Mental Models Mash-up: The Key to the Converging Solutions Story

I love it when I read something meaningful by someone that "gets it!" Especially when it not just reinforces my thinking, but more importantly... challenges it! I had that moment today when reading this post on mental models by James Clear.

Rock on James! Yes, helping people make a mental shift in their thinking is critically important to solving real-world problems. That's what the Converging Solutions Model is all about for business and project teams. I love to share the story from early in my career about two amazingly similar projects that ended up with amazingly different results! Successful training initiatives that were both reused for continuing education needs within the organization, but while one cost the organization over $1M to implement (and eventually failed), the other saved the company over $3.7M within the first year. The sad part is the first project had even more potential than the second. It really left me scratching my head as I looked at the leadership teams involved in both projects and led to the creation of the Converging Solutions Model that we've used with our clients for over 10 years now.

It's hard to watch all the silo-thinking going on in our political world these days. Both left and right extremes could accomplish so much more if they refused to "pick a side!" Four years ago I refused to jump on the Obama-bashing band-wagon, and I refuse to get on the Trump-bashing band-wagon now. Both individuals have serious leadership strengths and both have serious leadership flaws. (Do you know anyone that doesn't? Convince them to run for President and you'll learn they do as well!) I give them both points for signing up to serve. As an aside, here's a thought-provoking NYT Op Ed piece that emphasizes some of the group-think tendencies going on from both perspectives.

If you are looking for a whack-up-side-of-the-head to help shift your team's thinking, read up on some of the list that James provides, or reach out and we'll brainstorm some ways to give you a jump-start together! We love helping teams think in more creative ways, resulting in more innovative solutions. Are you on the Training team? How can Communications or Operations or Sales throw an unexpected ripple in your wave pool? And when they do, instead of falling out of the boat, take a deep breath, say a sincere "Thanks!" and catch the wave they kicked up for you!

Our mantra: Together we can do more than any one of us can alone! Hope you'll join us... Working with people, rather than against them, is the first step off the victim-train to isolation, despair and failure.

Final thought: Scroll back up and take a minute to study the picture at the top of this post. It provides a great analogy for the power of mental models. Rails like these can be helpful to guide people safely down a steep incline in an orderly fashion, or provide a way to manage masses of people in this environment without injury. But that's not the only way to get down the hill in this allegory. Challenge yourself and your team to break outside of the rails, or the box, or the process when it's not needed or not being helpful. Explore building a slide that allows people to get down the incline many times faster (like these amazing office slides)! Or let ideas really launch into the unrealistic and dream up a human catapult. Then make the craziest not quite so far out of this world by discussing landing methods such as a circus net, foam pit or other safety mechanisms. How about rail-hopping with a skateboard down, or taking a pogo-stick journey up the center rails (with great accuracy)! It's too easy to get stuck on the rails. Explore new horizons... break self-made restraints, and bend some of the rules that "shouldn't be broken" (after you ask "Why?"). Explore all the open spaces... not out of rebellion, but because of the blessing of freedom (but that's another conversation)!