Coach Notes - Making "Impossible" Thinking Possible

April 2005

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Thinking impossible thoughts is not just the realm of fairy godmothers or eccentric inventors. We can all zoom in or out of our previous mindsets with a little practice. Wind and Crook suggest a variety of ways to begin to see differently—before a crisis or failure of the old model has made it too late. Here are a few:

Listen to the radicals. What wisdom and opportunities are there in the sometimes "bizarre" ideas of the radical thinkers around you?

Embark on journeys of discovery. Where can you travel—mentally or physically—to gain fresh perspectives on your organization? Your life?

Look across disciplines. Often, "impossible" solutions develop at the intersection of several fields or departments. Crossing borders and moving into unfamiliar territory can help you see your situation from fresh perspectives.

Question the routine. While routines create needed structure, they can sometimes lull us to sleep. Disrupting the routine, even in small ways, can help us awaken to new possibilities.

Recognize the barriers. Becoming aware of the obstacles or fences that keep us from seeing new models is the first step to overcoming them.

Practice flying upside down. Like commercial airline pilots, who are trained in how to react to unusual emergencies (such as flying upside down!), we can look for ways to prepare for outrageous scenarios.

"Destroy" the old model. For example, imagining you will live only six more months can immediately obliterate all previous models of thought about how you would spend your days.

Envision multiple futures. What are some potential scenarios for the future, and what will you need to succeed in each one?

Taking Control: It's a One-Person Job

It's not possible to control a system, another person's behavior or others' impressions. But that doesn't mean that we have no control. What we can control ultimately has more power to affect a situation than any control we might try to exert over others.

Consider the power available to us when we pay attention to these areas—things we can actually do something about:

Our words. Spoken or written, the words we choose impact our lives and the lives of others. If need be, we can learn ways to approach our associates or direct-reports that stand a better chance of being heard.

Our beliefs. We can always change our beliefs. What beliefs about your work, your life, are keeping you stuck, or causing you difficulty or insecurity?

Our actions. We alone are responsible for what we do. For example, if you feel inadequately skilled for a particular task, you can take courses, work with a coach to bring out certain qualities or to look at other work possibilities.

Our values. What's important to us is our call. No one else can tell us what to value. Where we truly tap into power is when we align our values with our actions.

Our work. Although many of us complain of being stuck in a job or profession, we do actually get to choose what our work in the world is.

Our friends. Those we associate with say a lot about what we think about ourselves. We can choose to have friends who support us and who mirror our best qualities or who bring us down.

Our time. Though it sometimes feels like we have no choice, we do choose every day how we will use the 24 hours a day gives us.

Our basic health. While we cannot control our genetic make-up, we can choose to exercise, sleep enough, eat healthy food, get routine check-ups, etc.