Stinkin' Thinkin': 37 Mental Mistakes, False Beliefs & Superstitions That Can Ruin Your Career & Your Life

Book excerpt: The US space program faced a problem. Astronauts didn't have a pen that could write inside a zero-gravity capsule. NASA invested upward of $1 million to devise a pen that could. Their rivals faced the same problem, but they solved it for less than a dollar. They decided to use a pencil. This story is emblematic of two styles of critical thinking and problem solving. America defined its quandary as a pen problem. "Fix the pen" became the marching order. Others defined the issue as a writing challenge, so alternatives were more likely to be considered and adopted. Most people lose friends, happiness, and career opportunities because they employ inadequate thinking skills and allow biases, false beliefs, and superstitions to govern their behavior. Even highly skilled professionals, such as physicians and attorneys, are not immune from bad thinking and runaway emotions. They can cost their clients fortunes and even their lives through poor advice and misdiagnoses. This unique program will help you to: Identify the strengths and limitations of your dominant thinking styles Consider various models for tackling common and unusual challenges Apply case studies and hands-on opportunities to use different methods to analyze problems and generate multiple effective responses Adopt easy methods for creating clarity in thought and written and verbal communications Take practical pathways to success