Both/and Thinking Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems

Both/and Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems by Wendy K. Smith, published by Harvard Business Review Press in 2022, is a 336-page exploration of decision-making in the face of competing demands. This book presents an insightful approach to navigating life’s paradoxes, such as balancing individuality with teamwork and managing core business functions while fostering innovation. It emphasizes the importance of “both/and” thinking as a means to make more creative and impactful decisions.
Readers will find practical advice and tools drawn from over twenty years of research, aimed at transforming tensions into opportunities for growth. The book includes real-world examples from various organizations, including IBM and LEGO, illustrating how to cope with complex challenges. Topics such as strategic planning, leadership, and creativity are woven throughout, providing a comprehensive framework for addressing the intricacies of decision-making and problem-solving in today’s dynamic environment.
Official synopsis Publisher
An insightful and inspiring book on using “both/and” thinking to make more creative, flexible, and impactful decisions in a world of competing demands.
Life is full of paradoxes. How can we each express our individuality while also being a team player? How do we balance work and life? How can we improve diversity while promoting opportunities for all? How can we manage the core business while innovating for the future?
For many of us, these competing and interwoven demands are a source of conflict. Since our brains love to make either-or choices, we choose one option over the other. We deal with the uncertainty by asserting certainty.
There’s a better way.
In Both/And Thinking, Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis help readers cope with multiple, knotted tensions at the same time. Drawing from more than twenty years of pioneering research, they provide tools and lessons for transforming these tensions into opportunities for innovation and personal growth.
Filled with practical advice and fascinating stories–including firsthand tales from IBM, LEGO, and Unilever, as well as from startups, nonprofits, and even an inn at one of the four corners of the world–Both/And Thinking will change the way you approach your most vexing problems.
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