Option Solving Blog

A group of executives were contemplating how they could best improve people performance within their organization.  Since they had just become acquainted with the option solving technique, they decided to make full use of it.

Their first step was to create a sharp rational question, which would really stimulate their thoughts on the topic. This question turned out to be: “What would be the most valuable approach our organization could take today to increase its people performance effectiveness; considering 1) money/compensation, 2) leadership team, 3) core values, and 4) personal life constraints?” Other considerations were discussed, but they preferred to go with the four listed so that their decision didn’t become overly complicated.

The group then set about producing two “bookends,” which would function as its yin and yang extreme possibilities. Those bookends would then focus the participants’ intuitive minds on creating their company’s most realistic set of options. Such bookends are vital to prevent their fertile intuitive minds from wandering over all sorts of possibilities and setting more extreme limits.

Bookends that were selected turned out to be: “Micro-manage” and “Hands-off, no support,” both of which the group felt were their company’s least likely options – see our Latest Worked Example.

Now they had the challenge to produce at least five realistic options to stretch their likely alternatives to the greatest degree. It is perfectly okay to produce more and that is what they did – six in fact.  You can view these executives’ possibilities from our Latest Example and one of those proposed was: “Option B – Hire more people and build strong teams.”

Once the group’s “pictogram” was in place, with its range of six options, its leader requested that they engage in some emotional distancing. Emotional distancing would allow the members’ intuitive minds to sub-consciously review their span of options. Members chose to have a decent break to allow this to occur.

When they returned to their covered-up “pictogram,” the group’s leader displayed it once more to allow members to study it for a few moments as a refresher, and then make their intuitive choice. The leader asked them to hand in their confidential choices, to encourage an objective view, and then indicated those choices on their pictogram accordingly.  What choice would you have made?

Once the group’s choice was made, members had a discussion about whether to opt for the immediate creation of an associated action-initiative, while the associated issues were still fresh in their minds. OR to pursue “Peeling the Onion” as a way of uncovering the optimum approach to their choice. They chose the latter, which we will follow-through in two-weeks time to see their various sub-alternatives.

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 week’s time: “Peel the Onion: What lies behind the most valuable option our organization could pursue today to increase its people performance effectiveness?” 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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