Paint It Black

Werran Gayoso Rom

Description

This book is a self-reflection exercise designed to help readers overcome challenging problems through the use of specific problem solving techniques. In the introduction we learn about decision-making strategies that work in situations of uncertainty and we learn scenario planning - a technique invented in the 1960's for the US Dept. of Defense, later adapted for use in the private sector. Each of the seven practical cases listed comprehend a short explanation of the context, a stated objective and a story. Each story is summarized and at the end of the chapter there is a guided self-reflection questionnaire to help the reader adapt the story to a specific problem they want to solve, followed by an exercise.

Sujets

• Gestion et management
• Popular psychology

Informations

• Publié par: First Edition Design Publishing
• Date de parution: 15 février 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781622879700
• Langue: English

Extrait

“Paint It Black:”
How Rock-n-Roll and Other Tools Are the Best Problem-Solving Techniques

First Edition Design Publishing
Sarasota, Florida USA
“PAINT IT BLACK:” HOW ROCK-N-ROLL AND OTHER TOOLS ARE THE BEST PROBLEM-SOLVING TECHNIQUES
Copyright ©2015 Rom Werran Gayoso, Ph.D.

ISBN 978-1622-877-09-6 PRINT
ISBN 978-1622-877-10-2 EBOOK

August 2015

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com



ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns ─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .
Acknowledgments


First I want to thank my parents for instilling in me the hunger for reading and my grandparents for infecting me with a contagious love for stories.
I want to recognize two of my writing teachers from Colegio da Companhia de Maria: my 4 th grade teacher, Sister Portugal, and my 5 th grade teacher, D. Angela. Both gave wings to my imagination and encouraged me to write.
Thank you to Dr. Paul Thomas for his always provocative talks. Our get-togethers often ended with three or more dissenting opinions. His professional opinion and desire to see me grow as a writer opened my eyes and helped me connect with my more humanistic side.
I want to thank Mr. Ernesto Cavasin for pointing out the need to further explore applications of Decision Sciences on a personal level.
Special thanks to Shane and Megan Baskerville and to Brian Maxwell from the School of Rock for how they are developing my son’s musical talent.
Finally, I want to thank Mr. Joao Schoba, the publisher of my prior work in Brazil, for insisting I take on a project more focused on human development.
Author’s Note


Why I wrote this book.

Writing means sharing. It’s part of the human condition to want to share things ― thoughts, ideas, opinions.
― Paulo Coelho


I thought Paulo Coelho did a great job in rationalizing my thoughts as I set out to write this book. Originally, my published work was designed to support corporate decision-making. My most recent book, “How To Win in Every Scenario,” was written using the economics’ perspective in an effort to help organizations better construct their futures.
While soliciting testimonials, I was surprised by Dr. Paul Thomas’ statement that highlights my humanistic perspective on the topic and by Mr. Ernesto Cavasin from PwC Brazil, who wrote, “Try not to think about this tool in a personal context,” on the back cover of my Portuguese edition. Then on my book launch tour I was frequently asked how to use the decision-making tool on a personal level.
My editor in Brazil, Mr. Joao Schoba, advised me to write about the theme with the personal goal in mind. I was a bit reluctant at first. My original thought was to talk to organizations, not people. I also thought it probably would be difficult for someone to learn the tool and put it into practice. The challenge wasn’t in presenting the concept to a corporate audience but rather to the general public. Economists and writers in particular love a challenge!
The project before me presented an interesting proposition but the readers, testimonials and the editor weren’t convincing. That is until I discovered Paulo Coelho’s statement, which got me thinking…why do I write?

I write to share things, thoughts, ideas and opinions. My goal to make things and life better. I realized my passion for behavioral economics and helping others improve themselves can be combined into this one volume.
Indeed, this is a self-help book. My goal, however, isn’t to make someone feel good or give a pep talk or say something nice that resonates with the masses. Instead, I want to offer the general public a set of tools used in the business context that can help them make better decisions. Some adaptation of the technique is in order but that’s what made writing this book interesting. I wanted to share some best-known methods to help individuals think through situations in a more structured way. Think of it as decision-making on steroids; a tool I hope the readers will familiarize themselves with and carry with them to use whenever they need it.
If you use the tools in this book, you will find—unlike in the Rolling Stones’ tune—it’s not necessary to have a heavy heart and see just one color. Rock-n-Roll will teach us how to fight the doom and gloom.
It is my desire not just to share knowledge but to also bring value to the readers with a robust method. I hope it will serve you as well as it has me!
Cheers.
Preface


Writing for me is a personal experience. I tend to do reflect a lot about what I’m writing. I like to examine my bank of experiences to see how I ultimately feel and react to something. It is along these lines that I wanted to share my thoughts on the preface of this work. My objective is to share with the reader how much other people, places and experiences shaped the way I think and crafted the story.
Every time I read a book I feel it’s a conversation with the author. I’m intrigued by what experience caused the writer to put words on paper. If possible, I would sit with each one and go over my favorite passages to better understand their mood. For me, literature is about experiences, thoughts, emotions and the places. It would be great to go to Key West and sit down with Ernest Hemingway on his porch, watch the sunset, smoke a cigar and discuss The Old Man and the Sea . I actually didn’t appreciate Franz Kafka until I visited Prague. After visiting the main sites I knew immediately why he wrote the way he did.
In this preface I want to share a little bit about those wonderful people and experiences that inspired me to produce this work. I hope you enjoy discovering where my thoughts and experiences came from.
For the first short story, “Buying a House,” I was motivated to talk about budgets and financial discipline because of my exchanges with Mr. Greg Ricks. He always worked to educate others, especially young people, on the perils of credit and the need to plan ahead and stick to a budget. I could see Greg helping a young couple think through the implications of buying a house. Along those same lines, my students at Wilkes University are also a source of inspiration. We work together to better understand the impact of two monsters in our lives—unemployment and inflation. As an economist, I had no choice but to write about what seems to be the great economic malaises of our times.
In the second story, “A Life Changing Investment,” I was blessed to face such choices several times in my life. I had to go through the exercise, delight in the decisions and weigh the consequences. I couldn’t help but talk about a Harley Davidson. It isn’t just a piece of machinery, it is a national treasure! Along those same lines I set one story in Amsterdam, which happens to be one of my favorite places in Europe. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t indulge in vlaamse frites . It’s too rich for my taste. If you’re talking Parrano or Gouda cheese we’re in business.
The third story, “Where to Live,” was set up as a choice between Brazil and Japan. Both places have a lot of meaning and hold special places in my heart. The people from both countries were—and still are—influential in my life. I will always be grateful to Dr. Terumi Hatano for introducing me to her Zen friends and giving me my first tea ceremony experience. Mrs. Yayoi Hatano is a dear friend and I wanted to give her a hard time about throwing someone’s name on the pit of the Ise Shrine. I don’t think it’s something she would ever do. The entire complex of the Ise Shrine had a calming effect on me, much the same way the Golden Temple of Kyoto did. Always intrigued by fantastic realism, I took the creative liberty to introduce the samurai into the story. I felt he was a good persona to represent what the protagonist feared the most: Sameness.
The fourth story, “Cousin Sophie’s Wedding,” in many ways was easy to write. I’ve seen my share of dysfunctional weddings and they’re somewhat of an inspiration, mostly for what not to do. The inspiration for the wedding map came from my dear friend, Ms. Kasandra Husar, who brilliantly explains this topic and works with me on different strategies to help people communicate better. This story also was difficult for me to write because it caused me to reflect the most. The chief inspiration here was my mother, who was blessed enough to operate as peace maker in many a situation.
At this point I must make a confession. Confessions are typically private events, so doing it publicly and in writing isn’t easy but, since it’s made so public in the pages of a book, I hope for even greater forgiveness. I confess it took me a long time to understand my mother’s behavior. I couldn’t fathom why she would diffuse crises and diligently operate as a go-between to fix so many issues. I was more a believer of direct confrontation. As I matured and came into contact with these conflict negotiations techniques, I started to see the wisdom in her actions. I felt this confession needed to be offered. Since she will be reading this work, I hope for an even greater forgiveness for the times I didn’t understand or otherwise accept her position.
The fifth story, “El Otro Lado” (The Other Side), was fun to write. The story was inspirational. Because I live in a border state, I hear a lot of similar stories from many people of different walks of life who come into the United States seeking a better life. It works for some but not all, mostly because when they arrive here th