Option Solving Blog

Sitting with a group of CEOs, the topic of readiness for expansion came up with your writer as he was introducing them to option solving; which now became the perfect decision tool to deal with this important subject. So without much further ado, we used it as a means for further educating them in the technique.

Their initial rational question fairly promptly came out as follows: “What is our optimum requirement prior to pursuing expansion; considering 1) our marketplace is growing, 2) our products/services are being well received, 3) it puts a strain on all our current resources, and 4) we need to clarify our people have the appetite for it?” They looked at a range of considerations, but they agreed upon these four so as not to make their task any more complex.

They were then ready to produce two “bookends,” which would again function as their yin and yang extreme possibilities. Such bookends would then focus their intuitive minds on thinking about their company’s most realistic set of sub-options. These bookends are vital to prevent their fertile intuitive minds from wandering in all sorts of directions and losing focus.

Bookends that were selected came out as: “Just let it happen” and “Bring in a Strong Financial Partner,” both of which the group felt were their company’s least likely options – see our Latest Worked Example.

Now they were challenged to think about at least five realistic options, to stretch their likely alternatives as much as possible, which ultimately turned into six realistic possibilities. It is perfectly okay to produce more than 5 or 6 and six is what they did. You can view this six in our Latest Example of which one was: “Option F – Have a strong strategic understanding of our marketplace.”

Once their new “pictogram” was available, with its range of six options, they were now exposed to a stint of emotional distancing. Emotional distancing would allow these CEOs’ intuitive minds to sub-consciously review their span of options. After a break participants reconvened and quickly arrived at a couple of conclusions, which could then be distilled to one after some group deliberation. What choice would you have made?

With their joint conclusions, they were now encouraged to return to their own leadership teams and introduce them to the exercise, as a means of getting their buy-in and educating them on the Option Solving technique. By doing so, they would enable their people to have an alternative, and potentially more powerful, means of making key leadership and business decisions. Once they made their choice from their ‘pictogram,’ they should immediately draft an action initiative, while all the issues are fresh in their minds.

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: “What is my organization’s best option for enhancing performance?” 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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Sitting with a group of CEOs, the topic of readiness for expansion came up with your writer as he was introducing them to option solving; which now became the perfect decision tool to deal with this important subject. So without much further ado, we used it as a means for further educating them in the technique.

Their initial rational question fairly promptly came out as follows: “What is our optimum requirement prior to pursuing expansion; considering 1) our marketplace is growing, 2) our products/services are being well received, 3) it puts a strain on all our current resources, and 4) we need to clarify our people have the appetite for it?” They looked at a range of considerations, but they agreed upon these four so as not to make their task any more complex.

They were then ready to produce two “bookends,” which would again function as their yin and yang extreme possibilities. Such bookends would then focus their intuitive minds on thinking about their company’s most realistic set of sub-options. These bookends are vital to prevent their fertile intuitive minds from wandering in all sorts of directions and losing focus.

Bookends that were selected came out as: “Just let it happen” and “Bring in a Strong Financial Partner,” both of which the group felt were their company’s least likely options – see our Latest Worked Example.

Now they were challenged to think about at least five realistic options, to stretch their likely alternatives as much as possible, which ultimately turned into six realistic possibilities. It is perfectly okay to produce more than 5 or 6 and six is what they did. You can view this six in our Latest Example of which one was: “Option F – Have a strong strategic understanding of our marketplace.”

Once their new “pictogram” was available, with its range of six options, they were now exposed to a stint of emotional distancing. Emotional distancing would allow these CEOs’ intuitive minds to sub-consciously review their span of options. After a break participants reconvened and quickly arrived at a couple of conclusions, which could then be distilled to one after some group deliberation. What choice would you have made?

With their joint conclusions, they were now encouraged to return to their own leadership teams and introduce them to the exercise, as a means of getting their buy-in and educating them on the Option Solving technique. By doing so, they would enable their people to have an alternative, and potentially more powerful, means of making key leadership and business decisions. Once they made their choice from their ‘pictogram,’ they should immediately draft an action initiative, while all the issues are fresh in their minds.

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: “What is my organization’s best option for enhancing performance?” 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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Our most recent posting focused on the above question and then the executive group agreed to pursue Option B – ‘To hire more people and build strong teams.’   However they felt Peeling the Onion would be appropriate way to gain more insight into the precise nature of doing that. Being now fully conversant with option solving, they could proceed to use the technique to uncover this sub-set of likely options.

The rational question they chose for this subsequent exercise came through as: “What would be our best alternative today to hire more people and build strong teams with earlier Option B; considering 1) hiring budgets, 2) current hiring approach, 3) mix-and-match for optimal teams, and 4) effective communication to hold teams together?” Again they reviewed a range of considerations, but they agreed to go with these four listed so as not to make their task more complex.

The participants were then ready to produce two more “bookends,” which would again function as their yin and yang extreme possibilities. Those bookends would then focus their intuitive minds on creating the company’s most appropriate set of sub-options. These bookends are vital to prevent their fertile intuitive minds from wandering in all sorts of directions and losing focus.

Bookends that were selected came out as: “Use outside contractor” and “Adopt computerized system for hiring and team building,” both of which the group felt were its company’s least likely options – see our Latest Worked Example.

Again, they had to produce at least five realistic options to stretch their likely alternatives as much as possible. It is perfectly okay to produce more and that is what they did, although, in this case, they left the sixth possibility open in case they came up with another sub-option overnight.  These five can be viewed in our Latest Example of which one was: “Option D – Learn more about team building and then apply.”

Once this new “pictogram” was available, with its range of five-six options, their leader requested that they engage in a further stint of emotional distancing. Emotional distancing would allow the members’ intuitive minds to sub-consciously review their span of options. Members chose to meet the following morning with a possible additional option and then make their choice.  What choice would you have made?

We can assure you that this was done and so they had another tier of their strategy for getting their people component to perform better. Again, they could decide to pursue a further tier of peeling the onion or go ahead and devise an appropriate action initiative,

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: “What is our optimum requirement before pursuing expansion?” 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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