Option Solving Blog

Your editor has developed a powerful communication preference survey that gives individuals objective insights about their communicating and operating styles. It sits waiting to be shared wherever possible and enable individuals and teams to take advantage of its output. Rather than sit on a potential gold mine, he now wishes to expand possibilities for its use and to many people’s advantage. It has proved to be uncannily accurate, consequently can be a valuable resource.

With this in mind, it prompted him to kick-off this option solving activity with the following question: “What’s my optimum option to leverage powerful Mercury Communication Preference Survey; considering 1) it has proved to be exceptionally accurate, 2) it’s an effective tool in marketing scenarios, 3) it’s quick and convenient to access online, and 4) it can potentially ignite new client relationships?” Again, it’s appropriate for him to focus on just these four considerations to reduce complexity in his eventual decision; for when that ultimate decision moment arrives – despite there being many other possible considerations out there.

He then decided to invoke applicable yin and yang “bookends”,as these will help keep his intuitive mind focused against other immediate mental distractions. 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.   

These turned out to be: “Keep it hidden from public view” – Denies people/firms of its many insightful advantages;and “Start and fund a major marketing campaign” – Age clock is counting and funding issues. You will note the italicized detractors associated with these least likely options, which show why they are not really for consideration. Even so, these bookends now nudge his intuitive thinking into high gear again, to consider a range of realistic options – see ourLatest Worked Example.

He has now come up with six realistic options – A thru F. He was then ready to pursue emotional distancing beforecoming to any outcome decision. He will then review these declared options, perhaps after 2 hours, later in the day, or first thing the following morning, before arriving at an optimal conclusion. You can replace his proposed options with any of your own.

While all these options look interesting, he was likely initially particularly intrigued by – Option E: Produce output with greatest WOW factor. He then decided to sleep on it and seek input from others until the following morning and then proceed accordingly. He is strongly encouraged to stick with whatever option the overall, intuitive choice happens to be, so as to capitalize on the “wisdom of the crowd.”

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: “Peeling the Onion: What’s my optimum option to leverage powerful Mercury Communication Survey?”  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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