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                                      Creative Thinking for Business















Creative Thinking E-book 

• Introduction
• CEOs Are Asking for Creativity
• How Do I Find A Creative Expert?
• What Is Creativity?
• Why Is Creative Thinking Important?
• The Creative Thinking Process
• Is Creativity Logical?
• Key Myths About Creativity
• The Paralyzing Power of Previous 
   Perceptions
• How the Mind Works
• How Does Your Experience Affect
  Creativity?
• Why Are We So Critical?
• The Mind Has A Creative Immune System
• The 10 Mental Blocks To Creativity
• 1. One "Right Answer"
• 2. Logic Can Kill Creativity
• 3. Be Creative - Break Some Rules
• 4. Be Creative - Is That Practical?
• 5. Play is Creative
• 6. Make Time To Think Creatively
• 7. Being Creative Is "Not My Job"
• 8. Don't Be Afraid To Be Creative
• 9. Creativity...How Ambiguous
• 10. Is Creativity Wrong?
• Think Creative
• The Sly As A Fox Toolkit
• Brainstorming Rules
• Idea Rockets
• "Senseable" Creativity
• Random Creativity
• WBF
• All Factors Involved (AFI)
• All Possible Alternatives (APA)
• Other's View (OV)
• Challenge Accepted Concepts
• Best Problem Definition
• Provocation
• Combination Creativity
• Conclusion
• About The Author
• The Sly As A Fox Workshop -
   Bring Creative Thinking To Your Company
3. Be Creative – Break Some Rules

No I’m not suggesting you go rob a bank or drive 100 mph in your car, but sometimes rules have to be broken to innovate. Of course this is a risky area. If you go around breaking all the rules, you may find yourself unemployed. 

So what do you do? Break the rules mentally. Simply ask, “What rules are currently in place that are stopping me from bringing in more revenue or being more productive?” 

You can always challenge a rule without breaking it. Often you will find during this creative process that many innovative things can be accomplished if the rules were broken or modified. You can identify how modifying or breaking the rules greatly outweigh the benefits behind why the rule was imposed in the first place. 

Perhaps the rule has outlived its intentional use. I have seen this many times in creative thinking sessions. When you challenge the rule, you and others discover the original intent is no longer valid. When was the last time your boss asked you to make a list of the rules that were preventing you from doing your job better? Never happened? You’re not alone. 

Some of the most creative geniuses in the world, Einstein, Newton, and Galileo, dramatically changed the rules didn’t they? Why can’t you? 

You may not discover a creative cure for cancer tomorrow by breaking the rules, but it’s a springboard for some new and innovative solutions.

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