Strategically successful organizations know that they can't do everything, but the temptation to problem-solve can be quite strong, writes Jeremy Utley of Stanford University's d.school. Instead of jumping at every problem, consciously ignore it, look for other options or test multiple possible solutions against each other.

Marketers should stop creating content that's designed to push consumers toward a sale and instead use the journalistic approach of the "inverted pyramid," writes Long Dash CEO Kate Watts. Create high-quality content that features the most important information at the beginning, is empathetic and adds value, Watts advises, citing NerdWallet and Glossier as examples of brands who effectively use the inverted pyramid strategy.

First time jobless claims totaled 326,000 last week, under the Dow Jones forecast of 345,000. The figure was also down from the previous week's tally of 364,000.

Promoting racial integration in US communities to equal those of the most diverse cities in the country would raise the US real gross domestic product growth rate from 2.4% to 2.7% annually over the next decade, according to a report published by Moody's Analytics. "Even modest changes to encourage integrated communities could meaningfully boost our economy's long-term growth," the economists said. The paper pointed out that the long-term benefits of racial integration would be more prominent once minority groups become majorities by the middle of the century.

Starting a business or becoming a CEO without immediately thinking about succession is like "skydiving without a will," writes Steve McKee, co-founder of McKee Wallwork + Co. "Beginning formal planning seven or more years in advance of your anticipated exit is ideal, because it provides the most flexibility and opportunity to ensure that your succession plan -- and the company itself -- fires on all cylinders at the correct time," he writes.

Six dogs from around the world that learned the names of more than 28 toys took part in the Genius Dog Challenge. All of the dogs learned the names of 11 or 12 new toys within a week and remembered the names of toys they hadn't seen for two months, and one researcher likened their level of learning to that of children around 18 months old.

In observance of Columbus Day in the US and in recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day, SmartBrief will not publish Monday. Publication will resume Tuesday.