Option Solving Blog

Your blog writer recently received a call from a client, who was vacationing in Hawaii and wanted to discuss his continued options for hiring a salesperson in Manhattan; with all the special ramifications of that. The conversation quickly migrated to talking about possible options that might be available to him when he returned back to home base. After the call, your writer started to think about this executive’s options, since success had a lot riding on it.

So quickly reverting to the principles of option solving, he then engaged his mind in coming up with the appropriate rational question, which turned out  as follows: “What is a VP Sales best option for hiring a top seller, with the notion that the individual’s motivators may not be what they once were ; considering 1) company may not be able to offer richest incentive package, 2) individual may not fit new culture, 3) VP Sales may not be able to handle a “race-horse”, and 4) individual may bring a lot of upside?” There were, naturally, some other considerations for this question, but these seemed to be the four key ones without overly complicating the VP Sales dilemma.

Now we had his likely question in place, we then had to draft two unlikely “bookend” choices, the yin and yang, in order to focus my client’s intuitive mind toward the most realistic set of options. The bookends we chose for him were: “Give individual everything he wants” and “Assert a very tight on-boarding leash,” both of which were probably quite untenable. The reasons he would be unlikely to choose these outliers is presented in our worked example. However, by him using these bookend option-framers, it will help him focus his intuitive mind, which can so easily be distracted, before determining his most realistic options – again, see our Latest Worked Example.

He would now be challenged to consider at least five realistic options for stretching his thinking as much as possible – you will see we produced six. Look at our Latest Example and you will see those six options, which includes a vacant space for him to conjure-up an option(s) of his own.  One of the options we proposed was: “Option B – VP Sales spend more interview time with the individual to ascertain seller’s current motivation profile.” With the VP Sales “pictogram” now in place, indicating his range of six options, he would now have some time for emotional distancing. Emotional distancing would allow his intuitive mind to sub-consciously ponder the five options we offered, plus his own, once he arrived back in his home city for work. This would enable him to be more objective when he returned to his offered pictogram.

Which option would you have chosen, if you were in his shoes?  Once he

made his choice, he would then be in a position to figure out the best way of implementing it relative to the latest situation when he returned.

If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area.  Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting will be in two weeks time: “What is Fox News’s best option with Bill O’Reilly?” Let’s have your COMMENTS or go to peter@ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger. Also consider buying the book: “Smart Decisions: Goodbye Problems, Hello Options” through amazon.com)

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We know of Bill Bellichick as the Patriots’ successful coach, who recently led them to their fourth Superbowl win in recent years. His obvious intent would be to repeat that performance in 2018, although the challenge is enormous for many obvious reasons: as will discuss as we move forward. So we decided to do an option solving exercise for him to aid him with such a tough decision.

Assuming we got the opportunity to share the principles of option solving with him, he would then get his teeth into producing an appropriate rational question, as follows: “What is the Patriot Football team’s required optimal change to increase its chances of repeat, playing-winning the Superbowl trophy again in 2018; considering 1) it’s tough to win successive Superbowls, 2) competitors become smarter-better, 3) re-raising player-staff sights once more, and 4) opportunity to impress sport’s press for eternity?” The last point about the press was included because the sports-press corps doesn’t particularly like Bellichick: they find him unresponsive and aloof…something he doesn’t refute. We did see other considerations for his question, but felt these were the four key ones without overly complicating his exercise.

With his question now in place, it was time then to draft two unlikely “bookend” choices, the yin and yang, in order to focus his intuitive capabilities toward a viable set of options. The bookends he chose were: “Same approach as for 2017” and “Rebuild team from scratch,” both not especially viable in the circumstances. Why he would be unlikely to choose these outliers is presented in our worked example. However, using option-framers, like these bookends, helps to focus participants’ brilliant intuitive minds, which can so easily be distracted, before figuring out their most likely and realistic options – again, see our Latest Worked Example.

We would now challenge him to come up with at least five realistic options for stretching his thinking as much as possible – you will see we produced six. Look at our Latest Example and you will be able to view those six options, with one of them being: “Option D – Introduce new skill plays .” With his “pictogram” now in place, indicating his range of six options, he would now be encouraged to set some time for emotional distancing. Emotional distancing would allow his intuitive mind to sub-consciously ponder the six options we offered – or maybe it would spark him to come up with others – while he was doing other things and therefore enable him to be more objective when he returned to it.

Since one’s intuition enjoys pictures, a pictogram aids fast intuitive absorption. He would then allow his intuition to work on it. Maybe he would return to it an hour later,  to refresh his recollection, before coming up with an optimum choice: relative to all four question considerations. Which option would you have chosen, if you were in his shoes? As his day progresses he would figure out how to approach the eventual option he chose, while all the factors were still fresh in his mind.

If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area.  Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting will be in two weeks time: “What is a VP Sales best option in hiring a top-seller, with the notion that the individual’s motivators may not be what they were?” Let’s have your COMMENTS or go to peter@ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger. Also consider buying the book: “Smart Decisions: Goodbye Problems, Hello Options” through amazon.com)

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