Fixed or Agile - Which one are you?

You were born with an agile mindset – a way of thinking that says ‘I can grow and learn and be challenged. I can improve.’ Think crawling, walking, talking, reading, riding a bike. So much to be challenged by. 

But somewhere along the way, you might get derailed and think that you either ‘have it’ in this life or you don’t. (But that my friend is a ‘fixed mindset’.)

Linda Rising presented at the Agile Singapore conference recently and (my visual notes of her keynote above) remind me how her messages about the Agile Mindset were inspiring, relevant and … a tap or slap on the shoulder. There are some vital characteristics that are required to make work work in today's competitive environment. 

She asks: 'who told you what you can and can’t do'… and warns us to ‘watch out what you’re thinking’.

An agile mindset is one that is looking for opportunities to grow, learn, experiment and improve. Failure simply gives us some information.

Our mindset need not be fixed; this agility is ideal for the volatile world we live in today. 

Our teams, customers, clients and organisations need us to be agile, flexible, adaptive, responsive. It’s through challenge that you grow.

Look at where you might be fixed in your thinking. How might an agile mindset see it differently? What could you experiment with, test out or be challenged by?

Go…. flex, bend, shift and grow. Keep challenging your own view of things. 

Stop thinking, start living

I try and read the book Stop Thinking Start Living at some stage of each year.

It's a classic and a quick read and is a brilliant reminder to get outta your head and into yer life!

I might read it on a plane, while I'm staying in a hotel while away for work or simply pick it up and read a few chunks when I need it, or even when I don't!

When things get a bit much or you find yourself deep in your thoughts... too deep... this one can work so well. 

The first time I read it, I wrote up this page of dot points on a piece of bright pink fluro paper.

This page is a little faded now, but it is my list of reminders on a pinboard in my office to help me lead my own thinking better. It's my shortcut to the book, my key messages or my list of 'must try and dos'. 

While the dot point list has sentimental value, I find it challenging to recall any more than one or two from the list - no matter how many times I've read it. 

So this visual I created this afternoon will give my mind all the visual anchors it needs to recall the detail and retain the essence of my 'takeaways' of the book - so much better than the list. 

 It's my end of year wish to you that you too can stop thinking and start living - particularly at this time of year when families are together... or not, and friends are there for you... or not.

You are always there for you. So get on and live rather than thinking about living. 

A quick creative thinking tool

There's no need to make idea creation a big deal.

You don't need a quiet space or allocated time or a fresh notebook. You don't even need to think that you're partcularly creative!

I enjoy using Bob Eberle's SCAMPER model to help with creativity and innovation - no matter the situation.

Each letter of the word 'scamper' takes you through a different thinking process. 

Substitute. Combine. Adapt. Modify. Put to another use. Eliminate. Reverse. 

Take your problem, situation or current view and think of how you could substitute something...combine with something...adapt it...and so on.

I've used the model while traveling over the past few weeks, while problem solving, while brainstorming - alone and with others. 

This week I'm sharing the visual template I use in workshops to isolate some different thinking under each of the 'scamper' letters.

I write directly on the page and make little notes to segment my thinking, yet keep it on the same page. Teams and groups can work together through the model too.

Next time you have some ideas to create, some solutions to innovate or a new approach to curate, go and 'scamper'.

'Well that's nice but I don't draw'

If you've checked out any of the sort of work I do you'll see I help people communicate and engage with each other - better than they're doing now. 

Visual thinking is part of it. 

There's a lot of 'I don't draw' out there when I arrive in a workplace to run a half or full day session on visual thinking. 

Actually folks, it's not about the drawing. It's about the THINKING. 

Say it like this : 'I don't think'. 

Well... you do. 

If you don't think that visuals can play a part in how you engage or think or sell your message and thinking to someone else, you can read some more here and here.

When you use visual skills, you'll really 'get it' because the people you're communicating with 'get it'. The process of engaging with them will be so much sweeter - even if you're having a rip roaring disagreement with them!

And I think it's so selfish to say 'I don't draw' - as if it's all about you! When you're working to communicate with someone it's actually all about them! So it's time to move on folks....

Untangle Thinking

Get Things Straight

Make Something of It 

Commercial - with Care

A colleague of mine is struggling financially at the moment. 

She works in her own business and is often very busy... her weeks are filled with lots of meetings, workshops, consulting and providing advice and help to clients. She cares so very much about helping people and organisations through change, conflict and communication.

In short, she's doing what I'd call 'important work'. And she cares so very, very much. 

A big focus of her work is with community and not for profit organisations. But she also offers coaching advice to well-salaried executives. 

Money-wise, on the 'commercial' side of the balance sheet, she is doing it tough. To shift the whole money mindset thing, Peter Cook's "The Money Workshop" would be ideal for her!

But I'm seeing an even bigger picture here and that is this model of Commercial With Care. I think every business, every practice, every entrepreneur has this model literally in front of them when they're working on their important work. 

The two axes are about commercialism and care. When people are care-less and they're not taking a commercial approach to their work, they'll be struggling for years. They're not doing good work and they're not earning a living from it. They serve no one.

If still they care-less but have a strong commercial focus, they make the big bucks but there's a trail of injured souls lying on the roads behind them. Ruthless, self-serving and self-centred - it's not a pretty picture.

Shift up to where people really do give a hoot about others, and you'll see they're so very, very care-full. They give and serve and do important work. But if they're not commercial, they'll struggle. In a sense, they will over-serve; they keep giving without due return. Whether this is their own mindset at work, the way an industry has evolved or the way a market is, it's a disappointing situation. Such great work - but not appropriately remunerated.

The goal is to get to the position of being able to serve all. You do great work, you are care-full and you realise that when you commercialise your thinking and your services, you'll be able to serve yourself as well as the people you care about. These people can be family, friends, clients, colleagues, volunteers, organisations, causes, charities.

You won't be able to serve anyone if you don't take a commercial approach to the brilliant stuff you know. You can have both. You can be commercial and do wonderful, care-full work.

Don't apologise for the great work you do. And certainly don't decide it's discountable before you've even put it 'out there'.

You end up serving no one - least of all yourself. And if you're not serving yourself, you'll never be able to do important work for others.