Leading speaker on innovation and creativity Paul Sloane helps readers
think in powerful new ways.
It shows how to harness techniques in lateral thinking, analytical
thinking, problem analysis, idea generation, and other areas to become more creative.
Readers will be able to conceive, evaluate and implement great ideas as well as
improve their memory, sell their ideas, and win arguments.
The book is packed with practical methods to put to immediate use,
backed up by exercises, puzzles, quizzes, graphics, and illustrations.
Table of Contents
Foreword ix
1 The need for different thinking 1
2 Consider the opposite 6
3 Confront assumptions 10
4 Analyse problems 15
The path to the ideal 16
Why, Why? 16
Six serving men 8
Lotus blossom 9
Summary 19
5 Ask questions 21
6 Think in combinations 26
7 Parallel thinking 30
8 Think creatively 35
9 Think laterally 39
10 Think what no one else thinks 44
11 Evaluate ideas 47
Selection criteria 47
Triage 49
Group evaluation methods 50
12 Make difficult decision 52
Pair rankings 54
13 Develop your verbal thinking 60
GEt a good dictionary and thesaurus 61
Read 62
Capture new words 63
Write, rewrite and edit 64
Play with words 64
Listen to yourself 65
Take the verbal intelligence questionnaire 64
14 Think mathematically 67
15 Get to grips with probability 73
16 Think visually 79
Questionnaire on visual thinking 82
answers to the questions 83
17 Develop your emotional intelligence 86
Self-awarencess 87
self-management 88
social awareness 89
Relationship management 91
18 Be a brilliant conversationalist 92
Ask questions 92
Listen 93
Give compliments 94
Use names 94
Keep up to date on topical issues 94
Be humorous 95
Speak clearly 96
Enjoy it 96
19 Win arguments 97
Dos, don'ts and sneaky tactics 97
Questionnaire 102
20 Ponder 103
Listen 103
Slow down your life 104
Prioritize 105
Declutter 105
Delay some decisions 106
Incubate 106
Meditate 107
Allocate time for reflection 107
21 Maximize your memory 109
Memory pegging techniques 111
The virtual journey 114
Mnemonics 116
Remembering numbers 116
Remembering names 116
22 Experiment, fail and learn 119
Questionnarieon learning from mistakes 120
23 Tell stories 124
24 Think humorously 128
25 Think positively 131
26 Set goals 136
27 Priortize and focus 140
Handling your to-do list 142
28 Turn thinking into action 145
Why procrastination is dangerous 45
Ask yourself' Why am I stuck? 146
It is all right not to know 146
Don't wait for perfection 146
Phone a friend 147
Remind yourself of the benefits 148
Do something-get into motion 148
Set goals 149
Share your goals and actions 149
Pause, don't stop 149
Mentally rehearse and then act 150
Take the procrastination questionnaire 150
29 Common thinking errors 51
The Availability error 151
Mistaking the cause 154
The gambler'ls fallacy 155
The confirmation bias 156
Clustering illusion 156
Cognitive biases 156
30 Boost your brain 159
31 Games for brilliant thinkers 166
32 Summary-a checklist for the brilliant thinker 169
Appendix 1 Answers 173
Appendix 2 References and further reading 174
Index 176
208 pages, Paperback
