The Power of the 2 x 2 Matrix: Using 2 x 2 Thinking to Solve Business Problems and Make Better Decisions (Jossey Bass Business & Management Series)

When I got this book, at first I was a little disappointed, because of the price. It had a book cover, it's not hard cover, its pages are not full color, as you would expect to see in a text book, and it's a bit on the slim side in size. I got it at about 60 USD at the time. It was about 80 USD when it came out, and now I see why it's worth every penny even at 80. The main focus of the book is to both teach and illustrate how to apply the 2x2 thinking matrix for problem solving. They illustrate several examples of real companies which have succeeded and failed in the past and present. It's worth more than its weight in gold, if you have the intellectual hunger and ambition to see what it offers. At first they illustrate the theory of how to set up the 2x2 matrices. It's a little on the, what-do-I-need-this-for side, but when you get to the applied scenarios, you really start to see the great power in this kind of thinking and realize we use this every day, just not in an ordered way, as they aim to teach in this work. I own a couple of small businesses, and almost every scenario in the book can be applied to their scale. Furthermore, each scenario gives you the steps to apply the matrix yourself with your own variables aiming to illustrate a particular matrix for decision making. It all boils down to DECISION MAKING. It's important to make that note, because the aim, as they themselves explain in the back of the hard copy is to consider not just the either/or but the both/and (sorry if I got that last part wrong, I don't have the copy in front of me, but I'm sure you get my point) scenario. With applied calculus and your math software of choice, excel and access work great, you can take this work a step further, as it deserves, and draw scenarios at a professional level. Rebutting the negative review of 2 stars; yes, I understand it's a basic level for consulting firms. It's still a great book and a way to if not altogether suspend the use of consulting firms services, a way perhaps to understand what to expect from them, how they work, and what to ask from them. In these matters, it's common sense and a very particular scenario, your environment, you must know to succeed. I believe the 2 star review was precisely because it challanges a consulting firm in not using their services, as the saying goes, "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day; teach him how to fish, and he'll eat forever." Well, again, you get my point. The book goes as far as illustrating personal scenarios of mind vs heart and the like. So, this is very POWERFUL stuff. I recommend this for anybody who wants to hone their skills at critical thinking and optimization scenarios. The only thing I regret, why haven't they written another book like this or the second part of this piece. Thank you Lowy and Hood. By studying the work of hundreds of the most original and effective business minds, the authors present a common architecture that illuminates exceptional analysis and creative performance. 2 x 2 Thinking is characterized by a fundamental appreciation for the dynamic and complex nature of business. The best strategists go out of their way to tackle dilemmas rather than merely solve problems. They use opposition, creative tension, iteration and transcendence to get to the heart of issues and involve critical others in finding the best solutions. The authors demonstrate how to apply the 2 x 2 approach to a wide range of important business challenges. "Written for managers and consultants, the book includes 55 2 x 2 frameworks from leading business thinkers such as Michael Porter, Stephen Covey, and Igor Ansoff. Drawing on case material, the tradition of dialectical reasoning, and interviews with practitioners, The Power of the 2 x 2 Matrix presents a collection of methods and ideas that go well beyond the normal business text."--Jacket The Dna Of Great Problem Solving -- Form, Method And Mastery -- The Eight Archetypal Dilemmas -- Designing 2x2 Matrices -- 2x2 Thinking In Action : Fujitsu Ftxs Tackles Level 2 Dilemmas -- 2x2 Frameworks Inventory. Alex Lowy, Phil Hood ; Foreword By James H. Gilmore And B. Joseph Pine Ii. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 295-302) And Index. It was a snowy, winter night in 1994 at the Leadership Centre of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) north of Toronto.