My view is that leadership thinking can be based on a simple formula of three imperatives:
Escape + Search = Think
Escape + Search = Think
Escape + Search = Think
DFQ #04:
Post your comment on how you think
ESCAPE + SEARCH = THINK might help
you to become a much better leader.
It’s easy to get stuck in a mindset. Recognising this helps us to let go and “Escape” from that mindset. This then enables us to “Search” for other perspectives, options or solutions = to “Think” and change the paradigm … turn it upside down and start again.
Ok, so don’t just go with what you have been asked to do. Spend some time to look for other better options and assess if a new path should be taken to complete the requirements on you.
“Escape” gives discipline to challenge and vacate your current mindset.
“Search” stimulates action
These two commands require a leader to search ofr a better alternative.
If you ESCAPE and SEARCH you are THINKing and not just reacting to a situation or problem. The technique of writing down a problem (CVS) taking a step back (metaphorically or even physically) and taking time to look for alternative approaches (BVS’s) to solving the problem can, and normally will, lead to a better way of approaching the problem. The difficult thing is to remember to take the time to consider the problem and not just react to situations and problems immediately.
How will this help me to become a BETTER leader? Perhaps by pushing me out of my comfortable obscurity to become a leader in the first place.
I think that this is why whiteboards were invented. They allow you to download the issue (cvs), step back (escape) and view the situation from many other perspectives. You leave the problem there for a while and think about it in the shower, in the car and when you wake up. Insights (bvs) usually follow. I think this is a fundamental technique.
I first stop and pause rather than nevously looking for solutions that some times make me stuck. Then slowly look at situations from different aspects to find cause of the problems. I would call this step ‘escape’.
Afterwards, I list out alternatives on how to do the job or solve the problems better. Often it is not before having discussed with collegues involves and get additional information to support each alternative. To ensure I am on the right direction. I believe I am searching for bvs.
At the end I weight each alternatives and choose what I think is best.
By communicating better views of the situation to people who are stuck in the current view, is likely to inspire them to think. Even if they do not totally agree with your ideas then you can ask them to contribute by proposing their own bvs’s. This should trigger further inspiration leading to a productive meeting of ideas.
Using this approach will make me more willing to listen to alternate ideas put forward by the team, which will make the team memebers feel more valued and also result in better outcomes for the team.
“Escape” is getting out of the current mindset. To ESCAPE is like going from “conditioned” to “unconditioned”. For this to happen you got to first “de-condition’ and then ‘re-condition”, to arrive at the unconditioned. Then thinking will be clear and beneficial. This in a way is the PROCESS leading to CVS to BVS.