The Forgotten Half of Change: Achieving Greater Creativity through Changes in Perception (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"the notion of achieving creativity through perception changes is a great lesson to apply" -- T+D magazine

Product Description

Unlock and Embrace a New Mindset about Business Creativity

The 20th century saw the United States dominate the world of innovation, but at the dawn of the 21st century it’s become pretty clear that the pace of change in a global economy demands not only innovation, but creativity. We must become as good at changing our perceptions as we have become at changing reality.

Inspiring creativity is one of the most pressing needs for American corporations, particularly those in markets that are forcing them not only to improve but transform themselves. Yet true creativity can be had only if you are willing to break the rules that have locked you in a set way of thinking, not just doing. This unique book will help managers think about how they think. This understanding will help them inspire creativity and sense when it is time to focus on the second half of change—changing perception.

The Forgotten Half of Change differs from other books the same way perception differs from reality. It is at once humorous and humanistic, making fun of our weaknesses yet sympathizing with our challenge to be both active and thoughtful. It entertains and challenges its readers at the same time with an array of examples drawn from philosophy, mathematics, technology, and linguistics. Ultimately, this book may help us regain our ability to astonish ourselves and others.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Business (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419502751
• ISBN-13: 978-1419502750
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #678,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful to a broad range of people, November 9, 2005

By	Creativity "Eric" (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

Luc de Brabandere's book The Forgotten Half of Change: Achieving Greater Creativity Through Changes in Perception is a useful work in that it discusses many of the core elements concerning the stimulation of creative thinking. I picked this book in particular because more importantly, de Brabandere largely views the topics of creativity and innovation from the perspective of deconstructing stereotypes. Much of his work is concerned with going beyond the movements of creativity and innovation. He devotes a great deal of time addressing the necessity of altering one's persepective on problem solving, as well as the workings of businesses in general.

The book's chapters are broken down as follows:

Introduction:
This summary will attempt to provide the reader with a general overview of the topics that the author addresses in his book, and will provide some interesting anecdotal information regarding the issues of Creativity and Innovation, and their past and present applications in the business world.

Chapter 1: "Changing Twice"
De Brabandere discusses that change occurs in two phases: firstly, it happens through an alteration of reality-that is, changes in methodologies. Yet the second and more important phase of change is brought about through a change in perception, and in the way individuals see problems in relation to themselves and the greater world.

Chapter 2:
Discusses the notion that in our global socioeconomic system, frontiers are rapidly vanishing, and it may not always be possible to explain how or why things happen or function-be it organizations, individuals, or economic systems.

Chapter 3:
The author turns to the issue of perception, and how true innovation and creative thought stems from abandoning established ways of perceiving problems. Argues that human beings are hard-wired to think in a certain way, and that we must step out of these modes of thinking in order to be more creative.

Chapter 4:
Seeks to address the growing notion that change itself is ending in our modern society, and argues that change on a more local level occurs through "breaks," or instances in which an individual or organization makes a break from a preconceived way of looking at a product or process.

Chapter 5:
Generally discusses the notion that no idea is born good, and that ideas must be nursed into fruition through collaboration with others, and also through thinking that melds the creative with the rational mindsets.

Chapter 6:
The "eureka" moment is not simply a moment of instant creative freedom; it's a multi-phasic process that can be generated.

Chapter 7:
Talks about ideas in several broad senses, most notably that there exists a definite need to anticipate the future even as uncertainty increases in situations where new ideas are driving progress towards a goal. Stresses the need of constant, not erratic, creativity. Discusses the need for feedback in any creative process, regardless of the cost, be it material or temporal.

Chapter 8:
Discusses specific advice for managers on how to stimulate creativity in a workplace. For example, the author advocates giving small, symbolic gifts for every instance in which a creative idea is generated by an employee.

On the broadest sense, I feel that the book was a bit too abstract at times. While de Brabandere does an excellent job of interspersing his narrative with colorful examples, his subject matter occasionally drifts away from what I feel should have been emphasized more in his work: the notion that creative thought and innovative processes result in things that sell, and that any business that does refuses to act in accordance to that principle is doomed. I would further improve on de Brabandere's work by expanding on his advice regarding management in relation to the ideas of gaining new perspectives on existing problems, and using innovating techniques to crate new and revolutionary solutions.

On balance, however, I felt that The Forgotten Half of Change is an immensely useful book because it does place creativity and innovation in a practical light. De Brabandere's writing effectively conveys the urgency with which companies, organizations, and individuals need to embrace methods of creative thought. To de Brabandere, learning to think outside of one's traditional perspectives is not an infusion of technique. Rather, it is a process of finding capabilities and facets of the self that were previously hidden by existing stereotypes and fixed modes of thought.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Changing Perceptions, August 8, 2005

By	Last Empress (cambridge, ma) - See all my reviews

I was trying to put together a review for this book (which I found immensely helpful)---i could not come up with the right words and then it struck me---the following says a lot:

There are two kinds of change.

The first change has to do with reality. This kind of change is produced within a system that stays the same. It modifies a component, it still follows the rules.

The second change, however is the one that really counts, the change in perception. For it to happen at least one of the rules of the system---a hypothesis, a judgement, or a stereotype--has to be broken.

If you want to change you have to change twice. You not only need to change the reality of your situation, you also need to change your perception of this reality.

Consider people who always arrive late. They could do a lot of things to change the "reality" of their situation. They could get an appointment book, or wake up earlier for meetings, or schedule more time between meetings. But change is not just a matter of better organization. If they limit their change to action only, they will arrive late again within weeks, back to their old habits. To really make the change, they need to change the way they look at punctuality. This is the second type of change, when being on time is perceived as efficient an no longer as a constraint. Only the 2nd change can make the first change irreversible.


If you are ready for more insights on the process of change as it applies to work (and even life) you must read this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing, yet, thought provoking view on change, August 9, 2005

By	Leo L. Leal "tradusir interpreter" (Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Being a full time conference interpreter, I've had the inmense fortune of hanging around great thought leaders and change gurus. What DeBrabandere explains in this great work is a reality few have seen before: you need to be re-born twice to really change. He goes on citing many great examples, old and new alike, about what it takes to change. One of the many quotable passages I remember was about bad decisions not being caused by mis-information, but rather by the way our minds function... I'm down to the second reading of the book, and still can't get my eyes off it! Great read, simple, but very profound.