Corey Phelps

Of all the skills needed to succeed in work and life, research shows that complex problem solving is at or near the top. But for most of us, solving difficult problems and selling the solutions doesn’t come naturally and we haven’t been taught how to do it well. And when we try, a host of pitfalls trip us up. How can we do it better? In this engaging, story-filled and often humorous keynote, Corey shows how to become a better problem solver and solution seller using a rigorous, practical and proven four-step approach. Based on his widely-acclaimed book – Cracked It! How to Solve Big Problems and Sell Solutions Like Top Strategy Consultants – Corey guides you through each step in the 4S method: from how to state, structure and solve problems to how to sell the solutions. You will leave knowing how you can create value by helping your organization crack the problems that matter the most.

An organization’s ability to innovate – whether it's creating seamless and enjoyable customer journeys, radically new offerings, or breakthrough business models – is critical to long-term success. Innovation is about solving important, challenging problems in creative and value-creating ways. In this engaging, story-filled, and humorous keynote, Corey shows you how to be a more creative and innovative problem solver using the rigorous, structured and human-centered approach of design thinking. Drawing on his widely-acclaimed book – Cracked It! – Corey brings the process and toolkit of design thinking to life by exploring how to empathize with users and clients to see a problem from their point-of-view, how to use these insights to reveal otherwise hidden opportunities for innovation, and how to transform ideas for innovative solutions into tangible prototypes for testing, refinement and implementation. You will leave with a toolkit to help your organization innovate and grow.

Because the competitive landscapes in which organizations compete are constantly changing and undermining established competitive positions, strategic leaders must be concerned with the future viability of their organizations. Developing future-ready organizations requires leaders to manage uncertainty caused by changing competitive environments. This requires strategic innovation – the ability to anticipate how your organization’s competitive context may change and the implications of these changes, the courage to challenge deeply-held beliefs about what has made your organization successful in the past, and the willingness to depart from these assumptions and experiment with alternative business models and approaches to competition. In this engaging and provocative talk, Corey will show you how you can improve your ability to anticipate, challenge and experiment to help your organization become future ready.