What a Great Idea: The Four Key Steps Creative People Take [Paperback]

Charles C. Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 1992

What a Great Idea! is now in its sixteenth printing and also available in Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese and Chinese.

In this exciting workbook, Chic Thompson will teach you how to challenge the assumptions you hold that stifle your creativity, freeing you to discover your innate innovative abilities. You'll learn how to recognize and reject "Killer Phrases" that destroy creativity.

The foreword is an interview with the world's greatest inventor, Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu who explains how he comes up with his amazing ideas. He is the inventor of the floppy disk, the digital watch, and the compact disc and holder of more than 3000 patents.

You'll learn the Four Key Steps creative people take to get from brainstorming to finished product.

Freedom
Expression
Creation
Action

Creativity is not a trait monopolized by a few fortunate souls. Every individual is creative, and all organizations need a variety of creative types, who are: idea generators, promoters, designers, implementers and evaluators.

You'll also find:

Great Idea Action Sheets for use in meetings, on airplanes, and even at home to help your kids with their schoolwork.

Idea Maps to help you free-associate and problem-solve.

Smart questions that will help you evaluate new ideas.

Dumb questions that lead to smart answers.

Techniques to get you beyond creative blocks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Chic Thompson is a genius." -- Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu, inventor of floppy disk, CD and digital watch

"Chic has crafted a creative process to move almost anything from what is to what could be." -- Rick Goings, President of Tupperware

"Chic is the world's greatest creativity workshop presenter." -- Doug Hall, New Product Inventor and author of Jump Start Your Brain

"What a Great Idea! is an extremely valuable contribution to executive development. The application of Chic's ideas goes a long way in compensating for the reduction in resources experienced by private and public sector organizations. What a Great Idea! is a must read for all who have management responsibilities." -- Chong M. Pak, D.P.A., Director, Virginia Executive Institute

"Chic Thompson has crafted a creative process to move almost anything from what is to what could be." -- Rick Goings, President, Avon Products U.S.A.

"Chic Thompson is exciting! He brings out the creativity in all of us, but further, he shows how an organization's creativity can be multiplied beyond all expectation. Every ambitious team should use this book." -- Professor Thomas C. MacAvoy,Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, and former President and COO, Corning Glass Works

"Chic has given us a workbook that makes the process of continuous improvement fun and understandable from the shop floor to the boardroom." -- Donald C. Borwhat, Jr., Senior Vice President Human Resources & Relations GE Fanuc Automation

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1St Edition edition (January 2, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060969016
• ISBN-13: 978-0060969011
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,300,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jam Packed with fun ways to help you access creative ideas., October 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What a Great Idea: The Four Key Steps Creative People Take (Paperback)

Outstanding resource for accessing creativity personally and in the workplace. Chic identifies common "Killer Phrazes" which thwart our actions and gives excellent, fun suggestions for stamping them out. This book is extremely "user friendly". Easy to read, funny - with exercises along the way to drive home the points. He gives practical ways to use mind mapping, metaphors,and analogies to help you get your thinking unstuck and to uncover new solutions. As a creative thinking trainer, I have shared Chic's ideas and strategies to hundreds of individuals across the U.S. The feedback I get is extremely positive. As a matter of fact, his ideas helped me structure my course in a much more innovative, impactful way. Use Chic's ideas and watch the people in your environment become more creative, more open to new ideas, more productive and have one whole heck of a lot of fun.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting, essential and fun guide to creativity., October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What a Great Idea: The Four Key Steps Creative People Take (Paperback)

Ideas are the keys to the future. They are also the foundation of success, whether you are developing a revolutionary e-business or seeking better ways to organize and motivate a team. Chic Thompson's What A Great Idea! is both essential and joyful in its approach, sharing the very best of creativity approaches. Its lessons are practical, clear, and immediate, approaches you want to apply right away. It is also comprehensive in its scope and lasting in its impact, helping readers immediately grasp and remember both the 'why' and 'how' of effective individual and team creativity. And--wow!--it's fun to read! This book belongs on the desk of every manager generating a success vision. It is ideal for those who seek to develop and champion the best of real-world thinking and challenge response.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a Great Idea! : The Key Steps Creative People Take., March 26, 2000

By 

Gina Hinds - See all my reviews

This review is from: What a Great Idea: The Four Key Steps Creative People Take (Paperback)

Even thought this book was written in 1992 it still has ideas that can be useful to people in business today. A quote that I found to be very good is this, "Find and hang a picture of your vision on your wall. NASA has lots of pictures of space stations and the moon."