More than One Way to Skin a Cat: Adventures in Creative Thinking
How many times have you caught yourself saying that there could be no other solution to a problem – and that that problem leads to a dead end? How many times have you felt stumped knowing that the problem laying before you is one you cannot solve. No leads.  No options.  No solutions.

Did it feel like you had exhausted all possible options and yet are still before the mountain – large, unconquerable, and impregnable? When encountering such enormous problems, you may feel like you’re hammering against a steel mountain. The pressure of having to solve such a problem may be overwhelming.

But rejoice! There might be some hope yet!
With some creative problem-solving techniques you may be able to look at your problem in a different light. And that light might just be the end of the tunnel that leads to possible solutions.

First of all, in the light of creative problem-solving, you must be open-minded to the fact that there may be more than just one solution to the problem. And, you must be open to the fact that there may be solutions to problems you thought were unsolvable.

Now, with this optimistic mindset, we can try to be a little bit more creative in solving our problems.
Number one; maybe the reason we cannot solve our problems is that we have not really taken a hard look at what the problem is. Here, trying to understanding the problem and having a concrete understanding of its workings is integral solving the problem. If you know how it works, what the problem is, then you have a better foundation towards solving the problem.

Not trying to make the simple statement of what problem is. Try to identify the participating entities and what their relationships with one another are. Take note of the things you stand to gain any stand to lose from the current problem. Now you have a simple statement of what the problem is.

Number two; try to take note of all of the constraints and assumptions you have the words of problem. Sometimes it is these assumptions that obstruct our view of possible solutions. You have to identify which assumptions are valid, in which assumptions need to be addressed.

Number three; try to solve the problem by parts. Solve it going from general view towards the more detailed parts of the problem. This is called the top-down approach. Write down the question, and then come up with a one-sentence solution to that from them. The solution should be a general statement of what will solve the problem. From here you can develop the solution further, and increase its complexity little by little.

Number four; although it helps to have critical thinking aboard as you solve a problem, you must also keep a creative, analytical voice at the back of your head. When someone comes up with a prospective solution, tried to think how you could make that solution work. Try to be creative. At the same time, look for chinks in the armor of that solution.

Number five; it pays to remember that there may be more than just one solution being developed at one time. Try to keep track of all the solutions and their developments. Remember, there may be more than just one solution to the problem.

Number six; remember that old adage,” two heads are better than one.” That one is truer than it sounds. Always be open to new ideas. You can only benefit from listening to all the ideas each person has. This is especially true when the person you’re talking to has had experience solving problems similar to yours.

You don’t have to be a gung-ho, solo hero to solve the problem. If you can organize collective thought on the subject, it would be much better.

Number seven; be patient. As long as you persevere, there is always a chance that a solution will present itself. Remember that no one was able to create an invention the first time around.

Creative thinking exercises can also help you in your quest be a more creative problems solver.
Here is one example.
Take a piece of paper and write any word that comes to mind at the center. Now look at that word then write the first two words that come to your mind. This can go on until you can build a tree of related words. This helps you build analogical skills, and fortify your creative processes.

So, next time you see a problem you think you can not solve, think again. The solution might just be staring you right in the face. All it takes is just a little creative thinking, some planning, and a whole lot of work.

Guardian Launches Educational Campaign, Website and Enhanced Enrollment Services for the Fall Open Enrollment Season

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), one of the largest mutual life insurance companies and a leading provider of employee benefits to midsize and small companies, offers employees and employers tips for leveraging their employee benefits in one of the worst economic environments since the Great Depression.

Guardian’s employee benefits experts compiled these money saving tips and educational resources just in time for the fall open enrollment season when millions of employees make important decisions about their benefits for the coming year. Additionally, Guardian recently launched an educational campaign including a dedicated Website and enhanced enrollment services to make it easier for employers to manage and employees, to understand and select their benefits.

Open Enrollment Tips

Sign-up for voluntary benefits
1) Consider taking advantage of voluntary benefits (sponsored by the employer, paid by the employee). They give you greater choices and discounted access to benefits to help ensure protection needs meet your specific lifestyle. They are usually more affordable than individual coverage and require limited or no medical underwriting.
2) Sign up for voluntary benefits earlier rather than later. Some voluntary benefits like life insurance plans may automatically increase coverage amounts each year, building up greater coverage than what you initially signed up for. These increases have no impact to premiums so it pays to enroll early.

Look for the freebies or perks
3) Use your health insurance plan to get a discount on your gym membership. Health insurance plans with a wellness focus often offer these discounts to encourage employees to stay fit, keeping your long-term costs of care lower. Need estate planning or will preparation advice? Check your life insurance coverage to see if free or low cost legal services are available. For example, Guardian has WillPrep Services* that give plan members access to online planning documents and professional assistance with advanced health care directives, estate taxes, financial and healthcare power of attorney, guardianship and conservatorship, trusts and wills.

Keep more money in your pockets
4) If a high deductible health plan is one of your medical plan options, consider opening a health savings account if available. Money in HSA funds build tax-free and you keep it even if you change jobs. You can use the money to pay for qualified health expenses if necessary and if no health care needs arise, you are building your money up on a tax-advantaged basis.
5) All high-deductible plans are not created equally. Look for a plan that doesn’t require you to pay out-of-pocket for common preventative screenings. Critical illness insurance can be bundled with your health plan to provide greater coverage when serious illnesses strike. A new industry feature on critical illness insurance is a hospital rider where if you face an extended hospital stay, you can receive a check of up to $500 for each day you’re in the hospital — up to ten days. You can use the money any way you want, but many employees choose to use this extra cash to cover high deductibles, co-payments, or even child care.

Use it, don’t lose it
6) Look for a dental plan that has an annual maximum rollover — these newer plans became popular in the past three years and allow you to roll over a portion of your unused benefits to the next year. These plans are doing for the dental industry what rollover minutes did for the mobile phone industry.
7) Consider signing up for a flexible spending account which allows you to pay for qualified healthcare, dependent care and even transportation expenses with before-tax dollars. It’s a use it, or lose it account so don’t forget to use the money before the year-end
deadline. Qualifying purchases may include: medical and dental deductibles and copayments, over the counter medications, eye glasses, child care, and transportation related to your employment.

Don’t give up on your 401(k)
Open Enrollment is a really good time to take a look at your company retirement plan contributions. With only a few short months left in the year, you have time to make adjustments, if necessary, to ensure you reach your contribution goal.
9) Now is the time to start up contributions again, if you stopped contributing during the market turmoil earlier this year. Saving through your employer-sponsored retirement plan helps you automatically follow one of the wisest investment strategies–dollar- cost averaging, putting the same amount of money in the same investment consistently, regardless of market movement. Over time, this can reduce the overall cost of your investments.

If you lose your job, keep your benefits
10) If you lose your job, some of your benefits may be portable. Make sure you ask your HR executive about the ability to maintain key benefits at affordable group rates in the event of job loss.

Guardian Educational Campaign and More Tips

Guardian’s Web page www.guardianenrollmenttips.com, offers free online tips, an interactive benefits quiz and resources for employers and their employees. The company is also sponsoring a radio awareness campaign this fall to encourage employees to spend more time learning about their benefits.

“In the midst of economic downturn employers are looking to effectively deliver competitive benefits programs that fit their budgets and meet the diverse needs of their employees,” said Elena Wu, Group Marketing Officer, Guardian. “Voluntary benefits and plan designs that offer value for the benefits buck are increasingly becoming important vehicles for helping employers to strike that delicate balance between controlling expenses and keeping their employees motivated and happy with quality employee benefits. Guardian is committed to giving midsize and small employers and their workforce greater access to not only benefits, but also education that will help them to make better decisions and be more competitive with larger companies.”

Guardian’s services designed to relieve the administrative burden for employers and improve employee understanding and management of their benefits include:

– Customized enrollment success plans designed to increase employee participation to help employers communicate benefit offerings through on-site enrollment meetings and turn-key employee communications.
– Bilingual enrollment services including Spanish language enrollment materials as well as in-language phone support.
– Personalized enrollment kits available to plan sponsors that offer voluntary life or disability insurance, where the employees’ names and addresses are already filled in on their enrollment forms and cost information is conveniently displayed and personalized based on employee’s age and salary making the enrollment decision easier.
– Employee online enrollment available to eligible existing Guardian customers after initial enrollment, gives plan sponsors the option of allowing their employees to update and select their benefits directly using the Internet if they are a new hire or re-enrolling.
– Face-to-face enrollment meetings with our nationwide team of benefit advisors at no extra cost.
– Toll-free employee benefits hotline where support is available in over 50 languages.
– 24/7 access to Guardian’s online benefits website, Guardian Anytime, which includes provider locators, health resources, glossaries and plan information.
– Guardian’s WorkLifeMatters Employee Assistance Program that offers support on a range of matters such as elder and child care, retirement planning and stress management.

*WillPrep Services are provided by Integrated Behavioral Health, Inc., and its contractors.

Source: The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

Two of the highest costs for any organization are people and real estate. In the current economy it makes sense to maximize the return on your facilities by making sure that your space supports your staff and your long-range goals without incurring substantial costs.

Lois Goodell, IIDA, who heads the largest interior design practice in Boston at CBT, shares seven easy to implement changes that will improve morale, productivity, and position your organization for the post-recession future at little or no cost:

Reconfigure: If cutbacks have emptied workstations and created dead zones in the office plan, reconfigure the space to increase the density. Fill empty seats and arrange workstations to improve workflow and visibility, which improves communication and morale.

Redeploy: Increase the density of workstations to open up other areas on the floor. Use “found” space to create room for collaboration. Keep the furnishings, redeployed from across the office, simple to encourage informal meetings.

Readjust: As individuals take on additional work when staff is reduced, they may require more filing space or different surfaces to support their new responsibilities. See what’s needed to be effective and adjust the workstation components accordingly.

Rethink: Senior staff responsibilities are increasing, too. Configure private office furniture to facilitate communication, mentoring, and accessibility. With travel budgets slashed, it’s time to have IT install a webcam.

Restack: More costly than re-planning a single work area or even an entire floor, the investment in restacking several floors to achieve more effective adjacencies delivers surprising paybacks. Improved communication across business units addresses shifting demands — speed-to-market, new products and services, or streamlined operations.

Reinvigorate: Take advantage of the public spaces to raise visibility. Multi-function rooms, cafes, and conference rooms can be used to bring people together for training, to host events for clients, colleagues, or community.

Refresh: For a small investment paint provides a big return. Used strategically, color can bring a professional polish to the office or just refresh spaces that are showing “wear and tear.”

Whatever changes you make now should anticipate further change. Evaluate your resources holistically — your facilities, your inventories, your requirements, and your budget. As Goodell notes, “Smart moves today provide positive, short-term impact, and the opportunity to position for the long-term.” Focusing on improved efficiencies, flexibility, and cost-effective solutions for your facilities fosters a workplace culture that is agile, collaborative, and sustainable.

Source: Lois Goodell