Blog

PROBLEMS: short and sweet

PROBLEMS: short and sweet

We seem to have an abundance of problems these days. Ponder the following. Short & Sweet PROBLEM? Know that a problem exists. Although it would seem that problems should be “obvious,” that’s not always the case. Sometimes you have to look for problems. PROBLEM! Define the problem. Problems are often obscured by their symptoms. You…

Close-up of a vintage typewriter typing 'SOCIAL SECURITY' on paper.

What Will Cause the Future of Social Security?

As many of you know, I’ve been writing about the need for all of us to “learn from the past, deal with the present, and intercept the future.” And, as luck would have it, I found some of my notes from about ten years ago wherein I examined some lessons from the past and considered…

A Problem-Solving Quiz (with answers)

A Problem-Solving Quiz (with answers)

A bunch of years ago a large organization asked me to develop a self-study course focused on problem solving. I recently found a quiz that I developed and thought you might be interested in it. The answers follow, but don’t cheat. Quiz Quiz Answer Key Having the skills of a prepared mind is essential to…

From below of illuminated signboard with news papers magazines inscriptions hanging on metal ceiling on street

Media Literacy – a Quick Guide

Social media is where many of us find news, trends, and conversations. But with endless threads and viral posts flooding your feed, how do you separate fact from fiction? Misinformation and lies can go viral before anyone bothers to fact-check. If you want to stay sharp and avoid falling for clickbait, you need to level…

Today’s problems? Think like a 6th grader.

Today’s problems? Think like a 6th grader.

Remember the fun of word problems from your early school days? Something like the following was either agony or a lot of fun: “Ben is three times as old as John. The sum of their ages is 40 years. How old is each of them?” (Answer below.) Sixth Grade “heuristic” (i.e., steps to follow) 1….

The Problem Communication Problem

We have a gun violence problem! We have a global warming problem! We have a market share problem! We have an income disparity problem! We have a retirement problem! Etc., etc. We have more problems than we can handle, but they mostly share a common problem – the degree to which they are communicated and…

self-guided graphic

Have you abandoned thinking to “influencers?”

Do we need more “influencers” telling us what to do, or do we need more people who think and act to resolve our challenges. Let’s see if I can influence your thinking. You’re a sucker if you need to always be right. You will ignore/discount information that you disagree with and, therefore, people will tell…

Some problems with problems

Some problems with problems

Remember the good old days when many of our problems were well structured and had a simple answer? Teachers gave us problems and we had to figure out the answer. How much is 2 plus 7? What’s the capital of Norway? Simple problems, simple solutions. Too bad life isn’t quite so straightforward. Life is not…

Success in 12 letters

I’ve been banging around the world of work for a very long time and have had and seen all kinds of jobs. Some are cool (is that still used with Gen-Z?), some not-so-cool. Some are dangerous and some are boring. Some pay too much, and some pay not enough. But they all have some essential…

Category

Archive

Search