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In Dreams

On occasion, art, music, and even scientific discoveries /inventions, have resulted directly from information received in a dream. Here are some examples:

Lead Shot

James Watt is remembered for inventing the steam engine, but he also came with the process for making lead shot used in shotguns. This process was revealed to him in a dream. At the time, making the lead shot was costly and unpredictable - the lead was rolled into sheets by hand, then chopped into bits. Watt began having the same dream each night for a week: He was walking along in a heavy rainstorm - bot instead of rain, he was being showered with tiny pellets of lead, which he could see rolling around his feet. The dream haunted him; did it mean that molten lead falling through the air would harden into round pellets? He decided to experiment. He melted a few pounds of lead and tossed it out of the tower of the church that had a water-filled moat at its base. When he removed the lead from the water, he found that it had hardened into tiny globules. To this day, lead shot is made using this process.

The Benzene Molecule

Friedrich A. Kekule, a Belgian chemistry professor, had been working for some time to solve the structural riddle of the benzene molecule. One night while working late, he fell asleep on a chair and dreamed of atoms dancing before him, forming various patterns and structures. He saw long rows of atoms begin to twist like snakes until one of the snakes seized its own tail and began to whirl in a circle. Kekule woke up "as if by a flash of lightning" and began to work out the meaning to his dream image. His discovery of a closed ring with an atom of carbon and hydrogen at each point of a hexagon revolutionized organic chemistry.

Source: The B.R. Institute Reader,The B.R. Institute, PO Box 1117, Ashland, OR 97520

When It's an Inside Job

Use these do's and don'ts to help you pick people within your organization to train their peers:

• Don't select someone who lacks credibility. Other employees will react with, "Who is he or she to tell me what to do?"
• Do look for good communication skills. You need someone who can explain things in easy-to-understand language.
• Do pick someone who understands the material. Review the potential trainer's work experience and performance.
• Do look for a positive attitude. A trainer is not only educating but also selling people on concepts.
• Don't choose someone who lacks patience. An impatient trainer will discourage employees who have questions or need extra time or help to learn something.
• Do pick someone who will be able to accept feedback. It's a powerful tool that you can use to develop a more effective trainer.

Source: Joseph Jones, marketing services supervisor, Appalachian Power Co., P.O. Box 1986, Charleston, WV 25327.

Ways to Keep Ideas Flowing

Want to spur creativity at brainstorming sessions? Consider these tips from Bryan W. Mattimore, a professional facilitator and author of 99% Inspiration:

• Begin the session by asking people to reveal something personal. One way: Ask them to describe their dream job. Participants will relax and be more likely to come up with innovative ideas later.
• If momentum slows down, play a game or institute some other kind of fun.
• If people are on a creative roll, don't stop or take a break just because you've scheduled one for that time.

Source: Nation's Business, 1615 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20062.