Sunday, September 12, 2010

Gamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown & James Macanufo - Book review


Gamestorming

A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers


By: Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo

Published: July 2010
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN 13: 978-0-596-80417-6
ISBN 10: 0-596-80417-2
Publisher: O'Reilly Media











"Every game is a world which evolves in stages, as follows: create the world, open the world, explore the world, and close the world", write innovation and visual thinking consultants Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo in their adventurous and very enjoyable book Gamestorming A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers. The authors introduce the concept of games to break down barriers, enhance communications, and create new ideas, insights, innovations, and breakthroughs.



Dave Gray (photo left), Sunni Brown and James Macanufo present the concept of opening one's mind to new ideas and revolutionary creative solutions through the playing of games. The authors provide over eighty wonderful games that when played draw out collaborative solutions to business and organizational problems of all types. the different types of games offer different ways of viewing the problem, through the unique worlds created by the game format. With the team oriented approach of the games, participants discover unique and highly innovative opportunities to recreate the world that is their business and work environment. The group dynamics resulting from playing the various games facilitate the conditions to break down barriers of status, silos, and communications. The participants become more engaged with one another, and with the organization, unlocking their individual creativity, while enhancing the team through greater clarity of purpose and collaboration.



Sunni Brown (photo left), James Macanufo, and Dave Gray recognize that the modern business environment is a dynamic one, where rapid and profound change happen at lightning speed. By taking the radical position that business can be treated as a game, the authors encourage the game players to open their minds to fresh possibilities. Through a change in perspective regarding the business and the economy, participants are liberated and empowered to develop innovative ideas and strategies that will lead the organization into a successful future. The use of games as a tool for innovation changes the perception of problems from obstacles to opportunities and challenges to be solved within the context of the game. The team developed solution can then be applied to the game of business leading to even more imaginative game play. With the existing games, and those created by the team themselves, the games can be played numerous times, achieving different and more exciting results with every session.



James Macanufo (photo left), Dave Gray, and Sunni Gray present the power of game playing, as a form of collaborative brainstorming, in the context of of collaborative play. The book contains the powerful options of many different games, that are simple to play, but contain the wide scope of possibilities that give them potential to create unexpected outcomes. The authors encourage further engagement with the principle of game playing by sharing a framework for creation of new and specialized games, that fit the context of the organization. By providing the process of game creation, as well as the inner consistency of the game world, the authors present a tool for creation of a creativity tool. That additional level of innovation unleashes even more opportunities for unexpected and powerful breakthroughs. The authors turn the concept of gamestorming into a new and engaging technique for enhancing creative thinking within any organization.

I highly recommend the brilliant and visionary book Gamestorming A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo, to anyone seeking a fresh approach to creative thinking and innovative problem solving. The book is a unique and fascinating addition to the creativity literature, with its engaging approach to problem solving in a lighthearted and collaborative manner.

Read the essential and fun book Gamestorming A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo, and put the power of gamestorming and team oriented game play to work for your organization. Uncovering solutions to problems will become so much fun that your team will seek out obstacles to overcome through game play. Your business and workplace will become more fun and engaging, while transforming itself into a creativity goldmine.

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