Creative Thinking

Do you feel like you and your staff have run out of fresh ideas? Have your processes gone stale or do you come up with 'same old' answers when confronted with a challenge or problem?

Creative thinking is the essential edge for a 21st century business; no longer a luxury, or just for ad agencies and architects, it is the biggest differentiator of a successful modern business, especially in turbulent times.

Left brain, logical, linear thinking is essential in business. (It's what they call 'in the box' thinking.) But for 21st century success you also need right brain, creative, big picture thinking. (That's the 'out of the box' bit...). Creative thinking is about using your whole brain, not just one side or the other.

Our creative thinking programs are for businesses and teams that are ready to explore new ways of thinking, ways that we (mostly) aren't taught in school. It's quite easy to tap into - all you need are a few tips and tricks and a willingness to try something new.

And it doesn't have to involve easels in the lunchroom or random chaos, either...

As client Lisa Hresc, Head Corporate Marketing, Australian Broadcasting Commission, said, 'We had a fantastic time with Joanna during our Creative Thinking workshop. She is a great facilitator and got the whole team thinking differently. Really enjoyed the scenarios she threw at us and we all used the tools and skills Joanna taught us immediately with great results. The sessions were a lot of fun with some very practical and very interesting ideas. We would like to involve Joanna again with future projects.'

What's in the program?

In our Creative Thinking program, you will discover:

  • The 4 steps to creative thinking and how to use them at work
  • Specific techniques, tailored depending on creative thinking techniques already being used by your organisation
  • How to sidestep the things that get in the way of creative thinking
  • How to apply the tools to your particular workplace issues
  • That thinking hard can be fun

The program is very interactive, using a series of processes to demonstrate the key features of creative thinking. Participants will leave with an awareness of their creative process as well as practical tips and techniques that they can implement the next day at work.

Contact us now if your team is ready to use your whole brain and all your thinking potential at work, not just half (or even less...).

  • 'Creativity is one of the last remaining legal ways of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition.' - Ed McCabe
  • 'A company is creative when it's employees do something new and potentially useful without being directly shown or taught.' - Robinson and Stern, Corporate Creativity
  • 'Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible.' - Frank Zappa
  • 'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?' - Mary Oliver
  • 'To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.' - Joseph Chilton Pearce Oliver
  • 'A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.' - Frank Capra

Why choose a WorkInColour Creative Thinking program?

At WorkInColour we know a lot about creativity, but we also understand the demands and constraints of managing a workplace, so our programs are very practical and designed to be integrated into your operations with minimum fuss and maximum results.

Joanna Maxwell has been exploring creative thinking as a trainer, a writer and a coach for over a decade, but she also knows what it is like to make a career in the very left-brained, rigorous world of corporate law. Click here for more of that story.

There is nothing 'airy fairy' about our approach. We draw on a number of tools and models, tailor-made for you and your needs. There is no forcing clients to fit our paradigm at WorkInColour... you've probably had more than enough of that already at work!

Here's what clients say

'Joanna is a great facilitator, engaging and warm person to work with. Her workshops include an excellent combination of theory and activities. Joanna's responsiveness and creative approach encouraged our participants to reflect their usual way of thinking and applying the tools she taught with enthusiasm. Her professional attitude and flexibility allowed us to incorporate topics of special interest.'Kerstin Schnekenburger, Victorian Department of Sustainability Services, VECCI

'Thank you for the creative thinking workshop for our advanced rural leadership program, TRAILblazers. I have to tell you that your session was one of the 'must keep' sessions for the group - they used a lot of the techniques in their mastermind session on the last day of the program- and it worked beautifully. I have heard that many of them have even incorporated some of the techniques with their colleagues upon their return to work. I am definitely booking you in again for the next program! Thanks again.'Zoe Routh, Manager - Network and Short Courses, Australian Rural Leadership Foundation