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Dr. Roger Firestien’s Newsletter: Innovation Espresso®
One free guide each month. Better ideas for profit guaranteed.
The Latest
What is Divergent Thinking?
Divergent thinking is a way of thinking used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Learn more about divergent thinking and how it applies to the creative process.
Brainstorming Versus Creative Problem-Solving
Creative Problem-Solving is NOT Brainstorming It's a common misconception that brainstorming and Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) are the same. They are not. While brainstorming is a technique for generating ideas, CPS is a comprehensive process for solving problems.A...
Overcome Your Creative Blocks with Seven Creative “Blockbusters”
Creative blocks are a common hurdle for anyone engaged in a creative endeavor, from writing and painting to problem-solving and innovation. There are times when ideas seem to dry up, and inspiration is nowhere to be found. While traditional advice often focuses on...
You’re Probably Solving the Wrong Problem — Here’s How to Find the Real One
Discover the Secret to Effective Problem-Solving! Think you know the root of your problems? Think again! In my exclusive guest article on thoughtleadersllc.com, I reveal why what we think is the problem is often just a symptom. Learn how to redefine challenges and ask...
Innovation Can’t be “Managed”
During my 47 years in the creativity, innovation, and organizational development business, I have only seen a few formal systems for “managing” innovation that have actually worked. Think about it, even if you are the leader in your organization, you have absolutely...
My mom is 93 years old today. She is my inspiration for a lifetime of creativity.
She was born Miriam RUTH Brug to George and Mollie Brug, Germans from Russia, immigrant sharecropper farmers, on March 14, 1931. They lived in a two-room house with no electricity, indoor plumbing or running water. The house was a few miles north of the small farming...
Elvis’s Dark Symphony: How Environment Shapes Creativity
Last month I was “stranded” in Nashville because of some unexpected weather. If you have to be stranded anywhere, Nashville is the place to be. It gave me a chance to see some of the city’s famous sites: music on Broadway, the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio...
Smokestacks equal soot. Soot is black.
DuPont makes a countertop product called Corian® — you may have some in your kitchen at home. It’s known for a stone-like finish and performance, but higher durability and longevity than natural countertop products. Corian is made by robotic machines in a big factory....
Take Five Minutes: Solve the Real Problem
Imagine this: An imminent disaster threatens the planet, and you only have one hour to save it. How would you spend your time? Einstein was asked that very question. “I would spend the first 55 minutes identifying the problem,” Einstein said, “and the last five...
You get to see me cry
It was wonderful to host over 125 people at the Seneca One Tower in downtown Buffalo, NY on September 21 for the launch of my latest book, Solve the Real Problem. My talk was recorded. I got a little choked up when I thanked the art director Cassandra Ott and the...
How a box inspired a four trillion-dollar industry
Today container ships move 95% of all manufactured goods around the world. In 2017, more than $4 trillion worth of products moved across the oceans. Today’s global economy doesn’t work without container ships. Putting merchandise in ships started in the third century...
The faster you can solve the problem, the smarter you are. Not true.
Solving problems fast is not always the best. Read my blog to see what I learned about solving problems slowly.
Put the Armor on the Engines
The problem you see is the problem you solve. Discover how getting an outside perspective to an airborne problem saved countless lives in World War II.
It Only Takes a Few Minutes to Find the Best Problem
I don’t have time to figure out the right problem to solve. I have to get stuff done. In my new book, Solve the Real Problem, discover how taking just five minutes to define a problem leads to better solutions that really work. Read an excerpt!
Solve the Right Problem the Wrong Way
It is better to solve the right problem the wrong way than it is to solve the wrong problem the right way. Find out why in my new book, Solve the Real Problem