The 3rd Alternative by
From the multimillion-copy bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—hailed as the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century—The 3rd Alternative introduces a breakthrough approach to conflict resolution and creative problem solving. One of Time magazine’s 25 most influential Americans, Dr. Stephen R. Covey has helped millions transform their lives. In The 3rd Alternative, Covey turns his formidable insight to a powerful new way to resolve professional and personal difficulties and create solutions to great challenges in organizations and society. In any conflict, the 1st Alternative is my way and the 2nd Alternative is your way. The fight usually boils down to a question of whose way is better. There are many methods of “conflict resolution,” but most involve compromise, a low-level accommodation that stops the fight without breaking through to amazing new results. The 3rd Alternative is about more than just an armistice—it’s about creating a new and improved reality. A departure from the usual approaches to conflict resolution, negotiation, and innovation, this book reveals a new way of thinking that will be embraced not only by the many fans who have flocked to Covey’s prior books, but also by anyone who is seeking solutions in their professional or personal lives. The 3rd Alternative transcends traditional solutions to conflict by forging a path toward a third option, a 3rd Alternative that moves beyond your way or my way to a higher and better way—one that allows both parties to emerge from debate or even heated conflict in a far better place than either had envisioned. With the 3rd Alternative, nobody has to give up anything, and everyone wins. To a world of escalating strife and contention, 3rd Alternative thinkers like those Covey profiles here bring creative solutions, peace, and healing. Through key examples and stories from his work as a consultant, Covey demonstrates the power of 3rd Alternative thinking. His wide-ranging examples include: a Canadian metropolitan police force that transformed a crime-plagued community by abandoning their “them vs. us” mentality and changing the whole definition of police work; a father who rescued his troubled daughter from years of despair and near suicide in one surprising evening; a judge who brought a quick, peaceful end to one of the biggest environmental lawsuits in American history without setting foot in a courtroom; the principal of a high school for the children of migrant workers who raised their graduation rate from a dismal 30 percent to 90 percent and tripled their basic skill levels; a handful of little-known people who are quietly finding new ways to bring peace to the Middle East; and many others. These various groups and individuals offer living examples of how to create new and better results instead of escalating conflict, as well as how to build strong relationships with diverse people based on an attitude of winning together. Beyond conflict and compromise, The 3rd Alternative unveils a radical, creative new way of thinking. It is a groundbreaking but practical work that demonstrates why 3rd Alternative thinking represents the supreme opportunity of our time.
Problem Solving 101 by
The fun and simple problem-solving guide that took Japan by storm Ken Watanabe originally wrote Problem Solving 101 for Japanese schoolchildren. His goal was to help shift the focus in Japanese education from memorization to critical thinking, by adapting some of the techniques he had learned as an elite McKinsey consultant. He was amazed to discover that adults were hungry for his fun and easy guide to problem solving and decision making. The book became a surprise Japanese bestseller, with more than 370,000 in print after six months. Now American businesspeople can also use it to master some powerful skills. Watanabe uses sample scenarios to illustrate his techniques, which include logic trees and matrixes. A rock band figures out how to drive up concert attendance. An aspiring animator budgets for a new computer purchase. Students decide which high school they will attend. Illustrated with diagrams and quirky drawings, the book is simple enough for a middleschooler to understand but sophisticated enough for business leaders to apply to their most challenging problems.
Problem Solving and Comprehension by
This popular book shows students how to increase their power to analyze problems and to comprehend what they read. First, it outlines and illustrates the method that good problem solvers use in attacking complex ideas. Then, it provides practice in applying these methods to a variety of comprehension and reasoning questions. Books on the improvement of thinking processes have tended to be complicated and less than useful, but the authors of this renowned text emphasize a simple but effective approach. The "Whimbey Method" of teaching problem solving is now recognized as an invaluable means of teaching people to think. Problems are followed by their solutions, presented in easy-to-follow steps. This feature permits students to work without supervision, outside the classroom. As students work through the book they will see a steady improvement in their analytical thinking skills, and will develop confidence in their ability to solve problems--on tests; in academic courses; and in any occupations that involve analyzing, untangling, or comprehending knotty ideas. By helping students to become better problem solvers, this book can assist students in achieving higher scores on tests commonly used for college and job selection, such as: * Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) * Graduate Record Examination (GRE) * ACT Work Keys * Terra Nova * Law School Admission Test (LSAT) * Wonderlic Personnel Test * United States Employment Service General Aptitude Test Battery * Civil Service Examination New in the 6th edition: A totally new chapter--"Meeting Academic and Workplace Standards: How This Book Can Help"--describes changes in the educational system in the past 20 years and shows how the techniques taught in this book relate to the new educational standards and tests. Changes throughout the book reflect current educational and social realities: the names of some characters have been changed to represent more accurately the cross-section of students attending today's schools; dates in some problems have been changed; in other problems the technology referred to has been updated.
Decide by
How to make better decisions and achieve your goals What shapes a person's career and life, and defines them as a leader? Their decisions. We all want to be more productive and deliver our best results. But doing this effectively-and consistently over time-is a significant challenge. Managing it all is hard, and leading in today's hyper-paced world is even harder. The good news is that leadership expert Steve McClatchy makes it easier. In Decide, McClatchy-who works with Fortune 1000 people every day to help them achieve outstanding levels of performance-shows you how to cut through the complexities and excuses to start realizing real gains simply by changing one thing: the way you make decisions. With McClatchy's help, you can quickly begin to: Use the time you have each day to move your business and your life forward Make decisions that yield better results Waste less time, reduce stress and regain balance Again and again, McClatchy has helped people learn for themselves how great decision-making habits yield a lifetime of accomplishments. Follow McClatchy's no-nonsense and practical approach, and you'll soon manage-and even lead-at your highest level of personal performance.
Effective problem solving : develop the analytical and creative skills needed to solve any problem successfully by
This fast, focused and carefully crafted eBook will help you pick up all the essential knowledge you need about the skills that matter most at work, all in the shortest possible time.
Learn just when you need to or well in advance; read it at your desk or on the move; dip in and out or start from scratch – it’s all up to you. But however you use it, you’ll quickly feel more confident, competent and better equipped to make things happen and keep moving ahead;
Save time - it’s quick and easy to read;
Get smart - just the essential knowledge you need;
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Creativity and Problem Solving (the Brian Tracy Success Library) by
Recent research has revealed a direct causality between ideas and profitability, which means that in today's ultra-competitive and technology-rich work environment, the most crucial element separating an exceptional career from a lackluster one is . . . creative thinking skills. While that may be scary news to hear for many businesspeople and entrepreneurs, it shouldn't be for you! Because inside this concise, easy-to-read book, one of the world's premiere success experts, Brian Tracy, reveals 21 proven, practical techniques readers can use to immediately begin generating a stream of productive ideas, including how to:* Stimulate the three primary triggers to creativity* Inspire a creative mindset in staff through recognition, rewards, and environment* Use methods such as Brainstorming, Zero-Based Thinking, Nominal Group Technique, and Lateral Thinking to solve problems, improve systems, devise new products, and come up with fresh, exciting marketing angles* Ask focused questions to generate elegant solutions* Understand the difference between mechanical and adaptive thinking* Rigorously evaluate new ideas . . .without shutting down the creative impulseContaining mind-stimulating exercises and down-to-earth strategies, Creativity & Problem Solving, an eye-opening book, will help anyone tap into the root source of their own intuitive genius--and gain the winning edge they've been missing all this time.
50 Activities for Creativity and Problem Solving by
A great collection of 50 training activities to develop creative thinking, offer new approaches to problem solving, and develop innovative approaches to problems that aren't responding to traditional methods. Part of the best selling 50 Activities Series.
101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving by
Employees who possess problem-solving skills are highly valued in today?s competitive business environment. The question is how can employees learn to deal in innovative ways with new data, methods, people, and technologies? In this groundbreaking book, Arthur VanGundy -- a pioneer in the field of idea generation and problem solving -- has compiled 101 group activities that combine to make a unique resource for trainers, facilitators, and human resource professionals. The book is filled with idea-generation activities that simultaneously teach the underlying problem-solving and creativity techniques involved. Each of the book?s 101 engaging and thought-provoking activities includes facilitator notes and advice on when and how to use the activity. Using 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving will give you the information and tools you need to: Generate creative ideas to solve problems. Avoid patterned and negative thinking. Engage in activities that are guaranteed to spark ideas. Use proven techniques for brainstorming with groups. Order your copy today.
Play at Work by
Do games hold the secret to better productivity? If you’ve ever found yourself engrossed in Angry Birds, Call of Duty, or a plain old crossword puzzle when you should have been doing something more productive, you know how easily games hold our attention. Hardcore gamers have spent the equivalent of 5.93 million years playing World of Warcraft while the world collectively devotes about 5 million hours per day to Angry Birds. A colossal waste of time? Perhaps. But what if we could tap into all the energy, engagement, and brainpower that people are already expending and use it for more creative and valuable pursuits? Harnessing the power of games sounds like a New-Age fantasy, or at least a fad that’s only for hip start-ups run by millennials in Silicon Valley. But according to Adam L. Penenberg, the use of smart game design in the workplace and beyond is taking hold in every sector of the economy, and the companies that apply it are witnessing unprecedented results. “Gamification” isn’t just for consumers chasing reward points anymore. It’s transforming, well, just about everything. Penenberg explores how, by understanding the way successful games are designed, we can apply them to become more efficient, come up with new ideas, and achieve even the most daunting goals. He shows how game mechanics are being applied to make employees happier and more motivated, improve worker safety, create better products, and improve customer service. For example, Microsoft has transformed an essential but mind-numbing task—debugging software—into a game by having employees compete and collaborate to find more glitches in less time. Meanwhile, Local Motors, an independent automaker based in Arizona, crowdsources designs from car enthusiasts all over the world by having them compete for money and recognition within the community. As a result, the company was able to bring a cutting-edge vehicle to market in less time and at far less cost than the Big Three automakers. These are just two examples of companies that have tapped the characteristics that make games so addictive and satisfying. Penenberg also takes us inside organizations that have introduced play at work to train surgeons, aid in physical therapy, translate the Internet, solve vexing scientific riddles, and digitize books from the nineteenth century. Drawing on the latest brain science as well as his firsthand reporting from these cutting-edge companies, Penenberg offers a powerful solution for businesses and organizations of all stripes and sizes.
The Head Game by
We've all been there: faced with a major decision, yet overwhelmed by the very data that is supposed to help us. It's an all-too-common struggle in the digital age, when Google searches produce a million results in a split second and software programs provide analysis faster than we could ever hope to read it.Adapting the geopolitical and historical lessons gleaned from over two decades in government intelligence, Philip Mudd--an ex-National Security Council staff member and former senior executive at the FBI and the CIA--finally gives us the definitive guidebook for how to approach complex decisions today. Filled with logical yet counterintuitive answers to ordinary and extraordinary problems--whether it be buying a new home or pivoting a failing business model--Mudd's "HEAD" (High Efficiency Analytic Decision-making) methodology provides readers with a battle-tested set of guiding principles that promise to bring order to even the most chaotic problems, all in five practical steps:* What's the question? Analysts often believe that questions are self-evident, but focusing on better questions up front always yields better answers later.* What are your "drivers?" The human mind has a hard time juggling information, so analysts need a system to break down complex questions into different characteristics or "drivers."* How will you measure performance? Once the question has been solidified and the "drivers" determined, an analyst must decide what metrics they will use to understand how a problem--and their solution to it--is evolving over time.* What about the data? Rather than looking at each bit of information on its own and up front, an analyst can only overcome data overload by plugging data into their "driver" categories and excising anything that doesn't fit.* What are we missing? Complex analysis isn't easy, so it is imperative to assume that the process is flawed, while also knowing how to check for possible gaps and errors, such as availability bias, halo effects, and intuitive versus analytic methodologies.Drawing deeply from his own harrowing experiences--and mistakes--in the line of duty, Mudd has spent years refining and teaching his methodology to Fortune 500 companies and government organizations. Now, in the best-selling tradition of Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit and Oren Klaff's Pitch Anything, Philip Mudd's The HEAD Game can change the way you both live and work.
Think Like a Freak by
Now in Paperback--the New York Times bestseller--and follow up to the revolutionary bestsellers Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics--with a new author Q&A. With their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner take us inside their thought process and teach us all how to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally. In Think Like A Freak, they offer a blueprint for an entirely new way to solve problems, whether your interest lies in minor lifehacks or major global reforms. The topics range from business to philanthropy to sports to politics, all with the goal of retraining your brain. Along the way, you'll learn the secrets of a Japanese hot-dog-eating champion, the reason an Australian doctor swallowed a batch of dangerous bacteria, and why Nigerian e-mail scammers make a point of saying they're from Nigeria. Levitt and Dubner plainly see the world like no one else. Now you can too. Never before have such iconoclastic thinkers been so revealing--and so much fun to read.
Practical Problem-Solving Skills in the Workplace by 
The Wild Idea Club : a collaborative system to solve workplace problems, improve efficiency, and boost your bottom line by
Imagine a workplace where employees don't complain about problems but instead work together in idea-generating clubs to present positive solutions. The Wild Idea Club will help you get there there, by providing managers with an easy, step-by-step approach that harnesses the collective genius of their people to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and increase morale. In tough times like these--with managers facing increasing pressure to get more done with fewer people and less money--encouraging employees to work together to tackle tough issues on their own is not a luxury, but a survival tool. When people start seeing possibilities instead of problems--and can present their solutions to decision-makers who care--something amazing happens: They find themselves actually working together toward a common goal that benefits everyone and their organization. The Wild Idea Club is a guide, a method, and a tool that provides: Everything a manager needs to get a Wild Idea Club (or three) up and running in his or her organization--and keep it going. Tips and techniques to help your people generate ideas and select the best ones. The best ways to capture, record, research, and follow through on the solutions generated by a Wild Idea Club. Strategies to help your people pitch their ideas. And much more. Written in a loose and light style, each chapter presents one facet of the concept, illustrated through a story based on real-life examples of Wild Idea Clubs in action. This book will help anyone learn exactly what's needed to create a club in his or her company, no matter its industry, size, or history.
Group Problem Solving by
Experimental research by social and cognitive psychologists has established that cooperative groups solve a wide range of problems better than individuals. Cooperative problem solving groups of scientific researchers, auditors, financial analysts, air crash investigators, and forensic art experts are increasingly important in our complex and interdependent society. This comprehensive textbook--the first of its kind in decades--presents important theories and experimental research about group problem solving. The book focuses on tasks that have demonstrably correct solutions within mathematical, logical, scientific, or verbal systems, including algebra problems, analogies, vocabulary, and logical reasoning problems. The book explores basic concepts in group problem solving, social combination models, group memory, group ability and world knowledge tasks, rule induction problems, letters-to-numbers problems, evidence for positive group-to-individual transfer, and social choice theory. The conclusion proposes ten generalizations that are supported by the theory and research on group problem solving. Group Problem Solving is an essential resource for decision-making research in social and cognitive psychology, but also extremely relevant to multidisciplinary and multicultural problem-solving teams in organizational behavior, business administration, management, and behavioral economics.
Creative Problem Solving for Managers by
This updated text provides a lively introduction to the essential skills of creative problem solving. Using extensive case-studies and examples from a wide range of business situations, it explores a wide range of problem-solving theories and techniques, illustrating how these can be used to solve a range of management problems. Thoroughly revised and redesigned, this new edition retains the accessible and imaginative approach to problem solving skills of the first edition. Contents include: blocks to creativity and how to overcome them key techniques including lateral thinking, morphological analysis and synectics computer-assisted problem solving increased coverage of group problem solving techniques and paradigm shift. As creativity is increasingly recognized as a key skill for successful managers, this book will be welcomed as a comprehensive introduction for students and practising managers alike.