Gregg Fraley: Creative Problem Solving - Blog Business Success Radio

Consultant & Partner in The Innovise Guys, Gregg Fraley, author of the best selling ingenious business fable Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving, describes creative problem solving techniques you can apply to your own business. The concept and techniques of creative problem solving are presented within the business novel itself, and form the basis for the intriguing, and page turning plot.

Gregg Fraley is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 22, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Consultant Gregg Fraley, author of the best selling ingenious business fable Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving, describes creative problem solving techniques. You will learn:

* The six steps in the Creative Problem Solving CPS system

* How to overcome barriers to your own creative thinking process

* Why creative thinking is important in problem solving for your business

* How anyone can be creative even when they think they are out of ideas



Gregg Fraley (photo left)helps organizations innovate. He assists by assessing innovation needs and researching markets. He then facilitates dynamic ideation sessions that result in on-target product and service concepts. Gregg's innovation training helps create corporate cultures that foster, nurture, and sustain the innovative output of their people over time. Finally he recommends instituting Idea Management to preserve the most valuable of all corporate assets -- it's ideas.

Gregg blends his passion for creativity with his love for fiction in his innovative business fable, Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving. In the book he introduces the method of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) to innovation teams in big organizations, small business people, entrepreneurs of all stripes, and individuals looking to master complex challenges and take their careers -- their lives -- to the next level.

In speaking keynotes and workshops he balances quirky humor with cutting edge content. Audiences comment that he has a rare and unique insight into the way people think, communicate, and innovate in the workplace. Gregg fosters understanding of creative style in ways that build bridges. He creates respect for creative thinking diversity and helps executives, managers, and teams overcome the blocks that prevent innovation. His core message of more effective creative thinking -- through authenticity, passion, and deliberate creative process-- brings out the innovator inside of all of us.

His ideation training leads to better, more productive ideation sessions -- and that means more effective new product development. His background as an entrepreneur and as an improvisational actor give him insights, tools, and capabilities few facilitators can offer. His Innovisation™ tools are industry leading and set an environment for ideation that combines a flexible structure for problem solving with ideal conditions for spontaneous thought.

My book review of Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving by Gregg Fraley.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Consultant & Partner in The Innovise Guys, Gregg Fraley, author of the best selling ingenious business fable Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving, as he describes creative problem solving techniques you can apply to building your own successful business on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Gregg Fraley, Jack's Notebook, creative problem solving, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Jack's Notebook by Gregg Fraley - Book review

Jack's Notebook

A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving

By: Gregg Fraley

Published: Feb 13, 2007
ISBN: 9780785221661
Format: Hardcover, 242pp
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc


Creativity is about problem solving, decision making and self expression, writes author Gregg Fraley in the introduction to his wonderful and ingenious business fable Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving. The concept and techniques of creative problem solving are presented within the business novel itself, and form the basis for the intriguing, and page turning plot.

Gregg Fraley uses the plot device of a young man named Jack, trapped in jobs he dislikes and feeling lost in the world, who discovers creative problem solving through a chance meeting with a stranger. The plot begins with Jack filling his notebook with lists of ideas for changing his life, on the advice of his mentor Manny. Jack later meets a waitress named Molly, and begins a friendship that turns into romance. All is not a fairy tale for the couple, however, and the adventure that follows requires teamwork, as well as creative thinking and problem solving, to avert disaster.



Gregg Fraley (photo left) blends the exciting narrative skillfully with his teaching of creative problem solving techniques. The author understands that complex ideas are often best learned and remembered through storytelling. The result is a business fable that demonstrates the power of creative thinking to solve business problems, that is applicable to personal lives as well. The steps to creative problem solving are presented in a logical manner, and are summarized at the end of the book in a handy table format.

The main character Jack symbolizes the power of creative solutions to simple or complex problems. Difficult situations, that are seemingly without solutions, find many positive options through the application of the prescribed techniques. Manny represents the patient teacher and facilitator who guides Jack through the six stages of creative problem solving. Molly provides additional assistance through more detailed use of simple, yet powerful creative thinking methods. The resulting novel is a metaphor for the power of a simple notebook, filled with lists and ideas, to change people's lives for the better.

For me, the power of the book is in its simplicity. Complex creative thinking techniques are illustrated, several ways, through the story line. The imaginative use of examples within the novel reinforces the prescribed six steps to creative problem solving. The use of the notebook shows the importance of list making and of writing down every idea, no matter how unrealistic or unworkable it may appear at first glance. The adventure portion of the novel demonstrates the power of group problem solving, the strength of team work, and that even life and death issues can be solved in a positive way.

I highly recommend Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving by Gregg Fraley to anyone who seeks powerful solutions to problems in business and in life. Every obstacle represents a gift to be cherished as an opportunity to improve your business or your personal situation.

Read Jack's Notebook: A Business Novel About Creative Problem Solving by Gregg Fraley and you will never again look at problems as having no solutions again. Instead of avoiding difficult problems, you will be seeking them out as the paths to a better future, through creative problem solving.

Tags: Jack's Notebook, Gregg Fraley, creative problem solving, business book reviews.

It's Our Ship by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff - Book review

It's Our Ship

The No-nonsense Guide to Leadership

By: Captain D. Michael Abrashoff
Published: May 12, 2008
ISBN: 9780446199667
Format: Hardcover, 288pp
Publisher: Business Plus





A leader must define the organization's goals and spell out why they matter, writes best selling author Captain D. Michael Abrashoff in his important new book It's Our Ship: The No-nonsense Guide to Leadership. The book is a powerful study of management, staff motivation, and leadership. Perhaps, even more important, the book is an enlightening study in personal growth and learning from past successes and failures.

Captain D. Michael Abrashoff, former Commander of USS Benfold (photo bottom left), understands leadership and organizational success begins with establishing core values and then conveying them to the entire staff. To achieve success in the Navy or in business, people must be motivated to do their personal best, and to understand their responsibility to the organization and its clients. It is the mission of the leader to ensure that the message gets through to everyone, and that feedback mechanisms are in place to gauge the depth of understanding and internalization. The goal of the company is to win, and the leader must establish the levels of risk necessary to achieve overall success.



Captain D. Michael Abrashoff (photo left) recognizes that a leader must earn the trust of the entire organization to achieve the desired goals. To gain that trust, a leader must be honest at all times, even if the truth is painful and potentially damaging to the leader's career. The members of the team watch the leader and if the words don't agree with the actions, that crucial trust factor is lost.

Great leaders encourage open and honest assessments of problems facing the company. Covering up mistakes and displaying lax ethical behavior can destroy the very fabric of the organization. A thirst for the truth creates opportunities for improvement and success, while hiding the facts leads to mediocrity and failure. Listening to bad news, without punishment for its bearer, will uncover problems with the system, that when corrected can lead to greater success in the future.

When a leader establishes trust, and creates an atmosphere where mistakes are acceptable as a learning process, people will excel at their jobs. They will take ownership of their roles, and of the overall goals of the organization. Giving people the opportunity to create and develop new ideas, and the opportunity to test their skills, uncovers hidden talent within the company. Helping people reach their personal best, while emphasizing cooperation between staff members, builds the overall strength of the business through a more dedicated team of employees.



USS Benfold (photo left)

For me, the power of the book is the understanding that leadership is about establishing trust in your staff, honesty with everyone within and outside of the company, and being true to your organizational goals. A leader must be an effective communicator of the company mission, and a good listener to the people who form the backbone of the organization. Strong ethical values, and personal responsibility are essential in a great leader, and the employees will internalize and practice those same values.

Mistakes are inevitable in any endeavor and are learning experiences for everyone involved. The author recognizes the importance of helping people achieve greatness, and in letting them spread their wings. Sometimes, they will fail, but over time, those same people will grow and exceed even the most optimistic expectations. I was especially impressed with how Captain Abrashoff described his own growth as a leader after his naval career ended, and how he grew to recognize there were even better ways of achieving his overall objectives.

I highly recommmend It's Our Ship: The No-nonsense Guide to Leadership by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff for anyone serious about improving their own leadership skills, and in helping to bring out the very best in their organizational personnel.

Read It's Our Ship: The No-nonsense Guide to Leadership by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff, and apply the real world tested leadership techniques from aboard the USS Benfold, and from the best boardrooms beyond its decks.

Tags: Captain D. Michael Abrashoff, It's Our Ship, leadership, business book reviews.

Matthew Emmens: Zenobia - The Curious Book of Business - Blog Business Success Radio

Shire Pharmaceuticals CEO Matthew Emmens, co-author of the imaginative and visionary business fable Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business, tells the story of young job applicant Moira who stays true to her vision, which helps to revitalize the fictional Zenobia Corporation, after its decline from its former greatness. Through the power of the symbolic narrative, Matthew Emmens demonstrates the power of creative thinking, discovering new ideas, and the ability of an ordinary person to act as the catalyst for change.

Matthew Emmens is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 15, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Shire Pharmaceuticals CEO Matthew Emmens, co-author of the imaginative and visionary business fable Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business, demonstrates the power of creative thinking, new ideas, and the ability of an ordinary person to act as the catalyst for change. You will learn:

* Why it only takes one person with vision and creativity to change a company

* How a stagnant and stifling company culture can be revitalized for success

* How to apply creative thinking within an organization

* Why unconventional thinkers should be sought out by employers



Matthew Emmens (photo left) joined Shire Pharmaceuticals Group PLC as chief executive and member of the board in March 2003.

Matthew Emmens, 56, began his career in international pharmaceuticals in 1974 when he joined Merck & Co. He held a wide range of sales, marketing and training positions with Merck & Co before moving to help establish Astra Merck, the joint venture with Astra Pharmaceuticals. He later became its president and chief executive. Astra Merck Inc. became an independent, top 20 US pharmaceutical company with annualised sales in excess of $4 billion and 4000 employees.

In 1999 he joined Merck KGaA and established EMD Pharmaceuticals, the company’s US prescription pharmaceutical business. He was most recently based in Darmstadt, Germany as president of Merck’s global prescription pharmaceuticals business, which in the year 2002 achieved sales of US $2 billion.

Matthew graduated from Fairleigh Dickenson University in Rutherford, New Jersey, US, with a BS in Business Administration.

My book review of Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business by Matthew Emmens with Beth Kephart.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Matthew Emmens, co-author of the imaginative and visionary business fable Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business, as he demonstrates the power of creative thinking, unleaching new ideas, and the ability of an ordinary person to act as the catalyst for change, for building your successful business on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Matthew Emmens, Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business, creative thinking, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business by Matthew Emmens with Beth Kephart - Book review

Zenobia

The Curious Book of Business

By: Beth Kephart, Matthew Emmens, Arbinger Institute, William Sulit

Published: Jan 1, 2008
ISBN: 9781576754788
Format: Hardcover, 144pp
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Pub





The heroine's adventure becomes a pathway to success for others, write co-authors Matthew Emmens and Beth Kephart, in their imaginative business fable Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business. In a surrealistic dreamlike world worthy of Franz Kafka or Lewis Carroll, job applicant Moira's journey to the mythical Room 133A, is an inspiration to the power of imagination in business.



Matthew Emmens and Beth Kephart (photo left) take the reader into a their business allegory where the characters are symbols and their actions are metaphors. Young job applicant Moira represents change and new ideas, as well as a vibrant creativity missing from the staid and declining Zenobia Corporation. Once an industry leader, the moribund company clings to past glories through suffocating rules, malignant office politics, and outright hostility to creative thinking or ideas.

Moira, in her symbolically outside the rule book red shoes, defies and overcomes that that institutionalized lack of imagination as she seeks her goal. Seizing a kite, as a metaphor for an idea, she literally climbs the treacherous corporate ladder. With unexpected help from unlikely sources within the company, walks a symbolic tightrope to achieve her dreams. In the process, others in Zenobia follow their dreams, and revitalize the hidebound company. Long stifled employees reach for the stars along with Moira, and dare to imagine what could be for the organization and for their own careers.



Matthew Emmens (photo left) and Beth Kephart take the reader on a voyage of possibility and of imagination. With their symbolic characters, aided by the delightful James Thurber-like illustrations of William Sulit, an alternative through the looking glass world is the creative result. Indeed, the entire book is a tribute to creative thinking, and of seeking new ideas for solving seemingly impossible problems.

The book is about dreams and imagination, and the importance of people within an organization. Moira needs help in her quest, and she receives it when it's needed most. By accepting help, she inspires greatness in others within Zenobia, as they reach goals they never imagined possible. At the same time, the Zenobians step out of their darkness, and help others to find the light of their dreams and ideas, as they too reach for the long dormant kite of imagination.

For me, the power of the book is its faith in the power of imagination and ideas, and how one person can act as a catalyst for change. Moira wasn't a high profile CEO parachuted into the company, and within the story, those closed minded applicants fail to reach Room 133A. They lack the imagination to expand their thinking beyond conventional wisdom. As a result, they are unable to revitalize the floundering Zenobia Corporation. Instead, a seemingly ordinary person, with her unconventional ways of thinking, applied imagination and creativity to the organization, and found the latent greatness within.

I highly recommend the business fable Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business by Matthew Emmens and Beth Kephart for anyone who seeks to follow their dreams to greatness, and to awakening their imaginations to new and wonderful possibilities.

Read Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business by Matthew Emmens and Beth Kephart and wear those non-dress code red shoes, grab hold of that kite of ideas with both hands, and let your imagination soar. Reach for the stars, and you can light up the sky.

Tags: Beth Kephart, Matthew Emmens, William Sulit , Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business, creative thinking, business book reviews.

Tsufit: Step Into The Spotlight - A Guide To Getting Noticed - Blog Business Success Radio

Comedienne, singer, coach, and publicity expert Tsufit, author of the best selling book Step Into the Spotlight! Cause All Business Is Show Business! A Guide to Getting Noticed, shows how all business is show business and how you can stand out as a star celebrity attraction in the media, and how to step into the spotlight for building your successful business.

Tsufit is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 8, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Tsufit, author of the best selling book Step Into the Spotlight! Cause All Business Is Show Business! A Guide to Getting Noticed, shows how all publicity is show business and how you can stand out as the star celebrity attraction. You will learn:

* How show business techniques can work for your business

* How to become a well known expert in your industry niche

* How to succeed at networking and public speaking

* How to gain powerful media attention and exposure for your company



A singer, television actress and comedienne and the subject of over 100 feature newspaper articles and television and radio appearances internationally, Tsufit (photo left) has appeared doing stand-up comedy in night clubs and on national TV, appeared on television and film commercials internationally and was a regular as the comedically evil cafeteria lady in the national TV show System Crash for four seasons. And yes, that’s her dancing under a Carmen Miranda headdress of tomatoes in an East Side Mario’s commercial!

Tsufit also coaches performers and keynote speakers on how to “knock em dead” in the spotlight. As well, she coaches entrepreneurs to follow their dreams, as she did, leaving her downtown litigation law practice to be a performer.

Tsufit is a Dean’s List graduate from University of Toronto Law School and was once named a “Super-achiever” by Canadian Lawyer magazine. Her music CD, Under the Mediterranean Sky, has made Top Album lists all over North America and is played on the radio internationally.

Tsufit’s unique story was the subject of a national television documentary which has aired on several networks across Canada. Tsufit is a popular guest on national television shows and is in demand as a keynote speaker, radio guest, workshop facilitator and mom (although she is not currently taking on any new clients in the last category!).

My book review of Step Into the Spotlight! Cause All Business Is Show Business! A Guide to Getting Noticed by Tsufit.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Tsufit, author of the best selling book Step Into the Spotlight! Cause All Business Is Show Business! A Guide to Getting Noticed, shows how all business is show business and how you can stand out as a star celebrity attraction in the media, and how to step into the spotlight for building your successful business on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Tsufit, Step Into The Spotlight, marketing and publicity, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Step Into The Spotlight! by Tsufit - Book review

Step Into the Spotlight!

Cause All Business Is Show Business! A Guide to Getting Noticed

By: Tsufit

Published: Apr 8, 2008
ISBN: 9780978191306
Format: Hardcover, 288pp
Publisher: Beach View Books






Life is an infomercial, and you are the star attraction, writes Tsufit in her powerful best selling book Step Into the Spotlight! Cause All Business Is Show Business! A Guide to Getting Noticed. Using her experience as a comedienne and singer to highlight her points, Tsufit demonstrates how to become a business superstar in your industry niche.

Tsufit believes that every business person is a performer, seeking fame and fortune through their products and services. As a result, the entrepreneur or manager is the star of the show, and the true brand of the company. The author provides practical step by step advice, in a highly entertaining delivery style, for building customer applause for a company's performance. Using the tried and proven techniques of movies, television, and live theatre, Tsufit carries the reader through creation of a character, developing a story line, and bringing off the show with panache.



Tsufit (photo left) often shares stories and advice that run counter to conventional wisdom. She considers publicity to important for your business success, but only after your production is ready for prime time. Becoming a star takes work and preparation, and like the endless rehearsals for a Broadway play, your presentation must air without a hitch. Instead of droning away with a boring canned speech, the star effortlessly steals the show and the spotlight. In business, that means more customers and clients, and a stronger bottom line.

For me, the power of the book is the connection between show business and other industries. The techniques for stardom in any field are the same, and can be applied anywhere. By sharing her time proven entertainment industry methods, Tsufit helps reluctant public speakers, boardroom presenters, and person to person sales people overcome their fears. Simple concepts like knowing your true product, understanding your audience, and becoming well known in your field are brought to life through use of story and entertainment examples.

I highly recommend Step Into the Spotlight! Cause All Business Is Show Business! A Guide to Getting Noticed by Tsufit for any business or professional person seeking success in their marketplace. Every page sparkles with exciting techniques for making you the star attraction in any field or endeavour.

Read Step Into the Spotlight! Cause All Business Is Show Business! A Guide to Getting Noticed by Tsufit, and prepare to become a celebrity and and well known expert in your industry, as you take centre stage under the spotlight of success.

Tags: Tsufit, Step Into the Spotlight, marketing and publicity, business book reviews.

Mitchell Ditkoff: Awake At The Wheel - Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling - Blog Business Success Radio

Idea Champions President Mitchell Ditkoff, and best selling author of the thought provoking book Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an uphill world), talks about creating great ideas and creative thinking, and turning those new ideas into businesses, products and services, to help build your business success.

Mitchell Ditkoff is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, May 1, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.


Idea Champions President Mitchell Ditkoff, author of the thought provoking book Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an uphill world), talks about creating great ideas and creative thinking. You will learn:

* How to create great innovative and life changing ideas

* How to help your new ideas grow and develop and turn into success stories

* The steps to creative thinking and its empowerment

* Many creative thinking techniques that you can apply today



Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff (photo left) is the co-founder and President of Idea Champions. He specializes in leading highly engaging creative thinking and teambuilding sessions that enable individuals, teams and entire organizations to develop new products, services, and breakthrough ways of doing business.

Educated at Lafayette College and Brown University, Mitch Ditkoff has worked with a wide variety of Fortune 500 and mid-sized companies who have realized the need to do something different in order to succeed in today's rapidly changing marketplace. These clients include: GE, Merck, Allianz, Lucent Technologies, NBC Universal, AT&T, Goodyear, Pfizer, A&E Television Networks, General Mills, MTV Networks, Duke Corporate Education, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

At the heart of his work lies the fundamental belief that a company's most important capital asset is the collective brain power, creativity and commitment of its work force and that this asset can be significantly leveraged when people are provided with the appropriate setting, systems, tools and techniques to think (and act) out of the box.

Prior to his work with Idea Champions, Mitch Ditkoff was a principal in Ki Learning Systems and a Senior Consultant with the Inner Game Corporation — both organizational development firms dedicated to catalyzing superior performance in the workplace.

In addition to his consulting work, Mitch Ditkoff is also an accomplished public speaker and writer. Author of Banking on Innovation, Free the Genie and the forthcoming Awake at the Wheel, Mitch Ditkoff has appeared on numerous radio and television talk shows. Additionally, he is the founder of Face the Music, the world's only interactive business blues band. He lives in Woodstock, New York, with his wife, Evelyne, and their two children, Jesse (13) and Emilia (11).

My book review of Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an uphill world) by Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Mitchell Ditkoff, and best selling author of the thought provoking book Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an uphill world), as he talks about creating great ideas and creative thinking, and turning those new ideas into businesses, products and services, to help build your business success on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Mitchell Ditkoff, Awake At The Wheel, creative thinking, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Awake At The Wheel by Mitchell Ditkoff - Book review

Awake at the Wheel

Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an uphill world)

By: Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff

Published: May 1, 2008
ISBN: 9781600372957
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Ingram Pub Services






Everything begins with an idea writes Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff in his thought provoking book Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an uphill world). Part parable, part discussion of creative thinking, the book is an enlightening tour of the landscape of idea creation and development.

Mitchell Ditkoff examines the process of idea creation, and the locations in the mind from whence those creative thoughts originate. Whether the ideas spring forth from the rational thought process or from the subconscious mind, a concept must be valued, developed further, and then turned into a fully developed form. The author believes that all too often, ideas are dismissed by their creator long before they have the opportunity to be examined by others. Creative thinking requires that all ideas receive consideration, but that also they must be formulated in a way that articulates their value to others.



Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff (photo left) uses the clever device of translating cave art into a parable for the invention of the wheel. The caveman Og has the idea of the wheel find him, and as a result, he is obsessed with the idea of creation. Unable to fully articulate his wheel idea to the rest of the cave community, Og journeys outward for advice, and inward for further insights. Like all good parables, the truths reveal themselves at many levels from a simple narrative, to insights into the creative thinking process, to the very nature of thought and idea creation themselves.

The creative thinking successes and failures of Og are discussed in the remainder of the book, in the form of creative thinking techniques. Moving beyond mainstream brainstorming session, the author describes numerous ways to jump start your own creative thinking machinery. The author points out that not all of the techniques presented for consideration are for everyone, and that is a powerful insight as well. Mitchell Ditkoff understands that people vary in their thought creation impulses, and a powerful technique for one person may be of little value to another individual.

For me, the power of the book is the overall embrace of creative thinking as a way of life. The very act of giving people permission to daydream, think outside the cave, and to formulate concepts beyond the here and now, is empowering for everyone. Most people in organizations large and small, and in their daily lives, have experienced the rejection and ridicule of their new ideas. As a result, the creative process within them was stifled or snuffed out forever.

Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff provides the necessary framework for taking new ideas and turning them into workable principles, prototypes, and systems. The nuts and bolts of creative thinking are essential for idea originators to articulate their ideas to others around them. Even more important than the opinions of others, is the acceptance that ideas can arrive unexpected for the individual. Taking ownership of one's own thoughts and creativity gives a person the freedom to grow and develop those ideas into products, services, and systems that can help others live better lives.

I highly recommend the best selling Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an uphill world) by Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff for anyone seeking new ideas and the techniques for their development and manifestation. For free thinkers everywhere, and for brain storming facilitation within organizations, the methods presented are practical and useful, as well as empowering for one's own life.

Read Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an uphill world) by Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff, and let the inspiration reach out and grab you. Treat those concepts as gifts, nurture those ideas like children, and watch as they grow into action.

Tags: Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff, Awake at the Wheel, creative thinking, business book reviews.

Forrest Breyfogle: Integrated Enterprise Excellence System - Blog Business Success Radio

Forrest Breyfogle III, CEO of Smarter Solutions Inc., and author of the definitive textbook The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System: An Enhanced, Unified Approach to Balanced Scorecards, Strategic Planning, and Business Improvement, and also the author of the business novel Integrated Enterprise Excellence - The Basics: Golfing Buddies Go Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard describes the Integrated Enterprise Excellence System and how to apply it to measurement data, goal setting, work activities and overall strategy, to help build your business success.

Forrest Breyfogle III is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, April 24, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Forrest Breyfogle III, CEO of Smarter Solutions Inc., discusses the Integrated Enterprise Excellence System and how to apply it to measurement data, goal setting, work activities and overall strategy. You will learn:

* The strengths and weaknesses of Lean, Six Sigma, and other management tools

* How to choose the right metrics to measure the right things

* How to establish the right goals and strategies for your company

* How to integrate change on a system wide basis in a holistic approach



Forrest Breyfogle (photo left) is a Professional Engineer and ASQ Fellow who founded Smarter Solutions Inc.in 1992. As a management thought leader and innovator, he is completing a four-volume set of books that provides radical management advancements in the utilization and integration of scorecards, strategic planning, and process improvement.

The first book, The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System: An Enhanced, Unified Approach to Balanced Scorecards, Strategic Planning, and Business Improvement, introduces new perspectives on what to measure and report; when and how to report it; how to interpret the results; and how to use the results to establish goals, prioritize work efforts, and continuously enhance organizational focus and success. The system helps organizations improve their bottom-line and competitiveness through the integration of analytics with innovation.



An additional three-volume series, Integrated Enterprise Excellence: Going Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard, provides further elaboration on the shortcomings of traditional systems and the details of an Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) implementation. This series of volumes describes IEE’s set of management techniques that enhance an organization’s measurement and improvement system to increase predictable and sustainable bottom-line results. The system embeds a set of best practices derived from the strengths of past systems, applying structured metrics and a no-nonsense road map to initiate process improvement and achieve substantial benefits. IEE takes Lean Six Sigma and the balanced scorecard to the next level in the pursuit of enterprise excellence.

Mr. Breyfogle received the prestigious Crosby Medal from the American Society for Quality in 2004 for an earlier book, Implementing Six Sigma (second edition). He serves on the Board of Advisors for the University of Texas Center for Performing Excellence.

Mr. Breyfogle began his career with IBM in development and later transferred to the product test organization. Within these organizations he became very interested in the benefits derived from the wise use of statistical techniques. From 1980 to 1992 he served IBM in applying Six Sigma methodology" to testing, development, manufacturing, and service organizations.

Mr. Breyfogle has conducted numerous Lean Six Sigma workshop sessions as well as Master Black Belt, Black Belt, Green Belt, Champion, and Executive training sessions throughout the world. He has coached an array of individuals and organizations on the wise application of Lean and Six Sigma techniques. Smarter Solutions Inc. has had the honour of serving a distinguished group of Fortune 100 clients and many others in a wide variety of industries.

Forrest has authored or co-authored eleven books, published over 70 technical articles for a wide range of publications, and has been interviewed by television, radio, and publication editors about managing the dynamics of organizations and the application of all forms of enterprise improvement methodologies.

Forrest Breyfogle has an MSME degree from the University of Texas and a BSME from the University of Missouri at Rolla.

My book review of The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System: An Enhanced, Unified Approach to Balanced Scorecards, Strategic Planning, and Business Improvement by Forrest W. Breyfogle III

My book review of Integrated Enterprise Excellence - The Basics: Golfing Buddies Go Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard by Forrest W. Breyfogle III.

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Let's talk with Forrest Breyfogle III, CEO of Smarter Solutions Inc., author of the definitive textbook The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System: An Enhanced, Unified Approach to Balanced Scorecards, Strategic Planning, and Business Improvement, and author of the business novel Integrated Enterprise Excellence - The Basics: Golfing Buddies Go Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard as he describes the Integrated Enterprise Excellence System and how to apply it to measurement data, goal setting, work activities and overall strategy, to help build your business success on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Forrest W. Breyfogle III, Integrated Enterprise Excellence - The Basics, business management, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.