There are a variety of problems these days; Climate change, poverty, Illiteracy, debt crises, these are just a few. Google has decided to give solving these problems a shot and created the “Solve for X” initiative. This project draws together some of Google’s finest minds and asks them to creatively tackle some of the most perplexing global issues. The hope is that the “Solve for X” brain trust will develop radical solutions using existing technologies in a way previously unthought-of.

Tackling the biggest global issues

You may wonder, how can a group of people at “Solve for X” find answers to problems that have confused world leaders for years? The brain trust at “Solve for X” consists of forty-six scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators from all around the globe. And these people are enthusiastic. Google explains it as: “This combination of things—a huge problem to solve, a radical solution for solving it and the breakthrough technology to make it happen—is the essence of a moonshot.”

Tackling water scarcity

An article about the “Solve for X” project appeared on Mashable.com a few weeks ago. Mashable reported the account of an individual who participated in a “Solve for X” retreat. He stated the minds involved discussed the issue of global water scarcity. What sorts of solutions do you think this brain trust produced? How about forward osmosis with recycled ammonium salts. While we may not be clear about what this means, the people at “Solve for X” do.

The need for technology brain trusts

Whether “Solve for X” does produce any real solutions for the globe’s biggest problems, the brain trust idea is obviously one with merit. Technology has the facility to change the world for good. Yes, new tech entertains us. It makes it easier for us to enjoy our music, watch movies, and read our favorite magazines. But technology can do so much more. Perhaps brain trusts like “Solve for X” will help us truly tap the potential of technology.

Do you run a workplace in which employees feel free to share new ideas? Do your employees come to you with new plans or solutions about how to run company meetings more productively? Have your employees ever provided ideas for a new marketing plan or suggested topics for the company’s blog?

If this does not sound familiar, your company may be unintentionally stifling employee creativity. A lack of creativity among your employees, in today’s business environment, can spell the doom for your business and may keep you one step behind the competition.

Creative employees typically come up with key ideas for better promoting your products, enhancing the functionality of the company website, bettering production efficiencies, and shaving dollars off your monthly expenses. However, employees won’t exercise their creativity if you do not first encourage them to do so.

One of the best ways to motivate fresh thinking is to just listen to your employees when they present new ideas. Most employees are worried when approaching their superiors with new concepts, specifically when it’s an idea that falls “outside of the box.” So make sure you give them an open forum to discuss their ideas and give them the respect to listen closely to them. One more way is to ask your employees, if you are struggling to think of a way to improve the company’s blog, or products, send out an email asking for ideas. Not all of your employee’s ideas will impress you, but, so as not to single anyone out, listen to them all.

If you assume that your employees do not have good ideas, then you may be missing out. In addition, not listening to them, or overlooking ideas will encourage your employees to do the bare minimum. You will end up with a group of people working for the weekend.

One more great way to inspire creativity is to compensate strong ideas. This could be financial or simply pointing out their innovation to the rest of the company.

Many people want a job that allows them to be creative. It stimulates their minds and prevents boring redundancy. Many employees also have ideas on how to improve their place of business; they just haven’t voiced them to you. So encourage them to let you know what they think. It doesn’t mean that the way you have been doing things is bad; it just means that they may have ideas that you many not have thought of. Regardless, you and your business will reap the benefits of their creativity and your employees will be happier for it.

Tired of social media? Ignoring it all together? Well, hop on the bandwagon, because it’s not going away! In fact a brand new site recently popped up that is gaining popularity: Pinterest. Pinterest is a little different than sites like Facebook and Twitter, since it focuses purely on the interests of the users. This encourages creativity by allowing you to share your interests with others rather than just posting updates concerning your day-to-day life.

But that doesn’t explain what it is. The definition is in the name. Pinterest is a combination of the words “pin” and “interest”. Inside your account you have “pinboards,” similar to bulletin boards. You could make these public or not, and then “pin” images of stuff you have an interest in onto these and make notes about these images.

Creating Pinterest Categories

For example, you might make the category convertibles. Then you can paste any images you find online of the new Volkswagen Beetle convertible, along with a link to the page where you found them. It’s also possible to attach any photos of convertibles that you took yourself as well as add notes to these images. Then you’re able to share these pinboards with other Pinterest users.

The Social Part of Pinterest

While Pinterest features a different approach to social media, its main objective is still social interaction. You can decide to follow as many people as you wish as well as only follow the pinboards you’re interested in. Say somebody has a collection of local restaurants; you’re able to follow that, while choosing not to follow her collection of “all things cute.”

Joining Pinterest

This is easily the most difficult part about Pinterest. You have to be invited to participate. You can visit pinterest.com and request an invitation but there’s no telling just how long it will take to get your invitation. One surefire approach is to ask a friend with a Pinterest account to invite you.

Putting your best foot forward in life makes a difference, especially in the workplace. Hooking a job is more difficult now then ever, so it is more vital than ever to dress for success.

That’s right. What you wear to work and to job interviews still matters. Yes, more and more people are telecommuting. More people are arriving to work in jeans and t-shirts. However, that does not mean you should dress casually for an interview.

This simple rule can help where job interviews are concerned: Better to be overdressed then under-dressed. Even if the company that you are interviewing for says, “No need to dress up, we’re very casual here,” it is best to still wear proper business attire for your interview. Your clothing is capable of showing how serious you are about your employment, and employers want somebody that really wants to grow with a company and takes their position seriously. In the event you dress for an interview in t-shirt and jeans, you’ve made a poor first impression, even if you blow everyone else out of the water with your qualifications.

In the workplace you should still evaluate the clothing you wear. Even in a casual place you can continue to look sharp. Should you just grab yesterday’s jeans off the floor and run out the door you won’t get noticed. Those who put more thought into their style stand out from their peers, which is never a bad thing in the event the boss is looking to promote someone!

Of course, you still have to be a good worker. You could be the best-dressed person in the world, but it will not help you if you don’t do your job well. All things being equal, the better-dressed employee will always make the better impression.

You’re on Twitter, and you’re tired of reading about what your brother-in-law ate for breakfast. You are interested in following the tweets of people who actually have something interesting to talk about.

Well, lucky for you, almost everyone has a Twitter now.  This can include celebrities, scientists, entrepreneurs, and legislators and you could follow them and hear what they’ve got to say.

Here are 7 interesting folks who will get you started if you are not sure whom to follow:

1. Conan O’Brien: This talk-show host is a master of the absurd. His posts are always witty and clever. If you’re trying to follow somebody that will give you a mid-day chuckle, follow @ConanOBrien. Also, he doesn’t promote his show through his tweets.
2. Marissa Mayer: You may not be familiar with Marissa Mayer, but she is the first female engineer at Google. So if you want to get a glimpse into the life and thoughts of a technology expert, follow @Marissamayer.
3. Mike Massimino: For anybody who is thinking about what life at NASA is like, follow this astronaut’s Twitter feed: @Astro_Mike
4. Rainn Wilson: You may know Rainn better from the character of Dwight Schrute on the popular Tv program The Office. What you probably don’t know is that his Twitter feed is as entertaining as the show. Follow him @Rainnwilson.
5. Ryan Penagos: For those who are interested in Comics, Ryan Penagos Twitter feed will keep you up to date. He is the editorial director of Marvel Comics and he recently tweeted about a new Spider-Man video game.
6. Barack Obama: You may or may not have voted for him but he is the Commander and Chief. Find out what’s on his mind on a daily bases @BarackObama.
7. Bill Gates: You may not like Microsoft Windows, but you should still check out the Twitter feed of Bill Gates. The man has made an undeniable impact in the tech world. And today, he and his wife are devoting their time and energy to important charitable causes.