Option Solving Blog

Only just the other day, your editor found himself talking with a business owner who was looking for a way to sell his business and retire. Because the owner hadn’t been the most astute business person, its likely value wouldn’t be as much as he hoped and therefore it was best for him to consider all his options.

At that point, your editor explained the Option Solving technique as a way of arriving at an optimal solution. This brought about the owner arriving at the rational question: “What is my optimum option for offloading my business over the next 18-24 months; considering 1) don’t desire to be leader anymore, 2) want to get an optimum payout, 3) there is a marginal staff team, and 4) it’s tough to attract high caliber professionals in our area?” You will see he picked out his top four considerations, from several others, so as not to overly complicate his decision making task.

The owner was then encouraged to create two yin and yang “bookends,” which would serve as his extreme possibilities. Such bookends would then help focus his intuitive, decision-making mind on his most realistic options. Bookends like these are vital for preventing people’s fertile intuitive minds from wandering and losing focus.

His chosen yin and yang bookends were: “Just let the business waste away” and “Refinance and rebuild optimal business;” both of which were the least likely possibilities, but at least they would instigate his mind to come-up with the most realistic options – see our Latest Worked Example.

Now he was exercised to develop at least five realistic options, so as to stretch his range of possibilities wherever possible. Your decision success is known to be more suspect with just two or few options.  You will see where he, in fact, produced five realistic options then actually came up with six. Feel free to review his six choices in our Latest Example, one of which was: “Option-F: Merge with another similar, local business.”

With his “pictogram” now created, he was now advised to set aside some time for emotional distancing – a form of objective thinking – before making his choice. Emotional distancing would allow his intuitive mind to sub-consciously review his range of options against so many of his similar life experiences and choices; thereby seeking an optimal solution. What option would you have chosen?

After due thought, he indicated that he would make his choice, after sleeping on it overnight, and would then consider  using “Peeling the Onion” technique to look for greater action insights.

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: “Peeling the Onion for: What is my optimum option for offloading my business over the next 18-24 months?” 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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Not so long ago I was chatting with a senior executive about is latest challenge: turning one of his regions around as quickly as possible. He had already found and inserted a fresh regional leader, so was now thinking about how he could work with this person to optimally move things in the right direction. This senior executive was already familiar with option solving; consequently we were off to a quick start in our quest for a potential solution.

We quickly got into a rational question mode to stimulate his intuitive mind into assisting his quest; which was: “What is my best option for turning XYZ Region around in a timely fashion; considering 1) have installed new, promising regional leader, 2) plan to move to new office location, 3) have cycled through 3 leaders with same team, and 4) there’s plenty of business potential in the State?” You will notice how he picked out his top four considerations, from several others, so as not to overly complicate his decision making task.

Then he turned to creating two yin and yang “bookends,” which would serve as his extreme possibilities. Such bookends would then help focus his intuitive, decision-making mind on his most realistic options. Bookends like these are vital for preventing people’s fertile intuitive minds from wandering and losing focus.

The yin and yang bookends that came through were: “Just let it play out naturally” and “Clear out & start afresh;” both of which were the least likely possibilities, but at least they would instigate his mind to come-up with the most realistic possibilities – see our Latest Worked Example.

Now he was exercised to develop at least five realistic options, so as to stretch his range of possibilities wherever possible. You will see where he, in fact, produced five realistic options then and there and we left him to think about a possible sixth, if that came to mind over the next few hours. Feel free to review his initial five in our Latest Example, one of which was: “Option-D: Make a weekly presence over next 2 months to support new leader.”

With this “pictogram” now created, he would could then think through a sixth option, if it exists, and then set aside some time for emotional distancing – a form of objective thinking – before making his choice. Emotional distancing would allow his intuitive mind to sub-consciously review this range of options against so many of his similar life experiences and choices; thereby seeking an optimal solution. What option would you have chosen?

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 optimum option for offloading my business over the next 18-24 months?” 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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