Clarity vs. Truth: Problem-solving Implications
We often assume two words have the same meaning. If true, there would be no need for the two separate words. Distinguishing... Read More
Positive Thinking as Myth
Posted on19 Sep 2011
Tagsattitude, biology, biotechnology, business, Hal Arkowitz, Influence, motivation, negative thinking, optimism, pessimism, Pollyannaism, positive, positive thinking, problem solving, Scientific American, Scott O. Lilienfeld, subconscious, thinking process, who we are, who we think we are
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I’ve seen positive thinking do much harm to some folks; if they can’t keep their smiley face on, they feel they’re failing.... Read More
Inverted Problem-solving Technique
Posted on15 Sep 2011
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The inverted problem-solving technique (IPT) involves looking at the opposing aspects of a problem. To see IPT’s value it helps to write... Read More
Cooperation vs. Self-interest: Which Reigns Supreme?
Posted on12 Sep 2011
Tagsbusiness, cooperation, Cooperation vs Self-interest Series, Elizabeth Kolbert, Harvard Business Review, intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Michael Tomasello, problem solving, self-interest, team intelligence, The New Yorker, Yochai Benkler
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Recently, Harvard Business Review focused its July-August 2011 issue on collaboration. It connected so well and deeply with my own experiences that... Read More
Who’s the Better Problem Solver?
Person A has solved a hundred problems while Person B has only solved five. Who’s the better problem solver? The answer is... Read More
When Does Optimism Become Pollyannaism?
In “Before You Make That Big Decision,” which appeared in the June 2011 Harvard Business Review, Daniel Kahneman, Dan Lovallo and Olivier... Read More
Change Taste without Changing Anything about the Food
Posted on18 Jul 2011
TagsPepsiCo, presentation, price, problem solving, restaurant, Snacks For A Fat Planet, taste, The New Yorker, utensils, people, ambiance, brain, cooking, feelings, food, Influence, John Seabrook, message, packaging
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This post is similar to my previous post about changing the message by how people feel about the messenger. In the case... Read More
Placebo Service: Creating Options
Posted on07 Jul 2011
Tagsentertainment, Ryan W. Buell, quality service, problem solving, people, options, objective, Michael I. Norton, intuition, Influence, Harvard Business Review, feelings, emotions, customers, customer service, comedians, approaches
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Intuitive approaches, ones that influence people on an emotional, often unconscious level create additional options for almost any problem, especially if they... Read More
Kitchens & A Lesson in Problem Solving
Posted on23 Jun 2011
Tagsadvertising, business, business planning, convenience food, cooking, feelings, food, kitchen, marketing, Megan McArdle, merchandising, problem solving, retailing, The Atlantic, The Joy of Not Cooking
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High-end retailers are expecting us to spend more money on our kitchens even though we are spending less time in them. Why?... Read More
Osama bin Laden’s Death: Intuitive Problem-solving Lesson
Posted on05 May 2011
TagsAl-Qaida, consistency, organizational culture, deviation, emotions, humans, intelligence, intuition, logic, military, Osama bin Laden, PBS NewsHour, problem solving, technology
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After watching PBS NewsHour’s analysis, “What’s Next for U.S. Military in Fight Against Al-Qaida?” which aired on Monday, May 2, 2011, I... Read More
