The Communique, the official newsletter of CPSB, is filled with valuable creativity resources and will keep you up to date on with what's going on with CPSB and it's associates.
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A synopsis of a thesis completed at the Copenhagen Business School, that highlights the importance of taking differences in organizational culture into account when working to support the development of creativity.
Out latest impact study on the Igniting Creative Potential: A Focus on Faciltiation Course. This study was done in conjunction with CPSB's Operations Manager Greg Lindberg and his MBA project team at the University at Buffalo and the CPSB team. This study highlights the impact and effectiveness of the Igniting Creative Potential: A Focus on Facilitation Course.
Think for a minute about the value of having truly high performing teams within your organization. While there are many things that impact the performance of a team, both research and experience confirm, the use of a trained facilitator, utilizing the proven approaches and tools of Creative Problem Solving (CPS), can make a huge difference in the productivity of a group...
Many of us use a number of assessments in our work as change practitioners. I would like to share a practical list of activities and practitioner competencies developed from my recent experience in debriefing the Situational Outlook Questionnaire® (SOQ).
Many of us use a number of assessments in our work as change practitioners. This two-part series shares a practical list of activities and practitioner competencies developed from my recent experience in debriefing the Situational Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ).
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It is seldom that we encounter a situation where the client is ready, willing and able to fundamentally change their entire organization. In the last year I found such a client. Here is the story of what has been a very rewarding...
How does one communicate the results of a climate questionnaire to a group of over 100 people representing the organization that completed it? Can a consultant do it in a manner that promotes dialogue, shared understanding...
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When people talk or think about the role of a facilitator there are many differing and frequently erroneous perceptions about what that role entails. Some people think of facilitators only as “super time keepers” handling the task of keeping the meeting or session moving forward in a timely manner...
One of the facilitation insights most frequently identified in our Igniting Creative Potential Course is the importance of the facilitator maintaining a flexible stance- being ready for the unexpected twists and turns that can occur in sessions. Experienced facilitators have learned (sometimes painfully) that almost anything can and usually does happen in sessions, meetings or...
Culture is defined as “the way of life of a particular society or group / the customs, civilisation and achievements of a particular time or people” (Oxford English Dictionary)...
Recently, I had the pleasure of being involved in the initial phase of a six stage, new product development global initiative for a large publishing company. During an idea generation session...
At the exact moment I began to write this article, I became aware that a little more than nine months have gone by since I was in Buffalo for the very first time to attend the Facilitating Creative Problem ...
The term servant-leader was first coined in 1970 by Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-1990) to describe an age old concept. Good leaders, paradoxically, are seen as servants first. In his seminal essay, The Servant...
I’ll tell you a tale of more than one intervention Where process and roles deserve some attention. I combined CPS with other methods you see, In fact, in one case, quite deliberately...
The challenge for the team, as explained by the client, was a multi-million dollar revenue shortfall against budget. The context was as follows: (a) a very aggressive revenue target (b) dramatic reduction of the cost base; and (c) almost no promotional budget...
The situation as explained by the manager was a need to increase productivity. The lack of problem-solving skills was cited by the office manager as a major barrier to productivity. A tour of the facilities followed...
Old folks home. Three words that conjure up dingy corridors and pungent odors, accompanied by ever present moaning in the background. The facilities are old, operating systems are antiquated, and management is top down...
This article tells the story of my role as a Training Manager facilitating the skillbase development of a highly skilled core team of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) practitioners. These practitioners were teaching Creative Problem Solving...
The United Way of Buffalo and Erie County has a vision that we will create “A caring community with the highest quality of life in America”. The vision will be achieved through a careful focus on the mission of the organization...
In 1992-93, a program called Second Chance was offered to a number of aboriginal inmates in Manitoba (Place, 1994; Place & McCluskey, 1995). Since Creative Problem Solving (CPS) training was an integral part of the package...
In her first year, Kimberly Trate had only heard about Creative Problem Solving. The Indiana State University graduate student in school psychology got to see it in practice after she enrolled in a summer school class specially...
The primary purpose of this article is to outline an intervention made in one of the world’s largest advertising companies, noted Firm X. This intervention was to help Firm X further develop creativity - which, as we all know...
I was recently asked by a client to design and facilitate a strategic team intervention. During the program, I was able to apply the concept of Creative Problem Solving that I learned from my colleagues in Buffalo, and some of the tools...
Last year, the Belgian Federal Police, called the “Rijkswacht” (in Dutch) or the “Gendarmerie” (in French), celebrated their 200th anniversary. Nevertheless, the Belgian Government intends to amalgamate the Rijkswacht in the future...
Over the past eighteen months, the Creative Problem Solving Group - Buffalo (CPS-B) and the Blumberg Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Special Education at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, have had the pleasure...
This is the first of two articles describing the experiences of Bull Information Systems in implementing and sustaining an ‘Innovation Initiative’ based on CPS principles. The first part describes what we did, and the second part, to be...
This is the second of two articles describing the experiences of Bull Information Systems in implementing and sustaining an ‘Innovation Initiative’ based on CPS principles. The first part appeared in the previous issue of the Communiqué
When the Indiana agency responsible for providing family services throughout the state needed to develop a five-year plan for the federal government, it turned to Creative Problem Solving to help complete the colossal task.
Each time the three of us work together and synthesize our unique experiences with research findings, we benefit greatly from taking the time to examine our use of language in writing about CPS...
Logistics is defined as “the managing of the details of an undertaking.” When these behind the scenes details are managed correctly, they are nearly invisible to your clients. Poor logistics planning...
Recently CPS-B hosted a Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Trainer Fast Tracking workshop. Its purpose was to help people accelerate their progress in developing skills to train CPS-B’s Foundations...
As I continue to learn and deepen my understanding for making a difference with Creative Problem Solving (CPS), I am impressed with what people are able to accomplish while using this method...
When doing business internationally, the lack of a common language has always been a barrier to completely integrating and understanding concepts, ideas, and innovations. With the help of...
The Creativity and Innovation Center - Europe (CIC) and the Creative Problem Solving Group - Buffalo (CPS-B) have been working together for over five years to bring current thinking and best practice...
We’ve all heard the expression of “using the right tool for the job,” and most of us have experienced the difficulties that result when we are not able to use that tool or we simply are not aware of what the...
In February 2002, I was invited to attend the CPSB forum entitled “The Spirit of Invention.” I was asked to give a speech that focused on my experiences and insights as an inventor in a large company...
Has anyone ever told you that you cannot improve on time, cost, and quality all at once? You can only have two out of three ? When it comes to new product development, that’s the usual wisdom...
To rapidly increase the quality and speed of New Product Development (NPD) and reduce the costs by up to half, we need to focus on the principle of involving customers. Needless to say, however...
This is the first of a two-part article on our company’s journey on the road to innovation in product development. The content of this article describes the evolution of our journey while the second...
Can you imagine using a single tool for an entire three days? Or that a single tool could have a fundamental impact on the way a company makes decisions about its new product concepts? Well...
