Griffiths Chris - The Creative Thinking Handbook

A really inspiring and pragmatic guide to innovation and creativity key drivers of great businesses.

Peter Estlin, Lord Mayor of the City of London

As always, Chris Griffiths thinks ahead. He also thinks, up, down, around the back and under! Here, he shares this art with us and prepares us to think creatively for ourselves on challenges we cant even perceive of yet. Its a must-read.

Sharon Curry, Executive Leadership Coach, Mind Map, Creativity and Innovation Instructor

Chris Griffiths delivers the perfect, practical recipe book for driving creativity and innovation into action.

Stuart Miller, Chief Executive Officer, MindMapUSA

As technology evolves to the point that it becomes a commodity, individuals and organizations must compete by unlocking human potential and inspiration. This book could not be better timed. Chris Griffiths gives us a powerful, hands-on approach to tap into our creative flow and become masters in our chosen field. An essential resource for anyone looking to be different and create at their highest capacity.

Jan Mhlfeit, Executive Coach/Mentor, former Chairman of Microsoft Europe, author of The Positive Leader

If you want your innovation to become part of everyday practice, this book is for you. Very accessible, with a structure that lays out a pathway to sustainable growth.

Bill Lowe, Leadership and Learning Writer and Trainer, Executive Consultant at Kestrel Education

There are many reasons why innovation has an increasingly important role to play in the modern workplace, but there are few practical guides on how to establish robust systems and processes to deliver it. In this insightful book, Chris Griffiths provides a comprehensive suite of tools that will provide any business with a great track to run on when implementing innovation with their teams.

David Jones, Financial Services Professional

Essential reading for any HR professional, manager or CEO looking to extend the boundaries of what is possible in their organization. This book challenges readers assumptions about their thinking and the traps we must avoid if we are to develop our creative thinking abilities.

Keith Usher, Managing Director, Insight Learning Organisation

In times of industrial revolutions like the digital revolution today, it is simply key to think not only differently, but creatively. Chris Griffiths provides a very useful toolkit.

Steffen Niehues, C-Level Executive, Software

A great read; thoroughly enjoyable and providing inspirational insight into thinking that will change the way you approach your own.

Andy Hayward, Director, Infinity BTS Ltd

If you dont want to wait for ever for ideas to occur, then Chris Griffiths can tell you how to generate useful ideas right when you need them most.

Pavan Bhattad, Pavan Bhattad Institute of Thinking

Simply a must-read if you want to innovate and grow your business.

Matteo Salvo, bestselling author on learning strategies and memory techniques, MINDPERFORMANCE

Chris Griffiths has been inspiring me since our first meeting. He taught me not to over-glorify creativity. He gave me the keys to human thinking, and they opened the doors to real creativity.

Karl Mortier, Educational Professional

Another great read from Chris Griffiths. Through his experience and insights, he is not only inspiring organizations about really being innovative but showing the way. I hope more organizations take on board Chris thinking.

Richard Bradley, Managing Director, Master Trainer Institute, Geneva, Switzerland

This is a practical handbook that focuses on the application of creative thinking processes and tools. It comes with a selection of canvas templates and checklists to download and use, either for working alone or in teams. Each template has all the components you need to help capture your ideas and thoughts as you progress through the stages of the Solution Finder.

These resources can be downloaded and printed free of charge from www.thinking.space

Chris Griffiths, the founder and CEO of OpenGenius, has helped thousands of people worldwide drive business growth using highly practical innovation processes, including teams and individuals from Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies, the United Nations, governments, the European Commission and Nobel Laureates. He is a pioneer in combining creative thinking strategies with technology to enhance productivity and is behind the iMindMap and DropTask apps, now utilized by over two million people worldwide.

Chris has over 28 years experience in setting up and leading successful businesses that have ranked in the Deloitte European Fast 50 and The Sunday Times Fast-track 100. He sold his first company at the age of 26. He is a bestselling author on creativity and innovative thinking skills; Grasp the Solution reached number 2 on the Amazon UK Business Chart and Mind Maps for Business , which he co-authored, ranked number 5.

Chris was responsible for the creation of a Licensed Instructor Course in Mind Mapping, setting up a worldwide network of over 1,000 instructors. Along with his wife, Gaile, he is on a mission to promote innovative and entrepreneurial thinking from the grass roots up through the Inspire Genius Foundation. His latest development, Tec Marina, provides a creative hub for innovative growth stage companies in a converted 20,000 square foot warehouse in Penarth Marina, Wales.

Melina Costi is a professional business writer and copy editor with a background in marketing management. She is co-author of The Positive Leader (with Jan Mhlfeit, former Microsoft Europe Chairman) and Grasp the Solution , which reached number 2 on the Amazon UK business chart.

Melina holds a first class BSc (Hons) degree in Business Studies from City University, London. She is also an accredited indexer and member of the Society of Indexers. Besides her work in publishing, Melina provides academic support services for adult students with learning difficulties and disabilities.

Id like to thank the following exceptional minds whove helped this book come together:

First, the OpenGenius team for their magical creative touch, sterling efforts and readiness to think differently day in day out. Its an enormous pleasure to work with you all. Additional special thanks to my co-author, Melina Costi, for her research, insights, edits and care with the material, not to mention her unwavering commitment to bringing this book to life. Melina has a magic with words that very few possess and I feel honoured to have worked with her over many years.

I owe a huge debt to the many Licensed Instructors in Mind Mapping and Applied Innovation, and Partners across the globe who have willingly and enthusiastically provided their input and tested many of my ideas across a spectrum of environments. Through their sound advice and feedback the material in this book was able to take on a concrete form. Thanks also to my treasured clients, customers and to all those who have provided feedback and support.

At Kogan Page, my heartfelt gratitude goes to our commissioning editor Rebecca Bush for her unstinting excitement about the project, savvy editing and extensive guidance through every draft. And to the rest of the publishing team, thanks for making it all possible.

I must also pay tribute to all the authors, researchers and creativity experts referenced in this book whose illuminating insights have laid a firm foundation for understanding our mental barriers. Their groundbreaking work continues to impact businesses and individuals far and wide and offers great promise that we can all blaze our own creative paths of success.