a simple concept. The idea is that you are in a situation of a sinking ship.

There is a predetermined space for the activity and the teams are divided equally. The entire team must work together to occupy a space, marked with a rope/string, that shrinks over time. It is the perfect game to bond with your teammates and craft a stellar creative strategy to be the last one standing.

6. Egg Drop Idea

Helps With: Logical reasoning

Why is logical reasoning important for problem-solving?

Logical reasoning measures your ability to reason logically by observing and analyzing circumstances. Logical reasoning aids in arriving at a rational conclusion about how to proceed.

What you’ll need: newspaper, plastic wrap, cotton, socks, and a handkerchief

The egg drop project involves designing a package or a container with everyday items that will keep an egg intact when dropped from a height.

Sounds fascinating, right?

It sure is! You can use whatever items or construction material you find around you and deem fit to save an egg. Some items that you may find around easily are newspaper, plastic wrap, cotton, socks, and handkerchief.

Reach out for these and more to save your egg!

Helps With: Communication

Why is communication important for problem-solving?

Being an effective communicator is essential to succeed and progress at the workplace. This is because one needs to successfully communicate ideas and recommendations for daily tasks and projects.

What you’ll need: Lego pieces

This is one of the most interesting team-building activities. This activity is all about observation and retention of design. For this activity, select an impartial individual to construct a random figurine using Legos in under 5 minutes.

Next, the competing teams have to replicate this structure in 10 minutes.

Sounds easy, right? Well, there’s a catch!

Only one person is allowed to look at the figurine at a time. The person has to then communicate the parameters like size, shape, color, etc. to his/her team members. Now, that’s some team-building activity!

8. Stranded

Helps With: Decision-making skill

Why is decision-making skill important for problem-solving?

Problem-solving and decision-making skills go hand in hand at work. Decision-making is an ongoing process in every organization whether big or small. Decision-making skills help in choosing between two or more alternatives to arrive at the best solution to implement.

What you’ll need: A room that can be locked

The setting is that your team will be locked in a room and will be given 30 minutes to choose 10 items that they will need for survival. Also, the items have to be chronologically listed.

9. Reverse the Pyramid

Helps With: Adaptability, Collaboration

Having adaptability skills means embracing problems with optimism. Adaptability reflects your willingness to respond to changing circumstances.

Why is collaboration important for problem-solving?

In the words of Peter Senge, “Collectively, we can be more insightful, more intelligent than we can possibly be individual”.

Collaboration facilitates the free exchange of ideas, knowledge, perspectives, and experiences leading to enhanced innovation.

This is one of the best problem-solving exercises for teams.

Make a team. Ask everyone to stand in the shape of a pyramid. Next, ask them to flip the base and the apex moving only 3 people.

Whichever team moves and forms the reverse pyramid fastest wins the activity.

10. Word on the Street

Helps With: Team skills

Why are team skills important for problem-solving?

Building strong team skills enables team members to come together for a common purpose. Employing team skills for problem-solving is a hallmark of high-performing teams.

It’s a fairly simple technique that involves interviewing all team members to gain their perspective on the solution that has been arrived at for a specific problem.

11. Human Knot

Helps With: Collaboration, Communication skills

Why are communication skills important for problem-solving?

When teams come together to solve a problem, no problem is big enough. Together, a team can overcome even the most difficult of obstacles. Active listening skills are an important element of communication skills.

Get ready for an entertaining problem-solving group activity!

Make everyone stand in a circle. Next, ask each one to hold hands with two people who aren’t directly standing next to them.

Now, ask them to untangle themselves and form a circle without letting go of anyone’s hand. Believe us, it’s going to be super fun watching them twist and turn to form the perfect circle.

12. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Helps With: Collaboration

What you’ll need: Uncooked spaghetti, 1 marshmallow, tape, and a string/thin rope

In this activity, you simply have to make the tallest tower within the set amount of time.

You’re given a handful of supplies to work with. Your task is to build the tallest free-standing tower that supports a marshmallow at the top of the tower! You’re given 18 minutes to complete the challenge.

13. Minefield

Helps With: Team skill, Trust

Why is trust important for problem-solving?

A well-analyzed solution will fail if the team lacks trust while implementing the solution. Building trust within the team is the first step towards problem-solving.

What you’ll need: An empty room, blindfolds, common office items like table, chair, bag, bottle

Place some objects like a table, chair, bag, bottle, etc. on the floor to act as obstacles in this activity.

Divide teams into pairs and blindfold one of them. The person who is not blindfolded has to verbally guide the person in blindfolds to the other end of the room, avoiding the ‘mines’.

14. Bonding Belt

Helps With: Cooperation

Why is cooperation important for problem-solving?

Cooperation for problem-solving means being part of a cooperative team that identifies and listens to each other’s perspectives on the proposed solution and works together as a team.

What you’ll need: A firm rope

Make teams of 5-6 people. Tie them together by a firm rope, tightly wrapped around their waists. Ask them to move as one unit from point A to point B in as short a time as possible. The teams have to ensure they stay ‘bonded’ as one unit.

15. Frostbite

Helps With: Decision-making skill, Leadership skill

Why is leadership skill important for problem-solving?

Leadership involves keeping the team aligned, energized, and focused on a common business goal. The ability to stimulate, challenge, and inspire others to devise creative solutions is what adds up to leadership skills .

What you’ll need: An electric fan, a packet of construction materials like card stock, rubber bands, and sticky notes, etc, a blindfold

The scenario for this creative problem-solving activity is that your team is on arctic exploration. You have to separate everyone into different teams of 4-5 members. Each team will choose a leader among themselves who will lead them on this activity. The teams have to construct a shelter to protect themselves from the storm that will hit in precisely 30 minutes. The catch is that the team leaders will not work as they can’t move their hands due to frostbite. Further, all other team members are temporarily blind due to snow blindness. After the time is up, you can turn on the fan and see whose shelter can endure the high winds of the storm. Come on, let’s see which team withstands the snowstorm!

16. Idea Mock-Up

Helps With: Analytical skill, Decision making skill

In this activity, the solutions to your problems are supposed to be projected via mock-ups to ascertain the best solution for the given problem. This enables receiving the most accurate feedback on the proposed solutions.

17. Futures Wheel

Helps With: Visual perception skill

Why is visual perception skill important for problem-solving?

Visual perception skills are the ability to make sense of what the eyes see. It involves organizing and interpreting the information and giving it meaning.

What you’ll need: Pen and paper

If you’re looking to explore the structural consequences of a proposed solution, then this activity is your best bet.

You start with writing the name of the topic in the center. Next, you form the first layer of the wheel with consequences to the solutions. In the next layer, you may go deep into the consequences of these consequences themselves. Jot these down in the order of importance. Analyze each aspect and complete this activity within a time period of about 30 minutes.

This visual technique will make it easier for you to outline the best method to go ahead with to attain the desired outcome.

18. Be a Character

Helps With: Initiative

Why is initiative important for problem-solving?

Taking initiative is the ability to independently assess problems and initiate action to attain solutions. It is a self-management skill and requires rational persistence to be able to solve a problem successfully.

Fancied being an imaginary character from a movie or block? Or just fancied being a famous personality?

Well, now is the time to bring out your inner persona and approach the given problem with the outlook and the perspective of the character or person who you’ve always admired. Embody the character for 15 minutes and see how you approach the situation at hand.

19. End in Mind

According to Dr. Stephen R. Covey, all things are created twice – first in the mind and then in the real world.

Logical reasoning helps you reason through ideas and decisions following a series of steps to conclude. This approach leads to efficient problem-solving.

The end in mind activity allows you to question the ‘What’, ‘Why’, and ‘How’ of any problem. It brings purpose and clarity to the solution you seek. You basically backtrack your way into finding a solution.

20. Stop, Start, Continue

Helps With: Critical thinking skill, Negotiation skill

Why is critical thinking important for problem-solving?

Critical thinking refers to the ability to use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively share thoughts and make justifiable decisions. The skill includes analyzing information and formulating creative solutions to complex problems.

Why is negotiation skill important for problem-solving?

Having negotiation skills does not mean that you give in or instantly compromise every time someone disagrees with you. Having this skill means demonstrating open-mindedness to prospects and team members. Active listening is crucial to develop this skill.

A Stop, Start, Continue Approach is a feedback framework made up of three things that a team should stop doing, three things that a team should start doing, and three things that a team should continue doing as they move forward to achieve their problem-solving objectives.

The purpose of the above-listed activities is to train your mind to think about how to solve a problem in new ways and for greater success. The purpose is also to have some fun through these activities while upgrading your skills.

Read More: How to Solve Project Management Problems in The Modern Workplace

The 10-Step Process of Problem Solving Ability

This simple 10-step process will guide you in solving problems to improve creativity.

  • Define the Problem
  • Analyze the Problem
  • Specify Underlying Causes
  • Brainstorm Ideas
  • List Possible Solutions
  • Create Solution Mock-Ups
  • Measure the Business Impact
  • Establish the Best Possible Solution
  • Implement the Solution
  • Evaluate Progress

Read More: 16 Best Project Management Softwares for Creative Teams

The Four P’s to Problem Solving

The problem-solving process is cyclic in nature. This is because there are bound to arise new problems while managing a project that accordingly demands new solutions.

This is where you measure, understand, and diagnose the problem that you wish to solve. The activities 40-20-10-5 and Dumbest idea first help in initiating a problem-solving process.

This is where you organize everything and generate possibilities through activities like Brainstorming and Word of mouth .

This is where you visualize and execute your plan. Activities like Futures wheel and Stop, start, continue fall in this stage of problem-solving.

This is where you analyze the solution and check for further improvement. Stranded and Shrinking Vessel are the activities that develop decision-making skills leading to problem-solving.

Face Challenges Head-on With Quick and Easy Problem Solving Activities

Doesn’t it look like it’s all under control now? Well, to be perfectly honest, it takes time and practice to be an effective problem solver.

The way we approach problems at the workplace can be improved by indulging in proven activities that help build problem-solving skills to improve creativity.

Once you have covered the basics of how to go about the problem-solving process and have a can-do mindset, we are sure that there is absolutely nothing that can deter you from confronting problems head-on.

The listed activities are the easiest mechanism to follow to master the skill of effective problem-solving at the workplace. This course of action will enable you to exert full control towards sure shot success in improving creativity with constructive problem-solving activities.

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David Miller

About the author

David miller.

David is a Project Management expert. He has been published in elearningindustry.com , simpleprogrammer.com . As a project planning and execution expert at ProProfs, he has offered a unique outlook on improving workflows and team efficiency. Connect with David for more engaging conversations on Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook .

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></center></p><h2>13 Problem-Solving Activities & Exercises for Your Team</h2><ul><li>December 4, 2023</li><li>Project Management</li><li>21 min read</li></ul><p><center><img style=

Are you looking to enhance your or your team’s problem-solving abilities? Engaging in activities specifically designed to stimulate your and your team’s critical thinking skills can be an excellent way to sharpen your problem-solving prowess. Whether you enjoy puzzles, brain teasers, or interactive challenges, these activities provide an opportunity to overcome obstacles and think creatively.

By immersing yourself in problem-solving activities, you can develop valuable strategies, improve your decision-making abilities, and boost your overall problem-solving IQ. Get ready to unlock your full potential and tackle any challenge that comes your way with these exciting activities for problem-solving.

In this article, we will explore activities for problem-solving that can help enhance your team’s problem-solving skills, allowing you to approach challenges with confidence and creativity.

What Are Problem Solving Activities?

Problem-solving activities or problem-solving exercises are interactive games requiring critical thinking to solve puzzles. They enhance teamwork & critical thinking. Examples include building towers, navigating simulated challenges, and fostering creativity and communication.

For instance, imagine a team working together to construct the tallest tower using limited materials. They strategize, communicate ideas, and problem-solve to create the best structure, promoting collaboration and inventive thinking among team members.

Some widely practiced problem-solving activities include:

  • A Shrinking Vessel: Teams must fit into a shrinking space, testing their cooperation and adaptability.
  • Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower: Participants build a tower using marshmallows and spaghetti, promoting creative engineering.
  • Egg Drop: Protecting an egg from a fall challenges problem-solving skills.
  • Desert Island Survival: Teams simulate survival scenarios, encouraging creative solutions.
  • Rolling Dice: A simple yet effective game involving chance and decision-making.
  • Build a Tower: Constructing a stable tower with limited resources fosters teamwork and innovation, etc.

13 Easy Activities For Problem-Solving Ideas to Enhance Team Collaboration

Team building activities offer a great opportunity to test problem-solving abilities and promote effective collaboration within a group to problem solving group activities. By engaging in these activities, teams can break the monotony of the workplace and create a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

Here are nine easy-to-implement activities that can bring substantial change to your team culture and overall workplace dynamics.

#1. Crossword Puzzles

Crossword Puzzles

Objective: To enhance problem-solving skills, vocabulary, and cognitive abilities through engaging crossword puzzles. 

Estimated Time: 15-20 Minutes 

Materials Needed:

  • Crossword puzzle sheets
  • Pens or pencils
  • Distribute crossword puzzle sheets and pens/pencils to each participant.
  • Explain the rules of crossword puzzles and the goal of completing as many clues as possible within the given time.
  • Participants individually or in pairs work on solving the crossword puzzle by filling in the correct words.
  • Encourage critical thinking, word association, and collaborative discussions for solving challenging clues.
  • At the end of the time limit, review the answers and discuss any interesting or challenging clues as a group.
  • Enhanced Problem-Solving: Participants engage in critical thinking while deciphering clues, promoting effective problem-solving skills.
  • Vocabulary Expansion: Exposure to new words and phrases within the crossword improves vocabulary and comprehension.
  • Cognitive Stimulation: The mental exercise of solving the puzzle stimulates the brain, enhancing cognitive abilities.
  • Team Collaboration: If done in pairs, participants practice collaboration and communication to solve clues together.
  • Achievement and Motivation: Successfully completing the crossword brings a sense of accomplishment and motivates individuals to explore more puzzles.

Tips for Facilitators:

  • Provide varying levels of crossword puzzles to accommodate different skill levels.
  • Encourage participants to share strategies for solving challenging clues.
  • Emphasize the fun and educational aspects of the activity to keep participants engaged.

#2. A Shrinking Vessel

A Shrinking Vessel

Estimated Time: 10-15 Minutes

  • Materials Needed: A rope and a ball of yarn
  • Prepare the Setting: Lay a rope on the floor in a shape that allows all team members to stand comfortably inside it. For larger teams, multiple ropes can be used, dividing them into smaller groups.
  • Enter the Circle: Have all team members stand inside the rope, ensuring that nobody steps outside its boundaries.
  • Shrinking the Circle: Begin gradually shrinking the rope’s size, reducing the available space inside the circle.
  • Adapt and Maintain Balance: As the circle shrinks, team members must make subtle adjustments to maintain their positions and balance within the shrinking area.
  • The Challenge: The objective for the team is to collectively brainstorm and find innovative ways to keep every team member inside the circle without anyone stepping outside.
  • Collaboration and Communication: The activity promotes teamwork and open communication as participants strategize to stay within the shrinking circle.
  • Adaptability: Team members learn to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances, fostering agility and flexibility.
  • Creative Problem-Solving: The challenge encourages inventive thinking and brainstorming to find unique solutions.
  • Trust Building: By relying on each other’s actions, participants build trust and cohesion among team members.
  • Time-Efficient: The short duration makes it an ideal icebreaker or energizer during meetings or workshops.
  • Observe and Facilitate: Monitor the team’s dynamics and offer guidance to encourage equal participation and effective problem-solving.
  • Encourage Verbalization: Prompt participants to voice their ideas and collaborate vocally, aiding in real-time adjustments.
  • Debrief Thoughtfully: Engage the team in a discussion afterward, reflecting on strategies employed and lessons learned.
  • Emphasize Adaptability: Highlight the transferable skill of adaptability and its significance in both professional and personal contexts.

#3. Human Knots

Human Knots

  • Objective: Improving Collaboration & enhancing Communication Skills

Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes

  • Materials: None required

Procedure: 

  • Organize your team into a compact circle. For more sizable teams, subdivide them into smaller clusters, with each cluster forming its own circle. 
  • Direct each individual to grasp the hands of two other people in the circle, with the exception of those positioned directly adjacent to them. This action will result in the formation of a complex “human knot” within the circle. 
  • Present the challenge to the group: to unravel themselves from this entanglement while maintaining their hold on each other’s hands. If preferred, you can establish a specific time limit. 
  • Observe the team members collaborating to unravel the knot, witnessing their collective effort to devise solutions and free themselves from the intricate puzzle.
  • Team Cohesion: The activity encourages team members to interact closely, promoting bonding and understanding among participants.
  • Effective Communication: Participants practice clear and concise communication as they coordinate movements to untangle the knot.
  • Problem-Solving: The challenge stimulates creative thinking and problem-solving skills as individuals work collectively to find the optimal path for untangling.
  • Adaptability: Participants learn to adapt their actions based on the evolving dynamics of the human knot, fostering adaptability.
  • Trust Building: As individuals rely on each other to navigate the intricate knot, trust and cooperation naturally develop.
  • Set a Positive Tone: Create an inclusive and supportive atmosphere, emphasizing that the focus is on collaboration rather than competition.
  • Encourage Verbalization: Urge participants to articulate their intentions and listen to others’ suggestions, promoting effective teamwork.
  • Observe Group Dynamics: Monitor interactions and step in if needed to ensure everyone is actively engaged and included.
  • Reflect and Share: Conclude the activity with a debriefing session, allowing participants to share their experiences, strategies, and key takeaways.
  • Vary Grouping: Change group compositions for subsequent rounds to enhance interactions among different team members.

#4. Egg Drop

Egg Drop

Helps With: Decision Making, Collaboration

  • A carton of eggs
  • Construction materials (balloons, rubber bands, straws, tape, plastic wrap, etc.)
  • A suitable location for the activity
  • Assign each team a single egg and random construction materials.
  • Teams must create a carrier to protect the egg from breaking.
  • Drop the carriers one by one and increase the height if necessary to determine the most durable carrier.
  • The winning team is the one with the carrier that survives the highest drop.
  • Decision Making: Participants engage in critical decision-making processes as they select construction materials and determine carrier designs.
  • Collaboration: The activity necessitates collaboration and coordination among team members to construct an effective carrier.
  • Problem-Solving: Teams apply creative problem-solving skills to devise innovative methods for safeguarding the egg.
  • Risk Management: Participants learn to assess potential risks and consequences while making design choices to prevent egg breakage.
  • Celebrating Success: The victorious team experiences a sense of accomplishment, boosting morale and promoting a positive team spirit.
  • Provide Diverse Materials: Offer a wide range of construction materials to stimulate creativity and allow teams to explore various design options.
  • Set Safety Guidelines: Prioritize safety by specifying a safe drop height and ensuring participants follow safety protocols during construction.
  • Encourage Brainstorming: Prompt teams to brainstorm multiple carrier ideas before finalizing their designs, fostering diverse perspectives.
  • Facilitate Reflection: After the activity, lead a discussion where teams share their design strategies, challenges faced, and lessons learned.
  • Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize the significance of teamwork in achieving success, acknowledging effective communication and cooperation.

#5. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Helps With: Collaboration

Estimated Time: 20-30 Minutes

Materials Needed (per team):

  • Raw spaghetti: 20 sticks
  • Marshmallow: 1
  • String: 1 yard
  • Masking tape: 1 roll
  • Tower Construction: Instruct teams to collaborate and utilize the provided materials to construct the tallest tower possible within a designated time frame.
  • Marshmallow Support: Emphasize that the tower must be capable of standing independently and supporting a marshmallow at its highest point.
  • Prototype and Iterate: Encourage teams to engage in prototyping and iteration, testing different design approaches and refining their tower structures.
  • T eamwork and Communication: Promote effective teamwork and communication as team members coordinate their efforts to build a stable and tall tower.
  • Evaluation Criteria: Evaluate each tower based on its height, stability, and the successful placement of the marshmallow at the top.
  • Collaboration: Participants collaborate closely, sharing ideas and working together to design and construct the tower.
  • Innovative Thinking: The activity encourages innovative thinking as teams experiment with different strategies to build a stable tower.
  • Time Management: Teams practice time management skills as they work within a specified time limit to complete the task.
  • Problem-Solving: Participants engage in creative problem-solving to address challenges such as balancing the marshmallow and constructing a sturdy tower.
  • Adaptability: Teams adapt their approaches based on trial and error, learning from each iteration to improve their tower designs.
  • Set Clear Guidelines: Clearly explain the materials, objectives, and evaluation criteria to ensure teams understand the task.
  • Foster Creativity: Encourage teams to think outside the box and explore unconventional methods for constructing their towers.
  • Emphasize Collaboration: Highlight the importance of effective communication and teamwork to accomplish the task successfully.
  • Time Management: Remind teams of the time limit and encourage them to allocate their time wisely between planning and construction.
  • Reflect and Share: Facilitate a discussion after the activity, allowing teams to share their design choices, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Sudoku

Objective: To engage participants in the strategic and analytical world of Sudoku, enhancing logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. 

Estimated Time: 20-25 Minutes 

  • Sudoku puzzle sheets
  • Pencils with erasers
  • Distribute Sudoku puzzle sheets and pencils to each participant.
  • Familiarize participants with the rules and mechanics of Sudoku puzzles.
  • Explain the goal: to fill in the empty cells with numbers from 1 to 9 while adhering to the rules of no repetition in rows, columns, or subgrids.
  • Encourage participants to analyze the puzzle’s layout, identify potential numbers, and strategically fill in cells.
  • Emphasize the importance of logical deduction and step-by-step approach in solving the puzzle.
  • Provide hints or guidance if needed, ensuring participants remain engaged and challenged.
  • Logical Thinking: Sudoku challenges participants’ logical and deductive reasoning, fostering analytical skills.
  • Problem-Solving: The intricate interplay of numbers and constraints hones problem-solving abilities.
  • Focus and Patience: Participants practice patience and attention to detail while gradually unveiling the solution.
  • Pattern Recognition: Identifying number patterns and possibilities contributes to enhanced pattern recognition skills.
  • Personal Achievement: Successfully completing a Sudoku puzzle provides a sense of accomplishment and boosts confidence.
  • Offer varying levels of Sudoku puzzles to cater to different skill levels.
  • Encourage participants to share strategies and techniques for solving specific challenges.
  • Highlight the mental workout Sudoku provides and its transferable skills to real-life problem-solving.

Escape

Helps With: Communication, Problem-solving, & Management

  • A lockable room
  • 5-10 puzzles or clues
  • Hide the key and a set of clues around the room.
  • Lock the room and provide team members with a specific time limit to find the key and escape.
  • Instruct the team to work together, solving the puzzles and deciphering the clues to locate the key.
  • Encourage efficient communication and effective problem-solving under time pressure.
  • Communication Skills: Participants enhance their communication abilities by sharing observations, ideas, and findings to collectively solve puzzles.
  • Problem-solving Proficiency: The activity challenges teams to think critically, apply logical reasoning, and collaboratively tackle intricate challenges.
  • Team Management: The experience promotes effective team management as members assign tasks, prioritize efforts, and coordinate actions.
  • Time Management: The imposed time limit sharpens time management skills as teams strategize and allocate time wisely.
  • Adaptability: Teams learn to adapt and adjust strategies based on progress, evolving clues, and time constraints.
  • Clear Introduction: Provide a concise overview of the activity, emphasizing the importance of communication, problem-solving, and time management.
  • Diverse Challenges: Offer a mix of puzzles and clues to engage various problem-solving skills, catering to different team strengths.
  • Supportive Role: Act as a facilitator, offering subtle guidance if needed while allowing teams to independently explore and solve challenges.
  • Debriefing Session: Organize a debriefing session afterward to discuss the experience, highlight successful strategies, and identify areas for improvement.
  • Encourage Reflection: Encourage participants to reflect on their teamwork, communication effectiveness, and problem-solving approach.

#8. Frostbite for Group Problem Solving Activities

Frostbite for Group Problem Solving Activities

Helps With: Decision Making, Trust, Leadership

  • An electric fan
  • Construction materials (toothpicks, cardstock, rubber bands, sticky notes, etc.)
  • Divide the team into groups of 4-5 people, each with a designated leader.
  • Blindfold team members and prohibit leaders from using their hands.
  • Provide teams with construction materials and challenge them to build a tent within 30 minutes.
  • Test the tents using the fan to see which can withstand high winds.
  • Decision-Making Proficiency: Participants are exposed to critical decision-making situations under constraints, allowing them to practice effective and efficient decision-making.
  • Trust Development: Blindfolding team members and relying on the designated leaders fosters trust and collaboration among team members.
  • Leadership Skills: Designated leaders navigate the challenge without hands-on involvement, enhancing their leadership and communication skills.
  • Creative Problem Solving: Teams employ creative thinking and resourcefulness to construct stable tents with limited sensory input.
  • Team Cohesion: The shared task and unique constraints promote team cohesion and mutual understanding.
  • Role of the Facilitator: Act as an observer, allowing teams to navigate the challenge with minimal intervention. Offer assistance only when necessary.
  • Clarity in Instructions: Provide clear instructions regarding blindfolding, leader restrictions, and time limits to ensure a consistent experience.
  • Debriefing Session: After the activity, conduct a debriefing session to discuss team dynamics, leadership approaches, and decision-making strategies.
  • Encourage Communication: Emphasize the importance of effective communication within teams to ensure smooth coordination and successful tent construction.
  • Acknowledge Creativity: Celebrate creative solutions and innovative approaches exhibited by teams during the tent-building process.

#9. Dumbest Idea First

Dumbest Idea First

Helps With: Critical Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Activity

Estimated Time: 15-20 Minutes

Materials Needed: A piece of paper, pen, and pencil

  • Problem Presentation: Introduce a specific problem to the team, either a real-world challenge or a hypothetical scenario that requires a solution.
  • Brainstorming Dumb Ideas: Instruct team members to quickly generate and jot down the most unconventional and seemingly “dumb” ideas they can think of to address the problem.
  • Idea Sharing: Encourage each participant to share their generated ideas with the group, fostering a relaxed and open atmosphere for creative expression.
  • Viability Assessment: As a team, review and evaluate each idea, considering potential benefits and drawbacks. Emphasize the goal of identifying unconventional approaches.
  • Selecting Promising Solutions: Identify which seemingly “dumb” ideas could hold hidden potential or innovative insights. Discuss how these ideas could be adapted into workable solutions.
  • Divergent Thinking: Participants engage in divergent thinking, pushing beyond conventional boundaries to explore unconventional solutions.
  • Creative Exploration: The activity sparks creative exploration by encouraging participants to let go of inhibitions and embrace imaginative thinking.
  • Critical Analysis: Through evaluating each idea, participants practice critical analysis and learn to identify unique angles and aspects of potential solutions.
  • Open Communication: The lighthearted approach of sharing “dumb” ideas fosters open communication, reducing fear of judgment and promoting active participation.
  • Solution Adaptation: Identifying elements of seemingly “dumb” ideas that have merit encourages participants to adapt and refine their approaches creatively.
  • Safe Environment: Foster a safe and non-judgmental environment where participants feel comfortable sharing unconventional ideas.
  • Time Management: Set clear time limits for idea generation and sharing to maintain the activity’s energetic pace.
  • Encourage Wild Ideas: Emphasize that the goal is to explore the unconventional, urging participants to push the boundaries of creativity.
  • Facilitator Participation: Participate in idea generation to demonstrate an open-minded approach and encourage involvement.
  • Debriefing Discussion: After the activity, facilitate a discussion on how seemingly “dumb” ideas can inspire innovative solutions and stimulate fresh thinking.

This activity encourages out-of-the-box thinking and creative problem-solving. It allows teams to explore unconventional ideas that may lead to unexpected, yet effective, solutions.

#10: Legoman

Legoman.

Helps With: Foster teamwork, communication, and creativity through a collaborative Lego-building activity.

Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes

  • Lego bricks
  • Lego instruction manuals

Procedure :

  • Divide participants into small teams of 3-5 members.
  • Provide each team with an equal set of Lego bricks and a Lego instruction manual.
  • Explain that the goal is for teams to work together to construct the Lego model shown in the manual.
  • Set a time limit for the building activity based on model complexity.
  • Allow teams to self-organize, build, and collaborate to complete the model within the time limit.
  • Evaluate each team’s final model compared to the manual’s original design.
  • Enhanced Communication: Participants must communicate clearly and listen actively to collaborate effectively.
  • Strengthened Teamwork: Combining efforts toward a shared goal promotes camaraderie and team cohesion.
  • Creative Problem-Solving: Teams must creatively problem-solve if pieces are missing or instructions unclear.
  • Planning and Resource Allocation: Following instructions fosters planning skills and efficient use of resources.
  • Sense of Achievement: Completing a challenging build provides a sense of collective accomplishment.
  • Encourage Participation: Urge quieter members to contribute ideas and take an active role.
  • Highlight Teamwork: Emphasize how cooperation and task coordination are key to success.
  • Ensure Equal Engagement: Monitor group dynamics to ensure all members are engaged.
  • Allow Creativity: Permit modifications if teams lack exact pieces or wish to get creative.
  • Focus on Enjoyment: Create a lively atmosphere so the activity remains energizing and fun.

#11: Minefield

Minefield.

Helps With: Trust, Communication, Patience

Materials Needed: Open space, blindfolds

  • Mark a “minefield” on the ground using ropes, cones, or tape. Add toy mines or paper cups.
  • Pair up participants and blindfold one partner.
  • Position blindfolded partners at the start of the minefield. Direct seeing partners to verbally guide them through to the other side without hitting “mines.”
  • Partners switch roles once finished and repeat.
  • Time partnerships and provide prizes for the fastest safe crossing.
  • Trust Building: Blindfolded partners must trust their partner’s instructions.
  • Effective Communication: Giving clear, specific directions is essential for navigating the minefield.
  • Active Listening: Partners must listen closely and follow directions precisely.
  • Patience & Support: The exercise requires patience and encouraging guidance between partners.
  • Team Coordination: Partners must work in sync, coordinating movements and communication.
  • Test Boundaries: Ensure the minefield’s size accommodates safe movement and communication.
  • Monitor Interactions: Watch for dominant guidance and ensure both partners participate fully.
  • Time Strategically: Adjust time limits based on the minefield size and difficulty.
  • Add Obstacles: Introduce additional non-mine objects to increase challenge and communication needs.
  • Foster Discussion: Debrief afterward to discuss communication approaches and trust-building takeaways.

#12: Reverse Pyramid

Reverse Pyramid.

Helps With: Teamwork, Communication, Creativity

Materials Needed: 36 cups per group, tables

  • Form small groups of 5-7 participants.
  • Provide each group with a stack of 36 cups and a designated building area.
  • Explain the objective: Build the tallest pyramid starting with just one cup on top.
  • Place the first cup on the table, and anyone in the group can add two cups beneath it to form the second row.
  • From this point, only the bottom row can be lifted to add the next row underneath.
  • Cups in the pyramid can only be touched or supported by index fingers.
  • If the structure falls, start over from one cup.
  • Offer more cups if a group uses all provided.
  • Allow 15 minutes for building.

Teamwork: Collaborate to construct the pyramid.

Communication: Discuss and execute the building strategy.

Creativity: Find innovative ways to build a tall, stable pyramid.

Clarify Expectations: Emphasize the definition of a pyramid with each row having one less cup.

Encourage Perseverance: Motivate groups to continue despite challenges.

Promote Consensus: Encourage groups to work together and help each other.

Reflect on Failure: Use collapses as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and improving.

Consider Competitions: Modify the activity for competitive teams and scoring.

#13: Stranded

Stranded.

Helps With: Decision-making, Prioritization, Teamwork

Materials Needed: List of salvaged items, paper, pens

  • Present a scenario where teams are stranded and must prioritize items salvaged from a plane crash.
  • Provide teams with the same list of ~15 salvaged items.
  • Instruct teams to agree on an item ranking with #1 being the most important for survival.
  • Teams share and compare their prioritized lists. Identify differences in approach.
  • Discuss what factors influenced decisions and how teams worked together to agree on priorities.
  • Critical Thinking: Weighing item importance requires analytical thinking and discussion.
  • Team Decision-Making: Coming to a consensus fosters team decision-making capabilities.
  • Prioritization Skills: Ranking items strengthen prioritization and justification abilities.
  • Perspective-Taking: Understanding different prioritizations builds perspective-taking skills.
  • Team Cohesion: Collaborating toward a shared goal brings teams closer together.
  • Encourage Discussion: Urge teams to discuss all ideas rather than allow single members to dominate.
  • Be Engaged: Circulate to listen in on team discussions and pose thought-provoking questions.
  • Add Complexity: Introduce scenarios with additional constraints to expand critical thinking.
  • Highlight Disagreements: When priorities differ, facilitate constructive discussions on influencing factors.
  • Recognize Collaboration: Acknowledge teams that demonstrate exceptional teamwork and communication.

Now let’s look at some common types of problem-solving activities.

Types of Problem-Solving Activities

The most common types of problem-solving activities/exercises are:

  • Creative problem-solving activities
  • Group problem-solving activities
  • Individual problem-solving activities
  • Fun problem-solving activities, etc.

In the next segments, we’ll be discussing these types of problem-solving activities in detail. So, keep reading!

Creative Problem-Solving Activities

Creative problem solving (CPS) means using creativity to find new solutions. It involves thinking creatively at first and then evaluating ideas later. For example, think of it like brainstorming fun game ideas, discussing them, and then picking the best one to play.

Some of the most common creative problem-solving activities include:

  • Legoman: Building creative structures with LEGO.
  • Escape: Solving puzzles to escape a room.
  • Frostbite: Finding solutions in challenging situations.
  • Minefield: Navigating a field of obstacles.

Group Problem-Solving Activities

Group problem-solving activities are challenges that make teams work together to solve puzzles or overcome obstacles. They enhance teamwork and critical thinking.

For instance, think of a puzzle-solving game where a group must find hidden clues to escape a locked room.

Here are the most common group problem-solving activities you can try in groups:

  • A Shrinking Vessel
  • Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower
  • Cardboard Boat Building Challenge
  • Clue Murder Mystery
  • Escape Room: Jewel Heist
  • Escape Room: Virtual Team Building
  • Scavenger Hunt
  • Dumbest Idea First

Individual Problem-Solving Activities

As the name suggests, individual problem-solving activities are the tasks that you need to play alone to boost your critical thinking ability. They help you solve problems and stay calm while facing challenges in real life. Like puzzles, they make your brain sharper. Imagine it’s like training your brain muscles to handle tricky situations.

Here are some of the most common individual problem-solving activities:

  • Puzzles (jigsaw, crossword, sudoku, etc.)
  • Brain teasers
  • Logic problems
  • Optical illusions
  • “Escape room” style games

Fun Problem-Solving Activities

Fun problem-solving activities are enjoyable games that sharpen your critical thinking skills while having a blast. Think of activities like the Legoman challenge, escape rooms, or rolling dice games – they make problem-solving exciting and engaging!

And to be frank, all of the mentioned problem-solving activities are fun if you know how to play and enjoy them as all of them are game-like activities.

Team Problems You Can Address Through Problem Solving Activities

Fun problem-solving activities serve as dynamic tools to address a range of challenges that teams often encounter. These engaging activities foster an environment of collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, enabling teams to tackle various problems head-on. Here are some common team problems that can be effectively addressed through these activities:

  • Communication Breakdowns:  

Activities like “Escape,” “A Shrinking Vessel,” and “Human Knots” emphasize the importance of clear and effective communication. They require teams to work together, exchange ideas, and devise strategies to accomplish a shared goal. By engaging in these activities, team members learn to communicate more efficiently, enhancing overall team communication in real-world situations.

  • Lack of Trust and Cohesion:  

Problem-solving activities promote trust and cohesiveness within teams. For instance, “Frostbite” and “Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower” require teams to collaborate closely, trust each other’s ideas, and rely on each member’s strengths. These activities build a sense of unity and trust, which can translate into improved teamwork and collaboration.

  • Innovative Thinking:  

“Dumbest Idea First” and “Egg Drop” encourage teams to think outside the box and explore unconventional solutions. These activities challenge teams to be creative and innovative in their problem-solving approaches, fostering a culture of thinking beyond traditional boundaries when faced with complex issues.

  • Decision-Making Challenges:  

Activities like “Onethread” facilitate group decision-making by providing a platform for open discussions and collaborative choices. Problem-solving activities require teams to make decisions collectively, teaching them to weigh options, consider different viewpoints, and arrive at informed conclusions—a skill that is transferable to real-world decision-making scenarios.

  • Leadership and Role Clarification:  

Activities such as “Frostbite” and “Egg Drop” designate team leaders and roles within groups. This provides an opportunity for team members to practice leadership, delegation, and role-specific tasks. By experiencing leadership dynamics in a controlled setting, teams can improve their leadership skills and better understand their roles in actual projects.

  • Problem-Solving Strategies:  

All of the problem-solving activities involve the application of different strategies. Teams learn to analyze problems, break them down into manageable components, and develop systematic approaches for resolution. These strategies can be adapted to real-world challenges, enabling teams to approach complex issues with confidence.

  • Team Morale and Engagement:  

Participating in engaging and enjoyable activities boosts team morale and engagement. These activities provide a break from routine tasks, energize team members, and create a positive and fun atmosphere. Elevated team morale can lead to increased motivation and productivity.

By incorporating these fun problem-solving activities, teams can address a variety of challenges, foster skill development, and build a more cohesive and effective working environment. As teams learn to collaborate, communicate, innovate, and make decisions collectively, they are better equipped to overcome obstacles and achieve shared goals.

The Benefits of Problem Solving Activities for Your Team

The Benefits of Problem Solving Activities for Your Team

#1 Better Thinking

Problem-solving activities bring out the best in team members by encouraging them to contribute their unique ideas. This stimulates better thinking as team managers evaluate different solutions and choose the most suitable ones.

For example, a remote team struggling with communication benefited from quick thinking and the sharing of ideas, leading to the adoption of various communication modes for improved collaboration.

#2 Better Risk Handling

Team building problem solving activities condition individuals to handle risks more effectively. By engaging in challenging situations and finding solutions, team members develop the ability to respond better to stressful circumstances.

#3 Better Communication

Regular communication among team members is crucial for efficient problem-solving. Engaging in problem-solving activities fosters cooperation and communication within the team, resulting in better understanding and collaboration. Using tools like OneThread can further enhance team communication and accountability.

#4 Improved Productivity Output

When teams work cohesively, overall productivity improves, leading to enhanced profit margins for the company or organization. Involving managers and team members in problem-solving activities can positively impact the company’s growth and profitability.

How Onethread Enhances the Effect of Problem Solving Activities

Problem-solving activities within teams thrive on collaborative efforts and shared perspectives. Onethread emerges as a potent facilitator, enabling teams to collectively tackle challenges and harness diverse viewpoints with precision. Here’s a comprehensive view of how Onethread amplifies team collaboration in problem-solving initiatives:

Open Channels for Discussion:

Open Channels for Discussion

Onethread’s real-time messaging feature serves as a dedicated hub for open and seamless discussions. Teams can engage in brainstorming sessions, share insightful observations, and propose innovative solutions within a flexible environment. Asynchronous communication empowers members to contribute their insights at their convenience, fostering comprehensive problem analysis with ample deliberation.

Centralized Sharing of Resources:

Centralized Sharing of Resources

Effective problem-solving often hinges on access to pertinent resources. Onethread’s document sharing functionality ensures that critical information, references, and research findings are centralized and readily accessible. This eradicates the need for cumbersome email attachments and enables team members to collaborate with precise and up-to-date data.

Efficient Task Allocation and Monitoring:

Efficient Task Allocation and Monitoring

Problem-solving journeys comprise a series of tasks and actions. Onethread’s task management capability streamlines the delegation of specific responsibilities to team members. Assign tasks related to research, data analysis, or solution implementation and monitor progress in real time. This cultivates a sense of accountability and guarantees comprehensive coverage of every facet of the problem-solving process.

Facilitated Collaborative Decision-Making: Navigating intricate problems often demands collective decision-making. Onethread’s collaborative ecosystem empowers teams to deliberate over potential solutions, assess pros and cons, and make well-informed choices. Transparent discussions ensure that decisions are comprehensively comprehended and supported by the entire team.

Seamless Documentation and Insights Sharing:

Seamless Documentation and Insights Sharing

As the problem-solving journey unfolds, the accumulation of insights and conclusions becomes pivotal. Onethread’s collaborative document editing feature empowers teams to document their discoveries, chronicle the steps undertaken, and showcase successful solutions. This shared repository of documentation serves as a valuable resource for future reference and continuous learning.

With Onethread orchestrating the backdrop, team collaboration during problem-solving activities transforms into a harmonious fusion of insights, ideas, and actionable steps.

What are the 5 problem-solving skills?

The top 5 problem-solving skills in 2023 are critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and data literacy. Most employers seek these skills in their workforce.

What are the steps of problem-solving?

Problem-solving steps are as follows: 1. Define the problem clearly. 2. Analyze the issue in detail. 3. Generate potential solutions. 4. Evaluate these options. 5. Choose the best solution. 6. Put the chosen solution into action. 7. Measure the outcomes to assess effectiveness and improvements made. These sequential steps assist in efficient and effective problem resolution.

How do you teach problem-solving skills?

Teaching problem-solving involves modelling effective methods within a context, helping students grasp the problem, dedicating ample time, asking guiding questions, and giving suggestions. Connect errors to misconceptions to enhance understanding, fostering a straightforward approach to building problem-solving skills.

So here is all about “activities for problem solving”.No matter which activity you choose, engaging in problem-solving activities not only provides entertainment but also helps enhance cognitive abilities such as critical thinking, decision making, and creativity. So why not make problem solving a regular part of your routine?

Take some time each day or week to engage in these activities and watch as your problem-solving skills grow stronger. Plus, it’s an enjoyable way to pass the time and challenge yourself mentally.

So go ahead, grab a puzzle or gather some friends for a game night – get ready to have fun while sharpening your problem-solving skills!

problem solving and creativity exercises

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Outback Team Building & Training

17 Unbeatable Team Building Problem Solving Activities

17 Unbeatable Team Building Problem Solving Activities featured image

Problem-solving is a critical skill for professionals and with team building problem-solving activities, you can sharpen your skills while having fun at the same time.  

Updated on August 31, 2021

In the professional world, one thing is for sure: problem-solving is a vital skill if you want to survive and thrive. It’s a universal job skill that organizations seek in new potential employees and that managers look for when considering candidates for promotions.  

But there’s a problem.  According to Payscale , 60% of managers feel that new grads entering the workforce lack problem-solving abilities – making it the most commonly lacked soft skill.  

Problem-solving skill needs to be practiced and perfected on an ongoing basis in order to be applied effectively when the time comes. And while there are tons of traditional approaches to becoming a better problem-solver, there’s another (much more interesting) option: team building problem solving activities. 

The good news? This means learning and having fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive. And you can create a stronger team at the same time. 

11 In-Person Team Building Problem Solving Activities for Your Work Group  

1. cardboard boat building challenge, 2. egg drop , 3. clue murder mystery, 4. marshmallow spaghetti tower  , 5. corporate escape room, 6. wild goose chase, 7. lost at sea  , 8. domino effect challenge, 9. reverse pyramid  , 10. ci: the crime investigators, 11. team pursuit, 5 virtual team building problem solving activities for your work group  , 1. virtual escape room: mummy’s curse, 2. virtual clue murder mystery, 3. virtual escape room: jewel heist, 4. virtual code break  , 5. virtual trivia time machine.

  • 6. Virtual Jeoparty Social

There are a ton of incredible team building problem solving activities available. We’ve hand-picked 11 of our favorites that we think your corporate group will love too. 

a cardboard boat building challenge for problem solving team building

Split into teams and create a cardboard boat made out of just the materials provided: cardboard and tape. Team members will have to work together to engineer a functional boat that will float and sail across water without sinking. Once teams have finished making their boats, they will create a presentation to explain why their boat is the best, before putting their boats to the test. The final challenge will have teams racing their boats to test their durability! Nothing says problem-solving like having to make sure you don’t sink into the water!

egg drop is a great team building problem solving activity

Every day at work, you’re forced to make countless decisions – whether they’re massively important or so small you barely think about them.  

But your ability to effectively make decisions is critical in solving problems quickly and effectively.  

With a classic team building problem solving activity like the Egg Drop, that’s exactly what your team will learn to do. 

For this activity, you’ll need some eggs, construction materials, and a place you wouldn’t mind smashing getting dirty with eggshells and yolks.  

The goal of this activity is to create a contraption that will encase an egg and protect it from a fall – whether it’s from standing height or the top of a building. But the challenge is that you and your team will only have a short amount of time to build it before it’s time to test it out, so you’ll have to think quickly! 

To make it even more challenging, you’ll have to build the casing using only simple materials like: 

  • Newspapers 
  • Plastic wrap
  • Rubber bands
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Cotton balls

Feel free to have some fun in picking the materials. Use whatever you think would be helpful without making things too easy! 

Give your group 15 minutes to construct their egg casing before each team drops their eggs. If multiple eggs survive, increase the height gradually to see whose created the sturdiest contraption.  

If you’re not comfortable with the idea of using eggs for this activity, consider using another breakable alternative, such as lightbulbs for a vegan Egg Drop experience. 

solving a crime is a great way to practice problem solving skills

With Clue Murder Mystery, your team will need to solve the murder of a man named Neil Davidson by figuring out who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the crime.

But it won’t be easy! You’ll need to exercise your best problem-solving skills and channel your inner detectives if you want to keep this case from going cold and to get justice for the victim.

do a spaghetti tower for team building problem solving activity

Collaboration is critical to problem solving. 

Why? Because, as the old saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This expression reflects the fact that people are capable of achieving greater things when they work together to do so. 

If you’re looking for a team building problem solving activity that helps boost collaboration, you’ll love Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower.  

This game involves working in teams to build the tallest possible freestanding tower using only marshmallows, uncooked spaghetti, tape, and string.  

The kicker? This all has to be done within an allotted timeframe. We recommend about thirty minutes.  

For an added dimension of challenge, try adding a marshmallow to the top of the tower to make it a little more top heavy.  

Whichever team has the highest tower when time runs out is the winner! 

corporate escape rooms are unique team building problem solving activities

If you’ve never participated in an escape room, your team is missing out! It’s one of the most effective team building problem solving activities out there because it puts you and your colleagues in a scenario where the only way out is collaboratively solving puzzles and deciphering clues.  

The principle is simple: lock your group in a room, hide the key somewhere in that room, and have them work through challenges within a set time frame. Each challenge will lead them one step closer to finding the key and, ultimately, their escape.    

At Outback, we offer “done-for-you” escape rooms where we’ll transform your office or meeting room so you don’t have to worry about:

  • Seeking transportation for your team 
  • Capacity of the escape rooms  
  • High costs 
  • Excessive planning  

That way, you and your team can simply step inside and get to work collaborating, using creative problem solving, and thinking outside the box.   

wild goose chase is a great scavenger hunt problem solving team building activity for work

In this smartphone-based scavenger hunt team building activity , your group will split into teams and complete fun challenges by taking photos and videos around the city. Some examples of challenges you can do in this activity are:

  • Parkour:  Take a picture of three team members jumping over an object that’s at least waist-high.
  • Beautiful Mind:  Snap a photo of a team member proving a well-known mathematical theorem on a chalkboard.
  • Puppy Love:  Take a photo of all of your team members petting a stranger’s dog at the same time.

It takes a ton of critical thinking and problem-solving to be crowned the Wild Goose Chase Champions!

your teammates will love lost at sea team building activity

Can you imagine a higher-pressure situation than being stranded at sea in a lifeboat with your colleagues? 

With this team building problem solving activity, that’s exactly the situation you and your group will put yourselves. But by the time the activity is over, you’ll have gained more experience with the idea of having to solve problems under pressure – a common but difficult thing to do. 

Here’s how it works. 

Each team member will get a six-columned chart where: 

  • The first column lists the survival items each team has on hand (see the list below) 
  • The second column is empty so that each team member can rank the items in order of importance for survival  
  • The third column is for group rankings  
  • The fourth column is for the “correct” rankings, which are revealed at the end of the activity 
  • The fifth and sixth columns are for the team to enter thee difference between their individual and correct scores and the team and correct rankings 

Within this activity, each team will be equipped with the following “survival items,” listed below in order of importance, as well as a pack of matches:  

  • A shaving mirror (this can be used to signal passing ships using the sun) 
  • A can of gas (could be used for signaling as it could be put in the water and lit with the pack of matches) 
  • A water container (for collecting water to re-hydrate) 
  • Emergency food rations (critical survival food) 
  • One plastic sheet (can be helpful for shelter or to collect rainwater) 
  • Chocolate bars (another food supply) 
  • Fishing rods (helpful, but no guarantee of catching food) 
  • Rope (can be handy, but not necessarily essential for survival) 
  • A floating seat cushion (usable as a life preserver)  
  • Shark repellant (could be important when in the water) 
  • A bottle of rum (could be useful for cleaning wounds) 
  • A radio (could be very helpful but there’s a good chance you’re out of range) 
  • A sea chart (this is worthless without navigation equipment) 
  • A mosquito net (unless you’ve been shipwrecked somewhere with a ton of mosquitos, this isn’t very useful) 

To get the activity underway, divide your group into teams of five and ask each team member to take ten minutes on their own to rank the items in order of importance in the respective column. Then, give the full team ten minutes as a group to discuss their individual rankings together and take group rankings, listed in that respective column. Ask each group to compare their individual rankings with those of the group as a whole. 

Finally, read out the correct order according to the US Coast Guard, listed above.  

The goal of this activity is for everyone to be heard and to come to a decision together about what they need most to survive.  

If your team works remotely, you can also do this activity online. Using a video conferencing tool like  Zoom , you can bring your group together and separate teams into “break-out rooms” where they’ll take their time individually and then regroup together. At the end, you can bring them back to the full video conference to go through the answers together. 

colleagues thinking outside the box with a domino effect challenge team building problem solving activity

Many problems are intricately complex and involve a ton of moving parts. And in order to solve this type of problem, you need to be able to examine it systematically, one piece at a time.  

Especially in the business world, many problems or challenges involve multiple different teams or departments working through their respective portions of a problem before coming together in the end to create a holistic solution. 

As you can imagine, this is often easier said than done. And that’s why it’s so important to practice this ability.  

With a collaborative team building problem solving activity like Domino Effect Challenge, that’s exactly what you’ll need to do as you and your group work to create a massive, fully functional chain reaction machine. 

Here’s how it goes. 

Your group will break up into teams, with each team working to complete their own section of a massive “Rube Goldberg” machine. Then, all teams will regroup and assemble the entire machine together. You’ll need to exercise communication, collaboration, and on-the-fly problem solving in order to make your chain reaction machine go off without a hitch from start to finish. 

reverse pyramid is a team building activity that makes colleagues think about problems in new ways

Being a great problem-solver means being adaptable and creative. And if you’re looking for a quick and easy team building problem solving activity, you’ll love the reverse pyramid. 

The idea here is simple: break your group out into small teams and then stand in the form of a pyramid.  

Your challenge is to flip the base and the peak of the pyramid – but you can only move three people in order to do so.  

Alternatively, rather than doing this activity with people as the pyramid, you can do another version –  the Pyramid Build  – using plastic cups instead.   

This version is a little bit different. Rather than flipping the base of a pyramid to the top, you’ll need to build the pyramid instead–but in reverse, starting from the top cup and working down. 

With this version, you’ll need 36 cups and one table per group. We recommend groups of five to seven people. Give your group 20 to 30 minutes to complete the activity. 

To get started, place one cup face down. Then, lift that cup and place the subsequent two cups underneath it. 

The real challenge here? You can only lift your pyramid by the bottom row in order to put a new row underneath – and only one person at a time can do the lifting. The remaining group members will need to act quickly and work together in order to add the next row so that it will balance the rest of the pyramid. 

If any part of your pyramid falls, you’ll need to start over. Whichever team has the most complete pyramid when time runs out will be the winner!  

solving a crime is a great way for team members to use problem solving skills

The value of being able to approach problems analytically can’t be overstated. Because when problems arise, the best way to solve them is by examining the facts and making a decision based on what you know. 

With CI: The Crime Investigators, this is exactly what your team will be called upon to do as you put your detective’s hats on and work to solve a deadly crime. 

You’ll be presented with evidence and need to uncover and decipher clues. And using only the information at your disposal, you’ll need to examine the facts in order to crack the case. 

Like many of our team building problem solving activities, CI: The Crime Investigators is available in a hosted format, which can take place at your office or an outside venue, as well as a virtually-hosted format that uses video conferencing tools, or a self-hosted version that you can run entirely on your own.  

team pursuit team building is great for problem solving skills

Each member of your team has their own unique strengths and skills. And by learning to combine those skills, you can overcome any challenge and solve any problem. With Team Pursuit, you and your team together to tackle challenges as you learn new things about one another, discover your hidden talents, and learn to rely on each other.

This team building problem solving activity is perfect for high-energy groups that love to put their heads together and work strategically to solve problems as a group.

colleagues doing a virtual team building problem solving activity

If you and your team are working remotely, don’t worry. You still have a ton of great virtual team building problem solving options at your disposal.

virtual escape room mummys curse

In this virtual escape room experience, your team will be transported into a pyramid cursed by a restless mummy. You’ll have to work together to uncover clues and solve complex challenges to lift the ancient curse.

team members doing a fun virtual clue murder mystery

You’ve probably never heard of a man named Neil Davidson. But your group will need to come together to solve the mystery of his murder by analyzing clues, resolving challenges, and figuring out who had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit a deadly crime. 

This activity will challenge you and your group to approach problems analytically, read between the lines, and use critical thinking in order to identify a suspect and deliver justice.  

escape rooms are fun and unique team building problem solving activities

If you and your team like brainteasers, then Virtual Escape Room: Jewel Heist will be a big hit.  

Here’s the backstory.

There’s been a robbery. Someone has masterminded a heist to steal a priceless collection of precious jewels, and it’s up to you and your team to recover them before time runs out.

Together, you’ll need to uncover hidden clues and solve a series of brain-boggling challenges that require collaboration, creative problem-solving, and outside-the-box thinking. But be quick! The clock is ticking before the stolen score is gone forever.

try virtual code break as a way to use problem solving skills with teammates

With Virtual Code Break, you and your team can learn to be adaptive and dynamic in your thinking in order to tackle any new challenges that come your way. In this activity, your group will connect on a video conferencing platform where your event host will split you out into teams. Together, you’ll have to adapt your problem-solving skills as you race against the clock to tackle a variety of mixed brainteaser challenges ranging from Sudoku to puzzles, a game of Cranium, riddles, and even trivia. 

Curious to see how a virtual team building activity works? Check out this video on a Virtual Clue Murder Mystery in action. 

trivia is a great problem solving activity for colleagues

Step into the Outback Time Machine and take a trip through time, from pre-pandemic 21st century through the decades all the way to the 60’s. 

This exciting, fast-paced virtual trivia game, packed with nostalgia and good vibes, is guaranteed to produce big laughs, friendly competition, and maybe even some chair-dancing. 

Your virtual game show host will warm up guests with a couple of “table hopper rounds” (breakout room mixers) and split you out into teams. Within minutes, your home office will be transformed into a game show stage with your very own game show buzzers! 

And if your team loves trivia, check out our list of the most incredible virtual trivia games for work teams for even more ideas.

6.  Virtual Jeoparty Social

Virtual Jeoparty Social is a fun high energy virtual team building activity

If your remote team is eager to socialize, have some fun as a group, and channel their competitive spirit, we’ve got just the thing for you! With Virtual Jeoparty Social, you and your colleagues will step into your very own virtual Jeopardy-style game show—equipped with a buzzer button, a professional actor as your host, and an immersive game show platform! Best of all, this game has been infused with an ultra-social twist: players will take part in a unique social mixer challenge between each round. 

With the right team building problem solving activities, you can help your team sharpen their core skills to ensure they’re prepared when they inevitably face a challenge at work. And best of all, you can have fun in the process. 

Do you have any favorite team building activities for building problem-solving skills? If so, tell us about them in the comments section below! 

Learn More About Team Building Problem Solving Activities  

For more information about how your group can take part in a virtual team building, training, or coaching solution, reach out to our Employee Engagement Consultants.     

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12 Creative Thinking Activities and Exercises

Creative Thinking Activities and Exercises

Creativity often strikes when you least expect it. But if you’re not one of those people that constantly oozes great ideas, you might be looking for ways to spark your creative abilities. The good news is that creative thinking activities can help. These exercises can provide the inspiration you need to come up with your next great idea—and the science behind them is flawless, too.

How Does Creativity Happen?

Did you know that understanding creativity starts with neuroscience? Those quick-firing neurons in our brains might be the explanation behind the image of a light bulb as a symbol of bright ideas.

Recent developments in neuroscience suggest that creativity involves a mixture of spontaneous ideas and controlled thinking . Basically, you need the spark to get those great ideas, but also the planning abilities to think them through and see whether they’ll work.

It’s a complex balance, notes Neuroscience News, and it’s also notable that some people are naturally better at this process than others. Scientists are investigating people’s creative abilities to see if they can determine why that is.

In the meantime, it’s worth discussing different ways to be more creative. From children to teens to adults, everyone can try out creative exercises and see whether they achieve notable results.

Can Anyone Be Creative?

Some people think that creativity is something people have from birth. The perception is that either you are creative or you aren’t. People who have artistic gifts and abilities typically say that they have always loved their craft or always had talent. So, does that mean the average person can’t become creative?

To begin with, it’s important to define creativity. What is creativity? It depends on who you ask.

Some people say that creativity is a term that describes all kinds of innovative thinking. Others say it’s the creation of something new that has a distinct purpose. You might say that the person who invented the microwave was creative. But so was Shakespeare, and that’s a vastly different talent than understanding the science behind microwaves.

And while researchers haven’t quite pinned down the details behind people’s levels of creativity, it’s true that we all have some sense of it.

What Constitutes Creativity?

So, what types of talents are creative? Anything that requires innovation, creation, and strategy is creative.

Some people are great at composing music. Others are brilliant at creating works of art. Still others may be able to understand complex technology while the rest of the population struggles. Even if you have no obvious “talent,” you can still be creative in other ways.

Being able to see things from different viewpoints is one form of creativity. So is managing to collaborate with diverse groups—especially those that may have different ideas than you.

While not everyone can sculpt a masterpiece or write a sonata, it doesn’t mean only a select few have talent. Plus, you can nurture creativity in everyone, from babies to older adults.

How Can You Promote Creativity in Kids?

As “creativity expert” and author of books on the subject, Jonah Lehrer, told Greater Good Magazine, most children believe that they’re creative in early childhood. But by the time they reach fifth grade, less than half of children feel like they are creative.

By high school, the numbers dip even further. But as Lehrer explains, science says that being creative is a “universal human trait.” Everyone has it—perhaps to a different degree, or in varying subjects. But all people—young and old—have the potential to develop creativity.

The key is ensuring that children don’t lose their confidence in their own innovative minds. From infancy, children explore, learn, and create—the trick is keeping them from losing that ability as they grow. Fortunately, there are simple ways to help children retain their creativity and nurture it from infancy.

Give Children Open-Ended Toys

From the time babies begin crawling and exploring (and putting things in their mouths), they’re creative. The primary way parents can support safe exploration is by giving their babies and toddlers open-ended toys.

As Brain Blox explains, children do the most learning, exploring, discovering, and creating with “basic,” old-school toys. Open-ended toys like blocks, pretend food, dolls, balls, and even cars allow kids to use their imaginations in play.

In contrast, battery-powered toys tend to have a single purpose. With a toy as basic as a block, children can imagine all sorts of play scenarios. The same applies to dolls, dollhouses, and even natural toys like sticks, leaves, and other found or reclaimed materials.

Starting out with such open-ended toys starts kids on the path toward using their own minds for entertainment. With luck, you can nurture your child’s creative exploration and see their social skills and emotional intelligence flourish.

Allow for Creative Play (without Parents Intervening)

Many parents worry about their children’s safety and development. But modern culture often stresses safety over innovation, at least for kids. Kids often learn and explore best without close adult supervision, even if that means they’re getting messy or even hurt.

When children play creatively—without grown-ups around—they learn to work out their own problems, test their limits, and collaborate. Plenty of adults could benefit from the same experiences, but unfortunately, this type of play is often viewed as undesirable.

Revamping adults’ views of what constitutes creativity and exploration is a great way to raise children who don’t see the same boundaries.

Praise Effort, Not the Results

One of the takeaways from Lehrer’s guidance on this subject is to honor children’s paths. Rather than praising academic results, he says, it’s better to praise the effort. Complimenting a child on their drive and ambition is better than congratulating them on achieving an A grade.

Offer Creative Outlets (Outside of School)

You can’t really argue with the fact that education is a necessity. But unfortunately, many schools are dropping their art and sports programs in favor of tougher academics and higher-level classes. That means children who feel more creative may not have an appropriate outlet for their passions.

Lehrer recommends supporting kids’ passions, and that includes giving them the freedom to explore. Kids who like art can benefit from a dedicated art space at home. Children with a musical interest might want to watch YouTube videos of artists to self-teach an instrument.

Treating creative abilities the same way society treats academic interests can go a long way toward growing a society that values innovation and insight. Starting with—and supporting—the next generation is a step in the right direction.

Keep Providing Creative Opportunities into Middle School and Beyond

Many of the activities that are beneficial for adults’ imaginations are equally as helpful for children. Lehrer notes that encouraging kids’ passions throughout childhood is a great next step. Encouraging kids between third and fifth grades to keep pursuing the messy, artistic and other imaginative hobbies they enjoy will help them to own their creativity and flourish with it.

Of course, trying a few creative thinking activities and exercises can help kids just as much as adults, too. Read on for details on activities to suggest or try yourself.

Can Adults Spark Their Creativity?

Adults are often reluctant to try messy activities that have a creative purpose. But the fact remains that creative experiences are just as beneficial for adults as they are for children. Even if you didn’t have an enriching childhood experience, the following creative thinking activities might expand your horizons.

12 Creative Thinking Activities and Exercises for All Ages

These creative thinking activities and exercises can do wonders for opening your mind to new ideas. Try one or all of them and notice how your perspective changes. You never know what activity will connect your neurons in new ways, sparking that light bulb moment.

1. Find a Rewarding Hobby to Enjoy

While children often have many passions, adults tend to have fewer. After all, we’re busy raising families, working demanding jobs, and furthering careers and financial goals.

But studies say that people who have hobbies are happier, less stressed, and even more creative. Neuroscience News’ expert explained that people who did better on innovative thinking tasks reported enjoying more hobbies and “achievements.”

During one study, scans showed that people with higher creativity scores on the lab tests had a specific network of brain connections. Scientists then used those mapped-out connections to predict others’ creativity—with a high rate of success.

All this to say that having hobbies clearly has more than one benefit. The list includes higher creativity if these studies are any indication.

Of course, the above study concluded that science is undecided on whether people can modify their brain’s connections to become more creative. But we would argue that there are ways to boost creativity—and there’s no harm in trying, either. Kids can try out hobbies too—they might find one that sticks with them through adolescence and adulthood.

2. Read More (and Different) Books

We already know that reading can boost academic performance. Reading is, after all, the key to digesting and understanding information. But does reading make you more creative?

The research says yes—reading is more than just entertainment. And it’s not mindless.

Literacy Works explains that reading stimulates the right side—the creative side—of the brain. They highlight studies that show reading fiction can boost brain connectivity and function. It’s like sports are for your muscles; reading exercises your brain.

One researcher said that reading stories “reconfigures brain networks” for days after you finish a good read. The way stories stick with us, so do the benefits to our brains.

You can read anything and still experience a benefit. But researchers say that fiction is the best for getting you out of your brain’s comfort zone. The same applies for kids, too. After all, every early childhood development expert says caregivers should read to their little ones daily—and there’s a reason for it.

3. Learn to Play an Instrument (or at Least Try)

Learning something new is one way to boost your brainpower. And it follows that giving your brain more juice would help creativity and those important connections. Trying out an instrument—even if you’re bad at it—can be a great way to spark your brain .

Playing an instrument requires coordination, concentration, and memorization. All these factors are beneficial for brain development, memory function, and your self-esteem. Reading music requires your brain to function in new ways, too, so even skimming over the notes is an excellent use of time.

The fact that people respect musicians for their brilliance is a nod to how complex music is. As Inc . explains, playing music is even better for your brain than nearly every other activity. Musical training impacts your brain structure and function, they say.

Playing music can also preserve your hearing well into old age, researchers note. You might also improve your verbal memory , spatial reasoning, and literacy. But one notable fact is that the younger people begin playing music, the greater the benefits. Another excellent reason to start encouraging kids’ creativity at a young age.

4. Make Art for Creativity and Mood Benefits

Art has a reputation as being the most significant measure of creativity. But even people who are not “good” at art in the conventional sense can still benefit from picking up a paintbrush or colored pencils.

The American Psychology Association says that drawing simple scenes can improve children’s moods. And when kids are happier, they say, they’re more creative. We can assume that the same applies to adults, too.

You probably don’t feel like being creative—or doing much of anything—when you feel bad. Using art to lift your spirits has the dual benefit of helping you reflect and think more abstractly.

From drawing to sketching to painting and more, trying out art may give you the creative thinking boost you need.

5. Learn How to Meditate

Meditation can help adults reduce their stress levels, but it may also aid in creative function. In fact, Harvard Business Review says that companies like Google and Goldman Sachs use meditation in the workplace.

Executives use meditation, HBR says, because it can help them change mental tracks. They enter a more thoughtful mode, relieve stress, and approach tasks from a different perspective.

The best part is that it only takes about ten to 12 minutes of meditation to see the benefits . Whether in the workplace or other settings, meditation is simple and doesn’t require any tools.

You can try guided meditations , too, but going somewhere quiet and reflecting inwardly might be enough to harness your creativity.

6. Explore Nature (or Just Go for a Walk)

You may already love nature because of its peacefulness and refreshing vibes. Did you know that walking in nature can help with creative challenges, too?

You might find inspiration in the trees, memory support in the fresh air, and innovative ideas after sitting on a park bench. Brain function can improve after time in nature, too. People with mental health challenges also tend to feel better after nature experiences.

The best part about this exercise is it’s simple and free. You can sit under a tree in your yard, bird-watch quietly at the neighborhood park, or go for a hike in a National Park.

7. Take an Academic-Type Class

Taking a class is one way to challenge your brain and make new connections. Learning how to, say, write a play or do improv may not be as rigorous for your mind as learning to play the piano. Still, learning anything new can be an enormous influence on your creative process.

In fact, Forbes even says that teaching creativity is a vital part of undergraduate classes for college students. You may not want to enroll at a university if you’re beyond the education phase in your life. But classes take place in tons of locations, from community centers to private homes to centers for the arts.

Forbes highlights that schools today teach “convergent thinking,” which aims to solve a problem that has one set answer. It’s why memorization is pushed so hard in schools—adults know the right answer, and they want to drill it into the students.

But Forbes says that divergent thinking—coming up with multiple solutions to “unscripted problems”—is much more effective for creativity. Lots of colleges recognize the divide between how students learn in high school and what the real world demands of them. Programs help students of all ages develop their ideas , run tests, and design products and solutions.

It doesn’t take a four-year degree to spur your creativity, though. Those programs are great, but the average person can still get better at creative thinking by choosing some classes to challenge themselves with. While art is a popular choice, classes in other areas can be just as stimulating.

What Kinds of Classes are Good for Creative Development?

Consider one of the following for both entertainment and brain-boosting benefits:

  • Writing courses — whether creative writing, basic fiction, plays, screenwriting, or anything else.
  • Art — including paint, ceramics or pottery, string art, beading classes, collages, sculpting, or many others.
  • Graphic design — an offshoot of art classes that uses technology to help you create visually appealing messages.
  • Communication — learning to communicate more effectively is a great way to boost creativity. From argumentation and debate to public speaking or group communication, there are endless choices that all help make mental connections.
  • Anything STEAM related — STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Many campuses call it STEM instead, separating art from the bundle. Either way, engaging with hands-on materials in combination with abstract thought can have a significant influence on how your mind works.
  • Improvisation or acting — it might not seem “academic,” but improv teaches a lot of useful skills. From communication to critical thinking , navigating acting scenarios takes effort and creativity.

8. Be a Little Bit Absurd

Kids are phenomenal at coming up with wacky, creative, and often hilarious ideas. Adults, however, tend to worry more about appearing silly and usually restrain themselves. Which is why organizations like Fast Company wholeheartedly recommend thinking outside the box, almost to the point of absurdity.

Fueling creative thinking , they write, has to do with changing your perspective. Think of new ways to use otherwise junk materials. Pay attention—and even be nosy—when observing the world around you. Be sort of crazy in your interpretation of the world, and it might just pay off with a novel idea.

To combat that closed-off vibe, get out of your comfort zone and engage with silly and off-the-wall ideas. Assign yourself a project to surprise, amuse, or completely miff others. No idea is a bad idea, especially when you’re trying to get your creative juices flowing.

9. Play Fun and Child-Like Games

Following the recommendation to be a little bit absurd comes the suggestion to be more childlike. Kids are silly, after all, and come up with ideas that grownups could never imagine. Except that grownups can imagine crazy things and have great ideas. They just might not see the value in those concepts.

To get your mind more open to silliness and, therefore, innovation, try things like playing charades, filling in Mad Libs, or trying to figure out word problems or riddles. Watch a show like Brain Games —which often tests the audience with complex scenarios—and try out the challenges. The science behind your brain is interesting, and it might get you thinking in new ways.

Engaging in off-the-wall thinking allows you to see how much you think like others, or how original you can be.

10. Go Somewhere New

A change of scenery is one of the world’s greatest sources of inspiration. Whether you’re traveling far or near, seeing and experiencing new things does wonders for your brain. Science has confirmed that travel broadens our perspectives , quotes Vogue , which is enough to have us packing our bags.

At the same time, historically speaking, many famous creatives have produced new works while visiting other countries or experiencing new things. Plus, well-traveled people tend to be more open-minded, since they’ve been lots of places and seen things beyond their view of normal.

But the best part of travel is the fact that even the suggestion of exotic locales helps people think more creatively, experts say. One study showed that people who were told a puzzle came from another state were more creative in solving the puzzle.

There are still plenty of mysteries about how our brains work. But knowing that travel is a big motivator and influence over creativity can help in our pursuit of innovative thought.

11. Create Something (Anything)

Whatever your area of expertise, creating something new forces you to flex your mental muscles. It’s pushing creativity, especially when you give yourself a deadline or set parameters.

If cooking is your thing, come up with a new dish, or try blending contrasting flavors together for a taste-test. For artists, step outside your normal medium and tackle something new. If music is your area of expertise, try taking on a different genre or style and writing or composing a song. Writers can venture outside their typical genre, too, swapping nonfiction for fiction or prose for academia.

Using what you’re already good at—but spinning it—can open those new pathways in your mind. Plus, you may find that the new way of doing things is rewarding, too.

12. Go Beyond Brainstorming

Brainstorming is supposed to be a way to generate new ideas. But staring at a blank whiteboard doesn’t always inspire new ideas to start flowing. If none of these “big ideas” have inspired creativity, adding small daily bits of creative time to your life might have a long-term impact.

Try daily habits like:

  • Drawing the same thing each day for a week (or longer). Notice how your skill improves and how your technique might change due to looking at the object in different ways.
  • Take notes in a journal or notebook daily—without any specific goal in mind. Tracking your thoughts can often bring about new ideas.
  • Step out in nature and collect an assortment of items. Sticks, rocks, seeds or nuts, and even grasses or flowers make great collecting objects.
  • Take a new route home once or more per week. Driving a new way can expand your horizons similarly to long-distance travel. You might even start a new, more stimulating habit.
  • Writing a short story or Haiku poem about your day or week —no expert knowledge or skill required.

Final Thoughts on Creative Thinking Activities and Exercises

“Being creative” is possible for everyone, no matter your age, expertise, or background. And if you struggle to stick with creative projects, there are so many ways to get past the block and start making things again.

Great ideas may not pop up immediately. Giving your brain the space to grow and develop new connections can’t hurt, though. And who knows—you may find a new favorite hobby or a great idea that becomes the next big thing.

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CREATIVE THINKING-Problem Solving-Managing Classrooms and Opening Minds for 21st Century

Creative thinking involves generating new and innovative ideas, perspectives, and solutions. It's a cognitive process that breaks away from traditional, linear thinking and embraces originality.

Description

  • Day 1: Introduction to Creative Thinking
  • Day 2: Creative Thinking Models
  • Day 3: Techniques for Fostering Creativity
  • Day 4: Cultivating a Creative Classroom
  • Day 5: Assessment and Continuous Improvement

Learning objectives

  •  Be willing to consider ideas that might initially seem unusual or unconventional. Avoid immediate judgment and explore different viewpoints.
  •  Cultivate a curious mindset. Ask questions, seek new information, and challenge assumptions. Curiosity fuels exploration and can lead to unexpected connections.
  • Encourage the generation of a wide variety of ideas. Brainstorming is a classic example of divergent thinking, where the goal is to produce a large quantity of ideas without initially evaluating them.
  • Make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts. This can lead to novel and creative solutions. Metaphors, analogies, and similes are tools that can help in this process.
  •  Create visual representations of ideas and their relationships. Mind maps can help you organize thoughts and identify connections that might not be immediately apparent in a linear format.
  • Questioning assumptions can lead to fresh perspectives. Ask yourself why things are done a certain way and consider alternatives.
  •  Comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity is crucial for creative thinking. Sometimes the most innovative ideas emerge from situations that lack clear solutions.
  •  Approach problems with a sense of play. Experimentation and play can lead to unexpected breakthroughs.
  • Engage with others to exchange ideas and perspectives. Collaboration often brings together diverse experiences and knowledge, fostering creativity.
  •  Stepping away from a problem can give your mind the space it needs to subconsciously process information and come up with creative solutions.
  •  Exposure to a variety of ideas, disciplines, and perspectives can inspire creativity. Read books, articles, and materials outside your usual areas of interest.

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September 4, 2023

How Drawing Unlocks Creativity and Problem-Solving

Drawing is a universal form of expression that transcends language barriers and taps into the innate human desire to communicate visually. Beyond its artistic allure, drawing possesses a remarkable ability to enhance problem-solving skills and unleash creativity. The act of problem solving drawing by putting pencil to paper isn’t just reserved for artists; it’s a cognitive tool that can spark innovation and lead to novel solutions. 

In this article, we will explore how drawing contributes to problem-solving and the ways in which it can be harnessed as a powerful thinking tool. 

Table of contents:

How does drawing improve problem-solving skills , what is a problem-solving chart , how do you draw a problem-solving diagram , additional benefits of drawing , do you have to be an artist to draw , drawing exercises to enhance creativity for beginners , conclusion .

Drawing is a unique medium that engages both hemispheres of the brain, facilitating holistic thinking. 

When faced with complex problems, the act of problem solving drawing forces you to externalize your thoughts and visually map out connections, making abstract concepts more tangible. This visual representation often reveals patterns, relationships, and gaps that might not be as evident through traditional verbal or text-based approaches. 

Problem solving drawing enables you to approach challenges from a fresh perspective, breaking down barriers that hinder innovative thinking. ‘

You might also like: 151 Drawing Ideas with Examples for Inspiration

problem solving drawing

A problem-solving chart is a visual framework that organizes information and ideas related to a specific problem or challenge. It can take various forms, such as flowcharts, mind maps , or concept diagrams. 

These charts serve as dynamic tools to capture and analyze the various elements of a problem, providing a clear overview and aiding in identifying potential solutions. 

The process of creating a problem-solving chart encourages structured thinking and encourages you to explore different angles of a problem. 

Basics of drawing and sketching for beginners

Drawing for Beginners

The Art of Public Speaking

When faced with complex problems, the act of problem solving drawing forces you to externalize your thoughts

Using problem solving drawing to create a diagram involves several steps: 

  • Define the Problem: Clearly articulate the problem you’re trying to solve. This will serve as the central focus of your diagram. Gather Information: Collect relevant data, ideas, and concepts related to the problem. Jot down keywords, phrases, and concepts that come to mind.
  • Choose a Format: Depending on the complexity of the problem, choose a suitable format for your diagram. Mind maps are great for brainstorming, while flowcharts can illustrate processes and decision trees.
  • Organize the Information: Begin placing the collected information in the diagram. Connect related ideas with lines or arrows, indicating relationships and dependencies.
  • Analyze and Iterate: Step back and assess the diagram. Does it highlight potential solutions? Are there gaps or missing connections? Make adjustments as needed.
  • Identify Solutions: Use the insights gained from the diagram to identify possible solutions. The visual representation can help you see connections that lead to innovative ideas. 

Problem solving drawing offers a myriad of additional benefits. It enhances focus and concentration, allowing you to immerse yourself in the creative process. 

Drawing also serves as a stress-relieving activity, providing a means to unwind and detach from the demands of everyday life. 

Moreover, it boosts visual thinking skills, enabling you to grasp complex concepts and information more readily. 

problem solving drawing

Absolutely not. 

The beauty of drawing as a problem-solving tool is that it transcends artistic skill. 

You don’t need to create intricate masterpieces; your goal is to externalize your thoughts and ideas visually. Simple sketches, doodles, or diagrams can effectively convey your thinking process. 

The act of drawing is more about engaging with the problem and unleashing creativity than producing gallery-worthy art. 

You might also like: 21 Best Drawing Courses

If you’re new to drawing but eager to enhance your creativity, there are several exercises that can help kickstart your artistic journey.

Begin with basic shape doodling. 

Set aside time to doodle various shapes, lines, and patterns. This exercise not only gets your hand accustomed to the motion of drawing but also encourages your brain to think visually. 

Another exercise is blind contour drawing. 

Choose an object and draw it without looking at the paper. This exercise improves hand-eye coordination and forces you to observe details. 

Additionally, try drawing from memory. 

After studying an object or scene, put it out of sight and attempt to draw it from memory. This exercise sharpens your observation skills and encourages you to focus on essential details. 

Lastly, experiment with negative space drawing . 

Instead of drawing the object itself, draw the spaces around and within it. This exercise challenges your perception and helps you see objects in a new light. 

By engaging in these drawing exercises regularly, you’ll not only improve your artistic skills but also ignite your creativity in various aspects of problem-solving and thinking.

Drawing isn’t solely reserved for those with an affinity for art; it’s a potent tool that can unlock creativity and enhance problem-solving skills. Problem solving drawing enables you to approach challenges from a fresh perspective, providing a visual representation of intricate ideas and connections. 

As you craft problem-solving charts, you organize information, identify patterns, and explore innovative solutions. Beyond its cognitive benefits, drawing offers stress relief, improved concentration, and heightened visual thinking skills.

Embrace drawing as a thinking tool, regardless of your artistic prowess, and harness its potential to transform the way you approach problems and ignite your creative spark.

Related content:

  • How To Be More Creative With Sketching
  • 7 online painting classes 
  • drawing for beginners: Learn to draw online
  • 21 Drawing Supplies and Tools Essentials

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ICL 2023: Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education pp 391–402 Cite as

Enhancing Sustainability Product Development and Creativity in Education: The Impact of Educational Robotics and Design Thinking on Student Learning

  • Georg Jäggle 13 ,
  • Wilfried Lepuschitz 14 ,
  • Munir Merdan 14 &
  • Markus Vincze 13  
  • Conference paper
  • First Online: 07 February 2024

Part of the Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems book series (LNNS,volume 901)

This study examines the impact of educational robotics activities with a design thinking approach on students’ learning outcomes, environmental awareness, and self-efficacy in problem-solving. The research is based on a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative data from surveys and qualitative data from working sheets and photos of students’ prototypes. The study involved 92 students who participated in a three-hour workshop using the C4STEM framework and the 5-step plan for educational robotics activities. The findings indicate that the educational robotics activities facilitated students’ learning about sustainability, recycling, and product development. The design thinking approach, hands-on experiences, and collaborative problem-solving enhanced students’ creativity and critical thinking skills. The students demonstrated a strong understanding of the connection between sustainability and robotics, developing innovative prototypes with sustainable components. Moreover, the workshop had a positive impact on students’ environmental awareness, as they gained knowledge about e-waste and recycling. The results also revealed increased students’ self-efficacy in using robots for problem-solving. The study highlights the significance of integrating robotics into education to promote 21st-century skills. By incorporating design thinking and sustainability principles, educators can foster students’ environmental consciousness and equip them with the necessary skills to address sustainable development goals.

  • Educational robotics activity
  • sustainable product development
  • design thinking approach
  • environmental awareness
  • sustainable development goals

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Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Sparkling Science 2.0 programme, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research with the project number SPSC_01_141.

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Jäggle, G., Lepuschitz, W., Merdan, M., Vincze, M. (2024). Enhancing Sustainability Product Development and Creativity in Education: The Impact of Educational Robotics and Design Thinking on Student Learning. In: Auer, M.E., Cukierman, U.R., Vendrell Vidal, E., Tovar Caro, E. (eds) Towards a Hybrid, Flexible and Socially Engaged Higher Education. ICL 2023. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 901. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53022-7_39

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IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. 18 Creativity Exercises To Improve Creative Thinking at Work

    Creativity exercises help you discover entirely new solutions to repetitive problems. Embracing work challenges: With enough practice, work challenges become something to look forward to as an opportunity to show and improve your mental creativity rather than a test delaying your progress.

  2. Lateral Thinking Exercises: Enhance Creativity and Problem Solving Skills

    Lateral thinking is a creative approach to problem-solving that combines art, creativity, and logic to yield innovative and unexpected solutions. Developed by psychologist Edward de Bono in the 1970s, lateral thinking encourages a shift in perspective to break free from conventional reasoning methods. Unlike critical thinking, which relies ...

  3. Creative games and exercises to spur creativity in the workplace

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  4. 20 Problem Solving Activities to Improve Creativity

    #1. Newspaper Headline - Try writing your problem as if it were a headline in a newspaper. You can write it as if the problem still exists, or as if the problem were already solved. Try Tabloid headlines for even more creative ideas. Example: "Local man attempts to provide joy to the world by opening a jar of peanut butter." #2.

  5. 5 Brainstorming Warm-up Exercises to Activate Your Creativity

    Try the following brainstorming exercises to help you stretch your creative muscles and boost your innovation and problem solving skills. 1. Alternate Uses Alternate Uses is an ideation exercise that boosts divergent, out-of-the-box thinking. How it works: Set the timer for three minutes. Pick an ordinary object, like a toothbrush.

  6. Team Building Exercises

    Exercise 1: Lost at Sea* In this activity, participants must pretend that they've been shipwrecked and are stranded in a lifeboat. Each team has a box of matches, and a number of items that they've salvaged from the sinking ship. Members must agree which items are most important for their survival. Tip:

  7. How to Be a More Creative Problem-Solver at Work: 8 Tips

    8 Creative Problem-Solving Tips. 1. Empathize with Your Audience. A fundamental practice of design thinking's clarify stage is empathy. Understanding your target audience can help you find creative and relevant solutions for their pain points through observing them and asking questions.

  8. 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving

    Using 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving will give you the information and tools you need to: Generate creative ideas to solve problems. Avoid patterned and negative thinking. Engage in activities that are guaranteed to spark ideas. Use proven techniques for brainstorming with groups.

  9. What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?

    Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.

  10. Brain workouts: 10 top tipps for creative thinking

    "Creativity is a problem-solving tool, and the engine that drives creativity is motivation. ... Otherwise, there won't be the drive needed to do the creativity exercises to get you all the way ...

  11. Top 15 Problem-Solving Activities for Your Team to Master

    In this article, you'll explore 15 problem-solving activities designed to enhance collaboration and creativity. Additionally, if you want to discuss the insights and outcomes with your team after the activities, you can use Wrike's actionable meeting notes template.

  12. Team Building Exercises

    [1] Research also shows that managers who make it clear that they expect team members to work creatively are perceived as being more supportive of new ideas. [2] One way to do this is through creative thinking exercises that enhance and encourage creativity in your team. Creativity exercises also help people relax and de-stress.

  13. Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults

    Problem solving games are activities that require players to use critical thinking skills to solve puzzles. Example activities include escape rooms, Sudoku, and murder mysteries. The purpose of these exercises is to sharpen reasoning and decision-making skills in group settings and to do team building with employees.

  14. How to Use Creativity in Problem-Solving

    Creativity in problem-solving allows for the generation of unique, practical solutions. It involves thinking outside the box, challenging traditional assumptions, and viewing the problem from various perspectives. Creativity is crucial in problem-solving as it fosters innovation and adaptability.

  15. Five creativity exercises to boost your artistic thinking

    The eidetic image method as a creative-thinking exercise can be used in group brainstorming settings as well. 3. Sketchnoting. Sketchnoting is a visual thinking method in which you take visual notes—rather than just text-based notes—in real time, during a lecture, meeting, or the like. According to Craighton Berman, the founder and creative ...

  16. 10 Must-try Innovation Games to Foster Creativity

    Activities like creative problem-solving, collaborative art, scavenger hunts, writing marathons, collaborative music jams, cooking challenges, designing dream workspaces, creative journaling, mind ...

  17. 35 problem-solving techniques and methods for solving ...

    Many of the problem-solving activities below include sections where the problem is explored and clearly defined before moving on. ... The Creativity Dice #creativity #problem solving #thiagi #issue analysis . Too much linear thinking is hazardous to creative problem solving. To be creative, you should approach the problem (or the opportunity ...

  18. 29 Brainstorming Techniques for Creativity [2023] • Asana

    1. Starbursting. A visual brainstorming technique, starbursting should be used once you or your team of brainstormers has homed in on a single idea. To begin starbursting, put an idea on the middle of a whiteboard and draw a six-point star around it. Each point will represent a question:

  19. Problem Solving Activities to Improve Team Creativity

    Strong problem-solving skills to improve creativity is a crucial asset for any team. Whether you're a manager or fresher, easy problem-solving tactics will help you glide over tough decision-making faster and approach problems smartly.

  20. 13 Problem-Solving Activities & Exercises for Your Team

    #1. Crossword Puzzles Objective: To enhance problem-solving skills, vocabulary, and cognitive abilities through engaging crossword puzzles. Estimated Time: 15-20 Minutes Materials Needed: Crossword puzzle sheets Pens or pencils Procedure: Distribute crossword puzzle sheets and pens/pencils to each participant.

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    1. Cardboard Boat Building Challenge 2. Egg Drop 3. Clue Murder Mystery 4. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower 5. Corporate Escape Room 6. Wild Goose Chase 7. Lost at Sea 8. Domino Effect Challenge 9. Reverse Pyramid 10. CI: The Crime Investigators 11. Team Pursuit

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