The "Thinking Tracks" File

Catholic Charities Drops All Spousal Benefits

2010-05-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

According to a story in Employee Benefit News (May, 2010), the Catholic Charities of Washington, D.C. stopped offering benefits to its employee's spouses after Washington, D.C. legalized same-sex marriages. It will no longer offer benefits to the spouses of future employees, current employees who get married in the future, or current spouses who aren't already enrolled in the benefit plan. "As a Catholic social service organization, we follow the teachings of the Catholic Church," stated a official of the organization.

So why does this hit the "Thinking Tracks" blog -- it's more relevant to the HR Tracking blog (it's posted there too)? Simply because the article starts with the statement that when the same-sex marriage law took effect, some "local employers and residents took note of a serious unintended consequence."

I know that I can easily be accused of repeating Lisa Scottoline's quote too often -- frankly I think I need to repeat it -- with examples -- every day. But it applies -- again!! -- here: This is something that was easily predictable. "You’re a lawyer, Victoria, and you know about foreseeable consequences. If you can foresee the consequences, you are charged with intending them, are you not?"

A Minister of Thinking

2010-03-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Master thinking Edward de Bono, creator of Six Thinking Hats and Lateral Thinkng, issued a call that "all governments should have a miniser of thinking Every organization can have a thinking officer. Thinking needs to be taken as seriously as finance or legal affairs."

Good Thinking!!!

UC: School Webcam Spying

2010-02-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

In a Yahoo/AP news report from early February ('10), federal authorities are investigating a Pennsylvania school district accused of secretly switching on laptop computer webcams inside students' homes. The school district has acknowledged remotely activating webcams 42 times in the last 14 months, but contends it was only to "find missing student laptops." A student has filed a federal lawsuit alleging invasion of privacy. Exactly what happened is still unclear -- each side has its own version of what did or did not happen. One thing is clear: parents were not informed in the permission forms they signed for the computers that this "remote activation" was possible.

One line in the story makes our point clearly: "The Pennsylvania case show how even well-intentioned plans can go awry if officials fail to understand the technology and its potential consequences (emphasis added)."

Comment: I cannot guarantee that the use of an Implications Wheel process would have revealed this as a possibility -- but I'm betting it would!

Waiting in Line

2010-02-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

A study in the journal NeuroQuantology (2/10) found that people forced to wait, for example in line, experienced the time spent as being far less if they were amused and distracted.

Comment: I suppose it's nice to have research on even those things we already know. But the article should at least give credit to some other, most likely to include Disney, for knowing this to be true all along. The reality of how Disney has management lines over the years demonstrates this much more realistically than this "research project."

UC Track: Big Fines for Airline Delays

2009-12-28T03:36:00.000-08:00

According to a WSJ (12/22/2009), "Airlines Face Big Fines for Delays." The new rules, which will take effect in April, 2010 could include fines as much as $27,500 per passenger. On a plane carrying 120 passengers, a three hour delay could result in a $3.3 million dollar fine.

Airlines will be forced to comply with the new rules, "even though we believe it will lead to unintended consequences -- more canceled flights and greater passenger inconvenience." Again, it is easy to remind everyone of the "signature" quote on the title page... Why do we continue to allow creation and implementation of "rules" that have consequences, both positive and negative, that can be clearly identified -- before the "rules" are implemented?

UC Track: Health Care

2009-12-28T03:28:00.000-08:00

Health care reform is critically needed in this country -- yet it appears we are going to be unable to create reform that is not built on political issues more than it is based (as it should be) on an objective assessment of needs, costs, and solutions. Maybe not possible but...

According to a recent posting from Employee Benefit News, one of the biggest issues of the current health care reforms are "unintended consequences feared." I don't have to repeat the quote that is prominantly posted on the title page of "Thinking Tracks." I can repeat the simple challenge: why are we unwilling to carefully examine the potential implications, both positive and negative, that are associated with every aspect of something as important as health care?

Music Unlocks Memories

2009-11-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

An article in the WSJ (11/17/2009) presents a compelling report of how music appears to help patients, from stroke victims to dementia patients, recall memories -- or in some cases help regain skills. Stroke victims have been aided in recovery by music as they recovered walking skills. Dementia patients have recovered seemingly lost memories and even regained some cognitive function with the aid of music -- even when they've lost memories of names and faces.

The power of music...

The Brain: Success versus Failure

2009-11-02T01:45:00.000-08:00

According to a Headlines posting in Scientific American Mind (November-December 2009), the amount of dopamine released in the brain when we've had success completing a task improves neural processing and encourages similar or better performance when repeating the task. "Success has a much greater influence on the brain than failure."

However, as the research notes, (information which is very consistent with others like that discussed in Mindset), this means we need to pay more attention to failures, "consciously encouraging our brain to learn a little more from failure than it would be default."

More Research on Multi-Tasking

2009-11-02T01:28:00.000-08:00

According to a "Headlines" posting in Scientific American Mind (November-December, 2009), still another research stufy adds evidence to the postion that we cannot really "multi-task." What's interesting about this research, however, is that it narrows what we know about why. The research shows that it is the prefrontal cortext of the brain that can only handle one item at a time. Through training and practice, it appears we can speed up the ability to quickly switch from one task to another (what's becoming known as "switch-tasking") but this latest MRI-based research states we will never be able to develop true multi-tasking ability.

Wandering Minds Lead to Insight

2009-09-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

According to a WSJ (6/19/09) article, some of the latest research on the brain shows that daydreaming clearly leads to "breakthrough moments" and innovation.

According to the article/research, "In fact, our brain may be most actively engaged when our mind is wandering and we've actually lost track of our thoughts." Solving a problem with insight is fundamentally different from solving a problem analytically."

Comment: This research is also supported by some of the materials in a very good book, "How We Decide." It's also supported by the "playful" nature of creative thinking tools like Edward de Bono's Lateral Thinking.

Brain Track: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

2009-09-06T03:56:00.000-07:00

A follow-up to the previous post: As part of my preparation for a three workshop on "Thinking Clearly and Analytically" I pushed to work through both of the "Professor Layton" games for the Nintendo DS system. They are very similar, ten mysteries that the "Professor" and his assistant Luke solve as part of a larger "story." As noted in the previous post, the games in this series can provide over 20 hours of play time -- and there are more than 100 puzzles available.

The puzzles, in their variety and wide range of difficulty, are the strength of this game. In a few cases, the same puzzle is provided two or three times in progressively more complicated versions -- very good progressive "practice" for logical thinking. Also as noted, the fact that as a player you can't easily turn to the back of the book for the answers is a good trait.

I thought the the "Diabolical Box" version of Professor Layton was a bit harder than "Curious Village," although my total play time, puzzles solved, picarets earned, etc. were very similar. But because of the multiple locations of the "Diabolical Box" mystery, compared to the single location of the "Village" I found myself just wondering around at times. On the other hand, the first half of "Diabolical Box" takes place on a luxurious train which was certainly delightful for me.

Brain Track: Professor Layton and... (DS)

2009-09-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

I hesitated to post on the extremely popular Nintendo DS game, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, even though I did purchase it -- but hadn't played through it. Now I have and I'm eagerly finding time to play the second edition, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box.

There has been an explosion of "brain games" for the Nintendo DS Lite and Wii game systems. Most are interesting, fun, and if you believe that simply "practicing" mental activity is good for you, then they all have some value. I've tried many (probably not most because it's hard to keep up).

While the Professor Layton games occasionally get absorbed in the story, my reaction is that helps maintain the interest instead of just working on "puzzles." Each game contains well over 100 puzzles, with even more available from an online download -- plus "mysteries" which are solved by Professor Layton -- but followed by the player because of the logic used to discover and "put the pieces together."

The puzzles include classics of almost all types, several new variations, and a wide range of difficulty (although that may relate in part to the player's skill in logical thinking). But if you're looking for some serious practice on the basics of logical thinking -- these games are excellent. I've always been hesitant to recommend many of the "books" on logical thinking puzzles because for the most part the fact that the answers are printed in the back of the book makes it too easy for people to stop trying and simply go for the "ah ha!" In the Professor Layton series, you cannot get the answers (although they're out there online) but you can get three different hints that are usually helpful in guiding you to the solution.

Some might consider the games expensive ($ 25 - $30), you can easily get 20 plus hours of play time for one player, so hourly that's a very good return. More importantly to practice basic logical thinking, both of these are excellent.

I have to point out that, although I have just begun the second edition, it looks like it will be my favorite because much of it takes place on a train.

Memory Recall and Doodling

2009-06-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

According to a recent study published in "Applied Cognitive Psychology," "doodling" actually assists in helping remember details while listening. Dreaing meaningless mazes, boxes -- created a 29% improved recall. It appears that the doodling removes the daydreaming without affecting performance on the main task.

Brain Fitness Guide

2009-06-07T04:55:00.000-07:00

SharpBrains has just released an excellent book, the SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness. SharpBrains has quickly become the leader in monitoring the wide range of research, news, and products in this fast developing area.

The Sharp Brains Guide to Brain Fitness: 18 Interviews with Scientists, Practical Advice, and Product Reviews, to Keep Your Brain Sharp

Retrain the Brain

2008-10-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

According to a report in "Workforce Management" in January, 2008, the popular "brain training" software, from games like "Brain Age" and "Flash Focus" to higher level "brain fitness" software from firms like Posit Science are heading toward the workplace.

Not suprising if you check out some of the postings already on this site. We'll be posting more on this topic, but check out www.sharpbrains.com for some great information.

UC Track: UC Monitor Updated

2008-07-07T04:08:00.000-07:00

Four years ago, I researched the incidence of the words "unintended consequences" in a variety of publications, including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and others. Here's the original post from 2004:

In the Washington Post, from 1877 to 1986, a span of 109 years, there were 64 citations for "unintended consequences."

From 1987 to 2004, a span of just 17 years, there were 740 "unintended consequences" citations.

I just updated the research -- and the explosion continues:

From 1987, still a span of just 21 years, there are now 2150 "unintended consequences" citations.

Possible I-Wheel(s): Internet Names Beyond .com

2008-06-30T05:06:00.001-07:00

According to USA today, 6/27/2008, it's time to get ready for ".nyc," .ebay," and ".books.amazon" as web addresses. Starting early in 2009, almost any word will be able to replace ".com" in a web page address. The article points out some of the obvious "first-order" implications -- in fact better than many articles. It points out to the potential problem of companies having to register "thousands" of domain names to protect a brand. It points out that there will be restrictions, for example, names cannot conflict with a brand, i.e., .cocacola or a country, i.e., .korea.

But the question for so many organizations where their web presence is critcal remains -- for each of them: "What are the possible implications of...?"

Brain Track: "My Word Coach"

2008-06-10T06:50:00.001-07:00

MY WORD - for Nintendo DS/Wii

This is another favorite—may be indicative of a preference I have for word games. My Word has some great vocabulary builders and “tests”—all timed so you’re encouraged to think quickly.
There’s a “missing letter” game requiring quick recognition of a word—without a definition. There’s the “left-right” game that presents a definition and then offers two alternatives. And after some success, a new game appears that’s appropriately labeled “pasta” because it jumbles the letters of word—with a definition—into a bowl of soup. Fun and again requiring quick thinking to score well. This is another solid B+ maybe even an A-

Brain Track: "Crosswords" for DS Lite

2008-06-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

In the continuing explosion of "brain games" for electronic gaming, "Crosswords" has been released for Nintendo DS Lite. It's an excellent game, based in part of my criteria, which includes learning, "practice," and quick playing time. The complexity builds, but starts with small crossword puzzles that can be completed in a few minutes. Like many of the "brain" games, it keeps track of your scores and progress.

UC Track: Community Lending

2006-09-03T03:43:00.000-07:00

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) is an almost 30 year old law that has been touted as positive mandate for banks to invest in low and moderate income neighborhoods.

But according to an article in the Fordham Urban Law Journal (2002), "by the late 1990's, the unimaginable had happened. Predatory mortgages -- exploitative high-cost loans to gullible borrowers -- were ravaging inner cities and newspaper headlines across the country were carrying accounts of foreclosures against low-income people of color and the elderly."

Comment

The book, "It's Not What We Meant to Do," included numerous examples of federal laws, with great intentions, that produced scores of "unintended consequences."

Now, here's another. But what's interesting is that, again, the experts describe this as the "unimaginable happening." Why is the "unimaginable" It appears to me that this is clearly a possibility that could have been anticipated.

UC Track: FAST Company - Unintended Consequences

2006-05-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

A recent Fast Company feature on "Unintended Consequences" talked about how several companies, including Wal-Mart, Apple, and NetFlix struggle with their success in ways that appear to hurt the very thing that has made them successful.

The article points out that Apple's "exquisitely designed I-POD" has an irritating feature -- you can't change the battery. A class action suit forced them to offer a battery replacement service for $65.95.

The NetFlix story is a little more interesting. The company that promises unlimited rentals from subscribers list of choices has admitted that it "throttles" deliveries to its heaviest users by slowing down the fulfillment process. They have adopted a policy that states "heavy users are more likely to experience shipping delays.." Interesting.

The article concludes that these may be the "unintended consequences" of otherwise brilliant marketing strategies.

UC TracK: The UC Monitor

2005-11-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

In the Washington Post, from 1877 to 1986, a span of 109 years, there were 64 citations for "unintended consequences."

From 1987 to 2004, a span of just 17 years, there were 740 "unintended consequences" citations.

UC Track: Amtrak's Long Distance Trains

2005-11-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

According to a Wall Street Journal story, AMTRAK, the nation's passenger railroad, in an ongoing effort to stem losses and boost revenues, has started hauling more mail and cargo. "That, too, has unintended consequences for passengers."

The extra freight cards means that trains are too long to fit into stations, leaving passengers waiting for hours while cars are re-arranged -- or walking long distances to reach the station?

UC Track: Medical Malpractice: Doctors versus Lawyers

2005-11-27T06:55:00.000-08:00

According to a USA Today story in 2004, doctors objecting to higher and higher malpractice insurance costs, are refusing to treat lawyers. In one Texas case, a nurse was fired from a Medical Center because her husband was a lawyer with a law firm that specialized in medical malpractice litigation.

UC Track: Computers in the Classroom

2005-11-10T06:09:00.000-08:00

In a 10/14/05 Wall Street Journal article, reporting on the widespread application of wireless connections to the internet, there are numerous examples of scouting the future. Initially college professors offered overwhelming support for the idea, believing that internet access would allow better student access to research information, etc.

But many professors have now realized that widespread internet access has simply encouraged instant messaging among students, checking e-mail, playing poker, and extensive cheating. Some colleges are now struggling with issues, and even more "unintended consequences" of attempts to block wireless access in classrooms.

UC Track: Once Upon a Time, There Was a Call Center...

2005-11-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

According to a TrainingMag.com story in 2003, the managers of a call center, decided that if call center representatives took a little less time on each call, happier customers would results. So they installed a monitor on each rep's computer that displayed average call time. Over the next few months, they established and then lowered the "expected average."

The call center representatives discovered, rather quickly, a quick way to get around the expectation. Whenever their average time showed higher than expected, they hung up on a customer. In one Nashville call center, 1500 customers were disconnected in one day. OOPS!

UC Track: German Surnames - Looking Generations into the Future

2005-11-10T05:57:00.000-08:00

In the Wall Street Journal (10/12/05) there was a story about a German law which requires approval for names and forbids names with hyphens. One of the reasons represents some clear thinking out to the "sixth order."

"And why no hyphens? Dr. Eichhoff-Cyrus, who hyphenated her own surname after marriage but is not allowed to pass it on to her children, explains that the concern is hyphenation multiplication. If a double-named boy grew up to marry and have children with a double-named woman, those children could have four names, and their children could have eight, and their children could have 16. The bureaucracy shudders."

UC Track: Pay for Performance #2

2005-11-10T05:50:00.000-08:00

A software developer had problems with software glitches. They installed an incentive plan to reward programmers for finding and removing the bugs. Initially, the plan seemed successful. But the developer's performance numbers hid the problem -- employees were creating the very bugs the incentive plan was paying them to remove.

UC Track: Pay for Performance #1

2005-11-10T05:35:00.000-08:00

After the discovery of insect parts in its pea packages, Green Giant designed a bonus plan to reward employees for removing insect parts from the vegetables. Green Giant abandoned the incentive plan when it learned that employees were bringing insect parts from home, putting them into the vegetables, and then removing them to get their bonuses.