A Winning Formula

Win-Win Ideas

The overall idea of a win-win situation occurs when different perspectives form a common solution. All are happy because the outcome is something agreed on by all because of cooperation. Without a specific goal in mind by all members of a group a final outcome is difficult to discover.

But in order for everyone to come to agreement there must be some rules to enhance creative thinking:

-Understand why everyone is there
-There are no wrong answers
-Keep an open mind
-Focus on a common goal
-Give respect
-Have no fear, guilt, or self doubt
-Don't be quick to judge
I think the last rule could be the most difficult. The story of the fisherman and samurai comes to mind:

This challenge is vividly captured in an old Japanese story about a samurai and a fisherman. One day, the samurai went to collect a debt from the fisherman. “I'm sorry,” the fisherman said, “but this last year has been a very bad one for me, and I regret to say I do not have the money to repay you.” Quick to anger, the samurai drew his sword and prepared to kill the fisherman on the spot. Thinking fast, the fisherman boldly said, “I have been studying martial arts and my master teaches that you should never strike out of anger.” The samurai looked at him for a minute, then slowly lowered his sword. “Your master is wise,” he said quietly. “My master used to teach the same lesson. Sometimes my anger gets the better of me. I will give you one more year to repay your debt, but if you fail by even a penny, I will surely kill you.” The samurai returned to his house, arriving late at night. He crept in quietly, not wishing to wake his wife, but to his shock, he found two people in the bed, his wife and a stranger dressed in samurai clothing. With a surge of jealousy and anger, he raised his sword to slay them both, but suddenly the fisherman's words came back to him: “Do not strike out of anger.” The samurai stopped for a moment, took a deep breath, and then deliberately made a loud noise. His wife instantly woke up, as did the “stranger,” who turned out to be his mother. “What is the meaning of this?” he yelled. “I almost killed you both!” “We were afraid of robbers,” his wife explained. “So I dressed your mother up in your samurai clothes to scare them off.” A year passed and the fisherman came to see the samurai. “I had an excellent year, so here is your money back and with interest,” the fisherman said happily to him. “Keep your money,” replied the samurai. “You repaid your debt long ago.”

This story brings up another aspect of group work, learning from one another. Understand the situation you’re in. Listen to others, don’t be quiet holding back an argument or comments, truly listen. Wait for all to speak and take in what has been said. Don’t jump to conclusions. Remember, all are here for a common purpose; some are guided by ideas unfamiliar to your own.

In order to be creative one must be relaxed. Tense situations bring out angst among people and often great ideas are held back due to fear of ridicule. Here are some great practices for overcoming these obstacles from Allen’s article:

*Insisting on one "right" answer - Combine best elements of several solutions
*Being totally logical - Use “radiant” thinking to put magic before logic
*Restricting rules - Make rules serve reason
*Being practical - Let purpose guide practice
*Downplaying playfulness - Let wonder and adventure energize interplay
*Over specializing - Cross cultures, bridge disciplines
*Avoiding ambiguities - Hear silence, see spaces, perceive paradoxes
*Fearing looking foolish - Outgrow need for other's approval
*Fearing failure - Filter toxic criticism to learn from let downs
*Doubting self - Suspend judgment, stop second guessing, outwit perfectionism

A final insight that I find very helpful is the power of a positive no, uncover your “yes.” I think I have not been doing this for too long. I was guided by no rather than discovering and following my yes. An easy example of this practice is asking yourself what is important to you. Focus on what is important and these values will help eliminate fear of what you feel is holding you back.

Mind Power

The Power of Intelligence

The way one takes in concepts, analyzes them, and then digests them into their mind is a rewarding experience. But everyone does this process in a number of different ways. None better than the other, it all depends on the mind of each individual. Unfortunately this process can be disrupted and rendered useless if the method of teaching does not adapt to the method of learning. The digestion of information turns into a stomach ache, sometimes even rejected out of the mind never to be taken in again.

I think it’s important for those fortunate enough to have experienced all levels of learning to express that there is no right or wrong to learn. There should be no fear in learning. This fear is caused by the chance of answering or learning differently.

I love this quote by Miles Davis and one I will live by from here on out:

Don’t fear mistakes, there are none.

Understanding how you function, how you learn is a skill applicable every aspect in life. But when in a group a single mind will not have the answer to every question. The group must understand the kinds of minds in the group. Are there realists who are relying on facts and actual concepts? Idealists who look for the perfect solution? Synthesists who look at all possibilities? Analysts who model a path to a solution? Or pragmatics who adapt to situations and find the answer? The type of mind in your group will vary but you can count on not all minds being the same. Whatever the mind make no one assumes the way one learns or problem solves. Take the time to share experiences that show how each person works. Don’t put pressure on any one person. Follow the concept of forming a social contract. Stated by Allen Green in his analysis of collective intelligence concerning a social contract, “…good results come from focusing multiple minds on common aims.”

Recently I feel that my mind has become dull, almost too left brain. I felt this has been affecting my creative side and my mind and body felt out of sync with one another. I did some research regarding the right side of the brain and found a book I hope will help. Called “The Power of Your Other Hand: A Course in Channeling the Inner Wisdom of the Right Brain”, this book tells the story of problems encountered by the author and how she overcame them with this method. In entails simple reading then writing with both hands. Starting with the left hand you write something based on each chapter then the right hand answers, almost like a conversation with both hands. I just checked the book out and I hope it can get me back into a right brain mode.

Realizing something wasn’t right was the first step, correcting it will be next.