Having the right mindset

Years ago, I sat down to write a book….

I was going to write a manual for business execution that was simplified to the most basic elements.  I figured this would have the widest applicability. Frankly, I already had a loose set of guiding principles that had help me succeed in various business roles. This would be a relatively simple matter of documenting those principles and writing the narrative that supported their application.

In reality, I was making the same mistake that we often make in business.  I started with a solution in mind and figured I could find enough applicable problems that the narrative would simply flow forth.

In business, have you ever been so focused on a solution that you drove right past the problem?  Have you ever participated in a meeting where half way through the meeting you were trying to figure out why you were even there?  Have you lost the will for a project before you have reached its completion?  I have experienced all of these.  Furthermore, I have mentored and led others who have expressed similar concerns.

I think a strong motivator business is the need to be right.  I also think that each person may have a slightly different measure of what right is.  This isn’t malicious in nature, it is what makes a team stronger than an individual.  Calibrating towards and outcome from multiple viewpoints strengthens the views on the outcome.

Below is a list of tenants that have helped me shape my mindset and drive collaborative discussions.  They are referenced frequently throughout my blog and The 5 Rules.  Utilizing this mindset will elevate your interactions within your organization.

1. Talk in terms of the impact, not the solution
2. Seriously consider doing nothing, that is always the starting state
3. Be careful about taking too small a step, the end state needs to be perceived as reachable
4. Evaluate what others have done in the face of this problem

Apply the mindset in your daily business interactions.  Use them as ground rules for discussion, prioritization, and justification.  When an argument reaches impasse, use these simple tenants to refocus the discussion on what matters