I do not believe in the adage, You cannot teach an old dog new tricks. Personal change, even transformation, is possible. And, with the right strategies, it can be relatively painless and certain. John Tierney, on yesterday's New York Times op-ed page, lists seven research-based strategies to … [Read more...]
Readings: Creativity & Problem Solving
06/13/2011 By
Frequently, I am asked to recommend the best books on creativity and problem solving. Below are three that I consider "must read": DeBono, Edward. Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step-by-Step. New York: Harper & Row, 1970. Edward DeBono is a giant among creativity experts and this, his best … [Read more...]
Reduce stress! Become more creative in three steps
03/22/2011 By
Life is a cascade of challenge. Sometimes the flow trickles and sometimes it roars. How well you navigate determines who you are and your quality of life. Do you embrace the flow or avoid it? Does a torrent motivate or immobilize you? Do you look to the future with hope or fear? Your answers to … [Read more...]
Are Too Many Options Bad For You?
08/15/2010 By
Ever since I read Sidney Parnes' The Magic of Your Mind more than twenty years ago, I have firmly believed that having more options is preferable to having fewer options. On the other hand, just about every time I go to the grocery store, I wish there were fewer choices. So I am conflicted: my … [Read more...]
The Antidote for America’s Creativity Crisis
07/23/2010 By
In its July 10 issue, Newsweek reported that although creativity scores had for decades been steadily rising in America, since 1990 “they have consistently inched downward.” This news is disturbing for the nation’s children and our future prosperity. But the situation is not dire. There is a … [Read more...]
Is America in a Creativity Crisis?
07/19/2010 By
Last week, Newsweek published The Creativity Crisis with this subheading: For the first time, research shows that American creativity is declining. What was the evidence for this disturbing claim? College of William & Mary researcher Kyung Hee Kim analyzed 300,000 scores of children and adults on … [Read more...]
Errors are Portals of Discovery
05/16/2010 By
Errors are...the portals of discovery. James Joyce, Ulysses Fear to make a mistake, to fail, or to take a risk is perhaps the most general and common emotional block in problem solving. James L. Adams, Conceptual Blockbusting _________ Years ago, my five-year-old son was assigned to paint … [Read more...]
Bugs Bunny Didn’t Brainstorm
04/05/2010 By
Chuck Jones is a creative genius who towers over American popular culture. Best known as the director of Looney Toons shorts featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Elmer Fudd, he knew a thing or two about creative process. In his autobiography, Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an … [Read more...]
Solution Webs
03/05/2010 By
Good problem solving requires the exhaustive exploration of all available options. Most of us are not good problem solvers, however. We get lazy, quit too early and select the first solution that adequately meets our criteria. Psychologists call this error in thinking "premature closure." But, as … [Read more...]
Assumption Busting
03/01/2010 By
An idea that was useful at one time may no longer be useful today and yet the current idea has developed directly from that old and outmoded idea. It is historical continuity that maintains most assumptions -- not repeated assessment of their validity. --Edward DeBono, Lateral Thinking ____ W. E. … [Read more...]
