Problem solving / possibility seeking

When you’re problem solving are you also possibility seeking?

When you're into possibilities can you also see things from the problem perspective? T

hese are 2 sides of a coin, a page, two different moods, sunshine and rain.

🌑Problems to be solved require us to sit among some mess, discomfort and irritation. Some people don’t like it. They’ll dismiss it as negative thinking, poo-poo it and want us to all ‘move on’ to more positive ways of thinking.

🌕Possibilities require us to conjure, create and imagine a new world of delight and happy. Some people don’t like it. They dismiss it as positive thinking, poo-poo it and want us to dig back into details of why and who and what of problems.

Leaders in our rapid problem-solving world need to deliver value, and so also need to be alert to these ways of thinking.

Wherever you prefer to ‘live’ (and some of us aren’t fussed, existing happily in both), know that not everyone sees things this way. You’ll need to invite, allow and let in different styles of thinking.

It can be uncomfortable or awkward if not framed, positioned or guided well. And it’s why leaders need to be able to to facilitate at work and do it well. 

When overwhelmed people deliver underwhelming presentations

We’ve seen them and been bombarded by them, those dense presentations of data, dot points, slabs of text and diagrams with .... aarrghhh our brain is fried! Sometimes we overwhelm people, overloading them with too many ideas and messages, jamming it all in one deck or pack of information.

It doesn’t make sense. This can drown people; not save them.

So beware; if you’re overwhelmed, busy, running from meeting to meeting, struggling to get clarity in your own mind ... what you create and deliver to others may well be just as messy and overwhelming. It could turn out to be underwhelming though, disappointing, confusing.

It's then easier to just ignore and disengage.

In times of major change, when people are waiting to hear, needing to see and curious to know what the heck is going on, it’s vital we manage our own state of information overload and cognitive load so we're not just passing the chaos on to everyone else.

We’ve got to 'get our head around' our own information before we can begin to think about transferring it to others. Blog posts included 😁

Time spent making things clearer ... is time very well spent. 

Could you make it easier

Is this a question you routinely ask about what you’re working on? How can we do this easier, make it easier, get it done with less resistance, obstacles, blocks, twists and knots?

Most things we’re working on really don’t need to be this hard, but we make them so. We can be distracted, lured and drawn in by others to add more and more, trying to do more and more or talking about more and more.

Because something is challenging doesn’t mean it’s worthy or good. So don’t be one of those people who when they speak, seem to make things more detailed or more confusing.

Life’s tricky enough without making stuff harder.

No silly time-wasting, power-playing games needed. Progress is the prize and reward. Help people work out what’s going on, what needs to be done and then get on and do it. 

Where could you ease off

Where could you do less and it wouldn’t be noticed and wouldn’t matter?

In researching and writing the book ‘ish: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough’, it's clear the problem with overworking is worse than ever.

We might work with someone who :

- Doesn’t let go

- Still has to finish ... something

- Keeps missing deadlines

- Needs to do more research, check more data.

Our workplaces must address this pursuit of perfection. It doesn't just apply at home or in the community. It’s rife in the workplace and often ignored, expected or justified.

So look at what you’re working on. Do you know what standard you’re going for or are you just continuing to 'go for perfect'?

If you stop, you will see that’s it’s likely already done well enough. Where could you ease off and people wouldn’t even notice? (This is not about neglecting standards where they're required. Settle down.)

It’s about the dramatic rise in the pursuit of perfection across age groups, sectors, cultures and countries. Notice it in yourself, your team, and keep an eye out for friends, family and the wider community.

Perfectionism is hurting us ... and we don't have to let it.

Could the discovery experience of travel, work at work

The promises and rewards of travel are many : exploration, discovery, insight, learning, life-changing experiences. We are invited to show up, not knowing much about a country or culture, encouraged to tour, learn, listen, sample, test and experience.

Could more leaders in more businesses encourage the joys of discovery at work, like travel does for us?

Are there fears that all that discovering will take/waste a lot of time?

That it won’t really deliver any benefits?

Or that it isn’t needed: at work we just do what we do, same as yesterday, last week or last year.

Newer ways of thinking and working include doing things like deliberate discovery. It’s invited, welcomed and expected. I’m not suggesting it switches to all, full-on discovery, 100% of the time. It’s not an all or nothing thing.

It’s about some. Allowing some time for discovery. Some budget. Some opportunity. Some guidance or coaching so that your team knows how to discover, explore and unearth.

Otherwise, one day you’ll wonder where all the good people went to, why they left. They’ll go where there are opportunities for a better ‘adventure’.