I always advocate mnemonics for passwords. It is far easier for people to remember a phrase or a poem than a jumble of random characters. I’ve mentioned this before, but my favorite example is “I wish I had a dollar for every star”, which translates into something like Iw1h@$4e*

An editorial in CIO magazine from 2005 suggests considering poetry as a way for a CIO to reach out to his/her audience:

Mnemonic devices became a tool for Livingston to help his students remember the course material and feel more comfortable with difficult subject matter. Although a song may not be the ticket to explaining why the ERP system has crashed, Livingston’s point — that it’s a good idea to think outside the box when facing a communication barrier — ”shouldn’t be lost on CIOs. Use humor, tell a story, write a poem, do whatever it takes, he says, to ease the tension and get them ready to listen to what you have to say.

Funny that the article focuses on easing the pain of a crash, instead of opportunities for stability and improving systems. Perhaps something as alluringly written as Emily Dickinson’s garden poem (There is another sky) would bring users on board for a CRM improvement proposal…

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields –
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

The cup is half full.