Good afternoon,
Today I’d like to take a moment to share two ideas that our team has implemented to sharpen our minds and energize our work.
The First are brain teasers or riddles. These quick (and hopefully fun) activities are a great way to engage an audience and encourage problem-solving. Below is an example of a recent brain teaser that I shared with our OE Team.
Prompt: You are in a room that has three switches and a closed door. The switches control three light bulbs on the other side of the door. Once you open the door, you may never touch the switches again. How can you definitively tell which switch is connected to each of the light bulbs?
Another, and more time-intensive, method is our OE Book Club. OE Transformation Manager, Georgia McRae, created our Book Club to focus on Professional Development readings. With a regular meeting cadence, we are expected to (1) share our favorite quote from the assigned chapters, (2) how the section relates to our role working in OE or at the University, and (3) any “ah-ha” moments for us from the activities in the chapter. Our first reading is Good to Great by Jim Collins.
As we’re always looking for new ways to grow our OE Toolbox, we would love to hear from you! How do you or your team keep your mind sharp? Please send me your thoughts, and don’t forget to include your answer to the Brain Teaser above.
Please feel free to share this email with your colleagues. You can also visit our website to learn more about Operational Excellence, read my previous updates and submit feedback. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at wernoski@email.unc.edu. I read every email.
Best,
Rick