Page 79 - UPthEM_Program_Final_December 2020

UPthEM – Upskilling Pathways for Employability
№ 2019-1-BG01-KA204-062299

Theory

Introduction
Thinking is the ultimate human resource. The quality of our life depends entirely on the quality
of our thinking. This applies on personal, community and world
levels. Creative thinking is the ability to consider something in a new way.
But the word “creativity” is much too broad and much too vague and
sometimes it covers artistic expressions that have little to do with
changing perceptions and concepts. That is why there was a real need to have a way
of describing this sort of thinking and in 1967 Eduard de Bone first thought of the
term “lateral thinking” and since then it is used for a deliberate and formal process
for which there are tools. In this module we will use creative thinking term as it is
more familiar.

Creativity is at the basis of innovation and innovation is a support for the growth of small
enterprises, then it is paramount that Creative Thinking is embedded in any training programme.
Developing the ability to think creatively and to innovate can be stimulated and enhanced
through learning or training process. Developing this skill can put you in a position to be several
steps ahead of your potential customers and competitors enabling you to provide more cutting
edge products, services and ideas.

When we think we generally use critical or creative thinking. They are the two most basic
methods of solving problems. Critical thinking is the way of thinking clearly and rationally.
Creative thinking usually consists of coming up with new and original ideas. To be a good and
effective developer it is essential to possess the ability to apply both kinds of thinking. During
our formal education most of us have all been taught how to apply Critical Thinking, very few
of us have ever been taught how to apply Creative Thinking.

Creative Thinking is: Critical Thinking is:
Generative Analytical
Non-judgmental Judgmental
Expansive Selective
Possibility Probability
Right brain Left brain
Yes and… Yes but…

To put it simply - when you think creatively you are exploring many new ideas. When you think
critically you are making choices.

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