Option Solving Blog

A colleague was recently chewing over how to build upon a serendipitous relationship with the CEO (RM) of a burgeoning biotech company in Atlanta. He knew it would require a rather sensitive non-marketing approach to move things forward after a recent third-party introduction put things on hold until the early fall. My colleague, already familiar with option solving, then decided to utilize the technique to review his most likely options.

His vital initial question then came through as follows: “What is my colleague’s optimum option to prime his relationship with RM; considering 1) BC contact could open new business doors for RM, 2) leave this possibility on hold until the fall, 3) there could be other beneficial mutual contacts for RM, and 4) colleague could gain possibility of an influential ‘follower’?” It was appropriate for him to stick with only four considerations to reduce the complexity of any eventual decision, when the ultimate decision moment arrives: despite there being other possibilities out there.

He then set about creating two fresh appropriate yin and yang “bookends”,as these would help keep his intuitive mind focused. Bookends such as these are vital for preventing our fertile intuitive minds from wandering and losing concentration. We are mostly unaware of how powerfully valuable but foot-loose our intuition can be unless we can keep it properly focused on such occasions.   

The two bookends that most immediately came to his mind were: “Hold back for another potential opportunity w/RM” – will impede any relation momentum;and “Propose a full-fledged project with RM” – likely to be ignored. You will note the italicized detractors associated with these least likely options, which therefore put these out of consideration. Even so, these bookends will now again nudge his intuitive thinking into high gear to find more promising options – see ourLatest Worked Example.

He was then required to come up with at least five new realistic options, although he ultimately came up with six after a certain amount of time. He would then be in a position to pursue emotional distancing, which is a form of objective thinking, before making his choice sometime after that …perhaps after 2 hours, later in that day, or first thing the following morning. You can replace his proposed options with any of your own.

While they were all quite interesting, he was now particularly drawn to – Option C: Encourage RM to send something of interest to MC about vaccine issues. Itseemed to offer the most immediate promise for building ongoing momentum. He can then always consider his other possibilities as time moves on.

If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area or contact him at peter@ileadershipsolutions.com .  Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Our next posting will be in two week’s time: “What is the best way to test my Literary Agent’s commitment to my book being published?” 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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