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February 9, 2012
Taxpayers fund thinking caps for Swedish town's top brass
Published: 10 Nov 09 11:12 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/23176/20091110/
Top level civil servants in Laholm in south-western Sweden have received a selection of different coloured hats worth 18,000 kronor ($2,600) in a bid to help the bearers think innovative thoughts.
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"This is a work tool, offering a non-traditional solution to a problem," she told newspaper Hallandsposten.
At 300 kronor each, the hats were produced locally and are specially tailored to help Laholm's leading civil servants form productive thoughts, with the different colours representing alternative modes of thinking. A yellow hat, for instance, is said to portray positive opportunities presented in a logical manner.
"At some level it has to be possible to be a bit crazy and think freely," said Kosunen-Eriksson.
"Everybody could do with a change of hat sometimes," she added.
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All potiticians "know" that solving any problem will cost three times more than having the problem in the first place. Otherwise "the solution will never work".
I'm sure that the hats will do a good job of cluttering up various desk draws and cupboards, that is before someone nicks them next summer to keep the sun off.
@Cab sounds like we don't need your type anyway, bye.
I say let everybody have 30 cars to rotate through the month, more magic power to swedes.
Did not realise that wasting money takes some "creativity".
They would get everyone to sit around with different hats on to signify different thoughts.
It started in New York to the best of my knowledge a few decades ago.
I wonder what other Kommuns will come up with to rival this one?
It's not the idea which is at question here, it is the absurd cost. Theyc ould have asked the local sixth graders to make them hats at SEK 10 each and they would have the same effect to stimulate creativity.
This kind of behaviour is common in countries rapant with corruption. Take public tenders for instance. Many times it's not the lowest offer that wins. What ends up winning is the largest kickback...
I'd explain more but the majority of posters here seem pretty narrowminded so I'll not bother.
What I would say is that they went over the top with customising the hats, I use regular plain colour baseball caps at a fraction of the price and just as effective.
I tend to think the ones throwing labels like "narrow-minded" don't show whole lot of open-mindedness, after all, they are not so open to the opposite views.
and since when worshiping alternatives became a virtue?
being extremely stupid is considered an alternative too?
also, there is a huge difference between wasting your own money and wasting tax payer's money. the key is ownership.
"public" means nobody cares. you don't have to experience some hardcore communism to understands it.