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Using Brain Teasers to Build Critical Thinking Skills

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What is Creativity?

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Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing.
If you have ideas but don't act on them, you are imaginative but not creative.
"Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being. Creativity requires passion and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness: ecstasy." - Rollo May, The Courage to Create

Is this possible in business? I believe so, but you have to be willing to take risks and progress through discomfort to get to the finish line.

"A product is creative when it is (a) novel and (b) appropriate. A novel product is original not predictable. The bigger the concept, and the more the product stimulates further work and ideas, the more the product is creative."
-Sternberg & Lubart, Defying the Crowd

What is Innovation?
Innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved product, service or process that creates value for business, government or society.
Some people say creativity has nothing to do with innovation- that innovation is a discipline, implying that creativity is not. Well, I disagree. Creativity is also a discipline and a crucial part of the innovation equation. There is no innovation without creativity. The key metric in both creativity and innovation is value creation.

Why does creativity matter?

Creativity and economic development:

We are living in the age of creativity. Daniel Pink in his book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future (2006) defines Economic Development as:
1. Agriculture Age (farmers)
2. Industrial Age (factory workers)
3. Information Age (knowledge workers)
4. Conceptual Age (creators and empathizers)

Pink argues that left-brain linear, analytical computer-like thinking is being replaced by right-brain empathy, inventiveness, and understanding as skills most needed by business. In other words, creativity gives you a competitive advantage by adding value to your service or product and differentiating your business from the competition.

As Sam Palmisano said when he was CEO of IBM (2004), "Either you innovate or you're in commodity hell. If you do what everybody else does, you have a low-margin business. That's not where we want to be." (1)

In 2012 IBM started reinventing itself to become a design company, investing $100 million USD to hire designers, and educate 100,000 employees to become design thinkers. (2) IBM helped expand design thinking at the organization over three years to penetrate one quarter of the entire portfolio, enabling $18.6M in increased profits.(3)

Creativity is the most crucial factor for future success

IBM's 2010 Global CEO Study (4)stated:

The effects of rising complexity calls for CEOs and their teams to lead with bold creativity, connect with customers in imaginative ways and design their operations for speed and flexibility to position their organizations for twenty-first century success.

The Creativity Gap

A 2012 Adobe study on creativity shows 8 in 10 people feel that unlocking creativity is critical to economic growth and nearly two-thirds of respondents feel creativity is valuable to society, yet a striking minority - only 1 in 4 people - believe they are living up to their own creative potential.

Can creativity be learned?

The short answer is yes. A study by George Land reveals that we are naturally creative and as we grow up we learn to be uncreative. Creativity is a skill that can be developed and a process that can be managed.

How to be more creative

Creativity begins with a foundation of knowledge, learning a discipline, and mastering a way of thinking. You can learn to be creative by experimenting, exploring, questioning assumptions, using imagination and synthesing information. Learning to be creative is akin to learning a sport. It requires practice to develop the right muscles and a supportive environment in which to flourish.

Studies by Clayton M. Christensen and his researchers uncovered The Innovators DNA: Your ability to generate innovative ideas is not merely a function of the mind, but also a function of five key behaviours that optimize your brain for discovery:

1. Associating: drawing connections between questions, problems, or ideas from unrelated fields

2. Questioning: posing queries that challenge common wisdom

3. Observing: scrutinizing the behavior of customers, suppliers, and competitors to identify new ways of doing things

4. Networking: meeting people with different ideas and perspectives

5. Experimenting: constructing interactive experiences and provoking unorthodox responses to see what insights emerge

Sir Richard Branson has a mantra that runs through the DNA of Virgin companies. The mantra is A-B-C-D. (Always Be Connecting the Dots). Creativity is a practice, and if you practice using these five discovery skills every day, you will develop your skills in creativity and innovation.

"Creativeness is the ability to see relationships where none exist."
- Thomas Disch, author, 334, (1974)

For example you can make comparisons between your company and others outside of your industry. Questions I ask my clients' teams in advance of our creativity and innovation ideation sessions are:What companies do you most admire and why? What are they doing that you could adopt or adapt to your own company?
These posts might interest you too:
Generative research on creativity

Generative research shows that everyone has creative abilities. The more training you have and the more diverse the training, the greater the potential for creative output. Research has shown that in creativity quantity equals quality. The longer the list of ideas, the higher the quality of the final solution. Quite often, the highest quality ideas appear at the end of the list.

Behavior is generative; like the surface of a fast flowing river, it is inherently and continuously novel... behavior flows and it never stops changing. Novel behavior is generated continuously, but it is labeled creative only when it has some special value to the community... Generativity is the basic process that drives all the behavior we come to label creative." - Robert Epstein PhD, Psychology Today July/Aug 1996

Overcoming myths about creativity

Beliefs that only special, talented people are creative (and you have to be born that way) diminish our confidence in our creative abilities. The notion that geniuses such as Shakespeare, Picasso, and Mozart were `gifted' is a myth, according to a study at Exeter University. Researchers examined outstanding performances in the arts, mathematics, and sports, to find out if "the widespread belief that to reach high levels of ability a person must possess an innate potential called talent."

The study concludes that excellence is determined by:

opportunities

encouragement

training

motivation, and

most of all, practice.

"Few showed early signs of promise prior to parental encouragement." No one reached high levels of achievement in their field without devoting thousands of hours of serious training. Mozart trained for 16 years before he produced an acknowledged masterwork. Moreover many high performers achieve levels of excellence today that match the capabilities of a Mozart, or a Gold Medallist from the turn of the century." ( The Vancouver Sun, Sept.12/98)

Fostering creativity at work: Rules of the garage

Follow these simple rules and you will foster a culture of creativity and innovation: These were defined by HP, which in fact started in a garage.

Believe you can change the world.
Work quickly, keep the tools unlocked, work whenever.
Know when to work alone and when to work together.
Share - tools, ideas. Trust your colleagues.
No politics. No bureaucracy. (These are ridiculous in a garage.)
The customer defines a job well done.
Radical ideas are not bad ideas.
Invent different ways of working.
Make a contribution every day. If it doesn't contribute, it doesn't leave the garage.
Believe that together we can do anything.
Invent.
-1999 HP Annual Report

References

(1) S. Lohr, "Big Blue's Big Bet: Less Tech, More Touch", NYT, Jan. 25, 2004.

(2) Elizabeth Stinson, Wired (2016): IBM's Got A Plan To Bring Design Thinking To Big Business https://www.wired.com/2016/01/ibms-got-a-plan-to-bring-design-thinking-to-big-business/

(3) Forrester Study (2018) "The Total Economic Impact™ Of IBM's Design Thinking Practice: How IBM Drives Client Value And Measurable Outcomes With Its Design Thinking Framework" https://www.ibm.com/design/thinking/static/media/Enterprise-Design-Thinking-Report.8ab1e9e1.pdf
First published Feb 17, 2014, updated Nov 18, 2021
See also:
The Must-Have Skills You Need to Compete in the New Future of Work

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What is Creativity? (And why is it a crucial factor for business success?)

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Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing.

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Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings.

Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions. Employers prioritize the ability to think critically-find out why, plus see how you can demonstrate that you have this ability throughout the job application process.

Why Do Employers Value Critical Thinking Skills?

Employers want job candidates who can evaluate a situation using logical thought and offer the best solution.

Hiring a critical thinker means that micromanaging won't be required. Critical thinking abilities are among the most sought-after skills in almost every industry and workplace. You can demonstrate critical thinking by using related keywords in your resume and cover letter, and during your interview.

Examples of Critical Thinking

The circumstances that demand critical thinking vary from industry to industry. Some examples include:

A triage nurse analyzes the cases at hand and decides the order by which the patients should be treated.

A plumber evaluates the materials that would best suit a particular job.

An attorney reviews evidence and devises a strategy to win a case or to decide whether to settle out of court.

A manager analyzes customer feedback forms and uses this information to develop a customer service training session for employees.

Promote Your Skills in Your Job Search

If critical thinking is a key phrase in the job listings you are applying for, be sure to emphasize your critical thinking skills throughout your job search.

Add Keywords to Your Resume

You can use critical thinking keywords (analytical, problem solving, creativity, etc.) in your resume. When describing your work history, include top critical thinking skills that accurately describe you. You can also include them in your resume summary, if you have one.

For example, your summary might read, "Marketing Associate with five years of experience in project management. Skilled in conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis to assess market trends and client needs, and to develop appropriate acquisition tactics."

Mention Skills in Your Cover Letter

Include these critical thinking skills in your cover letter. In the body of your letter, mention one or two of these skills, and give specific examples of times when you have demonstrated them at work. Think about times when you had to analyze or evaluate materials to solve a problem.

Show the Interviewer Your Skills

You can use these skill words in an interview. Discuss a time when you were faced with a particular problem or challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve it.

Some interviewers will give you a hypothetical scenario or problem, and ask you to use critical thinking skills to solve it. In this case, explain your thought process thoroughly to the interviewer. He or she is typically more focused on how you arrive at your solution rather than the solution itself. The interviewer wants to see you analyze and evaluate (key parts of critical thinking) the given scenario or problem.

Of course, each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description carefully and focus on the skills listed by the employer.

Top Critical Thinking Skills

Keep these in-demand critical thinking skills in mind as you update your resume and write your cover letter. As you've seen, you can also emphasize them at other points throughout the application process, such as your interview.

Part of critical thinking is the ability to carefully examine something, whether it is a problem, a set of data, or a text. People with analytical skills can examine information, understand what it means, and properly explain to others the implications of that information.

Asking Thoughtful Questions

Data Analysis

Research

Interpretation

Judgment

Questioning Evidence

Recognizing Patterns

Skepticism

Communication

Often, you will need to share your conclusions with your employers or with a group of colleagues. You need to be able to communicate with others to share your ideas effectively. You might also need to engage in critical thinking in a group. In this case, you will need to work with others and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems.

Active Listening

Assessment

Collaboration

Explanation

Interpersonal

Presentation

Teamwork

Verbal Communication

Written Communication

Creativity

Critical thinking often involves creativity and innovation. You might need to spot patterns in the information you are looking at or come up with a solution that no one else has thought of before. All of this involves a creative eye that can take a different approach from all other approaches.

Flexibility

Conceptualization

Curiosity

Imagination

Drawing Connections

Inferring

Predicting

Synthesizing

Vision

Open-Mindedness

To think critically, you need to be able to put aside any assumptions or judgments and merely analyze the information you receive. You need to be objective, evaluating ideas without bias.

Problem Solving

Problem-solving is another critical thinking skill that involves analyzing a problem, generating and implementing a solution, and assessing the success of the plan. Employers don't simply want employees who can think about information critically. They also need to be able to come up with practical solutions.

Attention to Detail

Clarification

Decision Making

Evaluation

Groundedness

Identifying Patterns

Innovation

More Critical Thinking Skills

Inductive Reasoning

Deductive Reasoning

Compliance

Noticing Outliers

Adaptability

Emotional Intelligence

Brainstorming

Optimization

Restructuring

Integration

Strategic Planning

Project Management

Ongoing Improvement

Causal Relationships

Case Analysis

Diagnostics

SWOT Analysis

Business Intelligence

Quantitative Data Management

Qualitative Data Management

Metrics

Accuracy

Risk Management

Statistics

Scientific Method

Consumer Behavior

Key Takeaways

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Critical Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples

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Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings. Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions.

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Collaboration skills enable you to successfully work toward a common goal with others. They include communicating clearly, actively listening to others, taking responsibility for mistakes, and respecting the diversity of your colleagues.

Learn more about these skills and how to develop them.

What Are Collaboration Skills?

Collaboration skills are what enable you to work well with others. Most work environments require collaboration, so these skills are essential. These skills include understanding a variety of perspectives, managing priorities from everyone in the group, and meeting expectations as a reliable member of a team.

Successful collaboration requires a cooperative spirit and mutual respect. Employers typically seek employees that function effectively as part of a team and are willing to balance personal achievement with group goals.

Alternate names: Teamwork skills, team building skills

How Collaboration Skills Work

The idea of collaboration seems easy enough, but in reality, it can be challenging to collaborate with others. Each person on a team has strengths and weaknesses, communication preferences, and personal goals. Company culture also influences collaboration. Some companies value collaboration and provide training on how to collaborate, while others assume that collaboration will naturally happen.

Using collaboration skills within a team may include:

Keeping communication open and never withholding information necessary to carry out tasks

Reaching a consensus about goals and methods for completing projects or tasks

Offering recognition of the contributions of others on your team, giving credit where credit is due

Identifying obstacles and addressing problems cooperatively as they occur

Placing group goals above personal satisfaction and/or recognition, especially if you're the leader

Apologizing for missteps and forgiving others for mistakes

Types of Collaboration Skills

For successful collaboration, you need skilled communication, emotional intelligence, and respect for diversity. Here's a closer look at each of these types of collaboration skills.

Communication Skills

Getting your point across can be a challenge. Within a team, you can't be afraid to share your perspective, but you also can't impose your viewpoint on everyone else. These communication skills are essential collaboration skills.

Active listening: Active listening goes beyond hearing the words your colleagues are saying. It means listening without judgment and ensuring you understand the meaning behind what they say. If you don't understand, ask for clarification, and take the time to summarize what was said before moving on.

Written communication: A lot of collaboration happens in writing, especially if you're working remotely. We tend to rely on nonverbal cues to convey meaning, so it's especially important to be mindful of how messages might be received when communicating in writing.

Verbal communication: What you say in a team environment is key, but how you say it is just as important. Sharing your perspective succinctly and respectfully disagreeing are essential aspects of verbal communication.

Nonverbal communication: Nonverbal communication, like body language and tone, impacts your verbal communication. The same words delivered in two different ways can convey two different meanings to those who are listening. Consider both what you're saying and how you're saying it when working closely with colleagues.

Note

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is one of the most sought-after soft skills in the workplace. Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your emotions, recognize emotions in others and react appropriately, and apply your emotions to tasks.

When a team member is moody and snaps at another team member, those with emotional intelligence can determine that the irritability could be evidence of the moody member's need for rest or assistance. Even issues such as perceived laziness or stubbornness are seen by those with emotional intelligence as symptoms of a larger issue that everyone can work together to address.

Some traits to cultivate to increase your emotional intelligence include:

Resilience

Not being offended easily

Not taking criticism personally

Being able to recognize and detach from strong emotions when needed

Curiosity

Empathy

Compassion

Conflict resolution

Respect for Diversity

In our global economy, you may be working with colleagues from other countries and cultures. To be successful, it's essential to reflect on any implicit biases you may hold so you can work respectfully with your colleagues.

You should also call attention to behaviors or decisions that could be subtle forms of discrimination. For example, if a minority colleague is consistently being talked over or ignored during meetings, you might make a deliberate effort to bring the conversation back to that colleague's ideas.

Respect for diversity in a collaborative environment includes:

Open communication

Sensitivity to ethnic and religious backgrounds

Building and managing expectations

Facilitating group discussion

Agreeing on roles that capitalize on individual strengths

Building consensus

Eliciting viewpoints from all team members

More Skills Employers Value

Here are examples of the top skills employers look for when evaluating job applicants and employees being considered for a promotion, as well as recommendations for the best skills to include on your resume.

Key Takeaways

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Collaboration skills enable you to work toward a common goal with others. Collaboration involves being able to communicate, listen, and take responsibility.