Want better answers? Improve your problem-solving skills

It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail. Abraham Harold Maslow 1908 – 1970 From time to time, everyone has problems. No matter how successful you think someone is, they still encounter setbacks. Most people take a somewhat limited approach to solving problems, and consequently, they don’t always get the best results. I’d like to share a better approach with you. But to drive the lesson home, I want you to try a quick experiment. I want you to stop reading for thirty seconds, get a pen …
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Can knowing the answer hurt you?

The questions you ask yourself determine the results you get in life. Keith Cameron Smith In school, we were taught to know the answer. And we were constantly checked to see if we knew the answer. There were periodic tests, exams, pop quizzes and, most dreaded of all, occasions when we were called on in class. So we’ve been thoroughly indoctrinated in the importance of being able to provide answers when asked. But I wonder, can knowing the answer hurt you? I’m sure your reaction is typical: how could knowing the answer possibly work against you? To illustrate the point, …
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Automatic Reject Mode

Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are opened. Sir James Dewar 1842 – 1923 Do you have an automatic or instant “reject mode”? That is, when you hear a new idea or suggestion, do you automatically reject it? Most people will answer, “Of course not.” They immediately dismiss the idea that they could have such a reaction — thus illustrating my point rather nicely. Many people are guilty of having an instant reject mode. That trait may not be all bad; we can and should reject certain ideas and suggestions right away — ones that may be …
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