Option Solving Blog

Questions are often raised about how to motivate people, so we set out on a relatively simple quest to get the thoughts of executives wherever the opportunity arises. We want to give them an opportunity to determine this question through a series of options, which, at the same time, will give them a good idea of what Option Solving is all about. So, we created an option solving example around this interesting question.
Firstly, of course, we started to define an appropriate question, which started off like this: “What is our best option for keeping our people motivated, considering…” Two points here: A) Note the question starts with “What.” This is designed to engage our intuition, since we use our intuition to answer questions of opinion or open ended questions. B) We have introduced the possibility of considerations. If we pick the right ones, this will further provide our intuition with the ammunition to come up with a particularly good option.
There are many considerations that could be listed here and they would probably be different for different organizations. But we can reasonably assume three that might pop up: ‘Budgetary constraints,’ ‘Possible unrealistic expectations,’ and ‘Other stakeholders to keep happy.’ You can now view the final complete question under the Latest Example tab.
Then we came up with two “bookends,” the “yin and yang” extreme possibilities that come to mind from this question. The ones that immediately came to mind are: “Let people take care of themselves” and “Kill people with kindness.”
With these in place, our intuitive minds were now firmly challenged to come up with a range of plausible options between these two extremes. We didn’t have to think too hard to come up with the first one: “Utilize a high degree of incentives,” the other four you will find in our Latest Example.
At this point, you allow executives some time out for “emotional distancing,” by shutting away the option solving picture for 5-10 minutes, to give participants’ intuitive minds time to chew over the options and trade-offs, while talking about other things. They are then ready to make their optimum choice. If there is a group of participants, which always facilitates the best overall decision, then they are given the opportunity to make confidential choices to mitigate against the ‘herd mentality’. We’ll leave you pick the one that you feel best meets the question.
If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area. Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting in 2 weeks: “Using Option Solving to decide on ‘On our best option for rewarding people without clocking their time?’” Let’s have your COMMENTS or go to peter@ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger.)

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This blog is about Option Solving and option solving is a much better way for younger folks to make their career choices, than so many of the traditional modes. In a moment you will see why.
Younger folks have picked up a tremendous amount of intuitive wisdom in their lives to date –from friends, family, schooling, college, early work experiences, and so on. Intuitive wisdom provides an incredible bank of information to draw upon when the time comes for choosing careers. The trick is to access that bank of information in the most effective way: how do I access that mind boggling level of intuitive wisdom I’ve gained over the years? That’s where Option Solving comes in.
The first step is to come up with an appropriate question. Perhaps one like: “What’s the best career choice for me now?” You can learn more how to pose the right questions from the book, although this also should include some vital considerations; like…how far can I travel, my minimal compensation package needs, and what is my dream job?
Your next step with Option Solving is to set your mind an additional framework known as bookends (find out more about these from the book). But two likely bookends could be: 1) Do nothing and just hope the right job comes along. 2) Follow the career path decided by my family and friends. The idea behind bookends is to choose extremes you’re least likely to follow: hence the ones stated above.
With these extremes your incredible intuitive wisdom will kick in, as it wants to reject these bookends. Then you should map out 5-8 alternative choices of career that appeal to you in some way – see example under Latest Example tab.
Once you have laid these out go to bed and sleep on them – as a younger folk that will probably mean from 2.00AM to 2.00PM the following afternoon! However, before you close your eyes, you ask yourself exactly the same question as you posed earlier: “What is the best career choice for me now?”
The first choice (of all the alternatives) that pops into your head when you wake up is the career choice you should pursue. This sleep break is known as “emotional distancing” (more in the book) and allows your intuitive intelligence to work at its best.
Once decided, don’t be put off by your family and friends. No matter the challenges or obstacles, this is the career of your dreams and should be pursued at all costs. Remember, “He/she who lets go is the one who loses out.” Best of luck with your chosen career! (Note: Get your family and friends to visit this blog, too!)
Please refer to the Latest Example to view the overall picture of a potential
solution. If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area.
Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting in 2 weeks: “Using Option Solving to decide on ‘Which Channel or Customers to pursue?’” Let’s have your COMMENTS or go to peter@ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger.)

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A long time friend, who is also a professional practitioner, started talking to me about retiring from the practice he had built up over many years. He had hoped that over those years he would have recruited a junior partner who would now be ready to buy the practice, but things didn’t turn out that way for one reason or another.

Now he wanted to retire and was faced with a tough dilemma because the poor economy had affected the value of his practice and there were fewer potential buyers around. He had taken advice from a business lawyer, who was encouraging him to wait 5 years in the hope that the practice would regain its former value.

Faced with this quandary, we invited him to join us in an Option Solving On-line session, where he would have both a facilitator and a scribe to record the discussion. As a threesome, we initially focused on the right question and considerations, and eventually came up with: “What is my best immediate option for retiring from my practice, considering I want to get out in 3 years, my practice is hampered by the economy, and I’m willing to practice but don’t want the management headaches? – see Latest Example. There were more considerations than these three, although these seemed the most important ones.

As we worked the points through over a conference line, with same option solving picture on our laptops, we moved onto defining the “bookends”, those yin and yang items that would further frame the dilemma and give his intuition a provocative frame of reference. After some discussion, these turned out to be: “Willing to sell at any price” and at the other end, “Not sell, keep practicing.” Obviously neither was a starter, even though they are, in fact, options.

Now it remained for him, with facilitation guidance, to come up with a number of realistic options. You can see from the Latest Example that he came up with six options (although we deliberately have not shown all of them). While my scribe colleague reconfigured the order of these options, I kept my friend occupied with some other distracting small-talk, to allow for emotional distancing. This allowed his intuition to work through the variables, trade-offs and similar decisions (that had been recorded in his subconscious over the years).

Eventually, we came back to the Latest Example picture and, with a quick read of the question, “bookends,” and six options, from which he chose one. We then immediately started discussing his next steps, while it was still fresh in his mind. He then left the conference meeting to go and implement his decision, while renewed confidence and momentum was there.

Please refer to the Latest Example to view the overall picture of this dilemma and its potential solution. If you have any example of your own, please share it with the blogger through the COMMENTS icon.
Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting in 2 weeks: “Using Option Solving to decide on ‘Promoting a more Positive/Conducive Relationship to Facilitate Progress?’” We will appreciate your COMMENTS or go to peter @ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger.)

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