Stik is a company that helps small businesses solve the problem of relying on just word-of-mouth referrals when trying to find local professionals to work with.

FORBES: Stik Raises $2.3 Million To Help You Find Local Professionals

Afterwards, all 40 were given a creative problem-solving task (technically a word association task).

FORBES: How To Be More Creative At Work (Or What Corporations Can Learn From Booze-Hounds and Baby Elephants)

Brazil's problem can be summed up in one word: debt--and way too much of it.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The problem is that the word compromise, once a ten-letter word, has become a four-letter word among many of the more extreme Republicans who have entered the House of Representatives and the Senate over the past few elections.

FORBES: The Fiscal Cliff Explained

"Not one word has been said about solving the problem, " said Boehner, R-Ohio.

CNN: Analysts: Next bailout will be a tougher sell

Using short, seven- to 12-word sentences that start with "I, " describe your emotions and state the problem.

WSJ: Dealing With a Boss Who Yells