Do you solve problems in the style of a coyote, competitor or eagle? Recognising the way you approach and deal with problems at work will enable you to identify the most suitable technique to use on a daily basis. Victor Newman's practical book strikes at the heart of fundamental challenges faced by all managers. It looks beyond the conventional techniques of problem-solving to the underlying process, identifies eight stages and explains how to recognise which technique is appropriate to which stage. On this basis managers can generate solutions at both the personal and the organisational level. A unique feature of the book is a Problem Solving Styles Profile that enables each reader to apply the material in the text to improve their own problem-solving capability.

In this thought-provoking book Dr Newman looks beyond the conventional techniques of problem solving to the underlying process. He identifies eight stages and explains how to recognize which technique is appropriate to which stage. On this basis managers can generate solutions at both the personal and the organizational level. He shows: c how to overcome the four main obstacles to developing a balanced problem solving style c how to manage the relationship between problem solving style and stress c how to use physical movement as an aid to problem solving. A unique feature of the book is a Problem Solving Styles Profile that enables each reader to apply the material in the text to improve their own problem solving capability. Written in a lively and practical style and drawing on examples from a wide range of real-life problems, Dr Newman's book is certain of a warm welcome from managers, team leaders and professionals of every kind.

A consultant friend worked for an international corporation. For the first three years he worked very hard, introducing lean production techniques into the business. This meant introducing measurement systems, benchmarking methodologies and eliminating waste in many forms through involvement and empowerment. He also made recommendations that led to new information systems whose implementation he led. The arrival of the interest in the learning organization allowed him to integrate everything he had laboured over into a coherent whole. When the knowledge revolution began to grow, he was convinced that what he had been doing had been part of that revolution. But one day, after three years of hard work across the corporation's plants around the world, he was allowed a glimpse of the real business knowledge that drove the organization. And to his initial sense of disbelief, this 'real' knowledge had nothing to do with efficiency, utilization or the involvement of large numbers of people. This 'real' knowledge turned out to be about knowing when to get into a market, when to get out; how to create value in that market and manage its decline. This knowledge was shared between three key individuals and by being allowed to see it, my friend was being invited to participate in a very privileged game. The question he kept asking himself, was: how could he have missed the real knowledge for so long? How could he have confused what turned out to be minor tactics with a strategy?
Victor Newman
(Excerpt from The Knowledge Activist's Handbook)

Do you solve problems in the style of a coyote, competitor or eagle? Recognising the way you approach and deal with problems at work will enable you to identify the most suitable technique to use on a daily basis. Victor Newman's practical book strikes at the heart of fundamental challenges faced by all managers. It looks beyond the conventional techniques of problem-solving to the underlying process, identifies eight stages and explains how to recognise which technique is appropriate to which stage. On this basis managers can generate solutions at both the personal and the organisational level. A unique feature of the book is a Problem Solving Styles Profile that enables each reader to apply the material in the text to improve their own problem-solving capability.