Years ago, while attending California State University, Chico (CSUC) for a degree in Mass Communications, I took a class in Technical Problem Analysis (aka “Creative Problem Solving”). Our textbook was The Universal Traveler: A Soft-Systems Guide to Creativity, Problem-Solving and the Process of Reaching Goals, by Don Koberg and Jim Bagnall. (The latest edition of this book was published in 2003.)…
hab·it – a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition. We all know what habits are, and probably take them for granted most of the time. But bad ones can hold us back in our careers and personal lives, and good ones can propel us forward almost effortlessly. Take exercise, for…
“Thinking outside the box” is easier than you think! Everyone’s heard the phrase “thinking outside the box.” But what does that mean exactly? Here is Merriam-Webster’s definition: to explore ideas that are creative and unusual and not limited or controlled by rules or tradition The ability to come up with unusual solutions to problems is a…
Peanut butter and jelly. Ham and cheese. Milk and cookies. We all grew up with these, didn’t we? They’re familiar to us. That’s why we do a double-take when someone throws in something unexpected … like peanut butter and mayonnaise (yes, there are some who actually like that, my husband being one of them). Or ham…
Who needs structure? We all do! Especially if we want to accomplish much in life. Several years ago, I read an article about Picasso. It said he knew how to draw and paint the traditional way, and had perfected that style long before he took up abstract art. In other words, he knew the rules,…