Abstract
Generating new ideas is the call of the day as teachers seek to differentiate the students’ capabilities in unique and creative ways preparing them to face uncertainties in the work environment. A critical component of this process is to ensure that students are taught how to come up with new ideas, and making the classroom environment conducive to creative thinking. This study offers an observation of a business classroom experience that led to highly effective flow of ideas through the use of tools and techniques that create a safe environment for students, which can also be applied to any organizational setting. Participants were first taught to develop the rules of engagement required for a safe environment and then were trained in utilizing different creative thinking tools. The impact on the participants’ creative and innovative abilities as evidenced in their final design sprint project was found to be significant. The implications of these findings for management and leaders in education and organizational settings are highlighted.