Research tells us that 85% of executives and managers are analytical thinkers more so than creative problem solvers. Because we are what we repeatedly do and the key skills in business today are analysis and critical judgement – a way of thinking that kills ideas in their infancy. In a world filled with a myriad of complex challenges, having a versatile set of thinking tools is the avenue to discovering breakthrough solutions. As Abraham Maslow wisely observed: relying solely on a hammer makes every problem look like a nail. An over-reliance on a single, preferred approach delivers same-old results. In today’s volatile, unpredictable business landscape, a one-size-fits-all way of solving difficult problems typically results in boring, uninspiring, invariably useless solutions.
Analytical thinkers are often beaten before they start. Without the competence or confidence in your ability to think differently, you can’t advance and prosper. According to The Harvard Business Review, “The idea that people can simply decide to think differently from the way they have in past is delusional. They need tools that bring new dimensions of insight.” This course has been offered to thousands of leaders over the past five decades and is designed to get you out of the uninspiring box of rational analysis into the universe of “anything is possible.” Harness the power of your imagination, the force that identifies patterns beyond logic and generates unconventional solutions. The objective is not to find the great ideas; they’re everywhere and abundant. Instead, discover how to select and nurture the ideas that will fuel your organizational success and professional growth.
Most barriers to problem solving are self-perpetuated myths. As one attendee recently said, “I thought your tools were dumb until I actually tried them.” So much for being open-minded. To power your career, you need to consider the advantages of changing the way you usually think about and approach your problems. Social conditioning and corporate cultures instil comfort zones and reinforce routine practices where creative thinking is stymied, usually by the corporate culture or the powers that be. With an arsenal of proven techniques, you can venture beyond the ordinary and mundane approaches, challenge what too often hinders solution finding, break through conventional blinders, and harness the innate genius of groups or just decide to go it alone.
The best problem solvers have the biggest toolboxes. They’re the ones others seek out when confronted by seemingly impossible or daunting challenges. Builders understand that different tools are designed to accomplish different tasks and that the right tool at the right time gets the job done in the quickest, most effective or efficient way. Become the sought-after expert with an arsenal of techniques for tackling either the simple or the complex obstacles that bedevil others. Show them how to design a brighter, more innovative and prosperous tomorrow. Brace yourself: this course has the potential to redefine your life and transform your workplace.
What’s in the toolbox? The curriculum for 2025 includes:
❏ The simple, most common errors we make
❏ What’s your dominant problem-solving style?
❏ The pros & cons of different CPS approaches
❏ The upsides and downsides of analytical thinking
❏ Rooting out dogma: How we became so analytical
❏ What we were not taught about solving problems
❏ Different creative thinking modes & techniques
❏ The nominal grouping method & six thinking hats
❏ Collaboration: Idea sharing and forced relationships
❏ Morphology: De-constructing & reassembling ideas
❏ Attention management: Heuristics, analogies & synectics
❏ Making lemonade: The power & discipline of focus
❏ De Bono’s CoRT thinking tools & thought experiments
❏ Visualization: From doodling to strategic mind-mapping
❏ Future forecasting & realistic scenario planning/building
❏ 20 other ways to improve your problem-solving competency
❏ Closing thoughts: How to begin your creative emancipation
The course includes an 35-page pre-course workbook of tasks and supplemental readings.