2-14-15 Hodgepodge

Analogize for Creative Solutions

Over at Thinking Directions, Jean Moroney shows how to solve problems via analogies:

... Of these, "reinstall the program fresh" didn't have an obvious counterpart–so that case warrants more thinking. Here are three things that "reinstall the program" could suggest for dealing with the employee:

• From the word "reinstall": Write up a description of model employee behavior, then have a private talk with your employee to see if he'll start anew and commit to this behavior...

Read the whole thing. Even if, as probably most people do spontaneously from time to time, you have solved a problem in such a way, the post shows just how powerful the technique is -- which is why it might be a good idea to think to try it in the future, rather than stumble upon it (or not) the next time it could be helpful.

Weekend Reading

"It's sort of ironic: If you ultimately don't gain enough from the person to enjoy a sustained friendship with them, then this calls into question how sustained a romantic relationship might have been." -- Michael Hurd, in "When Romance Isn't a Two-Way Street" at The Delaware Wave

"... I sometimes suggest that clients keep a journal of what they're feeling at the moment they want to eat (outside of normal mealtimes)." -- Michael Hurd, in "Making Peace With Food" at The Delaware Coast Press

Ska Band -- Or Improv Troupe?

Reader Snedcat, who first inroduced me to my favorite kind of music -- and lots of good ska over the years -- recently drew my attention to an amusing contest:

[B]oth of these maligned, misunderstood art forms seem to attract a lot of earnest, twenty-something Caucasians who like to take deeply uncool group photos, occasionally while wearing matching outfits.

Perhaps my memory of an album cover or here or there will help me score slightly better than chance!

-- CAV