- Paufler, A.: Creativity Gym for Innovative Leaders, Nation Media Group, Bangkok 2013 The book’s 1st edition has been sold out, but it can be bought at Amazon as an ebook.
“A unique book on guidelines how to think creatively that can be practiced by everybody. The author Dr A. Paufler is a Asia business veteran with extensive teaching experience. The book is an easy how to with inspiring samples.” (Amazon).
“New opportunities and growth are critical for successful innovative leaders today, worldwide and especially in the competitive Asian marketplace. This book outlines what hurdles to avoid and how you can find and implement great ideas. It is a ‘must’ read. This book should always be by your side while travelling or preparing for your next opportunity.” (William E. Heinecke – Chairman& CEO of The Minor Group)
“Alexander Paufler’s “Creativity Gym” is fascinating reading. It shows how “creativity” can improve both our daily life and our professional performance. While many readers may work out their physical fitness, they far too often take constant intellectual versatility for granted. However, this is not the case. I found Paufler’s “10 Idea-Finders” particularly appealing. To motivate ourselves and others, and to stimulate originality should indeed be a daily “must” for all holding responsibility in their social environment. Alexander Paufler’s manual can provide the necessary stimulus and guidance.” (Rolf Schulze – German Ambassador to Thailand – now to Chile)
Paufler, A.: Creativity Wave for Innovative Leaders, Nanmee Books Thailand 2013 (in Thai)
The contents of the book follow mainly the English version with updates and additional examples, because of further interviews. The book can be bought at any Thai book shop or at their main book store:
Paufler, A.: Creativity Wave for Innovative Leaders, Wunan Taiwan 2014 (in traditional Chinese)
The contents of the book follow the English and the updated Thai version. Chinese examples have been added. The book can be bought at any book shop in Taiwan or at the publisher:
Paufler, A.: Führung durch Kreativität und Innovation – Ein Leitfaden mit Denkstrategien und Denktaktiken für kluge Köpfe, Springer-Gabler Verlag (Ende 2016)
The contents are presenting ‘Think Strategies’, the supporting ‘Think Tactics’ as well as the ‘Think Hurdles. More than 1000 interviews show a wide range of examples how people find ideas and realize such ideas. The interviews have been done in Europe, Northamerica and Asia with different nationalities.
http://www.springer.com/springer+gabler?SGWID=0-1736613-0-0-0
Paufler, A.: IT Revolution DaimlerChrysler Japan (An Example for Change-Management with IT), Nikkei Publications, Tokyo 2001
The contents are based on a company wide change program in DaimlerChrysler Japan. In order to animate communication among the management and employees and to increase the daily collaboration and information flow an email system was implemented. The system was basis for a management information system too. The process description and the change hurdles have been discussed and illustrated by stories the IT team has experienced with the users. This book was meant to be a motivational report for the team to see how they did it and a document for experiential learning.
Stress kills Creativity.
Stress works like an eraser.
THINKING STRATEGY 1: STRESSMANAGEMENT
“STRESS WORKS LIKE AN ERASER FOR CREATIVITY.”
(Marina Zuber, Teacher)
Three Insights:
1. Stress is a killer for creativity
2. Body Signals
3. Stress Parachute
Insights are AHAs!
Insights are MESSAGES!
Insights are PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS!
Insights are not what WORDS MEAN, but rather WHO said it, and WHEN!
Insights are AHAs in Creativity, Innovation, Secret Sauces!
___________________
Think-Strategies and Think-Tactics for Innovators
“Creativity is Intelligence and having Fun” – Albert Einstein
A. Five Think-Strategies
1. Stress Management (Strategy #1: Know the signs of stress and the anti stress parachute)
• The Frame: Stress Management to protect creativity
• The Symptoms: How do I feel stress?
>>> Exhaustion – No cool head for ideas
>>> Helplessness – Not knowing what to do
>>> Distraction – Too many time killers
>>> Fuzzy Focus – No clear goal
>>> Fear – Amygdalae control your emotional war room
• The Stress Parachute: To beat stress
2. Multitude (Strategy #2: To get more ideas)
3. Detour (Strategy #3: To be unpredictable and witty)
4. Reshaping (Strategy #4: To create new ideas from old)
5. Integration (Strategy #5: To think out of the box and mesh with persistence)
B. Fifteen Think-Tactics
1. Five Think-Tactics to Tune yourself into Positivity
1.1. Wake up and look forward to the new day
1.2. Enjoy the daily surprises
1.3. Create surprises for gift giving
1.4. Find out what you want to do and realize it
1.5. Use your time mindful as Seneca
2. Five Think-Tactics to get Ideas
2.1. Enjoy your signature strength
2.2. Enjoy increasing complexity
2.3. Shape and get inspired by a creative work place
2.4. Trigger and follow brain waves
2.5. Note ideas as they come
3. Five Think-Tactics to realize Ideas
3.1. Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur
3.2. Stop running and think for a while
3.3. Be open for novelties and closed to think
3.4. Think 360˚ from all sides
3.5. Get messages across that stick
C. Appendix
1. Little Book of Hormones (Stress, Performance, Happiness)
2. Index and Abbreviations
4. Questionnaire: When, Where, How do you get ideas?
5. The last words of Steve Jobs
The natural tool for creativity and innovation is the brain, a three-pound organ containing one-hundred billion neurons that can only be well connected if we train them.
Creativity and innovation make up the ‘Art of Thinking’. The good news is anybody can learn this art – make it a habit. You can live from creativity, if you treat your brain as your number one asset—no matter whether you are a CEO, rock star, surgeon or nurse.
Working on leadership and change management led me to see creativity as the key ingredient to lead change in organizations. Leadership is coping with change using creativity to develop skills such as communication, persuasion, vision design, and empathy. More than a thousand interviews in the western world and Asia resulted in examples of when and where people get ideas, if idea development has a structure, and whether relaxation or stress is better for generating ideas.
It all started with a three-page checklist. This checklist helped me engage employees and students to get them familiar with creativity in personal and organizational development.
The result is the evolution of this book in four different languages.
The book shows the process of creativity and innovation in three basic parts:
Join the creative and innovative journey to success!
Dr. Alexander Paufler
INTRO
The Leader and Manager who does have the skills to be a ‘Stress-Manager’ knows his or her optimum blend of stress to relaxation. It is good, if you have stress management skills in your organization represented by employees on top, middle and staff level, because:
A Stress-Manager knows
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BOOK
by Monika A. Pohl: Gelassenheit – Serenity, GABAL 2014.
On a flight from San Francisco to Munich I enjoyed the book as Audio a lot. The book was turned into a plot with several speakers who presented the contents vividly, but i would have liked to have the text in front of me to better follow and remember by taking notes. I just could scribble notes onto the menue.
However, now i have the book and honestly have to say:
The book is very handy, A5 and explains short and snappy about serenity, what i regard the basis for creativity and innovation. That’s why i bring this as an INSIGHT for Stress Management. Fast readers can read it in 30 minutes but i enjoyed listening to the Audio twice to let the contents sicker. So i took the liberty to take more than 30 minutes time. The book is for the pocket to immediately grab it and start reading after take off. Monika works with the metaphor: Temple of Serenity. The temple does have 4 columns:
For most of us, serenity/Gelassenheit is difficult to get. The 24/7 availability, TMI through eGadget-terror (smart phones, tablets PCs, notebooks, social networks and and and…) do cost quite a part of serenity to step back and read through the four chapters mindfully. I do it – do it too – it pays out.
Monika’s coaching questions are very good exercises. She invites you to find out your weak spot to focus on and learn how to start improving. The serenity profile in the very beginning asks questions to check out your fitness in the four areas of serenity (p. 12 – 14). For our overall well-being we need to reduce anxiety and fear the two main reasons to get mentally and physically ill (p. 17). Recent studies by the health industry show that psychological illnesses are on #3 place, right after heart deseases #1 and orthopedic issues #2. Sadly, children and teenagers increased their intake of anti-depressiva within the last decade by 30%. And after graduation – school stress is replaced by career stress.
“Stop running and think for a while” is my advice to employees in the office. Mindfulness exercises for good day to day usage are outlined (breathing to look inside, pushing the reset button to get rid of negative thoughts and restart self exploration, Jnana Mudra Meditation to remember a serene moment, how to manage negative thoughts & emotions and how to say a ‘positive NO’, p. 20 – 28).
more to come….
They know how to trigger many ideas. When it comes to ideas more is better than less. In that respect the ideafinder is the ideal rainmaker.
They trigger unusual ideas by thinking around corners, so far out of the box that they don‘t even see the box anymore, and are shaking it upside down for new and original ideas. When in a hurry, they take a detour and think unusual.
They develop new ideas out of an old idea by tossing, tinkering, twisting, tweaking and metamorphosing it 360 degrees (= innovative Kaizen).
They link opposing ideas, find synergies, merge vague, old, new and opposing ideas until innovation is created. They connect the dots (ideas, facts, concepts, old and new).
Dr. Alexander Paufler (born January 4th, 1953, in Germany, married, two children) has been working in Europe, Asia and the USA as CPA, CFO, CIO and CEO. He teaches now as Adj. Professor at several Business Schools.
As certified tax consultant he started to write professional articles and to publish books about doing business and taxation. His practical work experience and research led to teaching in China, Germany, Greece, Japan and Thailand and earned him a Professorship. The teaching scope spans from 'Organizational Behavior', ‘Change Management’, ‘Leadership’, ‘CEO-Branding’, ‘Business Ethics’, ‘Improvisation (Jazz), Communication and Business’ leading to books about ‘Leadership through Creativity and Innovation’ published in English, Thai, Chinese and German. Alexander Paufler believes and shows with examples collected through interviews around the world in his books that creativity can be learned. He developed 'Thinking Strategies and Tactics' for innovative leaders to cope with disruptive change.
Authority came from cross cultural leadership and management experiences working and teaching in seven countries as Consultant, CFO, CIO, CEO in Asia, Europe and USA. During that time he covered topics such as:
"I have always tried to learn and teach about the amazing brain power. Creativity is the key ingredient to lead personal change and change in organizations. More than a thousand interviews in the western world and Asia resulted in many examples for creativity, innovation and the ‘Art of Thinking’. Below books started with a three-page checklist which helped me to engage employees, business partners and students and to get them familiar with creativity in personal and organizational development."
Stress kills Creativity. Stress works like an eraser.
THINKING STRATEGY 1: STRESSMANAGEMENT “STRESS WORKS LIKE AN ERASER FOR CREATIVITY.” (Marina Zuber, Teacher) Three Insights: […]
Insights are AHAs! Insights are MESSAGES! Insights are PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS! Insights are not what WORDS MEAN, but rather WHO […]
1. WHY I wrote this book? Curiosity fosters creativity. The natural tool for creativity and innovation is the brain, a […]
INTRO The Leader and Manager who does have the skills to be a ‘Stress-Manager’ knows his or her optimum […]
They know how to trigger many ideas. When it comes to ideas more is better than less. In that respect […]
They trigger unusual ideas by thinking around corners, so far out of the box that they don‘t even see the […]
They develop new ideas out of an old idea by tossing, tinkering, twisting, tweaking and metamorphosing it 360 degrees (= […]
They link opposing ideas, find synergies, merge vague, old, new and opposing ideas until innovation is created. They connect the […]
We invite you to take part in Dr. Alexander Paufler's creativity study. He has interviewed over 1,000 individuals worldwide from business, academia, and the arts.
Dr. Alexander Paufler interviewed more than 1000 persons around the world from business, academia, and the arts.
Why Participate?
Getting ideas is the resource for innovations. Ideas contribute to the top and bottom line of organizations. Ideas create jobs, secure jobs and make the company sustainable. With your participation we would gain further insight and a broader view of creativity.
How to Participate?
Click on the button below to enter an online survey. Please answer only three simple questions plus one about your background statistics: 1. when and where do you get ideas? 2. Do you have a pattern to get ideas? 3. Is it better to be relaxed or stressed?
What will happen next?
By participating in the survey, you would gain an awareness of your own creativity process. And an understanding of when, where, and how you are most creative. With this awareness you will be more creative and it can directly affect your salary and promotion - see my books.