Management Voice Index
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We tend to think about problems and challenges in a very repetitive way. We follow similar thought patterns each time we come to a problem, usually without realising it. So long term challenges such as how to communicate better, how to improve customer service skills, how to increase productivity etc., often seem intractable. One way to give your thinking a fresh perspective is to......

......Think the Unthinkable

If we always follow the same thinking pattern, we will restrict the range of outcomes we consider. If you stand in the same place, the view is pretty constant. Allowing yourself some space to think the unthinkable gives you the chance to get a different view on the same issues. Here are some suggestions for different situations.

Demolish the building

If you are constantly looking at issues of space and physical resources, imagine you had a clean sheet of paper and could start again. What would the ideal physical resource look like? How many versions of ideal are there? There maybe as many as one for each user of the resource. Take some time to develop your ideas fully, perhaps using sketches and rough plans. Now, how many of these ideas can you actually incorporate into what you already have?

Make it the most important part of the organisation

This is a great tool for a ‘Cinderella' function or department. Imagine this function is the most important in the business. What kind of leader would it have? How would it be organised? What resources would it have? What contribution would it make to the rest of the organisation, to employees, to customers, to suppliers, to strategy? How would it feel to work in this function? How would it feel to work with this function?

Give them 10 out of 10

A good approach to ‘problem' individuals or teams. Suppose they were considered the best performers, how would that change their behaviour? How would you feel if they delivered the best results? How would the organisation reward them? What would make these people feel motivated to stay with you and not move on? How would the way they work be different? How would their interactions with others change? What would be the impact on the business?

Sometimes this version of the exercise shows us that ‘problem' people often deliver results, we just don't like the way they do it. Turn the tables and think about yourself!

Cut it out

Great for finding waste, and helping you focus on the critical issues. Consider anything, whether a task, a service or an operational activity. What would happen if you just didn't do it any more? Would the world come to an end? Are your weekly team meetings meaningless? What would happen if you stopped them, and simply went out for lunch together once a month? Who reads the reports you produce? Who uses the data you generate? Be ruthless, imagine cutting the things you like as well as those you don't!

Imagine it's done!

Helpful when trying to solve problems, just imagine you have solved it. How is everything different? What has moved? Who has changed? Where do the changes show up? How do things feel? Do you have more time or less? The answers to these questions might show you where to look for solutions to your problems.

In each and every case, aim for a pretty detailed ‘unthinkable solution'. The more you think it through, the more likely it is to throw a useful new light on the challenge you are facing.

Management Voice Index
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