Option Solving Blog

Over a recent lunch I found myself talking to a senior executive about his next career move. He has done a stellar job with his present company over the past five years, but now felt it was time for him to move on to something else…although wasn’t quite sure what that was to be. We naturally turned to looking at all his options. Once we got the ball rolling, we went back to first base for Option Solving which is to devise an appropriate question
Cutting straight to the chase, this question turned out to be: “What will be my optimum career option going forward: considering that I desire doing something fresh and different, I feel that I’ve little more to contribute where I am, I enjoy doing deals, I have some interest in mentoring, and that I’ve grown in leadership and business wisdom?” There were other important considerations but these five were the most important ones..Ultimately they help the intuitive judgment to put things properly into perspective.
We then set about creating two bookends to sharpen his intuitive mind for figuring out the best options available. These bookends were: at one end “Walk out tomorrow with little fore-thought on the future,” as the Yin, while the Yang at the other end was: “Make an orderly, early retirement to travel and write a book .” The reasons why these extreme options were unacceptable are indicated in our Latest Example. His mind was now primed to seek out the most likely, realistic options.
I explained that it was important for him to produce at least five options; as a way of stretching his intuitive senses to come up with every reasonable possibility. In this case, he eventually came up with six, with always the possibility for him to add others before deciding. One that he was likely to favor was: “Mentor own son in his own desired venture + pursue my hobbies “…Option F. The five other considered options are shown: again with the possibility of adding others.
With this pictogram in place, with or without his extra options, I advised him to allow some time for emotional distancing. I encouraged him to sleep on it, since it was such an important decision. He should look at the pictogram before he goes to sleep and then revisit it as soon as he wakes-up. Whatever option his mind focuses on should be his choice. His enormous intuitive mind will have scanned overnight all prior similar experiences in his life and will indicate which is the best choice for him. He should stick with that choice, despite any reservations, since that’s the one his instinctive judgment is most comfortable with. He can then work through the related issues.
Emotional distancing allows the enormous power of the intuitive mind to subconsciously mull over the pictogram, since it prefers interpreting pictures, to relate his given options to all prior similar experiences. Maybe you can see another option or know which way you would go? Once he’s made that choice, it’s strongly recommended that he figure out an action initiative immediately, while all the issues are to the forefront of his mind..
If you have an option solving example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area.
Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting in 2 weeks: “What is our best option for Board Strategic activities?” Let’s have your COMMENTS or go to peter@ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger.)

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