From Workshop to Workflow: How to Make Creative Problem-Solving Part of Your Culture

Excited to be part of the Training Industry Magazine - Summer 2025 edition.

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Feel like everything's moving faster lately? You are not alone (feel free to sing that like MJ). Customers are expecting more. Resources are limited. Technology is evolving, and the amount of information available is increasing every day. It is no wonder many teams are struggling to keep up.

Companies often think about their talent strategy, but what's missing in that conversation? The competence of creativity. The challenges of today don't come with step-by-step instructions. There's no best practice for navigating this much ambiguity. That's where creative problem-solving becomes more than a soft skill—it's survival.

You can't mandate creativity. You have to make room for it—and trust the process that comes with it.

Why Traditional Training Falls Short (and What to Do Instead)

Many well-intentioned problem-solving trainings rely on structured frameworks—like fishbone diagrams or "five whys"—that provide a sense of order. But these tools, while helpful, don't always translate to high-stakes, ambiguous environments. (Let’s face it, structure is cool but it can be a total buzzkill to creativity). Learners may understand the steps but freeze when the situation gets messy.

That's because creative thinking isn't a checklist. It's a mindset—and one that requires space, safety, and a bit of experimentation.

In a recent leadership program, one group of mid-level managers was asked a provocative question to kick off a session on accountability: "What would you do if your goal was to completely destroy trust on your team?" What followed was a reverse brainstorm that revealed unspoken norms, common blockers, and the emotional tension slowing their progress. By naming the worst-case behaviors, they were better equipped to identify what needed to change.

The brilliance of that approach wasn't just in surfacing problems—it was in making them safe to say out loud. The exercise gave people permission to be honest without fear of blame. That honesty opened the door to real change.

These types of exercises push beyond surface-level problem-solving. They invite learners to play with ideas and practice reframing challenges—without the fear of being wrong. Even small changes to team dynamics can open the door to better thinking.

For example:

• Start meetings with a "what if" prompt to reframe the challenge

• Assign a rotating "Creative Disruptor" role to question assumptions

• Replace your next post-mortem with a pre-mortem: "If this failed six months from now, what likely went wrong?"

These might seem simple, but they reshape the tone of team conversations—creating room for dissent, exploration, and breakthrough thinking. When you shift the structure, you shift the outcomes.

Creative Problem-Solving in Action

One of the most effective ways to spark creativity? Put a few guardrails in place.

In a workshop focused on rethinking the employee experience, one group was asked to redesign onboarding but only to use existing tools and processes. No budget. No new systems. No added headcount.

At first, the constraint felt frustrating. But the teams started to get creative. They took stock of what was already working, cut what wasn't, and figured out new ways to connect the dots across departments. The result wasn't flashy, but it worked—and more importantly, it stuck. Because the people closest to the work built it themselves, that's what creative problem-solving looks like: practical, team-driven, and grounded in reality. And the best part? It wasn't just about the solution. It was about seeing the participants shift their mindsets and think differently.

Taking it forward, we've seen creative problem-solving to change how people reflect. Instead of ending a session with a feedback form, participants interviewed each other. The same goal is to reflect on the experience through a conversation instead of a checklist. A straightforward prompt: "How did you approach this challenge—and how did your partner approach it differently?"

That small change made people pause and listen. They noticed patterns in how they worked, gained new language for how others thought, and left with more than just a takeaway—they went with a new lens. It was less about evaluation and more about understanding. And that's where the learning sticks.

What Gets in the Way of Creativity at Work

Nobody shows up to work thinking, "Today, I'm going to play it safe and stick to the script." But when pressure kicks in—tight deadlines, big expectations, not enough clarity—playing it safe becomes the default.

Speed often gets rewarded. The faster you can respond, the more competent you look. So, people stick with what they know. They reach for familiar answers, even when they don't solve the real problem. It's not about laziness—it's about survival. When the clock's ticking and eyes are on you, trying something new can feel like a risk you can't afford.

And then there's fear. Not the big, dramatic kind—but the quiet, everyday version that keeps people from raising a hand or pushing back. Fear of being wrong. Of overcomplicating things. Of being labeled difficult. Of adding more work to their plate. Most teams don't even realize it's there, but it shows up subtly: ideas that never get shared, unasked questions, and conversations that stay at the surface.

That's where creativity gets stuck.

It's not a lack of imagination—it's a lack of safety. If people don't feel like there's room to test an idea, ask a better question, or even fail without fallout, they'll play it safe—every time.

That's where learning and development can make a real impact. It's not just about giving people new tools—it's about giving them the conditions to use them. Programs that build in reflection, honest dialogue, and permission to experiment create the space where creative problem-solving can happen.

In short, creativity doesn't need a brainstorm. It needs breathing room.

Using Creative Problem-Solve to Drive Momentum

A cross-functional team we once worked with had completely stalled out. On paper, the task at hand was simple: improve a process and make sure that cross-functional teams knew what to do. But every department had its own tools, their own way of working, and unspoken assumptions about how they work with other teams. Collaboration wasn't just hard—it felt impossible. No one wanted to give up control, and conversations circled about who was doing it "right" and so much time was spent on documenting the current state. 

Instead of forcing alignment, we introduced a constraint: solve the problem without changing your tools or timelines. Use only what you already have and people already part of the process..

At first, the team pushed back, but then they started mapping out how information moved between departments. That's when it clicked. The problem wasn't the tools—it was the handoffs. The breakdowns were happening in the transitions, not the systems.

Once that was clear, the solution came quickly: a shared checklist and a simple visual workflow—no new software. There are no extra meetings. It's just better clarity. And maybe, most importantly, the tension in the room dropped because they solved it together.

That's the kind of creative problem-solving that sticks. It didn't look innovative outside but changed how they worked moving forward. Innovation doesn’t have to be flashy.

Making the Culture Shift

When teams have regular opportunities to practice creative problem-solving, it stops being just a workshop activity and starts becoming a habit. Companies will start seeing their employees ask better questions, look for more trends and patterns, and take ownership. Fewer minor challenges will get escalated which means work happens faster and leaders have more time to focus on strategy and planning.

The shift may be quiet, but it's powerful. Teams stop chasing certainty and start getting comfortable making progress in the gray. They don't wait for the perfect solution—they move, test, learn, and adapt. This kind of thinking isn't just a nice-to-have. It's a competitive advantage. And learning teams are in a unique position to lead the way.

By designing programs that normalize ambiguity, encourage experimentation, and build absolute confidence—not just content—we create a culture where creativity isn't a one-time event. It's how problems get solved.

The pace of change isn't slowing down. But if we train people to think creatively, they won't need it.