Critically-Acclaimed Book: "Brainsteering: A Better Approach to Breakthrough Ideas"
Ideas. Whether the goal is to create a billion-dollar business, fix a broken process, reduce expenses, or simply find the perfect gift for that special someone, we all need a steady stream of breakthrough ideas – and we’ve all learned from experience that traditional brainstorming doesn’t generate them.
Shawn T. Coyne and Kevin P. Coyne, both former McKinsey consultants, spent more than a decade developing a better approach – Brainsteering – that takes brainstorming and other outdated ideation techniques and steers them in a more productive direction by better reflecting the way human beings actually think and work in creative problem-solving situations. By introducing just the right amount of structure into the process, and asking just the right questions, Brainsteering has helped Fortune 500 companies, small not-for-profits, and individuals alike generate ideas they previously could never have imagined.
The Coyne brothers' critically-acclaimed book, BRAINSTEERING: A Better Approach To Breakthrough Ideas (HarperCollins, 2011) is peppered with thought-provoking and entertaining examples drawn from the workplace and popular culture -- and it can help anyone develop breakthrough ideas, whether working alone on a one-time problem or turning an entire organization into an ongoing “idea factory.” In addition, the book contains practical advice on analyzing your ideas with just the right level of rigor at the right points in time to ensure your best ideas can be efficiently validated and acted upon. And best of all, getting started is easy: simply ask the right questions, and good ideas will follow.
Here's what others have to say about BRAINSTEERING: A Better Approach To Breakthrough Ideas
- "A research-based, proven approach to unleashing creativity and inspired ideas -- I recommend it highly"
-- Robert A. McDonald, Chairman of the Board, President & Chief Executive Officer, Procter & Gamble
- "Whether you're looking to create one great idea or hundreds, this is the book to read"
-- Dominic Barton, Worldwide Managing Director, McKinsey & Company
- "Brainsteering is a must-read -- an intellectually rigorous yet remarkably entertaining book filled with practical advice for generating and evaluating powerful new ideas in virtually any setting"
-- Janet P. Froetscher, President & CEO, National Safety Council
- “Brainsteering offers a fresh methodology for creating, analyzing, evaluating and launching new ideas”
-- Philip Kotler, Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
- “The Coynes’ logical thinking exercises will help readers to maximize their ideation skills, both by systematically exploring every possible nook and cranny of an issue to find new ideas, and by systematically evaluating and honing the results”
-- Publishers Weekly
- "What if everything you've been taught about idea creation is wrong? Based on research about how billion dollar companies got their start, Brainsteering presents a systematic alternative to those endless brainstorming meetings that produce no action. This is an exciting new approach"
-- Eric Ries, creator of the Lean Startup Movement
- "The Coyne brothers show us how to steer creative energy towards a meaningful outcome. If you're searching for better ideas and more impact, you need to read this book."
— Scott Belsky, founder and CEO of Behance, bestselling author of Making Ideas Happen
- “Every billion dollar idea starts by asking the right question. Brainsteering provides a wise prescription for turning those precious questions into breakthrough thinking.”
-- Randy Komisar, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, & best-selling author of The Monk and The Riddle
McKinsey Quarterly Article: "7 Steps to Better Brainstorming"
Based on an excerpt from Brainsteering: A Better Approach to Breakthrough Ideas, this article lays out a practical guide to dramatically improving the effectiveness of the typical -- and typically unproductive -- corporate brainstorming session.
"7 Steps to Better Brainstorming" was the #1 most downloaded McKinsey Quarterly article of the year when it was first published, and it was recently re-published as part of a special collection of "McKinsey Quarterly Classics".
Harvard Business Review Article: "When You've Got To Cut Costs - Now"
Relevant for anyone faced with the challenging task of cutting costs when all the usual sources of savings have already been addressed, this article provides a practical guide to reducing overhead costs by 10%, 20%, or even (God forbid) 30%, clearly laying out both the escalating actions that can be taken to ensure costs savings goals are achieved and the escalating risks that must be accepted in return.
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Shawn T. Coyne Consulting
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Email: shawn@shawntcoyneconsulting.com Phone: (404) 791-2707
