Problem-solving Technique, Detailing Step-by-step
Posted on16 Dec 2013
Tagschange, details, minds, planning, problem solving, training, Anatomy of an Event, Picture Resolution Analogy
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Breaking things into smaller parts facilitates change, learning, and yes, problem solving. Even if this technique doesn’t initially meet your expectations, it... Read More
More Money, Less Thinking
We can make tremendous money when we help people think less. As Alexander Chernev points out in “Customers Will Pay More for... Read More
Eight Alerts Help Us Anticipate Problems
Posted on21 Oct 2013
Tagsorganizational culture, information technology, leadership, money, perspective, problem solving, risk, sales, team building, time, Why Problems Occur Series
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People tend to solve problems within the constraints of their strengths and preferences, thus IT professionals are likely to see IT solutions,... Read More
Why Problems Occur (Alert #8): Demarcation over Gradient
We run into problems when we forget that truth is often unclear. We prefer sharp demarcations in defining our problems to the... Read More
Why Problems Occur (Alert #7): One over Many
Given many causes of a problem, humans tend to focus on one as the cause rather than the pattern they produce, a... Read More
Why Problems Occur (Alert #6): Same over Unique
Posted on29 Aug 2013
Tagschange, creativity, organizational culture, efficiencies, emotions, event, improvement, motivation, problem solving, process, reinventing the wheel, rules, security, standardization, unique, Anatomy of an Event, Why Problems Occur Series, boredom, repetitive strain injury
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Creativity is challenging especially with time pressures. Additionally, depending upon the work culture, motivation might be difficult. Heck, how many times do... Read More
Power of Popularity in Decisions
Posted on26 Aug 2013
TagsFabian Lange, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, positioning, Princeton University, problem solving, The Economist, University of Chicago, University of Toronto, rational herding, Kory Kroft, marketing, Matthew Notowidigdo, McGill University, Matthew Salganik, Duncan Watts, Microsoft Research, Abhijit Banerjee, hiring, cognitive dissonance, decisions, emotions, facts, Influence, leadership
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Popularity influences our decisions to the point that we often subjugate our desires to what is popular. It’s a form of peer... Read More
Why Problems Occur (Alert #5): Big over Small
Posted on19 Aug 2013
Tagsanalogy, budgets, coaching, details, management, morale, Personality, planning, problem solving, process, relationships, rules, training, Why Problems Occur Series, Picture Resolution Analogy
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Focusing on the big rather than small, is another alert I heed as a problem identifier. This occurs when people apply overarching... Read More
Attack Statistics, Solve Problems
Posted on15 Aug 2013
Tagsarbitrariness, assumptions, definitions, intangibles, measure, numbers, perspective, problem solving, questioning techniques, statistics, tangibles, The Economist, Glass-Sand-Water Analogy
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If you don’t like the rules, change them. The article, “Boundary Problems” [The Economist, August 3, 2013 edition], reports that the United... Read More
Optimism Genetically Determined
Posted on08 Aug 2013
TagsThe Economist, complacency, glass half full-half empty metaphor, Oxford Centre for Emotions and Affective Neuroscience, Elaine Fox, YinYang, problem solving, Pollyannaism, pessimism, Personality, optimism, nature/nurture, innovation, glass, genetic code, free will, dissent
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We aren’t born blank slates; we come with personalities. These personalities, along with our bodies (more) and hormones influence our views, including... Read More
