The Creative Manager

Ep 12: Six Thinking Hats — Think in Different Colors

What if your team could look at a problem from six different angles — without arguing? In this final episode of the season, Donal Thompson introduces Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats, a powerful method for guiding group discussions, boosting creativity, and improving decision-making. Learn how to use colored “thinking hats” to structure your team’s ideas and emotions in a clear, productive flow. Discover a game-changing framework that makes meetings smarter, faster, and more inclusive — in just 5 minutes of clear English.

Ep 11: Heuristic Redefinition — Change the Rules, Change the Game

Are hidden assumptions holding your team back? This episode dives into Heuristic Redefinition, a powerful technique for innovation that challenges the "unwritten rules" and conventional thinking. Donal Thompson explains how identifying and deliberately breaking these hidden mentalshortcuts can unlock radical new solutions and change the game for your product, service, or process. 🚀Discover how questioning "the way things are always done" can lead to groundbreaking ideas – all in about 5 minutes of clear English.

Ep 10: The Lotus Blossom — Expand One Idea into Many

Have a great idea but want to explore all its potential? Or need to break down a complex problem into manageable parts? This episode introduces The Lotus Blossom Technique, a brilliant visual tool for systematic idea expansion. Donal Thompson explains how to grow a single core concept into a comprehensive network of related ideas and actionable solutions, ensuring you cover all angles. Learn to cultivate a wealth of ideas from one central theme, making your thinking more thorough and innovative – all in just 5 minutes of clear English.

Ep 9: TRIZ — Solving Impossible Problems with Contradictions

Some problems feel impossible — until you stop trying to compromise. In this episode, Donal Thompson introduces TRIZ, a problem-solving method born in Russia that helps you identify contradictions and unlock inventive solutions. Learn how to think like an engineer or inventor — and how to apply ideas from other industries to your own work. ⚙️ Find out why the best solutions often come from outside your field — and how to use contradiction to spark innovation.

Ep 8: Metaphorical Thinking — See Your Problem in a New Light

What if your team is like a jazz band… or your project like a jungle path?In this episode, Donal Thompson introduces metaphoricalthinking — a creative tool that helps you understand challengesdifferently by comparing them to unrelated things. This fun, flexible technique unlocks hidden patterns, encourages playful thinking, and leads to surprising solutions. 🔍 Learn how a simple metaphor can open up whole new ways of thinking— in just 5 minutes of practical English.