Friday, October 4, 2013

Can’t Come Up with That Good Solution? Reboot!



Without the benefit of a Good Boss, you can be hard pressed to come up with good ideas or solutions to problems on your own. Certainly, your co-workers are there to help you think things through or brainstorm, but they have their own tasks, and aren’t always available or helpful.

What can you do on your own?

Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches, suggests three ways that can help you come up with new solutions:

“Change perspectives. Improve mental flexibility by rapidly trying on new points of view. This exercises your mind. For example, what would a potential customer think about this idea? . . .Your competitors? 

Reboot. Take a break from work every hour, or more often if you’re already frazzled. Get out of your chair, water a plant, or just let your mind wander. These breaks recharge your brain.
Summon a positive thought. Negative emotions impair thinking, memory, creativity, and strategic thinking. Try to crowd out unconstructive thoughts with positive ones, which improve these capabilities.”

I’m a big believer in moving around. I find that a brisk walk--even just to the restroom and back--is often enough to stimulate my brain in different directions.

And any time you replace “I can’t” with “I think I can” you’re already halfway there.

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