Tue 22 May 2007
To remove darkness in a room, you turn on a light.
In the same way… if you want to resolve a business issue, improve a process, or expand enthusiasm, simply concentration on the solution rather than the problem.
This may seem obvious, but observe your thinking when you’re contemplating a recurring business issue. It’s easy to get caught up in frustration and then focus on the things or circumstances that we do not want… the bottlenecks, delays or people who don’t seem to “get it”.
When we go into the issue, we make it harder to move forward because we are investing our precious energy on the problem, rather than the “desired outcome”.
To turn on the light, concentrate on the solution.
1. Know what you want and focus on that. Picture the perfect process, group interaction, result or outcome. What does it look and feel like? That’s what you want and once you make that mental shift, your mind starts working on the steps to help you get where you want to go.
2. Brainstorm a list of possible solutions. Don’t edit here; just have fun thinking of ideas to help you create what you envisioned in the previous step.
3. Engage others to help you. This expands your possibilities and builds a spirit of partnership as you make changes in your organization.
4. Review the entire list of strategies and ideas. You may find that you can combine your options or refine an approach to fit your desired outcome, budget and resources.
5. If you have multiple strategies you want to apply - start with the one that enables the fastest results. In this way, you build excitement and momentum as you expand into other areas.
If you’re stuck, consider that the simple things often work best especially when you’re first getting started with a new project, or if your team is experiencing a lot of change.
Until next time, stay in the light!
For more help creating your ideal workplace, see my book at www.motivation-at-work.com