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Back to Articles and Tips Imaging for Creative Solutions and Decisions
by Leonard Lang, Ph.D
I'm sure many of you are familiar with photographer Ansel Adams' inspiring views of nature, especially Yellowstone. His works reportedly have been seen by more people than any other photographer.
Adams had a theory about photography, "visualization" that came as a breakthrough moment early in his career. As described by Apogee Magazine, "In 1927, he created what he called his first print using "visualization," in which he determined the qualities of the final print even before he snapped the shutter." His specific ideas around photography might give us all a rough template for how to approach our lifework vision or reach any goal. Let's see by taking a snapshot of his process. First, Adams saw a scene that impressed him (in 1927, the face of Half Dome in Yosemite). He looked hard and appreciatively at what was before him.
This article may be redistributed as long as there is no fee associated with its distribution and this entire paragraph and the accompanying copyright notice is included with the article. Readers interested in more information about training or products to help you with creative problem solving, career development, or facilitation are invited to go to www.beardavenue.com or write to llang@beardavenue.com" Back to Articles and Tips Creative Reflection Journaling
by Leonard Lang, Ph.D Passover and Easter are almost here. Here are a two ways for creatively reflecting on a theme common to both religious festivals—new beginnings. Also a great theme for spring.
Topic 1—Freedom and New Beginnings Name one time during the past year when you broke through some old limitation or problem? Maybe you found a new job or new way to go about your current job. Maybe it was a new way to approach a chronic condition. Maybe you did something in spite of feeling afraid of it. Maybe you did something very small but freeing, like hiring someone to do your taxes for you!
See if there are any parts of your life now that feel heavy, oppressive, stale, unfree, or stuck. If so:
© 2007 Beard Avenue—Training. Executive and Career Coaching. Facilitation. This article may be redistributed as long as there is no fee associated with its distribution and this entire paragraph and the accompanying copyright notice is included with the article. Readers interested in more information about training or products to help you with creative problem solving, career development, or facilitation are invited to go to www.beardavenue.com or write to llang@beardavenue.com" Back to Articles and Tips Getting Unstuck — A Different Take
by Leonard Lang, Ph.D
Many of you know that a core part of my lifework mission is to help individuals and groups get unstuck. So here's a somewhat different take on getting and staying unstuck.
I once read about a man who challenged himself to drive home from work by a different route every day. After a while, as you may imagine, it became quite tricky and involved all kinds of indirect routes with side streets. This practice certainly seems odd as most of us returning home from work would want the fastest route, not the most convoluted. Once we found that, we would be unlikely to change it, especially after a hard day at work. But this person’s sense of creativity and desire to keep himself interested and amused led him on some different paths and fun adventures. Similarly, when I was in college, taking a course in the history of photography, the teacher gave us many assignments to help open up our ways of seeing and thinking. One time, he had us go out on our own on a city bus trip to “nowhere,” challenging us to just go with no destination in mind. I wound up at the end of an unfamiliar route where I walked around and spoke with an older man tending a front yard garden who gave me some fresh tomatoes. Even in the classroom this photographer and teacher had some unusual requests. For instance, he asked us to sit in different seats each time instead of finding a favorite spot and sticking to it as most people do. I learned how uncomfortable we can be with even small changes to our habits and routines and with not knowing what’s going to happen, but also how these can create opportunities for noticing old, stale patterns in ourselves and for seeing and doing things differently. I think one lesson in both stories is the value of making a physical change to initiate a mental change. Just as we can think a new way to act differently, we can also go the other direction and simply act differently—in any area of our lives--to get our minds unstuck and thinking differently in all areas of our lives. So whether you take a different path to work or find yourself on a ride to nowhere—if you do so alertly, you may find yourself thinking new thoughts or just feeling fresher. You may find yourself unstuck and able to solve problems you were working on that had nothing to do with driving to work, walking a route, or sitting in a different seat. You may not get a fresh tomato, but you may wind up with the fresh, juicy idea you really need. © 2007 Beard Avenue—Training. Executive and Career Coaching. Facilitation. This article may be redistributed as long as there is no fee associated with its distribution and this entire paragraph and the accompanying copyright notice is included with the article. Readers interested in more information about training or products to help you with creative problem solving, career development, or facilitation are invited to go to www.beardavenue.com or write to llang@beardavenue.com" Back to Articles and Tips Stressed about Work? Not Enjoying Your Job? Add a Dose of Passion
by Leonard Lang, Ph.D
Are you feeling passionate about what you are doing at work?
If the answer is no, you are probably feeling more stressed than you need to and less able to handle crises and frustrations at work. In my coaching and classes I emphasize connecting with passions from the get-go. It's the starting point for discovering your lifework. But even before my clients discover their lifework vision, I see that when they connect to their passions, they become much happier, as well as much more energetic, enthused, and confident. We also have a lot more fun in class and in coaching sessions. But what about the time spent at work that isn't your dream job? Is that outside the passion zone? Are you stuck in boredom, frustration, stress? Surprisingly, no. One of the secrets to making your current work more passionate and exciting and fulfilling is to include it as an important part of your larger lifework vision and plans, as a springboard to a better career choice. Of course that means you need to know your lifework vision. But once you determine that and even to help you determine that, you can begin to shape your current work in ways that will add passion and reduce stress. For instance These are just a few things that will connect you to your passions and to your lifework vision where so much energy resides and so much more power to act without feeling stressed. © 2007 Beard Avenue—Training. Executive and Career Coaching. Facilitation. This article may be redistributed as long as there is no fee associated with its distribution and this entire paragraph and the accompanying copyright notice is included with the article. Readers interested in more information about training or products to help you with creative problem solving, career development, or facilitation are invited to go to www.beardavenue.com or write to llang@beardavenue.com" Back to Articles and Tips Experiment for Success
by Leonard Lang, Ph.D
Trying new things, experimenting, even with the ridiculous can sometimes give you new insights and perspective. With that in mind, I tried this goofy little experiment from internet marketing guru Mark Joyner who includes it at the beginning of his success program.
The goal is to take a sip of water. Or you could say, to discover the best and fastest way to get water from a glass into your mouth. He offers a number of methods, including:
In short, he just wants you to act directly to achieve your goals. And indeed, the results of my experiment were… well, you know the results. But as silly as it seems to actually do the experiment (which he strongly advises), I found it not only made me laugh, it made me think of times where I have tried to achieve something--while not doing the one most obvious thing needed. Of course at the time that one thing didn't seem so obvious. I thought I needed more information first. I told myself I needed more resources first. I imagined I needed some additional experience. But often, I really just needed to start doing what I wanted to do. Yet taking action isn't always the next step. For me, the point of this little experiment is actually a broader lesson in not getting stuck. Not getting stuck for some of us definitely means start acting. Do something directly related to your goal. For others, the lesson may be the opposite-planning, visualizing, dreaming, or praying first before rushing off to act. In other words, the first step may be to make sure you don't act until you figure out the appropriate goal or problem to tackle and the best way to tackle it. In fact, determining the appropriate goal or question is the very first thing to do in creative problem solving. Or as Einstein is reputed to have said, if he had 60 minutes to figure out how to save his life, he'd spend the first 55 minutes determining the right question to ask, and the last 5 answering it (and presumably performing some action). As obvious as it sounds, I think it's good to remind ourselves to be open and willing to do what works, not what should work, not what you would like to work, not what someone tells you is how things must work, and not just waiting and hoping for things to work. Instead, experiment, determine your goal, set your mind, heart, and spirit on the task, and yes, do get out and act. © 2007 Beard Avenue—Training. Executive and Career Coaching. Facilitation. This article may be redistributed as long as there is no fee associated with its distribution and this entire paragraph and the accompanying copyright notice is included with the article. Readers interested in more information about training or products to help you with creative problem solving, career development, or facilitation are invited to go to www.beardavenue.com or write to llang@beardavenue.com" Back to Articles and Tips Full Speed Ahead… Or Backwards -
Which Way Are You Going?
by Leonard Lang, Ph.D
It's surprisingly easy to assume we know the solution to a problem and are implementing it, when we are going full speed ahead the opposite direction--continuing and increasing the problem instead. To help you see what I mean, I want to share with you an example of the kind of coaching conversation I have had with various executives who are creating a closed, non-innovative, and even angry staff even though they believe they are doing the opposite. In this composite example, we are again talking about the value of specific and relevant praise and support for new ideas as one part of developing a culture of innovation.
Leonard: Give me an example. Exec: Someone comes up with an idea at a staff meeting about a problem. I tell them that it’s great and I appreciate it. Leonard: OK, that sounds good so far. Tell me about one time this happened lately. Exec: Someone suggested that we might want to try increasing client satisfaction by having a client ombudsman, a single go-to person on their side. Leonard: What did you say? Exec: I started right off mirroring like we’ve been discussing. Leonard: Excellent. Let’s hear as best as you can remember word for word what you said. Exec: So your idea is a dedicated ombudsman focused on client concerns would increase client satisfaction? Leonard: Good. Then what? Exec: Then I praised the idea. Leonard: How? Exec: I said, thanks. That’s fresh thinking which is what we need, but in this case I happen to know we can’t … Leonard: Hold on right there. Did you hear what you just said? Exec: No. What? Leonard: You negated the entire positive comment with “but” and “we can’t.” Whatever you said before that will be immediately forgotten or dismissed as BS once you hit the word, “but.“ Exec: But we couldn’t do the idea. I was right. Leonard: Maybe so. Or maybe, as we’ll discuss, you can learn to build on even the “worst” ideas instead of losing their value. In any case, you’ve turned a praising statement into a correcting one, and it will be heard that way, especially if the staff already sees you as unsupportive. So what happened after your comment? Exec: Not much. No one had any more ideas, and the energy level dropped even further I’d say. Leonard: Yep. That kind of comment would even shut me up after a few times, and that’s not easy to do! Want to see how you’re doing? Ask yourself what you are doing that seems like it should work, but isn't working at all. Then look in detail at what you are thinking, saying and doing. While playing detective, assume you alone are the one creating this opposite effect, even if you have a million reasons why that's not possible. That way you can find how you might be at least contributing to the problem so you can start looking for an alternative and better solution. © 2007 Beard Avenue—Training. Executive and Career Coaching. Facilitation. This article may be redistributed as long as there is no fee associated with its distribution and this entire paragraph and the accompanying copyright notice is included with the article. Readers interested in more information about training or products to help you with creative problem solving, career development, or facilitation are invited to go to www.beardavenue.com or write to llang@beardavenue.com" |
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