1. Conceptual Blockbusting for TCC Administrators (…thinking outside the BLOX) Scott Langhorst, Ph.D. Tidewater Community College

2. Welcome! --- The Agenda --- 9:00 am – Introductions, warm-up, and getting started thinking outside the BLOX 10:30 am -10:40 am – Break 12:00 Noon – Lunch 1:00 pm – Resume workshop 2:30 pm – 2:40 pm – Break 4:00 pm – Evaluation and conclusion

3. Workshop objectives To stimulate thinking and ideas To help improve individual problem- solving skills To build individual confidence in being able to solve problems To demonstrate group resourcefulness To put in context what “thinking outside the box” might really mean To have some fun!

4. Workshop materials Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas (4 th edition) James L. Adams (…your very own copy for future reference and reading, compliments of the TCC Administrative Association) Why Man Creates (1968) Saul Bass (DVD available through TCC LRC-Chesapeake) A Whack On the Side of the Head (1983) Roger von Oech Lateral Thinking (1973) Edward de Bono Workshop hand-outs and an assortment of games, puzzles, and brain-teasers

5. Einstein on imagination “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” (Nobel Laureate - Albert Einstein)

6. Warm-up exercises Introductions, with a twist… A brief quiz… A movie clip about the history of ideas, inventions, and thinking…

7. Introductions Briefly answer the following (no more than 30 seconds per person) : When was the last time you came up with a creative idea? What was it? What motivates you to be creative? (Roger von Oech – A Whack On the Side of Your Head)

8. A little quiz… How many “9’s” in the series of numbers from one to one hundred? Do the Chinese have a 4 th of July? There is three errers in this sentence. (can you find all three?) If you enter a room with only one match, & you find a kerosene lamp, a wood stove, and a fireplace, which do you light first? What is the next letter in the series “O…T…T…F…F…S…S…?”

9. Quiz answer key Twenty (did you forget about 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, and 99 ?) Yes – (their calendar is the same as ours, they just don’t celebrate the fourth of July like Americans do) “is” “errers” and only “two” errors First, you must light the match. “E” (one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight)

10. Multimedia diversion #1 A brief history of ideas, inventions, and thinking from the stone age to the atomic age Mankind has been very “creative” during the past few thousand years! On the other hand, consider how much baggage we all carry, i.e., how much of this collective memory gets in the way?

11. A history of ideas “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.” (British economist - John Maynard Keynes)

12. Today’s topics? Ideas Thinking Creativity Imagination Problem-solving Genius, whacks on the side of the head, lateral thinking, conceptual blocks, etc. All a part of “…thinking outside the box”

13. Thinking like a genius (Michael Michalko) Eight strategies to think “productively,” rather than “reproductively” Look at problems in different ways Visualize! Produce! Force relationships (make connections between dissimilar subjects) Think in opposites Think metaphorically Prepare yourself for chance

14. A whack on the side of the head 1. The right answer 2. That’s not logical 3. Follow the rules 4. Be practical 5. Avoid ambiguity 6. To err is wrong 7. Play is frivolous 8. That’s not my area 9. Don’t be foolish 10. I’m not creative 10 “mental locks” by Roger von Oech - Certain attitudes (to avoid) which lock our thinking into the status quo:

15. Lateral thinking (Edward de Bono) “ The most basic principle of lateral thinking is that any particular way of looking at things is only one from among many other possible ways.” “Lateral thinking is concerned with exploring these other ways by restructuring and rearranging the information that is available.”

16. Conceptual blocks (John L. Adams) “Mental walls that block the problem-solver from correctly perceiving a problem or conceiving its solution.” Perceptual blocks Emotional blocks Cultural blocks Environmental blocks Intellectual and expressive blocks

17. Problems with problem definition What is the problem? Oftentimes, how you state the problem will determine the outcome. What is “given”? What is the “goal”? How can you get from the givens to the goal? What operations, actions, processes will transform the givens into the goal? Take time to clearly state and understand a problem, before you try to solve it.

18. Restating the question or goal How you ask the question can make a difference in terms of which solutions are even considered by problem solvers: “Design a better door.” or “Design a better way to get through a wall.” “Opens up” many more potential solutions A conscious process of restructuring and rearranging the information that is available

19. A morbid example of “what question” How you ask the question can make a difference in terms of which solutions are even considered by problem solvers: “What should we do in the event we bury someone who is alive?” or “How can we make sure everyone we bury is dead?” Also, an example that there’s usually more than one right answer! (Roger von Oech – A Whack On the Side of Your Head)

20. Average speed hill One mile Up at 30 MPH Down at ??? MPH = 60 MPH for the whole trip?

21. Problem definition tools Re-statement of givens and/or goals What is information, what is data? Is there enough information? Why not? Can I change the “labels” on information? What is not given? Why not? Can the goal be stated more broadly? Do I need the givens to solve the problem? Can I use a different thinking process? Play with the information!!!

22. e.g., apples and oranges Three boxes of fruit are all mis-labeled. One box has a sign on the front “apples,” one box has a sign “oranges,” and one box has a sign “apples and oranges.” What is the minimum number of moves to correctly label all the boxes? i.e., look in the box, move the sign (What are the moves?) ApplesOranges Apples & Oranges

23. Looking at things in different ways Look at the givens in a different way Look at the goal(s) in a different way Look at the operations, actions, processes in a different way

24. Looking at things in different ways Interpret the following into a common word or phrase: Wear Long ECNALG 0 Ph.D. M.A. B.A. M.D. M.D. knee light Dice Le vel He’s / himself R/E/A/D/I/N/G Thinking

25. Looking at things in different ways Advanced interpretations: 5 = D in a Z C 18 = H on a G C 3 = B M (SHTR) 32 = D F at which W F

26. Looking at things in different ways “Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.” (Nobel laureate – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi)

27. Multimedia diversion #2 Fooling around…

28. Lateral versus vertical thinking Lateral thinking is generative Lateral thinking moves to generate a direction Lateral thinking is provocative With lateral thinking, one welcomes chance intrusions (e.g., creative thinking) Vertical thinking is selective Vertical thinking moves only if there is a direction Vertical thinking is analytical With vertical thinking, one concentrates and excludes what is irrelevant (e.g., logical thinking) (Edward DeBono)

29. Lateral versus vertical thinking “Lateral thinking and vertical thinking are complementary.” (…you need to use both) “Lateral thinking is like the reverse gear in a car. One would never try to drive along in reverse gear the whole time. On the other hand one needs to have it and to know how to use it for maneuverability and to get out of a blind alley.” (Edward DeBono)

30. Lateral versus vertical thinking “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have.” (French philosopher - Emile Chartier)

31. Lateral versus vertical thinking Are you digging the same hole deeper and deeper, or should you be trying to dig (more) holes in some different places?

32. Lateral versus vertical thinking “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” (Nobel Laureate – Albert Einstein)

33. Some group problems to discuss Break into four groups (group #1 should be composed of folks who have not yet seen the “roses and petals” problem) Talk about the problem --- “what is the problem?” how would you re-state? can you look at it in a different way? etc., etc. Be prepared for a group spokesperson to share your group’s thought process Don’t worry about so much about the ANSWER (but it’s okay if you happen to get one)

34. Roses and petals How many “roses” and how many “petals” do you see? ? ? ? #1 #2 #3

35. Three prisoners A prison warden invites three prisoners to his office to explain that one prisoner will soon go free. All they need to do is solve a puzzle. The warden shows them 5 hats (3 hats and 2 red hats). “I’m going to blindfold your eyes and place a hat on each of your heads. If you can tell me what color hat you have on, I will set you free.” (…the hats are too small for a prisoner to see his own hat)

36. Three prisoners The three prisoners agree to the challenge, but one man indicates that he is blind. (He really is.) The blind man says: “I’ll also participate, if you let me go last.” The warden and other prisoners agree. The warden blindfolds them, mixes up the hats, and places one hat each on their heads (and discards the remaining 2 hats out of view). He then removes their blindfolds…

37. Three prisoners First prisoner: (looking at the others) “I can’t tell what color hat I have on.” Second prisoner: (looking around) “I can’t tell what color hat I have on.” Blind prisoner: (immediately shouts) “I have a white hat on my head!” And he was correct, and could explain how he knew for sure (How did he know?)

38. Truthers, liars, and alternators You enter a country that has only three kinds of people: people who always tell the truth (truthers), people who always lie (liars), and people who alternate telling the truth and then lying (alternators). As you enter the country, you meet a person. What two questions would you ask to correctly determine what kind of person you have just encountered?

39. Camping trip On a camping trip, you are given a 9 oz. cup and a 4 oz. cup and asked to go to the lake and come back with exactly 6 oz. of water. Both cups are unmarked. No guessing or estimating. How do you do it? 9 oz. 4 oz.

40. Multimedia diversion #3 The process…

41. Conceptual blocks: perceptual Detecting what you expect (stereotyping) Difficulty in isolating the problem Tendency to delimit the problem area poorly Inability to see the problem from various viewpoints Saturation Failure to utilize all sensory inputs

42. What do you see (3 seconds)? Rabbit in the the hat Paris in the the Spring Singing in the the rain

43. Are you sure? What do you think you saw? Is there a group consensus? Are you sure? Really?

44. Want to look again? Rabbit in the the hat Paris in the the Spring Singing in the the rain

45. Overcoming perceptual blocks All of your senses can be deceived !! Re-state the givens and/or goals Narrow the focus / expand the scope What boundaries are you imposing? Change the labels What do I expect to see? What is there? Do you have too much data--“easy” data? “Touch” the problem, “taste” the problem, “smell” the problem, “hear” the problem…

46. Overcoming perceptual blocks Spelling bee Match problems Three cups Camels Two pencils Telephone dial

47. Conceptual blocks: emotional Fear of feeling like an idiot Fear of taking a risk Feelings of inadequacy To err is wrong Avoiding ambiguity and chaos Feeling like you can’t ask for help from others (i.e., “it’s your problem…”)

48. Overcoming emotional blocks Barnyard exercise All of Von Oech’s “attitudes” (Whack em!) Know that emotions can (really) interfere Try anyway --- “…just do it!” I’m okay, you’re okay, and we both may not have a clue (…but that’s okay) Ask for help! Involve others!

49. Multimedia diversion #4 The judgment…

50. Conceptual blocks: cultural (i.e., American, Caucasian, middle-class, ethos) Problem solving is serious! One right answer (for everything) Intuition and insight are bad (= logic and rational thinking are good) = any problem can be solved by scientific thinking Taboos “Follow the rules”

51. Einstein on education “It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.” (Nobel Laureate - Albert Einstein)

52. Overcoming cultural blocks Look for more than one right answer! It’s okay to have fun--don’t be so serious Not all problems can be solved with reason and logic Some things we just don’t “think” or talk about (at least in polite company) If you are following all the rules, there is a good chance that they will “box” you in

53. Conceptual blocks: environmental Not enough time Distractions Lack of cooperation or trust in others “That’s not my area” “Be practical” or “Don’t be foolish” Judging is easier than generating ideas (the “sitting back” and “kibitzing” strategy often used as a form of organizational survival)

54. Overcoming environmental blocks Create an environment that is supportive Engage significant others (those you trust) Accept that we are all in this, together Learn to accept and incorporate criticism It is okay to be impractical (and foolish), occasionally Be a “contributor” and not just a “kibitzer” (generate ideas first, judge later)

55. Multimedia diversion #5 A parable…

56. Conceptual blocks: intellectual & expressive Solving the problem using an incorrect language Inflexible or inadequate use of intellectual problem-solving strategies (e.g., exclusive use of vertical or lateral thinking) Lack of, or incorrect, information (e.g., missing info because of a perceptual block) Inadequate language skill to express and record ideas

57. The penitent monk 6:00 am 6:00 pm Narrow, steep, winding, rocky path Uneven rate of travel Up one day Down next day

58. Overcoming intellectual & expressive blocks Practice other styles of problem-solving that you are not comfortable with (e.g., verbal, visual, mathematical, logical, etc.) Remember that there is usually more than one way to solve a problem Try to insure that “blocks” do not obscure real and necessary information Effective communication (of ideas) cannot be taken for granted

59. Fromm on creativity “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” (Psychotherapist and author – Erich Fromm)

60. Multimedia diversion #6 A digression…

61. Problem-solving in groups Inadequate knowledge of the creative process and use of group creativity techniques Poor understanding of the roles of affiliation and ego needs Poor leadership Inadequate or unbalanced group membership Lack of proper support

62. Sharing exercise (“The Rules”) Rule #1 – NO TALKING or communicating of any kind (gestures, signals, winks, etc.) among team members Rule #2 – NO TAKING pieces from someone else on the team, i.e., you can only “give” a piece(s) to someone else GOAL = completed square in front of each team member (all, same size and shape)

63. Lessons from sharing exercise? You’ve got to work together to solve it Everyone has a piece of the solution No one person starts with the whole answer – no one person can do it all The group is “smarter” than any individual The importance of interpersonal communications in group problem-solving Other lessons?

64. Group problem-solving tools Brainstorming (formal process) Everyone wants to be “accepted” and will sacrifice much creativity to group identity Leadership style is important for group process Subscribe to “The Wisdom of Teams” Don’t underestimate the importance of communication within the group/team

65. Problem-solving in organizations Organizational culture Organizational size, growth, & maturity Control versus creativity Tradition and past success Reward system and support Psychological rewards Support for creativity

66. Bennis of leadership “Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard.” (USC Professor and Leadership author – Warren Bennis)

67. Organizational problem-solving tools As academic leaders in the TCC community: Contribute to a creative problem-solving culture (be open, flexible, and help others) Think and act “young” & “hungry” (unburdened by institutional inertia, organizational complexity, the lessons of experience, and illusions of post-secondary grandeur…) Balance control with creativity Remember the ephemeral nature of “success,” e.g., trains, planes, and IBM Be sensitive to rewards and recognition

68. Cleese on creative workers “If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play” (Monty Python comedian and management consultant – John Cleese)

69. “Thinking outside the b( L )ox” (defined) Being creative with, and open to, new ideas (informal definition) Avoiding being “boxed in” by old habits, false perceptions, & easy answers (informal) To approach a problem-solving situation without imposing unnecessary or subliminal limitations (“conceptual blocks”) on problem definition, problem-solving processes, and/or problem solutions (semi- formal definition)

70. A practical exercise (and application) Question: is TCC a good “problem-solving” environment? Problem: what would it take to make TCC more “problem- solving friendly”? Think: how can you improve the situation? (…be creative!!!)

71. Workshop evaluation Please complete the workshop evaluation and return it to Kay Williams at the end of the session (If you feel that others might benefit from a similar “Thinking Outside the Blox” workshop experience, I would be happy to do another one)

72. Thanks! Go forth and be creative problem- solvers Look at things in different ways Watch out for those conceptual blocks Next time your hear: “…think outside the box” you’ll know how to respond Lighten up !! Have some fun with this stuff!!!