by Dwayne Phillips The tooth fairy does not exist. No amount of wishing, hoping, dreaming, and whatever it is that children do when a baby tooth falls from their mouth, will change that fact. Sometimes – many times – adults at work wish there is a tooth fairy and we wish we can just jump […]
Entries Tagged as 'Thinking'
The Tooth Fairy
April 21st, 2011 · No Comments
Tags: Fable · Problems · Thinking · Work
Learning How to be Smarter
March 17th, 2011 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips. I have multiplied my “smartness” in the last couple of decades due to techniques I learned from two peolple. I always wanted to be smart. Then I wanted to be smarter than that. I guess I am still working at being smarter. I recently switched to paying for Starbucks coffee using an […]
Tags: Differences · General Systems Thinking · Learning · People · Thinking
Artificial Intelligence
February 16th, 2011 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Once and for all we answer the question: what is artificial intelligence? It was the summer of 1986, and I was sitting in an office of a government manager several layers of the bureaucracy above me. There were other people in the room and they were discussing what was a red-hot technology […]
Tags: General Systems Thinking · Technology · Thinking
Fatigue Wins Again
September 20th, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Fatigue is natural. Thinking that I can beat fatigue is wishful. Find a test that indicates your level of performance. Adjust your activities to meet your level. Fatigue beats wishes, but rest beats fatigue. I wish that fatigue didn’t always win. I wish I conquered fatigue all the time. I that no […]
Tags: Excuses · Health · Judgment · Thinking
How to Solve A Problem
July 29th, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips There are many processes available to solving problems and and working situations. Despite all our advances in methods and processes, still the best method in many cases is to focus on the problem, commit resources, and solve it. Here’s the secret step to solving any problem: Solve it I was reminded of […]
Tags: Management · Problems · Process · Thinking
The “Notice-er”
July 26th, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Life is full of interesting things. All we have to do is notice them. To do so, I have learned to keep my “notice-er” engaged. I have also learned how to keep and use the noticed things. At a recent public gather, a friend stood to give a five-minute speech. This five-minute […]
Tags: Ideas · Observation · Thinking · Writing
The Only Possible…
July 19th, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips There is always one more solution. Sometimes we just need a little more of this or that to see it. And when people claim no more solutions, they are telling us all sorts of things. I liked Seth Godin’s recent blog post. In it, Seth wrote: The only possible response … isn’t. […]
Tags: General Systems Thinking · Thinking
Actionable Things
July 1st, 2010 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips Be wary when someone asks for “actionable fill-in-the-blank.” I few years ago, I was working in a prestigious organization (just ask anyone who worked there, they would happily tell you that it was a prestigious place). A division there had an expiring charter and needed to update it. Several senior managers asked […]
Tags: Management · Meetings · Thinking · Work · Writing
Redefine Impossible
November 30th, 2009 · No Comments
by Dwayne Phillips What was impossible at one point in the past, often is now possible. What is impossible today will probably possible in the future. Change the conversation by replacing “impossible” with a phrase. What is impossible these days? Curing the common cold Finding politicians who are candid about their proposals An efficient government […]