Have you ever heard the phrase "If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten?" I have seen the quote attributed to Henry Ford, as well as Tony Robbins. No matter who said it first, the fact remains that if people don't adapt, things may not turn out the way you had hoped.
In his new book, Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen, Dan Heath explores the psychology that causes people to be blind to their problems. And he also explores several case studies where people looked "Upstream" to find solutions to their problems in "out of the box" ways.
Right off the bat, the author tells a story that illustrates what creative problem solving can do. Chicago Public Schools had a big problem with low graduation rates. A group of educators got together and realized that the problem with low graduation rates starts clear back in freshmen year. The transition from eighth grade to high school was rough for many students. So Chicago Public Schools decided to focus on those incoming freshmen and graduation rates skyrocketed.
Other stories include the way Rockford, Illinois solved their homeless problem. And another story was about a software company that was struggling to get renewals, so they created a new role of onboarding specialist. (That one hits close to home, as I just created this very role for my company.)
Bottom Line - I absolutely loved Upstream. Dan Heath makes a very strong argument that it is important to be an "Upstream" thinker in order to solve problems.
Details:
- Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath
- Pages: 320
- Publisher: Avid Reader Press
- Publication Date: 3/9/2020
- Buy it Here!
- Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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