Business Consulting: Creative Thinking Methods

Manager Discussion Guide

Objectives

Creative Thinking Methods (CTM) provides four tools and techniques for enhancing
creative thinking and innovation, especially as related to client* interactions.

The result of this learning is that participants will have techniques to provide more
innovative recommendations to the client.

Your Expectations

As the participant’s manager, consider the following suggestions:

• Ask how the techniques might be used individually and as a team to provide more
innovative solutions for your clients.
• Provide an opportunity for the participant to share with you and/or your team one
idea he or she generated in the class.
• Ask for ideas on how some of the innovative thinking can be ingrained into the
regular department function.

Discussion Points

1. How do you think the techniques you learned can help us, as a department,
become more innovative?

2. Which of the four techniques (Break-Up, Idea Box, SCREAM, Forced

Connections) may be most effective to help us improve our innovation and
creativity with our clients?

3. Can we apply one of the techniques to a problem we’re facing now? If so, how
can we get started?

4. In your opinion, how can I help set the environment to enable more creativity and
innovation throughout the department?

* Client may be an internal client of the department or an external client of Convergys.

Revised 07/12/2006
Action Plan

Use the table below as a guide to create and formalize an action plan with your employee. Writing down and agreeing to
an action plan with your employee is a critical part of ensuring knowledge gained in this training is successfully and
meaningfully transitioned back to the workplace. Make sure that your action plan lists specific, relevant details on
responsibilities, timing and deadlines, project planning, etc. THE FOLLOWING ARE ONLY SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR 
DISCUSSION AND NOT MEANT TO BE AN ALL INCLUSIVE ACTION PLAN.

Development Goal Observable Behaviors Suggested Measurements to Action Plan

Supporting Goals Confirm Goal Attainment
1. Apply CTM tool(s) • Recommends one or more • Participant brings improved
to business CTM tools for problem innovative thinking to
challenges solving challenging situations
• Applies CTM tool to a
problem he/she is
addressing
2. Lead an innovation • Leads creative thinking • Group use of CTM tool to
session using one exercise using one of the address a challenge
of the CTM tools CTM tools
3. Bring innovative • Offers innovative solution • Client recognizes an
thinking to the or recommendations to improvement in innovative
client* the client suggestions
• CSAT measures reflect
improvement in ideas
generated

* Client may be an internal client of the department or an external client of Convergys.

Revised 07/12/2006