Ensuring innovation and a creative approach to new challenges is crucial in leadership success. Being able to communicate and share your ideas takes no less skill. Decision Making and Problem Solving Strategies will help you to learn key techniques and models to confidently make the right decisions. Using checklists, exercises and case studies, Adair provides a clear framework to find solutions, generate ideas and inspire confidence in your team - so you can spot the solution in every problem, and create ideas to rival even the best strategists.

Explains key principles for developing thinking skills and applying them creatively and effectively.

Managers and leaders of all levels need to ensure that the best decisions are taken, problems are solved in the optimum way, and the creative ideas and innovations so necessary for tomorrow's business flow freely. Decision Making and Problem Solving Strategies will help you to master the processes of practical thinking which lie behind effective decision making, problem solving and creative thinking. Using checklists, exercises and case studies it explains key concepts such as: how the mind works, the principles of effective thinking, how to develop a framework for decision making, how to use a simple model for making decisions and solving problems, how to sharpen up creative thinking skills and how to develop their thinking skills in the future.

Within the broader study of decision-making, the Carnegie perspective occupies a unique place. Initially developed by pioneering scholars such as Herbert Simon and James March, it views organizational decisions as resulting from the combined influences of a.) psychological processes of attention allocation, interpretation of experience, and motivated search, and b.) features of the organizational context that direct attention, influence preferences, contend with ambiguity, contain conflict, and divide labor. Despite its unique strengths and a considerable body of work (see below some foundational references), research that adopts the Carnegie perspective is still relatively unknown outside the field of organization studies. As James March noted, Carnegie has been primarily an importer of ideas, rather than an exporter. The goal of this research topic is to facilitate dialogue and integration between this well-established Carnegie perspective and other lines of inquiry into the study of decision making and problem solving. We are interested in bringing to the fore what is distinctive in the accumulated body of evidence produced by the Carnegie perspective and highlighting similarities, differences, and potential points of connection with other research done on similar topics. To achieve this goal, we hope that the front end of each submission will cover the following four components:

A project manager's guide to solving complex project issues and making strategic decisions An everyday resource for project managers who are tasked with identifying and solving complex problems, Project Based Problem Solving and Decision Making offers valuable guidance on how to make informed decisions that move projects forward, provides project managers with expert advice for communicating clearly and effectively with team members and project stakeholders, and describes how to effectively lead project teams and empower team members to make strategic project decisions. Written by Harold Kerzner, bestselling author and one of the leading minds in project management, Project Based Problem Solving and Decision Making includes information on: Developing effective problem-solving and decision-making—important skills for professional project managers Leading teams, setting and achieving goals, and making sure that projects are completed on time and within budget Identifying and solving problems that arise during complex projects, and making informed decisions that move projects forward Using a project-based approach: breaking the project down into smaller, manageable chunks and tackling each one separately Focusing on specific problems or decisions and implementing solutions tailored to the specific needs of the project Project Based Problem Solving and Decision Making is an essential everyday resource for professional project managers, as well as students studying project management. Dr. Kerzner is not only a world-renowned author in project management but also serves as the Senior Executive Director at the International Institute for Learning, Inc. (IIL). To explore more about IIL's offerings, visit www.iil.com or get in touch via email at learning@iil.com.