The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative

Sparkitivity

The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative

The award-winning Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative is the fifth book in the Non-Obvious Guide Series, has been praised by New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink and other top thought leaders, and will make an appearance onstage at SXSW 2020 with author Kathryn Haydon.

The book shares examples of creative thinking at work in organizations worldwide, across industries including banking, not-for-profit, manufacturing, and technology.

LinkedIn Learning revealed this year that the #1 in-demand skill sought by employers across industries is creativity. An MIT-IBM study found that once AI takes over job skills, creative thinking skills are most valued and highly paid.

Everyone’s talking about the need for more creative thinking, yet most people don’t know how to apply it to their daily work. 

The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative seeks to change this by empowering you to harness the full power of your creative thinking. It is filled with useful, immediately actionable advice to apply your best thinking at work. You will learn to harness your creativity so you can . . .

  • Think more powerfully and originally.
  • Solve problems more effectively.
  • Give feedback that leads to innovation.
  • Spot thinking strengths in yourself and others.
  • Leverage change to your advantage.
  • Turn problems into possibilities.
  • Ask questions that lead to valuable solutions.
  • Make meetings more productive.
  • Get inspired to do your best work.

With practical, easy-to-apply tips, tools, and case study stories from a wide range of industries, readers will quickly learn to consistently maximize their breakthrough thinking. Professionals can grab an idea from any chapter and apply it right away to their work, whether corporate, freelance, or personal. They will learn to spot thinking strengths in themselves and others; think more powerfully and originally; solve problems more effectively, and give the kind of feedback that leads to innovation.

Praise for The Non-Obvious Guide to Being More Creative:

“Uncork all those ideas you’ve got bottled up inside you with this smart and engaging guide. You’ll understand where creativity comes from, what stands in its way (Hello, Impostor Syndrome!), and how to engender creativity in others. Any innovation starts with taking a risk, so take a risk on this book. It will pay off in creative dividends.”

New York Times best-selling author Daniel Pink, WhenDrive, and A Whole New Mind

“Creativity is the key to survival in the modern business world … and this book is your perfect guide to making it accessible.” 

– Pamela Slim, Author, Body of Work

 “The tools and strategies in this book help you take your creative thinking to the next level, to be more consistent and deliberate about using thinking practices that elicit new ideas and result in valuable solutions.” 

– Dorie Clark, Author of Reinventing You and Stand Out, and Executive Education Faculty, Duke University Fuqua School of Business 

“Your ability to be creative under pressure is what separates you from the pack. This book is full of practical tools and tips to help you unleash your creative brilliance.”

– Todd Henry, Author, The Accidental Creative 

“Your new go-to guide for transforming work through untapped creativity, ingenuity, and joy.”

Jenny Blake, Author, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One

“As problems in the world mount, creative problem solving becomes an even more valuable skill. This book is a roadmap through the research and practice of maximizing your creativity and crushing your biggest barriers to more innovative work.”

– David Burkus, Author, Under New Management

“Over the years I have read dozens (hundreds?) of books on creativity and innovation. Most talk about silly techniques for developing wacky ideas. This book goes beyond the cliches and provides real insights and value. It is less about tactics and more about about mindset. It is a great exploration into the way the brain works in developing new solutions. I highly recommend this book if you are struggling to tap into your inner creative potential.”

– Stephen Shapiro, Author, Invisible Solutions