graymatters
  • Home
  • About Craig
  • Learning
  • Faith
  • Blog
  • Contact

Moving from "We can't because" to "We can if"

2/20/2016

 
One of the greatest barriers to change or transformation stems from the inability to see past the obstacles in the way. In A Beautiful Constraint the authors describe how the flow in problem solving frequently comes to an abrupt halt when someone explains that "we can't do that because..." The 'because' may vary - we can't afford it, we've never done it that way, we don't have time - but the result is the same: forward momentum in solving the problem is derailed. They suggest reframing the entire conversation by instead of using the phrase "we can't because" that each sentence begin with "We can-if...". They offer a number of examples and types of Can-If statements, including "We can if we think of it as..." or "We can if we substitute... for ..."

Can-If statements keep the focus on how the problem can be solved rather than whether the problem can be solved. They force people to focus on finding solutions rather than additional problems. The following scene from the movie Apollo 13 illustrates this frame of mind. 

Make Good Art

2/17/2016

 
Love this video by shared by @E_Sheninger in Digital Leadership session today...

    Archives

    December 2021
    September 2020
    April 2020
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    February 2016
    October 2015


    RSS Feed


  • Home
  • About Craig
  • Learning
  • Faith
  • Blog
  • Contact