Observe More — React Less

If only — It's taken me a lifetime to understand the power of this insight. Everything we've ever done well as a society — anything of lasting value has sprung from that single idea. The results are clear to see.

We Know This Because Of The Absence Of It.

We Observe

"The absence of OM;RL shows up in every stupid decision and knee jerk reaction by the majority — to the majority of things. It's so bad we've perfected a new method of engaging with other people. We call it cynical scepticism…"

Important Note: We've been found guilty, as a society, of culturally cultivated ignorance. A possibly deliberate and worrying mechanism that we need to do all in our power to overcome. It even has its own word — Agnotology

React Less

Something happens in the market. The knee jerks. Business and societies everywhere descend into reactionary activity.

Everyone I know is either focused on or working in a change program. Whether it's developing a strategy, improving their home or trying to impact and change societal ills. It makes no difference. And no difference is what you'll get if you don't pause and think.

"True change — from any standpoint — takes a lot longer than is (typically) allowed in companies. You need to get folks engaged — that means involved in identifying the problem, how the problem was created, and then get their input on how to solve the problem — then keep them involved…"

Amen to that.

If You Have A Minute Read TL;DR — Ironic I Know

Q. What's The One Thing I Know?
A. It's Never One Thing — So What Do We Do

The 8 Laws Of Creativity

How To Make Things Better & Solve Real Problems

Whether in business or in life there's two reasons why we need creativity. Given the world as it is now is we need it more than ever. We have to think much harder if we are to make life better.

The Two Reasons:

1. To solve a problem/address a challenge.
2. Make the most of opportunities.

Both demand we use our brains. We have to do this individually or as a team. We are likely short on objectivity. As an individual we only have our own thoughts and as a team we probably need to align and engage properly to make real progress.

We may also lack time, resource, experience — all these things.

1. Asking The Right Question

Because it's far too easy to ask the wrong one. That's usually the question that feels comfortable and suits your current understanding — it probably fits your own argument. The right question stretches us and makes sure we put the challenge into better context. We've long suggested we should avoid solving the wrong problem really well.

Step One. Think About The Question. Be sure it actually represents what you are really trying to do. Really.

2. Putting A Frame Round It

When you think about it any question can be approached from many angles. And it's those angles that will deliver value — they are the most important. Deciding on the angles to get at your question makes a big difference to the result.

Researching the question will challenge you to discover as much as you can and that's the first chance to question your own beliefs and opinions. It's also the first phase of building the frame within which to think.

Step Two. Get stuck in understanding the context and situation. Start to 'draw' a map of everything that needs considering.

3. Building A Squad

While you are understanding the dimensions of the challenge you will start to understand the contributors you are going to need. Those with the passion, skills, insights and the ideas that will help.

Involving them as the picture emerges is what real collaboration and ownership is all about. Not only will they help with the challenge they will be evangelists for implementing the solution at the other end.

Step Three: Form the team based on who cares, what matters and what needs to be done.

4. Engaging In The Art Of Conversation

Whatever anyone will tell you structured conversation is by far the best way of tackling anything. It's not as easy as it feels. Prejudice, opinion and projection can be fearsome enemies of the right conversation about the right stuff.

By now you will have the basic kit.

A clear and defendable challenge that needs to be addressed, the context and the dimensions of the challenge that needs to be discussed, a squad of people assembled to tackle it and now a framework of specific conversations — an agenda!

Step Four: Arrange the conversations in the best order — aims and outcomes first (in context) — the right content comes second — figuring out what matters — that's third.

5. What Does Step Four Mean?

Conversations, like stories, need an arc. A beginning a middle and an end. having the fluency to use them — when, why and with conviction takes practice. And like all good thinking we start with our end in mind.

1. The Outcomes and Aims drive the whole discussion. Get that clear with everyone. The aim is likely to be a different one to how things are today.
2. The Context describes where we are today — a truthful situational analysis.
3. And thirdly 'What Matters' — everything that needs discussion if we are to think through how to move from the context to achieve our aims.

Step Five: Get everyone on the team to understand frameworks and story-telling — do that in a meaningful and determined way.

6. Make It Visual

There's many a way to have the conversation. By far the best way is have someone create a big white wall. Get a good facilitator and someone with good handwriting to drive and take note of the conversations you need. They are the ones you've decided need to be had.

Give each conversation a big space all of its own. Ideally the person on the wall can also draw pictures where the conversation would benefit from it. The whole experience raises the level of engagement, debate and ultimately ownership. The idea is that these aren't separate conversations — they are different parts of ONE conversation — getting underneath the challenge at hand.

Step Six: Plan out the 'framework'. Draw out the headlines and the point behind each 'module'. Decide the right order in which they need to be thought through.

7. Thinking By Capturing Everything That Matters

If you have the 'wall capture' and someone writing down the key insights then it's now time to understand what's been said — a lot of that understanding will happen during the process but never as much as with sober reflection. That's how our minds work.

The whole point of thinking this way is — 'thinking this way'. It opens the mind. it's properly collaborative. That means you are collectively figuring out what's important and what matters — distilled from what's been said.

Step Seven: Reflection and analysis of the big picture. Distilling the juice and 'seeing' the plan that's starting to emerge.

8. Simple Truth

A while after the team has met a crisper representation starts to form. This has to be the ongoing connective tissue for team. These evolutions are not separate from the framework — ever. The inevitable changes are the way the framework lives — stuff will change and so must the framework itself.

What we've done is build a way of thinking — not only about the question asked in Step One but what we know needs to be done — continuously and from now on. That's it — we are now thinking differently — structured and visually. Structured Visual Thinking™.

Step Eight. Keep the insights, the value and the framework as fresh and as connected to everyone as possible. Repeat Steps Four To Seven as much as required.

Thanks