Think Better is about Productive Thinking; Hurson defines Productive Thinking as a way to generate new insightful ideas, in contrast to reproductive thinking that merely refines what is already known. By learning how to use productive thinking we can become more creative and in today’s business world creativity matters.

In Think Better Hurson introduces his model for creative thinking, which is based on six steps:

1. What’s going on? In which you explore the issues and establish a vision for the future (outcome) you desire.
2. What’s Success? In this step you define exactly what a successful outcome is and how you would measure it.
3. What’s the question? In this step you turn the problem into a series of questions.
4. Generate answers. In which you generate answers to the questions from step 3. This step is what most of us would refer to as brainstorming.
5. Forge the solution. In this step you develop the most promising ideas.
6. Align resources. Create an action plan and determine the resources needed.

It’s well presented and I actually found it hard to put the book down at first as it’s so entertaining, enlightening and informative. The second half of the book, in which he presents the details of his model for productive thinking isn’t quite as readable, but the model is well explained and you’re presented with plenty of information on how to apply it.

Hurson is a founding partner of think^x intellectual capital, a firm that provides train facilitation and consulting in productive thinking and innovation. He is also a faculty member and Trustee of the Creative Education Foundation. Creative thinking is clearly not just a business for him, it’s also a passion.

Reading this book will undoubtedly help you improve your approach to creative thinking. If you’re a manager or business owner, I’d get several copies and get your staff to read them, then start making use of the productive thinking model. I have absolutely no doubt that by applying the model you’ll become more creative.

The publisher, McGraw-Hill also sent me this webcast they recorded with Tim Hurson, in it he explains his approach to creative thinking.

If you want to be more creative buy this book, if you want your employees to be more creative buy them this book. It’s as simple as that. You can buy it from Amazon UK or Amazon USA.

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