Business coaching tips

Success ideas from 'The Prisoner's Dilemma

2007-07-22T21:41:00.000Z

Just been rereading the 'The evolution of cooperation' by Robert Axelrod,

Out of many strategies for playing the game 'The Prisoners Dilemma' – which is about how people interact and negotiate, one very simple approach succeeded more any other. It was called 'Tit for Tat'. It has been tested over time, competing with many other strategies and consistently produces top or near top results.

While it was designed as an approach for the ‘prisoners dilemma’ I think there are useful reminders for anyone working towards material success – particularly when negotiating.

It has two main two rules. In any interaction with another person always start positive and then reciprocate how they behave back to you.

That is if they're positive to you be positive back, if they're negative to you be negative back. However you may choose to break a ‘spiral’ of negativity by starting the interaction again – and being positive, then still follow reciprocation rule.

In addition research from the results of the Prisoners Dilemma showed

The chances of cooperation are increased if:

The participants have an interest in working together in the future
Participants have a lot to loose if they don’t work together
There is a ‘caring’ culture
Reciprocity is taught – In this case reciprocity to both helpful and unhelpful behaviour
People recognise and respond quickly – and people are aware and don’t fudge it. If you partner does something unhelpful, react!

However participants generally encourage each other to cooperate

The chances of cooperation are reduced if:

(Which leads to some suggested don’ts)

Don’t be envious – you won’t start positive and reciprocate positive behaviour
Don’t be the first to be unhelpful – you could start an ’unhelpfulness’ spiral
Don’t be too clever – people won’t understand you

Michael

Discipline - Are you going for the long haul?

2007-03-03T23:08:00.000Z

Are you going for the long haul? by Paul Lemberg

Are you in it for the short term, or the long haul?

I’m going to go a little bit out on a limb here. I’m going to suggest that very little which is worth leading a group to accomplish is going to be accomplished without discipline.

Not in the trivial things. I’m talking about the things that matter. The things that take the concerted effort of a team working together.

What kind of discipline? How about a working definition:

Doing what you know you need to do, for as long as you need to do it.

The kind of discipline which lets people hone their skills and become proficient at their jobs. The kind of discipline which enables us to adhere to standards even when it might be uncomfortable.
The kind of discipline which enables us as leaders to hold our people to account. No matter what.
There’s an alternative to discipline, and it’s not pretty.

It’s called regret.

Regret is what you get when you knew what needed to be done and you didn’t do it. Regret is what’s left when you look back on your unfulfilled intentions and know you just didn’t have the nerve or the commitment to bring them to life.

So there’s a choice.

You can have the pain of discipline – because discipline isn’t easy (that’s why it’s called discipline) and sometimes it hurts.

Or you can have the pain of regret, which never hurts in the present, but sure will feel terrible later. And you have it for the rest of your life.

Copyright Paul Lemberg

Fast Preparation - and a quiz!

2007-02-11T14:33:00.000Z

FAST PREPARATION by Paul Lemberg

Do you still think going faster means working harder
and doing more and working harder
and doing more and...?

What if it meant something else entirely?

What if it meant having a vision of startling clarity,
maintaining a laser-like focus, and staying relentlessly on purpose?

What if it meant only doing the things which mattered to you,
and turning on a dime if your current direction isn’t taking
you where you want to go?

How fast do you want to go?

1. QUICK QUIZ

Rank each statement 1, 2, 3 or 4 where a 1 means this statement is totally false, and a 4 means it is totally true.

 The purpose of this venture is unbelievably powerful to me.
 I have crystal clear objectives I intend to see accomplished.
 I believe runaway success is possible and I can describe it.
 Wherever things are right now, I know where to start next.
 The challenge excites me.
 I do what is necessary to realize to reach my purpose.
 I have written specific, measurable, up-to-date objectives.
 I continually take action to realize my goals and my purpose.
 I am comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity.
 I spend most of my time on the most important things.
 I have a definite, written action plan.
 I am acting on that plan.
 I track the results of my actions.
 I ask people for big things.
 People respond to my requests with promises and action.
 I begin each day with a clear intention for that day.
 I spend part of my time just thinking.
 I make commitments without knowing how to fulfill them.
 My business has a strategy to get through the next mission.
 I know there is a chance I will fail.

 I make the rules.
 Quitting is not an option.
 I love the game I am playing.
 I can’t know everything about my venture.
 People around me are as inspired as I am.

If you ranked every statement “4”, you would have 100 points. How did you do? What do you think it means?

Give it away - Delegate!

2006-12-31T17:48:00.000Z

Give it away - Delegate by Paul Lemberg

The harder you hold on to things, the faster they can get away from you.

If you want to extend your reach beyond your ability to do everything at once, you must delegate some things to other people.

Delegation is frightening for many people. First of all, you might enjoy doing the thing you have to delegate. You may think you do it better than anyone else. You imagine it won’t get done properly. And you know it won’t get done your way. You might even believe if you don’t do that thing, you won’t have enough to do.

Know this: whatever you keep to yourself instead of delegating will get shorter shrift than it deserves. Usually that thing becomes a bottleneck in the continued success of your venture.

There are four keys to effective delegating.

1 Give the job to someone who can get it done – someone who either has, or has access to, the skills, knowledge and resources needed. Also, give the job to someone who has time for it. Don’t dump your projects onto someone who has neither the wherewithal nor the availability.

If you do that you are simply setting them up to fail and setting yourself up for disappointment. Don’t just hand your task to the next warm body. Get buy-in from the delegate. Are they okay with this thing? Are they enrolled, or is this just more work for someone who is already overburdened?

2 Communicate your conditions of satisfaction. Have you ever asked someone to do something, and when they came back you said, “Oh. That’s not what I wanted at all”? Be sure you have mutual agreement on the critical requirements that define how this job must be handled, and what the outcome will look like.

3 Use SMART goals to clarify the desired outcome along with a timeline for its realization. Also, if necessary, set up a measurement system that will help you and your delegate know whether things are on or off track.

Work out a plan. Depending on the complexity of the delegated task, you may ask that the first step be a plan for how to get the rest done. In other cases, the request may be simple and a plan not necessary. But think this through.

If you are uncertain as to how something needs to get done, but want to make sure it will occur according to some guidelines – get a plan.

4 Finally, you need a communications protocol – how are you going to get updates and give feedback or advice? When are you going to speak or meet? How frequently? Will they send you an email, or a formal progress report? Create some pre-defined mechanism to keep you informed, and to give them an opportunity to seek guidance if appropriate.
There is a big difference between delegating and abdicating. When you abdicate you are saying – I’m neither responsible nor accountable for the results. When you delegate, you are still accountable. You are asking your delegate to do the work, and therefore be accountable to you.

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” General George S. Patton

by Paul Lemberg.

Copyright Paul Lemberg and reprinted wth his express permission,

Any questions give me a call,
Michael
PPI Business NLP
01908 506563

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Runaway success by Paul Lemberg

2006-12-03T13:57:00.000Z

Runaway success by Paul Lemberg.

To move faster than the speed of change requires a commitment to extraordinary things.

Most people, when asked for the particulars of runaway, blockbuster, or breakthrough success can’t say what that means to them with enough clarity to do anything about it.

Can you?

One way to increase the pace is to consider your venture from the perspective of “runaway success,” and only take actions consistent with achieving just that. Before you can do that, you have to define your terms.

Take a few moments to specify , what you would consider “runaway success” in your current venture. (As always, there’s the question of scope or context. You could say – “Well, my current venture is my life.” OK – use that. If you asked me, I would suggest you narrow your scope – but it’s your choice.)

Write out your definition. You must write it out – type it – whatever. You can’t simply “think” this and expect the same result. Get it out of your head and onto the page. It must reflect back to you so you can evaluate it “in the cold light of day.”

Write it, in all its glory. Make sure this is a statement of “runaway success,” not plain, old ordinary success.

Keep your definition in a notebook. Print it large and post it on your bulletin board. Tape it to the dashboard of your car.

Slip it under your desk mat. Scatter it about your environment. Put it in your wallet where you can refer to it easily.

by Paul Lemberg.

Copyright Paul Lemberg and reprinted wth his express permission,

Any questions give me a call,
Michael
PPI Business NLP
01908 506563

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The Hero's Journey

2006-10-11T14:44:00.000Z

Coaching Resource: The Hero's Journey By Julnar Rizk

Copyright 2006 Junar Rizk and reproduced with her expressed written permission

Stories about heroes— present in every known culture and civilization, transcending continental or oceanic borders—get told in new ways for each generation. These stories connect us to our passion and teach us about our humanity. Their universal language guides us to live in the modern world.

Rooted in ancient stories of heroism and mythology, the Hero’s Journey is the symbolic leap from the known into the unknown. It is a journey where you must find the faith that you will be strong enough and have what you need to face the Dragon regardless of the depth of your self-doubt.

Every human being must undertake this journey at least once in a lifetime, and the reward is worth it. Upon the discovery of the treasure, you return with the knowledge and discovery of your Self. And you deepen the capacity to be successful and transform your kingdom.

As Joseph Campbell puts it, you have followed your bliss.

Summary of Steps

The Ordinary World
For the Hero, this world is most often drab, routine and too small despite the Hero’s limited awareness of this truth. S/He doesn’t understand the personal potential or calling yet. From one day to the next, one moment to the next, the Hero’s life in its mundane-ness is just about to be completely uprooted and spun like Dorothy in a Kansas tornado.

Call to Adventure
“A blunder—apparently the merest chance—reveals an unsuspected world, and the individual is drawn into a relationship with forces that are not rightly understood”. (J. Campbell) The call to adventure is the point in a Hero's life when s/he is first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not. The awareness of signs, signals or messages are increasing—yearnings that are inexplicable, feeling that are restless, notions that something is missing in life. The Hero comes to realize that s/he can no longer remain indefinitely in the comfort of the Ordinary World. The shock has to happen

Refusing the Call—Reluctant Hero
Often when the call is given, the Hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances. The rules of the Ordinary World that govern the Hero are often in play here—most of the time rooted in some base fear. The Hero has not yet fully committed to the journey and may still be thinking of turning back.

Meeting the Mentor
Once the Hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide/teacher appears or becomes known. Teachers appear when the Hero is ready to learn what s/he needs in order to face the unknown journey ahead. From them, s/he receives wisdom, guidance and sometimes a swift kick in the pants.

The First Threshold
“The adventure is always and everywhere a passage beyond the veil of the known into the unknown; the powers that watch at the boundary are dangerous; to deal with them is risky; yet for anyone with competence and courage the danger fades.” (J Campbell) This is the point at which the Hero actually commits and crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known.

Tests, Allies and Enemies
The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the Hero must discern whether the experience is the lesson or the test, always negotiating whether s/he knows enough to overcome the obstacle. Joseph Campbell speaks of this in a psychological context: this is “the process of dissolving, transcending, or transmuting the infantile images of our personal past…Can the ego put itself to death?”

Approach to the Inmost Cave—Supreme Ordeal
This is sometimes described as the person's lowest point or darkest moment. The shift is in play between the old world and the old Self and new world and future. By entering this stage, the person shows her/his willingness to make a change, to die and become a new person for once this shift becomes, the Hero cannot return to the place where s/he came from. Remember the words of Rilke:

“It’s possible I am pushing through solid rock
in flintlike layers, as the ore lies, alone;
I am such a long way in I see no way through,
and no space: everything is close to my face
And everything close to my face is stone.”

The Ordeal
The Hero’s fortune hits bottom in a direct confrontation with his/her greatest fear, facing the possibility of death and the brink of battle with hostile forces. Metaphorically, the final death of the old Self and life must occur in order to be reborn and reinitiated into new life.

Seizing the Sword (or Prize)
Sometimes the “sword” is knowledge and experience that leads to greater understanding and a reconciliation with hostile forces. S/he is able to overthrow or defeat the opponent and may continue on to confront and defeat old enemies with the new power and knowledge gained from the battle. Often there can be confrontation with parents, old loves or significant figures from the old life.

The Road Back
The Hero makes the decision to return to the Ordinary World. The trick in returning home is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. Just as the Hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, often times he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience. The Hero has gained the wisdom to know how to ask for help.

Resurrection
This is one last ordeal with death—often a second life-and-death moment. It’s like a final exam for the Hero, who must be tested once more to see if s/her has really learned the lessons of the Ordeal. The old Self dies physically or spiritually and moves beyond the normal human state.

Return with Elixir
Mastery—the return with elixir is the achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get—maybe it’s treasure, but most of the time, it’s love, freedom, wisdom or the knowledge that the Hero can survive the Outside World. All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step, i.e., achieving a balance between the material and spiritual worlds. The freedom to live and freedom from the fear of death (or fear of failure) is achieved.

References
Campbell, Joseph, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” 2nd edition,1968.
Pearson, Carol, “Awakening the Heroes Within: Twelve Archetypes to Help Us Find Ourselves and Transform the World,” 1991
Vogler, Christopher, “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 2nd edition, 1998

julnar@julnarrizk.com
http://www.julnarrizk.com

Any questions give me a call,
Michael
01908 506563
PPI Business NLP

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Perfection is impossible

2006-10-01T19:53:00.000Z

Perfection is impossible. Get used to it. By Paul Lemberg

Perfection is what happens when you get everything exactly right. All the pieces fit together in the best way conceivable. There are no defects, flaws or blemishes of any kind. Nothing is lacking and your outcome is completely suited to the situation.

Excellence, on the other hand, refers to something superior; of the highest value, the finest quality, and exceptional goodness.

The quest for perfection is an empty pursuit – an often fruitless and frustrating game of the ego. The costs of perfection are often well out of proportion to the benefits, and perfection’s striving is likely to cost you profits and customers.

The pursuit of excellence – superior value, fine quality, exceptional goodness – is likely to yield big rewards in terms of customers and profits.

Perfection leads you into problems. Perfectionists are only happy when “nothing at all is ever wrong”, and are continually unhappy. Something, no matter how small or insignificant, is always – well, wrong.

Excellence leads you to breakthroughs. Not seeking something perfect – without blemish or flaw – but doing something great – providing great value, great quality.

Don’t you need perfection for great quality? In mission critical, real time systems, yes. In systems where lives are at stake, yes.

But wait... people say “we couldn’t tolerate defects in medicine.” Yet they happen all the time. What about airlines – we need zero defects there, don’t we? Again, scheduling, overbooking, meals issues, even grounded flights. These are all defects.

Would the benefits of eliminating these defects outweigh the costs? In both of these cases it is excellence we want. Excellent diagnosis and treatment. Excellent takeoffs and landings.

Examine the costs and the benefits of perfection. What would zero defects in all areas cost you and what would it yield to you and to your customers? Isn’t it really excellence you are after?

Excellence is possible. Commit to it.

by Paul Lemberg.

Any questions give me a call,
Michael

01908 506563

PPI Business NLP

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Never give up by Paul Lemberg

2006-09-03T21:22:00.000Z

Never give up by Paul Lemberg.

Never give up. Never, never, never give up.
Winston Churchill

Here’s a success tip if there ever was one:

Don’t Quit.

This elegant tip has such potency, it could single-handedly change your entire world. I could stop here and make this the shortest chapter in the book.

But couple “Don’t Quit,” and “Just Do It,” and you got the complete success formula in five economical words.

It has been said that the only real failure comes from quitting before the job is done. If that is true, you can guarantee a successful outcome by vowing never to quit. It is totally in your control. Never to stop doing until your aims are realized.

Legend says that Thomas Edison tried 10,000 separate filaments for the incandescent light bulb before finding one that did the job. Do you have that kind of stamina? Are you willing to go the distance?

Do you care that much?

Think of the power not quitting would bring to you. Imagine that you knew, no matter what, you would keep going until you got wherever it was you set out for.

What kind of confidence would that lend to your efforts? Would that change the way you related to people? Would it alter the way you asked people for things?

What if things took at turn for the worse? Would you be crushed, or would you simply take things in stride and keep going?

Think this over first, because you don’t want to make a declaration of so much power and then renege on it. See if you are willing to make this kind of commitment, and if so, declare that

“For me, with respect to
_____________________,

quitting is not an option.”

by Paul Lemberg.

Any questions give me a call,
Michael

01908 506563

PPI Business NLP

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Are you ready to pilot your business at the speed of change?

2006-07-30T12:03:00.000Z

Take this test to find out if you are ready to pilot your business at the speed of change. Or faster.

Another business quiz by Paul Lemberg.

Can you live with uncertainty?
Do you enjoy taking risks?
Are you self-confident?
Are you persistent?
Do you set goals and follow through to achieve them?
Can you turn on a dime?
Do you learn from your failures and mistakes?
Can you make important decisions quickly?
Can you say you were wrong and change your mind, quickly?
Do you keep your word with respect to your commitments?
Can you take charge, and take the heat?
Do you enjoy the challenge?
Can you live without security and stability?
Can you imagine that you see the future?

For each “yes”, give yourself 10 points. For each no, you had better figure out how to turn it into a yes if you want your business to be a runaway success.

When you have 120 points, go for it!!!

Any questions give me a call,

Michael
01908 506563
PPI Business NLP

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Business start up quiz - by Paul Lemberg

2006-07-05T11:28:00.000Z

Business start up quiz by Paul Lemberg.

Rank each statement 1, 2, 3 or 4 where a 1 means this statement is totally false, and a 4 means it is totally true.

The purpose of this venture is unbelievably powerful to me.
I have crystal clear objectives I intend to see accomplished.
I believe runaway success is possible and I can describe it.
Wherever things are right now, I know where to start next.
The challenge excites me.
I do what is necessary to realize to reach my purpose.
I have written specific, measurable, up-to-date objectives.
I continually take action to realize my goals and my purpose.
I am comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity.
I spend most of my time on the most important things.
I have a definite, written action plan.
I am acting on that plan.
I track the results of my actions.
I ask people for big things.
People respond to my requests with promises and action.
I begin each day with a clear intention for that day.
I spend part of my time just thinking.
I make commitments without knowing how to fulfill them.
My business has a strategy to get through the next mission.
I know there is a chance I will fail.
I make the rules.
Quitting is not an option.
I love the game I am playing.
I can’t know everything about my venture.
People around me are as inspired as I am.

If you ranked every statement “4”, you would have 100 points. How did you do? What do you think it means?

If you got a low score on something you think is criticle it may be a sign you need a new business advisor, coach or consultant.

Any questions give me a call,

Michael

01908 506563

PPI Business NLP

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Selling to BIG Companies

2006-06-06T06:27:00.000Z

I'm gratefull to David Regler for suggesting 'Selling to big companies' by Jill Konrath. It reflects my own experience and I highly recommend it.

See here!

Any questions give me a call,

Michael
01908 506563
PPI Business NLP

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Faith by Paul Lemberg

2006-05-30T13:26:00.000Z

Ya gotta have faith

George Michaels

Article by Paul Lemberg.

Faith is absolutely essential to creating a breakthrough for your enterprise. Specifically, faith that your venture and its vision will be realized. Faith means unshakable confidence, total trusting acceptance.

Faith puts you beyond doubt, in the realm of complete certainty. Once in that realm you are willing to try anything, do anything necessary to realize your vision. To have your dreams come true.

At the margins, there are many actions you are unlikely to take if you weigh the likelihood of success and failure.

On the other hand, if you know, absolutely know, things will work out – those marginal actions don’t seem marginal anymore. They simply make sense. Breakthroughs are often the result of action at the margin of reasonableness. So faith has a way of keeping us in action, keeping us ahead of the change curve.

How do you develop faith? This is tough to swallow, but you just have to “have” it. Faith is a declaration you make to yourself. You simply say, “I have total faith in this and such.”

And then you have it. You say “I have faith” and then you take action based upon your faith.

When the voice in your head raises doubts about your outcome, you counter with your faith in the outcome. Over and over again if necessary.

You keep keeping the faith.

Take in a deep breath, and let it out slowly and say “I declare that I have absolute, total, unshakable faith in (Yes, fill in the blank!)

____________________________

Doesn’t that feel good?

Copyright 2002-06 © Paul Lemberg used with his expressed written permission

Any questions give me a call,

Michael
01908 506563
PPI Business NLP

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Get off your 'but'

2006-05-16T09:20:00.000Z

Great post from Richard White's "Inspiration and guidance for people that HATE selling!!!" site!

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Michael
01908 506563
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Executive coaching network

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Prioritise by Dr Ian Gregory

2006-05-07T14:44:00.000Z

Prioritise by Dr Ian Gregory

Maximise your output and get home on time!

The idea of prioritising what you have to do, and doing only what is truly important to you is one of the fundamental lessons to be learned from time management. However, quite often I meet people who tell me that even after they have prioritised and eliminated the unimportant, there is still too much to do.

Over the years I’ve noticed a common problem in most businesses – too many projects. Often when you ask a manager which are the important ones, they answer ‘all of them’.

The problem is each person has only between 35 and 48 hours a week to do their work in.

If you’re working on six or seven different projects on top of a line job, then you probably only spend an average of an hour or two on each of them, which is just enough to do some admin and go to a meeting, though little in terms of actually progressing them.

In this way, projects drag on for months and months, little gets progressed, and eventually most of the projects are superseded or abandoned, wasting all of that valuable time.

When I first started my consulting career, my clients would sometimes comment on how much progress we could make in a couple of weeks. What we had was the ability to focus on one task, meaning we got it done far quicker.

Focus is the alternative to the traditional juggling metaphor that many managers use. It’s about using the hours of the day to deliver maximum value as quickly as possible. Instead of having several projects in the air at any given time, pick one or two and focus on them.

Encourage your peers and subordinates to focus on the same projects. Focus means that the hours that used to be spent managing all of the different projects can be used to actually progress a project. The project gets completed quicker, the business gets the benefits sooner, you get the credit sooner and you can start on the next project on your list.

In turn, that project will also be completed quickly. You’re still working the same number of hours (or maybe fewer), yet you’re making them count and raising your personal productivity and that of your team.

Look at how you spend the hours in your week.

If you shelved a few projects for a few months, will you actually get them all completed sooner by doing them one or two at a time?

Experiment, you might get home on time!

Dr Ian Gregory specialises in Knowledge Worker Performance issues. You can read more of his thinking at www.knowledgeworkerperformance.com Copyright 2002-06 ©Dr Ian Gregory used with his expressed written permission.

Dr Ian Gregory's profile Read Ian's profile - Ian Gregory

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Maine Blog: Do that still teach that? Lucky for us they do!

2006-05-07T12:25:00.000Z

Maine Blog: Do that still teach that? Lucky for us they do!

Interesting post by David Regler on cold calling; at least his email to the MD is against a business requirement (even if not a recognised one.

Any questions give me a call,

Michael
01908 506563
PPI Business NLP

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Is it possible by Paul Lemberg

2006-05-06T13:57:00.000Z

Is it Possible by Paul Lemberg.

Is your vision of runaway success possible?

Not just for anybody – is it possible for you? Now that you have put into words the notion of runaway success – now that you know what would have you satisfied, fulfilled, inspired, and excited – do you think it is possible to achieve?

Notice – I did not ask “Do you think it is likely? Or probable?” This is not a question about the odds. Do you think it is possible – in your understanding of the world – for you or for your company?

Not “Do you know how to get it?” You may not know that now. Not “Do you have the wherewithal, or the chutzpah?” Simply – do you think, given enough time, energy, skill, knowledge and resources, you could pull it off? Is it possible for you?

This is a crucial moment in transforming your enterprise, your career, your life – your quest to move faster than the speed of change. This is the first moment of truth.

Can you make it happen?

This is a yes or no question. And the answer better be yes.

If it isn’t, go back and consider some more. Without a total belief in the possibility of what you are setting out to accomplish, it isn’t likely to happen.

You won’t go the distance. You won’t do what is necessary. You won’t make the sacrifices. You won’t be able to inspire others or enlist their support.

You won’t do the 1001 things you will be called upon to do. You might not even make it through this short, little article.

Is it possible? For you?

Copyright 2002-06 ©Paul Lemberg used with his expressed written permission

Being wrong by Paul Lemberg

2006-05-06T13:23:00.000Z

Being wrong by Paul Lemberg.

What if you’re wrong?

What if that brilliant idea you’ve just hatched is totally harebrained and never going to work?

Many of us assume we are right, and that our thoughts are spot-on. We get defensive when others suggest we might be off base. If you’re going to move fast, you’re going to have to take some risks in your thinking. Be willing to criticize your own ideas. Be open to finding fault with all your wonderful brainstorms.

Look for the loopholes.

Look for the mistakes. You might even invite those around you to take pot shots at your ideas. Some ways to criticize your own ideas:Imagine you are wrong. (Horrors!) What then? What would being wrong cause to happen, and what are some ways around these problems?

Sidestep. What else is like what you are doing? If this part of your venture is flawed, where else has similar logic caused you to go astray, with problems lying undiscovered?

How will you deal with those issues when they surface?What have you forgotten? What have you left out? What if it’s just too big and you made it smaller? Or larger? What if it needs to be slower, or faster? A bit sooner, or perhaps later? What if you made the whole thing flashier, pumped up the volume, and turned up the heat? What if you made it more subtle, quieter?All of these questions flow from being willing to be wrong.

All of these questions can have the effect of making you more flexible in your thinking – the key to having an organization not only responsive to change – but one which anticipates change.

So, what if you’re wrong? So what if your wrong!

Copyright 2002-06 ©Paul Lemberg used with his expressed written permission