How many times have you heard the phrase, “It’s a good idea, but …”? Invariably, the “but” is followed by a list of reasons why the good idea should be abandoned immediately, in its entirety, without even a moment more of consideration. And frequently, that’s exactly what happens. Even if

Problem solving and innovation would be much easier tasks if problems would only present themselves fully formed and clearly defined. We’d know exactly what we were trying to achieve, and could leap instantly into finding a solution. In the real world however, no one presents us with problems; to keep

We expect a lot from our politicians. We demand that they simultaneously prepare for the future while preserving our heritage; protect the vulnerable while enabling the strongest among us to excel; and build tomorrow’s cities and countries while balancing today’s budgets. With challenges like that, success can only come when

Promotions, raises, pats on the back and even just the regular paycheck are among the ways organizations show their employees that they are valued and their contributions are recognized. But it’s not that uncommon for organizational rewards to be out of sync with the behaviors employees are told are valued.

A Chinese proverb warns us to be careful of our habits, for they shall become our character. It’s a concept that I think captures the importance of routine in developing us into the people we become. If we habitually condition ourselves to reject the untried, the unknown or the unusual,

The business world doesn’t expend much energy on problem finding. It’s an uncomfortable and often untidy process. And while many leaders consider themselves to be good problem solvers, most seem to find the idea of searching for new problems to be counter-intuitive. The “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,”