Source Book For Creative Problem Solving

For Parents and Teachers! The parent and teacher section defines who capable kids are, the problems and needs they face, and the many ways parents and teachers can help them develop coping strategies. Topics include the definition of giftedness, emotional development, social development, moral development, perfectionism, boredom, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, family functioning, and much more. Extensive and current reference and resource listings are included.

For Parents and Teachers! The parent and teacher section defines who capable kids are, the problems and needs they face, and the many ways parents and teachers can help them develop coping strategies. Topics include the definition of giftedness, emotional development, social development, moral development, perfectionism, boredom, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, family functioning, and much more. Extensive and current reference and resource listings are included.

Creative Approaches to Problem Solving (CAPS) is a comprehensive text covering the well-known, cited, and used system for problem solving and creativity known as Creative Problem Solving (CPS). CPS is a flexible system used to help individuals and groups solve problems, manage change, and deliver innovation. It provides a framework, language, guidelines, and set of easy-to-use tools for understanding challenges, generating ideas and transforming promising ideas into action. Features and Benefits: - Specific objectives in each chapter for the reader - This provides a clear focus for instruction or independent learning - Practical case study introduced in the beginning of each chapter and then completed as a "rest of the story" toward the end of the chapter - This feature provides an application anchor for the reader - Upgraded mix of graphics - These updated and refreshed graphics include tables, figures, and illustrative images that are designed to provide "pictures" to go along with the word. The aim has been to aid attention, retention, and practical application - Enhanced emphasis on flexible, dynamic process-- Enables users to select and apply CPS tools, components, and stages in a meaningful way that meets their actual needs - A framework for problem solving that has been tested and applied across ages, settings, and cultures-- Readers can apply a common approach to process across many traditional "boundaries" that have limited effectives. Creative Approaches to Problem Solving has been (and continues to be) used as a core text for faculty who are teaching courses in Creative Problem Solving or Creativity and Innovation as part of an MBA program, or in Education, a course on Creativity (often as a component of certification or endorsement requirements in gifted education). It is also used as a core text for those enrolled in professional development, continuing education, or executive education programmes.

The hallmark of an exceptional career is the ability to devise innovative solutions for work challenges. Therefore, creative thinking skills are vital for your professional advancement. Recent research has revealed a direct causality between ideas and profitability, which means that in today’s competitive and technology-rich work environment, the most crucial element separating an extraordinary career from an ordinary one is creative thinking skills. As one of the world's premiere success experts, Brian Tracy knows anyone can become more creative by practicing with a few helpful tools. This concise, easy-to-read book guides you to immediately begin generating a stream of productive ideas. In Creativity & Problem Solving, Tracy reveals 21 proven techniques that will help you: Stimulate the three primary triggers to creativity Inspire a creative mindset in staff through recognition, rewards, and environment Use methods 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 impulse Containing mind-stimulating exercises and down-to-earth strategies, Creativity & Problem Solving will help you tap into the root source of their own intuitive genius--and gain the winning edge they’ve been missing all this time.

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.

Problems! Jack Huber has his share. But when he is introduced to the creative problem solving process from an unexpected source, life soon changes . . . drastically. Jack Huber dreams of being a professional photographer and starting his own business. He has a few ideas but doesn't know how to process them to make his dream a reality. That is until an unlikely mentor stumbles upon Jack's path and shares a whole new way of thinking through problems. In Jack's Notebook, Gregg Fraley, an innovation consultant to Fortune 500 companies, illustrates a well-kept secret of corporate America: the Creative Problem Solving process. "If you are struggling to move ahead in your career, if you're an executive with a thorny corporate challenge, someone trying to solve a messy community issue, a family trying to sort through an emotional conflict, or an entrepreneur looking for ways to make the most of limited resources-this book is for you. If you have a 'mess' on your hands, you have found a useful tool." -from the Introduction