To be successful, you need to think wider

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Our thinking is limited by what we can and cannot, what we think is right, and what is complete nonsense. But a leader or just a person who wants to control his life cannot afford to have such a framework. What are the advantages of "broad thinking" and how to achieve this state of mind - learn from this article.

In our society, it is customary to think that you have to suffer and even barely survive in order to succeed. "This is a trap," says business coach Katia Verresen. - You will never build a billion-dollar business if you have a black streak in your life. Success comes on the happiest days of your life. Your work is 100% dependent on your attitude."

The ideal attitude is what she calls "broad thinking." It is a mental attitude that unlocks your creativity, allows you to achieve your vision, and helps you improve your life on a daily basis.

When Verresen first meets his clients, they are in "reactive" mode. Like actors in a film, they play their own lives without knowing the script and perspectives. Its goal is to put them in the director's chair, help them see choices, perspectives and opportunities, rewrite and improve their script as they progress.

And broad thinking allows you to do this. Below we will break down the concept of broad thinking with real-life examples, suggest real-life tactics that anyone can use to feel more energetic, broaden their view of the world and achieve their vision of success.

Power over oneself

Earlier in her work with clients, Verresen diagnosed lean and broad thinking. The purpose of this procedure was to identify and separate the feelings and thoughts that are characteristic of a person in a state of poor thinking from the experiences that we experience while thinking broadly.

This helped them to notice the main differences between these states in real life. Thus, they could consciously choose a more constructive attitude towards the world.

	Poor thinking	Broad thinking
Point of view	You are either a victim, or suppressing others, or simply do not know who you are.	You are in the lead position.
Physical energy	You have a tight body, drooping shoulders, clenched jaws, rapid breathing.	You are relaxed and collected at the same time, in control and balance. Breathing is deep and measured.
Emotional energy	You feel frustration, lack of interest, anxiety, fear, anger, and powerlessness. You hand over decision making to the group and succumb to pressure.	Feel involved, energized, positive. Charge and inspire others. You welcome change.
Mental energy	You are confused, disorganized, narrow-minded, focusing on what doesn't work. Typical way of thinking: "I have no choice."	You feel clarity, you can look at the situation from different angles, listen with interest and notice what eludes others. You know how to adapt. Typical way of thinking: “I have a choice. If I were to notice something new, what would it be? " Creative thinking, “beginner's view”.

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You can use diagnostics yourself to get a feel for how these states of thought differ. But how do you go to broad thinking if you feel and think poorly?

Verresen has worked for a long time to help people make this transition. And here are six tools to use.

1. The ability to notice

Broad thinking is your ability to notice more. More options, more choices, more resources.

It all starts with the fact that you need to notice more. You will never have a complete story. If you are in a meeting, there are as many different realities as there are people in the room. There is always another way to look at things.

Katya Verresen

The problem is that we are not biologically adapted for this.

In 1999, Harvard University published a now popular study in which participants were shown a video of a small basketball team passing the ball in a circle. Participants were asked to count how many times the ball was passed. Pretty simple, isn't it?

After watching, when subjects were asked if they had noticed anything unusual, more than half of the participants had no idea what the researchers were talking about. They missed the fact that in the video there was a man in a gorilla suit walking around the court. Most of the subjects didn’t notice it because their brains had erased this information.

How does this relate to work and life? When you are too focused on a task or idea, you miss out on a lot of what is happening around you. It's just biology. You are not crazy or stupid. It's just that our brains are designed to notice what we are looking at now and what we believe in.

For example, if you believe that “this is impossible” and “I cannot do it,” nothing will convince you.

It also illustrates how public opinion works, and you need a lot of energy to counter it. Perhaps you yourself are destroying alternative paths, resources, everything that can help you, because it does not correspond to social norms.

What awaits you if you change the automatic brain settings? Creativity and competitive edge.

When you devote the time and energy to noticing, new doors open up for you. Intuition grows, you feel that the Universe is helping you. But in reality, you are simply not limiting yourself.

You can cultivate broad thinking and mindfulness. Just like the habit of exercising or eating right, you can develop the habit of noticing if you exercise hard.

Ask yourself open-ended questions when you feel like you are in a constrained state of mind. Rely on your mind - it will use information that you have not received before.

Below are some of the questions that have been designed to restore this information and change your reality map.

1. If I experienced this situation differently, what would I notice?
2. What options do I have in this situation? Note, the question is not whether you have other options, they are by default.
3. If I had to find something useful in this situation, what would it be?
4. If this seemingly impossible task was doable, what would be my next step?
5. What is going right in this situation?
6. I would like to know what it is like - … (there must be an action that you think is impossible).
7. What resources that I have not noticed until now can I use?

Noticing also depends on the ability to break down existing limitations that you believe in, including your own knowledge.

If you approach the situation in a neutral manner, you are much more likely to notice what has previously escaped your gaze.

2. Neutral attitude

Someone calls this a "beginner's gaze", but the concept itself goes beyond the banal ignorance of the question. Being neutral means accepting judgments and assumptions without narrowing your gaze by any restrictions.

For several years, Verresen was one of the trainers of the most popular courses at Stanford Graduate School of Business. The program was called The Path of Power, and it emphasized the importance of neutrality.

The world is not fair or unjust. He just is. If you can drop value judgments, you will become stronger.

Ask yourself: “If I was neutral on this issue, would there be any difference? If I didn't know anything about it, I just found myself in this situation now, what would I see?"

Neutrality helps to get rid of blind optimism and pessimism and establish the right attitude towards what really is.

Very often Verresen heard from the heads of different companies that they could not hire employees. That there is no one who is good enough. That everything is hopeless And suddenly, after practicing neutral thinking and giving up a clear vision of the "ideal employee", it turned out that the right person was always there.

Neutrality also helps to realize that reality is chaos and no one thing will be true for everyone. Companies and teams are made up of many different points of view, controversy, opinions and voices. The best leader is the one who agrees that they are all right at the same time, not just him alone.

“If there are different opinions about the same decision, or you decide at a general meeting what to do next, write down everything that every person in the room has to say,” advises Verresen. “Maybe eight people will say yes and two will say no.” When you write down all the opinions on the board, you show that you are making a decision by looking back at the ideas, not the people who suggested them. And everyone can see that the opinions that have remained in the minority are respected and considered together with the rest."

When you don't consider all opinions, you always pay the price. People appear who want to challenge the decision or slow down the process.

3. Refueling

Refueling is any activity that will boost your emotional and mental energy. Getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising is only part of the fueling process, important but not the only one. You can refuel just by looking at your favorite photo for five minutes. And it will make you happy.

“I train people who run large companies, and they choose 'boards of power' - a set of photographs that evoke thoughts of vivid experiences (ideally, past victories) that provide them with mental rest. This rest helps them to direct their energy in the right direction, says Verresen. "It seems unlikely or far-fetched, but sometimes you don't even need to believe in magic for it to work."

Refueling is a very important thing, especially in the morning, and also anytime you feel like you are returning to lean thinking. When you feel tight and your heart beats faster. Refueling lets you decide which version of yourself you want to be.

“Your body is always the first to know what's going on, so use that,” advises Verresen. "Then choose the tool that will help you right now."

Here are a few tools that work best.

• Humor. Read or watch something that makes you laugh (there is a scientifically proven link between humor and creativity).
• Memories. This is where power boards come in handy. Do you have photos of happy moments or people you love? It can be a big win - something that seemed impossible and was done. Anything that puts you in a cheerful mood and reminds you of what you value.
• Music. Tracks that evoke positive associations. Listen to them when you are sad.
• Traffic. Stand up. Take a walk. Sitting in one position, you lose energy and spoil your mood.
• For extroverts: Find a friend to help you look at the situation from a different angle. Connect with the company to feel joy and support.
• For introverts: Find a quiet room to escape the noise. Breathe and enjoy the silence.

These tools will come in handy throughout the day. At 11 and 16 o'clock, as a rule, there are energy dips, and these methods will help you recharge. Basically, any time you feel stress, vulnerability, sadness, fuel up with positive emotions.

Just go to a quiet meeting room, listen to music, look at the photo album created for such purposes. You need to get away from what you just did for a while.

Realize that feeling exhausted or hopeless in the middle of the day is not your fault. It will pass. Defeat your obsession with problems and focus on the next task.

4. Self-complacency

Resilience is the ability to calm yourself down. This process has three phases. Verresen uses the structure suggested by Kristin Neff, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

First, acknowledge that the experience or situation is painful, that you are suffering and struggling. Maybe you're burned out, things aren't going the way you want them to, or you just got some bad news. Feel the discomfort of this moment and don't try to hide it. According to Neff's work, simply by being aware of your emotions, you already begin to calm down.

Second, realize that this pain is a shared human experience. Life is full of horror and failure. Bad things happen to the best of us, and no one is alone in their experiences. “Someone has necessarily experienced the same thing before, or is experiencing it right now,” says Verresen. - When we feel bad, we seem to be isolated from other people. We need to reconnect with society to begin recovery.”

Third, find out exactly what actions are required of you to feel better right now. What can you give yourself to feel even a little bit of relief? Maybe leave the room, sleep, exercise? Play with your pet. Go for a bike ride. Do something for yourself - something that will give you back your strength, make you feel better.

Research has shown that complacency is associated with courage. For example, researchers observed war veterans returning from Afghanistan and found that the incidence of PTSD was not related to the length and severity of the fighting in which they fought, but to their capacity for complacency.

Getting through all these phases quickly is the only way to maintain a broad mindset in the most stressful and intense emotional situations.

Verresen recommends having several self-soothing sessions throughout the day. It takes less than three minutes and gives you a huge advantage in terms of emotional flexibility and resilience.

This is especially important if you are doing your best, fighting for something, completing tasks at high speed and need to keep in touch with your team.

5. Generosity

Find what you are willing to give. Research has shown that most strong and happy people are at the center of a wider network, constantly helping its members. This is how your community is built - be generous with what you give. Whether it's helpful connections, technical skills, or just listening skills.

Too many people think they have nothing to offer, when in fact they have a lot: attention, kindness, knowledge, access to resources.

Verresen also recommends creating "reward circles" of friends and colleagues who can do something for each other. Just 5-7 people, each of whom is working on something. So people can turn to each other for ideas, for help in solving problems.

“Another person's mind map can help you get out if you're stuck,” says Verresen. "Remember that the people you least know are more likely to suggest new things to you or change your worldview."

Each person can tell you what they need help with, and then you should set a timer for 7 minutes, during which you will brainstorm in search of a solution to his problem. Write down each brainstorming solution. This will allow you to take into account all the ideas and get concrete results. The only requirement in this practice is generosity and the understanding that there are no bad ideas.

When you build a community of people you support, you get a community that will always support you.

You should always seek fresh ideas and perspectives outside of your work team. Look for someone to fix your blind spot and point out your omissions.

Find people who want to develop the same skills in the same direction, but work for a different company or in a different industry altogether. These are the people who are more likely to point you to new opportunities.

It will also help you find mentors, including experts outside your field. They can open up many new perspectives for you. What seems to you like a winding mountain path, to those who have already gone through it, it seems like a straight, well-worn road.

Financial consultant Larry Mohr, co-founder of Mohr Davidow Ventures, once said to Verresen: “Wildfire is normal and good. Panic won't help. Just be ready, because after a forest fire there are always many new growths."

And he was right: dozens of new companies like Twitter and Facebook have marked the birth of a new era of social media. Verresen used his confidence to get through a difficult time.

One form of generosity is gratitude. It sounds simple, but it matters a lot to the people around you. “I see so many people start to work harder because their boss told them, 'Good job,'” says Verresen.

For recognition to be effective, it must be made public and specific. Do not take the person aside and tell him: "You are wonderful." You should speak clearly and specifically about some actions or projects in order to improve the work of a team or an individual.

Research shows that in the teams with the highest performance, people adhere to the following rule: there should be seven positive comments for one constructive criticism.

6. Acknowledgments

Gratitude works wonders. Many studies have shown that the practice of gratitude can "reboot" the brain and has a lasting effect.

But what exactly is this practice?

Take just 5 minutes a day to focus on the good things that are happening right now. Mark this time on your calendar and don't miss it. You can use gratitude when you feel fatigued. This practice is very refreshing.

Also, do not forget about your achievements. By reminding yourself of them, you begin to believe much more in your capabilities and set bigger goals for yourself.

When you take the time to feel grateful for your victory, you train your brain to deal with stress and always be open to alternatives.

If you're used to being grateful, then you don't miss out on small chances and opportunities.

You can make gratitude a daily ritual. Verresen recommends that every day, week and month remember what you have created, what you are proud of and what you are grateful for. It is best to write this down in a journal.

Do this at the end of each day. Do it Sunday night - write what you are grateful for this week and highlight the most important positive experiences. Do this on the last day of every month. Do this until you have a filtered list of three things that really matter to you.

The more you write down, the more you increase your energy. Also try doing what Verresen offers to his clients:

1. Write down what you are grateful for in your life.
2. Write down what other people are grateful for.
3. Send them an email immediately or call them for a meeting.

This habit can change the very culture of the company. It only takes a few minutes at the end of the day.

The habit of thinking big

Consistency builds trust and speed. When you do something consistently, you are working for the long term.

Thus, when a fire starts and a person runs into the room, shouting that everyone should quit their business and start solving this problem now, you do not lose sight of your ultimate goal. You create an internal structure that keeps your team on track.

Every leader wants to see himself as strong, open and inspiring, not a person who only criticizes, controls and thinks that he is the smartest in this room.

But the only way to become such a leader is to practice the methods above and make them a habit.

At every moment in time, during every interaction with other people, you have the freedom to choose who you want to be. A good leader is one who knows that there is no situation that would force him to act in a certain way. And that gives him freedom.

When you start thinking big - noticing more and sharing more of what you know - everyone on your team understands where you are going. Your employees will follow your model and take more information and opinions into account in the decision-making process. And they will not judge themselves harshly and be afraid to propose the wrong solutions.

When you create something new, you inevitably work 11 hours a day and constantly solve some urgent problems. In such a situation, it is easy to tell the team: "Keep working, we will rest when we are finished." It is very easy to forget about everything that was said above, considering that you simply do not have time for this.

But these are the moments when you need it the most. Each tool above takes no more than 5 minutes and allows you to show the best you can, which is the only way to make your team better. At the most important times, you cannot settle for less.

There are moments that will remind you why you started all this. Every significant event, crisis or even fire is your test. This is the moment when you need all the ways that can keep your productivity at its highest.

Always remember why this job means so much to you, and build on it.