Creative Assessment and Understanding

1 Exploring Creative Problem-Solving for Efficient Project Management Name Institution Course Professor Date

2 Exploring Creative Problem-Solving for Efficient Project Management As an international student studying project management, I absolutely love combining creativity with structured processes to develop better solutions for complex projects. My passion lies in learning new skills, exploring different approaches when tackling problems, and collaborating effectively with people from all backgrounds. From brainstorming sessions to virtual reality meetings explicitly designed for remote teams, so much fascinating potential could arise from strategically integrating technology into our existing systems and processes. I am excited to delve deeper and understand how creative problem-solving works, leveraging technology for more efficient project management, and learning the steps needed to become an effective problem solver able to pull through in any given situation. Assessing My Creative Thinking Preference Clarifier Ideator Developer Implementor Focused Orderly Serious Methodical Deliberate Probing Needs details Needs facts, history Needs access to information Needs to ask questions, sometimes too many Playful Social Flexible Independent Imaginative Adventurous Needs room to be playful Needs constant stimulation Needs variety and change Needs the big picture Perfectionist Pragmatic Concrete Cautious Structured Planful Needs time to consider options Needs time to evaluate & develop ideas Good at finding flaws, gaps May be too critical Persistent Determined Action-oriented Decisive Assertive Risk Taker Needs the sense that others are moving just as quickly Needs timely Reponses May be pushy, oversell ideas Easily frustrated, impatient with

4 I have found that my creative thinking preference makes me somewhat slower than if someone else were completing the same task; however, this trait can help ensure the quality of any product created due to my attention to detail. Additionally, since I view information differently than others due to my field background, it opens up potential pathways and solutions often overlooked or unexamined by those with different expertise. For example, working on group projects allows room for deliberation pursuing other angles, and digging deeper into our project to verify accuracy or greater confidence in results. This capacity for taking the initiative and building logical arguments also translates well professionally, seeking enterprising opportunities where mobility clear understanding of communication is paramount (Redlein et al., 2020). Having consistent goals defined and outlined or documented, whether on an individual team or more significant organizational level, allows me to stay on track with progress, stay organized, move forward amidst pressure, and succeed amid uncertainty competing against multiple deadlines are just some benefits gained from having skill sets capabilities provided being Clarifier. How I Feel About My Creativity and Creativity in General I feel very optimistic about my creativity and creativity in general. During the first two classes of this course, I became better aware of what being creative means; it is not just about coming up with original ideas but also transforming those ideas into something tangible that contributes value back to society. More importantly, I learned how important involving others in problem-solving and idea generation on projects is. Through class activities such as brainstorming and various other small group exercises, we were able to help each other build on our existing ideas or come up with new ones altogether, like Lego blocks.

5 Creativity impacts almost every field, from artistry and design to business consulting and finance. Awareness of its power should be a priority for everyone looking for meaningful work careers or unique projects while managing their lives outside school/work environments (Gupta et al., 2022). As an international student, it will be invaluable for me as I look towards launching my career post-graduation next summer. The connections between creativity and innovation have been proven throughout history by individuals ranging from Steve Jobs (Apple) to Frederick Winslow Taylor (Taylorism), showing us how impactful imaginative thinking and creative solutions can be. Creativity is more than just a buzzword; it is an essential driver of progress and development. Implementing the lesson learned from this course, such as using alternative perspectives, taking risks, and rapid prototyping, will put me in a better position to stand out among my peers when searching for jobs or launching projects. Additionally, I now have ways to determine what activities work best with different types of teams under varying conditions by identifying creative problem-solving preference techniques like those we discussed during class, such as diverging thinking versus converging thinking, and lastly, through activities such as brainstorming sessions or any other related training. I am becoming familiar with tools that aid creativity and use them to ensure we stay on top of our game by constantly challenging ourselves and looking outside the box. Words I Would Use to Describe Myself and Why I Would Use These Words I would describe myself as creative, open-minded, and ambitious. Being creative means being able to come up with original ideas that have the potential to solve problems or improve upon existing solutions in unique ways (Supena et al., 2021). Having an open mind allows me to consider alternate perspectives from those different than me while also allowing me the space

7 The thinking preference identified about myself closely corresponds to the earlier assessment, as I am a Clarifier. As such, I have qualities like being "focused" and "orderly," which impact my creative thought processes; this means that when approaching any given task or problem-solving situation, I need not only facts/history but also access to information for me to build upon my ideas logically. Additionally, due to these traits of mine, it is often difficult for me concerning productivity as most modern businesses rely heavily on quick turnarounds in seemingly small windows of time combined with practical solutions despite how much planning one puts into those tasks. With that being said, there can be great value found within specific structures and tactics while working on projects exhibiting appropriate methodology, such as understanding Agile workflows or CPS initiatives by recreating feedback loops through quality assurance milestones or launch events, among others, dependent upon individual job roles carried out separately uniquely each their departments among many organizations some bigger than others. Hence, having common knowledge of what works best generates leverage, remaining clarified, resourceful, organized, and calm amidst the pressures the fast-paced corporate world faces today. Creativity Defined My Definition of Creativity My definition of creativity is the ability to think outside the box. It involves thinking differently, developing novel ideas, and solving problems in new ways. My definition aligns closely with scholarly definitions of creativity, which state that it is a process involving the imagination or original ideas that result in unique solutions (Frich et al., 2019). Furthermore, Frich et al. (2019) say that "creativity support research includes investigations into designing

8 tools and strategies helping users generate creative solutions for open-ended problem-solving tasks." In other words, creativity can be thought of as the power to produce unique outcomes using components from pre-existing sources combined in novel ways; this could include recombining previously existing ideas into something new or developing entirely original concepts based upon nothing but one's intuition or experience (Frich et al., 2019). Additionally, creatives often possess similar traits, including an eagerness towards experimentation and exploration rather than sticking only within established boundaries, which gives rise to innovative thought processes essential for creative endeavors. Cognition also plays a vital role when dealing with large volumes of information or solving minor everyday problems, which require quick decision-making and mental agility to systematize, categorize, and relate material together in new ways. This kind of thinking enables the person to unravel details that make up creative ideas or strategies despite being surrounded by chaos. A review paper by Shao et al. (2019) looked at how culture shapes creativity and identified three main types of creative processes: cognitive process-oriented, integrative personality-oriented, and contextualized sociocultural factors-oriented. According to the authors, cognitive process-based approaches focus on techniques like divergent thinking or problem- solving; integrative personality approaches highlight traits such as risk-taking or intrinsic motivation, while contextualized sociocultural factor refers to contextual factors such as knowledge acquired from family backgrounds or cultural norms. Each approach has its own merits, but overall, they all involve a combination of both convergent and divergent thinking. As Shao et al. pointed out in their review paper, "Both styles represent two ends of one spectrum (Shao et al., 2019)." This makes sense when we consider that

10 One of the steps I have taken in overcoming these mental roadblocks have been acknowledging that fear is not only normal and natural but also a healthy response so long as we can temper it with courage, understanding that mistakes are inevitable while creating, allowing me to take risks more readily (Pope-Ruark, 2022). Secondly, I was encouraged by those around me, who provided an encouraging atmosphere for creative thinking, which helped foster confidence within my work and let go of self-criticizing thoughts regarding my ideas or solutions by instead focusing on how much progress had already been made. Lastly and most importantly, breaking free from perfectionism was done through a "now or never" mindset, committing myself entirely to starting something rather than letting precious time fly away due to overthinking scenarios that rarely ever happen. All these combined drastically shifted how productive creativity feels for me, and little wins improved upon many aspects now, such as brainstorming techniques and listening actively when asking questions about topics addressed in our classroom discussions. How My Perceived Roadblocks Specifically Relate to Our Classroom Discussions For example, regarding our classroom discussion surrounding the importance of understanding perspectives when coming up with creative solutions, my fear ad tendency towards self-doubt on the quality of an idea was regularly a considerable obstacle. One thing which I have come to realize during this course is that everybody's perspective should be felt, valued, and kept an open ear for; it is easy for me and others like me to feel unwanted or foolish when trying out new ideas however after experimenting further realized that these doubts were incredibly unfounded as everyone had something unique and essential bring. This has taught me how powerful validating each other's thoughts can be in boosting morale within a workplace environment, helping reduce reluctance while opening up dialogue around uniquely creative

11 problem-solving techniques. Another key learning from this point was being more patient while reviewing feedback; instead, taking deep breaths and allowing more time between responding versus being quick to act by rushing to premature conclusions regarding one's ideas. All these points have notably helped me tackle my roadblocks and consistently think outside the box throughout our classroom discussions. Curiosity and Passion Things I am Curious About One of the things I am most curious about is how technology can be used to make project management more efficient. As the world enters an increasingly digital age, it seems inevitable that technology will play a key role in shaping project management processes for years to come (Hisrich & Soltanifar, 2021). I find this fascinating because many exciting possibilities could arise from the strategic integration of various technologies into our existing systems and processes, from AI-powered bots and automated forms to virtual reality meetings explicitly designed for remote teams. Project managers must constantly stay up-to-date with what new advances have been made so their organizations can remain competitive and maintain control over projects without getting bogged down by too much technical knowledge, something which keeps my interest piqued. Second on my list is exploring different approaches or methods when tackling problems within a project context, supporting my ultimate goal of becoming an effective problem solver within any given situation. As a Project Manager (PM), one must step out of their comfort zone while still being able to pull through successfully regardless of circumstances, whether due to tight budget restraints or lack of information causing delays in deliverables. However, there are times when even beloved 'tried-and troubleshot' methods do not lead to the desired resolution,

13 convergent thinking methodologies combined with research-based models and design ideas for developing better solutions. This alignment between creativity and structured processes allows for high levels of exploration yet maintains an efficient path toward desired objectives as one knows what needs to be investigated further. In terms of practical applications within project management, understanding how creative problem-solving works and how to apply it strategically allows one to measure and limit uncertainties to better control a project's outcome (Carmeli et al., 2021). For instance, by investigating major and minor risks that may arise throughout the course of a particular business operation, one can use creative problem-solving techniques to come up with strategies and solutions for mitigating them and ensure that everything goes according to plan, especially if managing complex projects requiring high levels of innovation. Creativity and problem-solving go hand in hand, allowing us to find creative solutions for various complex challenges. Understanding how creativity works and using it strategically when needed is essential for any project manager looking to ensure successful outcomes while remaining competitive. I learned from this course that navigating through roadblocks can be difficult. However, with the right mix of self-awareness and courage, anyone can acquire the necessary skillsets needed to succeed in an ever-changing world focused on making rapid advances in technology.

14 References Carmeli, A., Levi, A., & Peccei, R. (2021). Resilience and creative problem-solving capacities in project teams: A relational view. International Journal of Project Management , 39 (5), 546-556. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263786321000326 Frich, J., MacDonald Vermeulen, L., Remy, C., Biskjaer, M. M., & Dalsgaard, P. (2019, May). Mapping the landscape of creativity support tools in HCI. In Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-18). https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3290605.3300619 Gocinski, E. (2023). Unlocking Creativity in the Visual Arts: Using Mindfulness and Open Awareness Meditation to Access Creative Insight. https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/mindfulness_theses/72/ Gupta, M. J., Chaturvedi, S., Prasad, R., & Ananthi, N. (2022). Principles and practice of management . AG PUBLISHING HOUSE (AGPH Books). https://books.google.com/books? hl=en&lr=&id=jfa8EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=Creativity+impacts+almost+eve ry+field, +from+artistry+and+design+all+the+way+through+business+consulting+and+finance. +Having+awareness+of+its+power+should+be+a+priority+for+everyone+looking+for+ meaningful+work+careers+or+unique+projects+&ots=jbcVB032Zg&sig=kYOlBJfA0fL Ss_FkvqdhiwkFxIc Henriksen, D., Richardson, C., & Mehta, R. (2017). Design thinking: A creative approach to educational problems of practice. Thinking skills and Creativity , 26 , 140-153. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871187117300597

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