Creativity & Innovation Certificate Program: Harness Outside-the-Box Thinking to Drive Results

Modules

Module 1: Creative Thinking: Nurturing Creativity, Harnessing Diverse Thinking Styles and Applying Brainstorming and Design Thinking Techniques

Wednesday, Nov. 6; 2–3:30 p.m. ET

In our exploration of creative thinking, we navigate the terrain where creativity flourishes, from overcoming project plateaus and cultivating a supportive organizational culture to understanding the profound influence of environments on creative output.

Emphasizing the diversity of thinking styles, we distinguish between useful approaches like divergent thinking, which fosters idea generation and less effective patterns that stifle innovation. Practical techniques such as brainstorming, brain writing, role playing, storyboarding and morphological analysis are introduced as catalysts to stimulate creative insights. Finally, we embrace the principles of design thinking, a human-centered approach that guides us in empathizing with user needs, ideating solutions and prototyping innovations across various domains.

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

• Identify factors that influence creativity including organizational culture and environmental conditions, and articulate strategies to enhance creative output in these contexts.
• Recognize useful thinking styles such as divergent thinking for idea generation and evaluate less-effective patterns that may hinder innovation.
• Apply a range of practical techniques including brainstorming, brain writing, role-playing, storyboarding and morphological analysis to stimulate creative insights and solutions.
• Understand the principles and methodologies of design thinking and utilize its human-centered approach to empathize with user needs, ideate innovative solutions, prototype concepts and iterate toward impactful outcomes.

Module 2: Spark Creativity: Building an Innovative Team Fostering Diversity

Wednesday, Nov. 13; 2–3:30 p.m. ET

Guest Speaker: Priscilla Varnagy, CEO and Founder, Superflow and Be-novative; Adjunct Faculty at SMU Cox School of Business

In this session, we examine crucial aspects of team dynamics, with a specific focus on cultivating creative and innovative teams. We explore effective strategies for selecting team members based on diverse skill sets and fostering a collaborative environment conducive to creativity.

Additionally, Priscilla Varnagy, CEO and founder of Superflow and Be-novative, and adjunct faculty at SMU Cox School of Business, provides insights on managing cross-cultural and cross-generational teams in the digital era. Her expertise enriches our understanding of navigating diverse team dynamics in today’s interconnected global landscape.

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

• Understand the critical role of emotional intelligence and team dynamics in fostering creativity and innovation.
• Apply effective strategies for selecting diverse team members with complementary skills and shared goals.
• Create a collaborative environment that encourages open communication, idea sharing and risk-taking.
• Gain insights on managing cross-cultural and cross-generational teams in the digital age, enhancing their ability to lead and work effectively in diverse settings.

Module 3: Igniting Innovation: Tools and Techniques To Foster Innovation

Wednesday, Nov. 20; 2–3:30 p.m. ET

This session explores the concept of innovation, distinguishing it from creativity. We focus on the innovation process, various approaches and key methodologies to enhance innovation such as the Working Backwards approach, Open Innovation, the Fail Fast principle and the 20% rule.

Additionally, we address the challenges involved in implementing innovation.

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between innovation and creativity, understanding their unique roles in the organizational context.
• Outline the stages of the innovation process: idea generation, development, implementation and scalability.
• Compare and contrast top-down and bottom-up approaches to innovation.
• Apply key innovation methodologies such as the Working Backwards approach, Open Innovation, the Fail Fast principle and the 20% rule.
• Recognize and address common challenges in implementing innovation within their organizations.

Module 4: Creativity and Innovation Leadership: Unlocking Potential Through Collaboration and Crowdsourcing

Wednesday, Dec. 4; 2–3:30 p.m. ET

Guest Speaker: Paola Peretti, CEO, Lush Decor Home

In this session, we explore how effective leadership drives innovation within organizations.

Leaders are instrumental in articulating a clear and inspiring vision, empowering their teams with autonomy and resources, and fostering an environment conducive to risk-taking and experimentation. We learn how to foster creativity through open communication, recognizing and rewarding both successes and failures, and promoting continuous learning. We will learn the key steps to organizing a hackathon.

Paola Peretti, CEO of Lush Decor Home, will join this module as she demonstrates these principles through the first hackathon organized at Moncler.

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

• Understand the key factors that lead to innovation.
• Identify the right corporate culture to stimulate creativity and innovation.
• Understand the value of open innovation and crowdsourcing.
• Gain insights on how to organize a hackathon.

Module 5: Creative Collaboration and Delivery: Engaging Your Audience and Enhancing Presentations With Innovative Techniques and Digital Tools

Wednesday, Dec. 11; 2–3:30 p.m. ET

Understanding your audience is the initial step in preparing for a creative presentation. It is crucial to focus on their interests and hobbies, engage with current events and present factual information. Even in online presentations, strive to maximize interaction through digital platforms. The use of role-playing, sketching and various media such as video, audio and augmented reality solutions can be highly effective. In this session, we will delve into the process of organizing a remote design thinking session.

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

• Choose role-playing, sketching and multimedia to enhance presentations.
• Utilize digital platforms and road map techniques to maximize interaction and engagement during presentations.
• Organize and facilitate remote design thinking sessions, leveraging various tools and techniques to foster innovation and problem-solving.