Archive for Problem Solving
Brainstorming Still Works – When You Know How to Use It
Posted by: | CommentsOver the years the term “brainstorming” has fallen out of favor.
An image of people throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if it will stick – meaning throwing out ideas to see if they have any merit – is likely to induce fond memories among old-timers who remember when brainstorming was all the rage.
But, done properly, brainstorming still works.
What is Brainstorming?
Brainstorming was the creation of Alex Osborn, a founder of my former agency, BBDO (formerly Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn). He posited that a group could generate more creative ideas for solving a problem than an individual. There’s been a lot of controversy over the years about his methodology, with research both for and against it.
The New York Times last Sunday carried a very long story entitled The Rise of the New Groupthink in which the writer, Susan Cain, debunks the current trend of people working in teams in open space – or possibly cubicles if they’re lucky – as they collaborate on projects. She champions the introvert who needs quiet and privacy to be creative. I think she makes some valid points
When Brainstorming Works
Where Cain and I diverge, though, is when she writes, “Conversely, brainstorming sessions are one of the worst possible ways to stimulate creativity…people in groups tend to sit back and let others do the work; they instinctively mimic other’s opinions and lose sight of their own; and often succumb to peer pressure.”
I beg to differ. I’ve participated in, and facilitated, numerous brainstorming sessions, which I prefer to call group problem solving sessions. They generated many original ideas that were successfully implemented. Read More→
My Email Account Was Hacked — A Lesson Learned
Posted by: | CommentsWell, it’s happened to many of my friends and I’ve joined a not-so-exclusive club of people whose emails have been hacked.
Yesterday, I received over 5,000 emails in my inbox from hackers who send out hundreds of thousands of emails using hijacked email accounts. The ones going to defunct accounts are bounced back to the sending email with a message: Mail delivery failed: return to sender. Today, the company that hosts my site, Hostgator, helped to stop another barrage of 10,000+ emails. So how did this happen?
Simple — I had a real easy password that I’ve been using for years. Of course, I’ve changed it. I’m finally following the advice of the experts. A lesson learned the hard way. So, if you, like me, have been too lazy to change the passwords on your important accounts, I urge you to do so.
Here is good advice from Microsoft’s Safety and Security Center: Read More→
TIAA-CREF Chief Engages Employees to Steer Transformation
Posted by: | CommentsI was inspired today to hear Roger Ferguson, President and CEO, TIAA-CREF, describe how companies must transform themselves to succeed in this new world and how he’s working to ensure that his company stays relevant. Some business leaders, he said, are adopting the burning platform approach that emphasizes immediate and radical change, or “getting out of their comfort zone.” He calls the process in his company continuous improvement.
While TIAA-CREF is not exactly a household name, unless you happen to work in academia, this Fortune 100 financial services organization has $453 billion under management, providing retirement planning for people who work in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields. So it’s a very big player in asset management.
Mr. Ferguson is one of the growing number of CEOs who are actively engaging employees in the transformation process to give them “a sense of ownership and what processes they want to see improved.” He’s started a program to train managers to be great coaches and to create what he calls “huddles” in which teams engage in problem solving and paint a picture of the company’s future. He calls it “leading from the middle.” It’s being rolled out gradually throughout the 7,500 employee organization.
Envision a Climbing Wall
At the breakfast meeting sponsored by my professional organization, The Financial Women’s Association, Mr. Ferguson discussed how professionals shouldn’t think about a career ladder but rather a “climbing wall.” It’s rare these days for a person to have a perfect upward trajectory with specified steps. Instead, most of us are moving between seemingly unrelated jobs. What we need to do, he said, is be willing to take risks, and learn the “bridging steps” to our next job. Figure out how to leverage our previous experience and build the skills for our next opportunity.
His Own Skills
Mr. Ferguson was refreshingly candid about what he considers to be his strengths and where he feels he could improve. I was pleased to learn he believes his communications skills are his greatest strength: the ability to synthesize disparate views into major messages. I personally feel this is where many CEOs are weak. As I wrote in an earlier post, entitled CEO as Chief Communications Officer, “This is the essence of the CEO’s job.” He feels he could improve his coaching skills with his senior team. Several were at the meeting and I didn’t get that feeling based on their guffaws. His personality came through as someone with empathy and I don’t think you can make this up for your “public persona,” as he calls his requirement to speak for the company.
TIAA-CREF is a 93-year-old “start-up,” he said. Sounds like the company is doing all the right things to be around for a long, long time.













