Complex problem solving is the core skill for 21st Century Teams Complex problem solving is at the very top of the list of essential skills for career progression in the modern world. But how problem solving is taught in our schools, universities, businesses and organizations comes up short. In Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything you’ll learn the seven-step systematic approach to creative problem solving developed in top consulting firms that will work in any field or industry, turning you into a highly sought-after bulletproof problem solver who can tackle challenges that others balk at. The problem-solving technique outlined in this book is based on a highly visual, logic-tree method that can be applied to everything from everyday decisions to strategic issues in business to global social challenges. The authors, with decades of experience at McKinsey and Company, provide 30 detailed, real-world examples, so you can see exactly how the technique works in action. With this bulletproof approach to defining, unpacking, understanding, and ultimately solving problems, you’ll have a personal superpower for developing compelling solutions in your workplace. Discover the time-tested 7-step technique to problem solving that top consulting professionals employ Learn how a simple visual system can help you break down and understand the component parts of even the most complex problems Build team brainstorming techniques that fight cognitive bias, streamline workplanning, and speed solutions Know when and how to employ modern analytic tools and techniques from machine learning to game theory Learn how to structure and communicate your findings to convince audiences and compel action The secrets revealed in Bulletproof Problem Solving will transform the way you approach problems and take you to the next level of business and personal success.

Complex problem solving is the core skill for 21st Century Teams Complex problem solving is at the very top of the list of essential skills for career progression in the modern world. But how problem solving is taught in our schools, universities, businesses and organizations comes up short. In Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything you’ll learn the seven-step systematic approach to creative problem solving developed in top consulting firms that will work in any field or industry, turning you into a highly sought-after bulletproof problem solver who can tackle challenges that others balk at. The problem-solving technique outlined in this book is based on a highly visual, logic-tree method that can be applied to everything from everyday decisions to strategic issues in business to global social challenges. The authors, with decades of experience at McKinsey and Company, provide 30 detailed, real-world examples, so you can see exactly how the technique works in action. With this bulletproof approach to defining, unpacking, understanding, and ultimately solving problems, you’ll have a personal superpower for developing compelling solutions in your workplace. Discover the time-tested 7-step technique to problem solving that top consulting professionals employ Learn how a simple visual system can help you break down and understand the component parts of even the most complex problems Build team brainstorming techniques that fight cognitive bias, streamline workplanning, and speed solutions Know when and how to employ modern analytic tools and techniques from machine learning to game theory Learn how to structure and communicate your findings to convince audiences and compel action The secrets revealed in Bulletproof Problem Solving will transform the way you approach problems and take you to the next level of business and personal success.

The world is changing faster and faster, with increasing uncertainty and threat of disruption in every business and nonprofit segment. Conventional approaches to strategy development and problem solving no longer work—there is no stable industry or market equilibrium structure that we will return to “when change abates.” Most company planning processes are fantasy; market conditions are changing too quickly for arm-chair strategizing to be useful. As a consequence, many management teams are stuck in a wait-and-see posture in response to extreme uncertainty in the post-Covid environment, while others are making panicky bets, including ‘leap before you look’ acquisitions. In this sequel to their Amazon-bestseller, Bulletproof Problem Solving, Conn and McLean introduce a novel approach to strategic problem solving. Based on a decade of research and 30 new case studies, The Imperfectionists posits a dynamic approach to developing organizational direction under uncertainty based on harnessing six reinforcing strategic mindsets, which they call curiosity, dragonfly eye, occurrent behaviour, collective wisdom, imperfectionism, and show and tell. Imperfectionists are curious, they look at problems from several perspectives, and gather new data and approaches, including from outside their current industry. They deliberately step into risk, proceeding through trial and error, utilizing nimble low consequence and reversible moves to deepen their understanding of the unfolding game being played, and to build capabilities. They accept ambiguity and some apparent failures in exchange for improved learning and market position. Imperfectionists succeed with dynamic, real time strategic problem solving, confidently moving forward while others wait for certainty, or make impetuous and foolish bets. These strategic mindsets for solving tough problems in uncertain times help you fight decision biases and give you the data to develop informed strategies to win. In the fast changing world we all find ourselves in, being an imperfectionist is a critical advantage for you and your organization.

This accessible text looks at the range of soft skills sought after by employers and provides a practical guide to developing and effectively demonstrating these skills. Soft skills -- including communication, customer service, teamwork, problem solving, and personal management -- represent a major component of any worker's professional identity. This book analyzes major soft skills, including both inward-facing soft skills (how workers manage themselves to effectively perform their work) and outward-facing skills (how workers effectively interact with others and in groups). It explores how these skills are rooted in fundamental areas of liberal arts including interpersonal communication, psychology, and ethics. It provides an active learning pedagogy, including creative exercises and case studies through which students can assess their understanding of underlying concepts and their application in real-world situations. The book can be used as a supplement for communication, business, and career-oriented courses, and it will be of interest to individual students and junior professionals as well as career counselors, postsecondary instructors across the curriculum, and professionals in human resources and learning and development.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said change is the only constant in life. But the world has experienced so much upheaval since January 2020 that change itself has changed! In business, the church, and nonprofits, leaders are being left in the dust as events and challenges speed by in a blur. The pace of change was accelerating before…but the pandemic pressed the pedal to the floor. “We’re at an inflection point,” says leadership architect and change strategist Sam Chand. “The way things were isn’t the way things will be.” In his new book Change Has Changed, Sam sets out to help leaders understand the evolving nature of change so that they can guide their organizations with wisdom and confidence. He examines three major shifts that he likens to three simultaneous earthquakes: Our environment has changed. People are working from home, many businesses may never reopen, and the way we shop, handle health needs, and even go to church has changed. We have changed. We’ve learned to live with rampant uncertainty and a raft full of nagging fears—but our bodies and our souls weren’t meant for this! The people around us have changed. They are frustrated, isolated, depressed, anxious, and angry. They just don’t feel safe. Sam tackles these and related issues head-on by offering lessons that will empower leaders to be ready for the next normal. “We used to talk about a new normal as if it’s the end point of change,” Sam explains, “but if we’ve learned anything in the past months, it’s that change is perpetual, and we need to anticipate the next one on the horizon.”

This new student textbook draws authoritatively on a wide range of actionable, conceptual, practical, case and visual material to help develop vital business skills for the 21st century within the organizational and societal contexts of problem-solving, identifying opportunities and finding solutions. Skills and competencies covered include: communication; co-operation; creative/critical thinking; and data-driven decision-making. These are essential skills needed in workplace and social environments that are increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA). They are integral to solving not just business problems but largescale societal challenges including global injustices and sustainability, and the author draws accordingly on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout the text to help emphasise and impart the role of business skills in balancing prosperity and purpose. Includes short videos from the author to provide overviews of each chapter. Marc G. Baaij is Associate Professor of Strategic Management at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University Rotterdam.

A timely guide to rethinking and reinventing supply chains with breakthrough thinking to benefit your organization, the economy, and the world Major global events have brought to the forefront the impact of supply chains on everything from the success of companies and the health of individuals to global prosperity. As global business and geopolitical conditions change radically, it is imperative that supply chain strategies and operations transform to thrive in a volatile environment. Leaders have come to recognize the critical importance of resilience, agility, flexibility, and assurance of supply. Breakthrough Supply Chains provides a comprehensive view of end-to-end supply chains and dispels the common myths about them. It provides “breakthrough thinking” principles that address critical topics for enterprise and public policy: How supply chains have enabled profitable and beneficial growth in the evolving world The evolution of “the new customers” and what they demand The critical success factors for managing demand and supply in a complex and risky world Information, data, governance, analytics and measurements that guide strategic choices Resilience, risk, and supply assurance Sustainable supply chains and the environment Whether you are a business executive, manager, government agency leader, or member of the interested public, Breakthrough Supply Chains reinvents the supply chain with far-reaching effects. This is your go-to guide.

What needs to change for your business to grow sustainably? The engineering and construction industry is at a tipping point: How can we foster long-term growth in uncertain times? How do we navigate technology-driven disruption and meet the challenge of net zero emissions? And how do we create a more inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable industry for the future? The Steel Ceiling: Achieving Sustainable Growth in Engineering and Construction highlights current issues facing businesses in the engineering and construction sector in Australia—and outlines what it takes for your business to withstand the economic test of time. This book gives you the strategic plan you need to break through the “steel ceiling” holding you back. In clear and actionable terms, with examples and stories from the industry, it outlines an effective methodology you can use to grow your enterprise sustainably—from a small business to megaproject capability. Develop a clear understanding of the economic forces impacting the infrastructure sector in Australia Craft a roadmap for evolving your business and remaining competitive in today’s landscape Build leadership skills and hone the vision, values and culture that drive your business Learn how to better manage precious time, increase revenue, and improve returns on equity Implement the four pillars that are the foundation for a thriving, sustainable business Author Peter Wilkinson has more than 30 years’ experience in transforming industry business capability, from small business to large-scale government projects. In this book, he provides you with the knowledge and the game plan you need to build a thriving business ready to compete in today’s industry environment.

From New York Times Bestselling Authors of Unhumans, Jack Posobiec and Joshua Lisec The Unanswered Questions of the Most Consequential Summer in American Political History We the people of the United States have questions. And we deserve answers. Bulletproof: The Truth about the Assassination Attempts on Donald Trump is the first complete preliminary investigative report on the attempted assassination of President Donald J. Trump that occurred on July 13, 2024, at 6:11 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time in Butler, PA, USA. Bulletproof reconstructs a minute-by-minute parallel timeline of each step of that fateful July day for President Trump, law enforcement agencies, and the would-be assassin and digs deeper than the official narrative, asking uncomfortable questions about how this event occurred and going deeper than mainstream media ever will. In addition, Bulletproof breaks new and exclusive stories from an independent private investigator team commissioned by the authors into the hidden life of shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, and also breaks new ground, digging into the best-kept-secret details of how the failed “hit” on Trump dominoed into a palace coup of a sitting US president. Posobiec and Lisec bring the receipts. Bulletproof is also first to cover the assassination attempt that occurred two months later on September 15, 20204, at 1:30 p.m. EDT at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, FL, USA. The book curates what is known about the would-be shooter, Ryan Wesley Routh, and his complex ties to shadowy foreign fighter operations. May this public record serve the American people and those of the world who seek answers, question narratives, and hold all perpetrators accountable for their sins. Truth and justice will prevail.

Fabrics that are not only stain resistant but actually clean themselves. Airplane wings that change shape in midair to take advantage of shifts in wind currents. Hypodermic needles that use tiny serrations to render injections virtually pain free. Though they may sound like the stuff of science fiction, in fact such inventions represent only the most recent iterations of natural mechanisms that are billions of years old--the focus of the rapidly growing field of biomimetics. Based on the realization that natural selection has for countless eons been conducting trial-and-error experiments with the laws of physics, chemistry, material science, and engineering, biomimetics takes nature as its laboratory, looking to the most successful developments and strategies of an array of plants and animals as a source of technological innovation and ideas. Thus the lotus flower, with its waxy, water-resistant surface, gives us stainproofing; the feathers of raptors become transformable airplane wings; and the nerve-deadening serrations on a mosquito's proboscis are adapted to hypodermics. With Bulletproof Feathers, Robert Allen brings together some of the greatest minds in the field of biomimetics to provide a fascinating--at times even jaw-dropping--overview of cutting-edge research in the field. In chapters packed with illustrations, Steven Vogel explains how architects and building engineers are drawing lessons from prairie dogs, termites, and even sand dollars in order to heat and cool buildings more efficiently; Julian Vincent goes to the very building blocks of nature, revealing how different structures and arrangements of molecules have inspired the development of some fascinating new materials, such as waterproof clothing based on shark skin; Tomonari Akamatsu shows how sonar technology has been greatly improved through detailed research into dolphin communication; Yoseph Bar-Cohen delves into the ways that robotics engineers have learned to solve design problems through reference to human musculature; Jeannette Yen explores how marine creatures have inspired a new generation of underwater robots; and Robert Allen shows us how cooperative behavior between birds, fish, and insects has inspired technological innovations in fields ranging from Web hosting to underwater exploration. A readable, yet authoritative introduction to a field that is at the forefront of design and technology--and poised to become even more important in the coming decades as population pressures and climate change make the need for efficient technological solutions more acute--Bulletproof Feathers offers adventurous readers a tantalizing peek into the future, by way of our evolutionary past.