101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques: The Handbook of New Ideas for Business

Very helpful book and I give it 5 stars for easily fulfilling its purpose, i.e. an introduction to many of the problem solving techniques, and I highly recommend it for that purpose. This book does not go into a comprehensive discussion of the various techniques, nor was it intended to, but it does give a very good introduction to each and you can research further those techniques you would like to use. I have researched some of them on the internet (free of charge). He categorizes the techniques by function (in other words, he presents the various techniques in the particular stage of the problem solving process in which they are most effective) and gives you an excellent summary in the Appendix. I have read quite a few books on Problem Solving / Decision Making and they all come down to Divergence and Convergence, or Creative and Critical thinking. One book I read (Psychology of Intelligence Analysis) made the very good point that creative and critical thinking are both absolutely necessary in the problem solving process, however, in his words, they do not mix well. You must consciously and diligently halt all criticism and judgment, no matter how small, during the divergent phase of the problem solving process - "deferred judgment". This is the foundation for any productive brainstorming session, or even any individual analysis of a problem. There will be plenty of time to evaluate later on. This book functions as a brainstorming session...it presents many ideas and approaches, and allows you to review each one and determine which is best for your situation. Many of the techniques in this book, and any other problem solving book, are really just different variations of brainstorming sessions (larger or smaller groups, an extra step or two, limitations on one thing or another, a change in procedure, etc..) which is OK too. Most problem solving techniques are either brainstorming sessions of some sort, or techniques designed to force you to lay aside your preconceived opinions and study a problem from different angles (yes that is a major simplification). The book is organized and formatted very well. The information is presented in an interesting manner and never gets boring. Most of the sections are short and sweet, and what few times he goes beyond a couple pages is by necessity. I really liked the "Summary of Steps" that are throughout the book and the mini case studies were nice as well. Personally, I would like to have seen at least a couple extended case studies, but that was not the purpose of this book. One of my favorites is the Delphi technique. I have actually used a form of it several times in my work before I even knew it was a technique, and I suspect many of you have used it too in an informal way. I have had some good success with it and believe it to be an excellent technique in any stage of the problem solving process, whether I am dealing with professionals, layman, mechanics, or bozos. Very helpful, well written a

This book is an excellent collection of creative-thinking techniques that will make you more creative in your business and personal lives. This ranks close to the classic book on creative-thinking "Thinkertoys" by Michael Michalko.

James M. Higgins' packs every one of his 220 pages with solid content. He collected problem-solving techniques from organizations and individuals from all types of business and several countries. He wrote them up, summarized them, and presented them to us in easy-to-read, digestible, format. Most important, he explains them so that they can be taken and used. Higgins spends two short chapters discussing problem solving and innovation, then he gets down to the techniques. He has techniques for recognizing and identifying problems, analyzing the environment, brainstorming problem-solving ideas, and choosing solutions. One of my favorite facts about this book is that he has 38 techniques for individuals to brainstorm ideas, yet also has another 32 group brainstorming techniques. He really includes something for everyone in this smorgasbord.I have adapted and used a number of these successfully: the Lotus Blossom and Two Words Techniques have been excellent brainstorming processes for me. I have shown a large number of people the Why-why diagram for uncovering the root causes of problems. I have shared my copy of this book with five or six people, each of whom went out and bought their own copy.If you're looking for an easily read book that gets you started on formal, process-oriented problem solving (as advocated by Quality Management philosophies), this is a great starting point.

This book in my opinion will enhance your thinking process in terms of exercising your own creativity to solve business problems. The tools in this book can be used to bring out your own originality and expressiveness in seeking solutions. I liked the way the author James M. Higgins, gave real life examples of Giant Corporations that have used one or more of these problem-solving techniques.The 101 techniques described in this book are broken down to by problem solving stages: environmental analysis, recognizing and identifying problems, making assumptions, generating alternatives, making choices and implementing solutions. Each one of these processes is described in detail with graphics and, some chapters will have exercises that are deemed helpful in understanding the technique.The techniques are presented in alphabetical order and are numbered twice, the first number denotes the techniques position from 1 to 101, and the second number is the techniques position within that section of the problem-solving model.Chapter 4 which focused on individual techniques is the one that I personally found to be most helpful. In my line of work as an IT Consultant I have exercised a few of these techniques such as mind mapping, but I also found other techniques that I can't wait to start using my next project.There are many techniques to try in this book, some of these techniques you may not like, others won't fit, but overall this is a handy book to use for your problem-solving efforts.

How many times have you wished, as either a employee, facilitator or parent, that you had a creative problem solving book properly indexed so you can begin using the techniques right away? "101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques" helps you achieve these pronto. Divided into Personal and Group techniques, you can handily zoom in to possible solutions quickly. And, because Jim Higgins has a extensive background in academia at the innovative Crummer School of Management at Rollins College, the book is thoroughly referenced and contains ample citations for those wishing to pursue sources further.Furthermore, the book includes stimulating (and fun) graphics on nearly every page. Coupled with the case studies and examples, this makes for a highly engaging and very practical read.