Alan Barker is the MD of Kairos Training Limited, a consultancy devoted to developing thinking and communication skills. He has been training and coaching for over 20 years, is a member of the UK Speechwriter’s Guild and is the published author of over 10 books.

About the author

Publisher's acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Being stuck: what it means to have a problem

2 Welcome to your brain: nature’s problem-solver and how it works (sort of)

3 What’s your style?: your problem-solving profile and what it means

4 Am I bothered? Blame, resistance and the call to ownership

5 Puzzle, headache, plan, dream: four types of problem

6 Closing the gap: solving puzzles

7 Treating headaches: what to do when problems become wicked

8 Design thinking: planning the way forward

9 Dreaming the future: creative problem-solving

10 Making it happen: deciding wisely

11 Towards collaboration: solving problems with other people

Afterword

Index