To Possess Other Eyes-Part 2

In Gail Blanke's REAL SIMPLE column, The Motivator...a Fresh Perspective, she has developed a 'page of possibilities'--a five step exercise that requires only a pen and some paper. With flip chart or paper and pencil in hand, divide it into five columns.

Column 1: What's the situation?

State the issue at hand.

Column 2: What are we losing?

Write down everything that comes to mind.

Column 3: What's a new possibility?

Talk it over and write down everyone's option.

Column 4: What would our new possibility look like if it were really, really good?

"Here's where we get creative," Blanke said. "Here's where we think way out of the box. Here's where we adopt new eyes. Take another look at..."

When brainstorming this area, Blanke hands out four rules:

1. Create; don't critique.
2. Remember--there are no dumb idea's.
3. Get carried away; you can always rein yourself in and cross things off the list later.
4. The only thing you're allowed to say when someone else comes up with an idea is "GREAT IDEA!" I don't care if you say it through clenched teeth; you just have to say it.
   

Column 5: What did we discover?

Ask: What did we learn that we never would have learned if we hadn't tried something new or if we had just done it the old way?

---REAL SIMPLE magazine, July 2008