Creative Problem Solving Institute 2025

Problem solving implies a linear experience with a series of independent issues to be solved and moved on from. Life (and work) is messy, with changing variables and shifting priorities in the everyday systems we live and work in. Spotting patterns will stretch your change game from solving one problem that may be a success for today, to uncovering opportunities for shifting patterns for more sustainable change with broader impact.

Facilitators, trainers, coaches, and change agents have all been there:  your beautiful, brilliant, potentially life-changing training/presentation/session gets derailed by one or more resistant participants, who seem fully committed to sabotaging the event.  You’ve tried everything that LinkedIn infographic recommended: smiling at them, selling the “WIIFMs,” negotiating with them. But still they won’t budge.

In this session, we’ll find more creative – and more effective – ways to address the situation. Participants will learn how to reframe the problem, engage with resistors in new ways, and leverage the potential that resistance holds for creating an even stronger session. We’ll see how a divergence/convergence approach can disarm opposition while modeling the kind of respectful and inclusive behaviors we want others to follow. And participants can share with each other what has worked – and not worked – in their own practices, to leave with an even fuller list of tools and resources for the next time a scowling attendee starts to fuss.

Discover how simple mark-making can break through traditional thinking barriers and stretch your problem-solving toolkit. This hands-on workshop introduces Possibility Books, an evidence-based method that uses abstract visual responses (no artistic skill required) to build creative confidence, embrace ambiguity, and generate unexpected connections. Participants will experience a series of guided prompts, which can be applied in classes and group facilitations, that demonstrate how reflection through mark-making followed by collaborative sharing can unlock new pathways for innovation.

What if the key to realizing your most impactful ideas wasn’t so much in what you do, but in how you align with the idea first? In this session, we’ll explore the often-overlooked creative alignment or “phase of being” so beneficial in the creative process—the inner work of engaging deeply with your idea(s). You’ll gain a new approach, practical tools and techniques to reflect on and strengthen your relationship with your idea, uncovering what excites you, what holds you back, and what support you need. Because aligning with your ideas isn’t just about creativity—it’s about fostering joy, clarity, and purpose along the way.

In this session, we'll discuss how relentless curiosity can bring you face-to-face with the unknown, sometimes unearthing fear and usually requiring the opening of the vault of vulnerability in your mind. We'll discuss what works--and share what hasn't worked--as we face ambiguity and all that it brings. Ultimately, we will strive to shine a light on the pathway to freedom to take risks and achieve more even more than we hoped.

This interactive session will explore how culture and communication styles shape creative processes. Using engaging activities, discussions, and real-world applications, participants will gain insights into the concepts of individualism/collectivism, high/low power distance, and high/low uncertainty avoidance and how they impact creativity.