Classify Your Friends and See....

The next verb in "The Thinker's Toolbox" is classify. Not only in developing your creativity, but in all areas of our lives, the ability to classify things and ideas is very important. We can often find solutions to problems just by classifying all the information we have and maybe seeing what is missing. We used classifying to develop our concepts of our world and to attain mastery. When our teachers asked us to go home and find all of the things in our homes that were ovals we ended up with a much deeper understanding of ovals and we started to see them even though they were always there. It was like when we learn a new word and all of a sudden we see it everywhere. It was always there, we just never noticed it.
Today's fun activity: Write down the names of 10 or 12 of your co workers, bosses, friends, family members etc. You can mix up the list or do a list for each. Next come up with 4 or 5 headings such as reliable, hard working, flaky, stupid, intelligent.... Have some fun with your categories. Now make a chart with your friend list down the side and the category list across the top. Place a check mark or an X in the appropriate square.
Now the analysis. Are all of your friends jerks? Do you have a boss that's reliable? What are you missing??? What do you have too much of? Please let us know if you have had any revelations or insights and what you need to correct the situation. Hope your colleagues are not like mine.