Start With What You DO Have

?One morning, our two kids hurried downstairs to make their lunch before school. They were met by their dad, who was not smiling.

“Unfortunately, we’re completely out of bread. No sandwiches today. What else can you take for lunch?”

Confused, the kids waited for dad to provide the answer. But he just looked back at them. “No, really,” he said. “Help me figure this out. The school bus is almost here. All hands-on deck!”

Both children scoured the refrigerator and all the cabinets, searching for a solution. But no luck.

“Just peanut butter isn't a lunch,” grumbled my son. “Soup? I don’t even know how to OPEN a can!” worried his younger sister.??

Suddenly, my husband declared, “I have an idea!” He placed two six-packs of soda on the counter, handed one to each kid, and said, “TRADE!

When they got home from school that day, our kids were bubbling with excitement.?“Best lunch ever!” “Let's do it again tomorrow!” “WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE that we can trade?!”

My husband’s approach -– though admittedly unconventional parenting–- focused our kids on what they DID have instead of what they didn’t. He changed the mindset of their small but mighty team to overcome the challenge of the day, and move forward with gratefulness.

FOCUSING ON WHAT YOU DO HAVE ACCELERATES RESULTS

?A new strategy is like a journey. In my work with executive teams and boards driving a new high-stakes strategy, some leaders can get overwhelmed. They feel swamped by all there is to do and worried about the risks ahead.

To accelerate results, I guide clients to START by focusing on what they DO HAVE to take on their new strategic journey.

This “strength-based approach” is based on a type of psychological therapy originally developed to help trauma victims. The approach is now applied beyond healthcare to education, employee development, parenting, sports coaching, and more.

The concept is simple: Instead of diving in to fix your weaknesses and address your gaps, start by focusing on what you DO have, your strengths. You make an intentional shift: from a scarcity mindset to a mindset of abundance.

FOCUSING ON YOUR STRENGTHS CAN RE-WIRE YOUR BRAIN

This isn’t just rah-rah. This is your brain at work. Consider:

• ?In 2004, a study (McCraty) reported that participants who said they felt grateful for what they had showed a marked reduction in the level of a stress hormone called cortisol. Their hearts functioned better, and they were measurably more resilient to setbacks.
• A National Institute of Health 2008 study using MRI scans of the brain discovered that feelings of genuine gratitude cause the brain to release a surge of dopamine, a chemical messenger that helps regulates motivation, motor learning, and feelings of pleasure.?
• A 2018 study reported in the?Journal of Aging Research?found that having a sustained positive mental attitude was linked to decreased mortality over a 35-year period.

In my own journey as an entrepreneur, my “gratefulness journal” frequently helps me get unstuck and face the day with more confidence.?

But I’ve been inspired by how this approach can not only help individuals but equip teams to take on new challenges.

A STRENGTH-BASED APPROACH FOR TEAMS CAN ACCELERATE A NEW STRATEGY

The truth is this: Even the BEST strategy will fail if people are confused, uncertain, skeptical, or not aligned. And when the stakes are high, anxiety can skyrocket -- whether people express their concerns out loud or worry silently. Fight or flight takes over. Projects get stuck.

?Using a strength-based approach as a TEAM can completely change the dynamic.

?It starts with making sure everyone is AWARE of their own strengths and of everyone else’s strengths.?No one person is perfect, but a TEAM can get pretty darn close!

The next step is to park all the to-do lists and worries. Instead, step back and brainstorm EVERYTHING YOU DO HAVE as an organization that equips you for your journey. Here’s a start:

• The unique talents of your people
• Your products and services
• Your physical assets and inventory
• Patents and other intellectual property
• Processes you have tenaciously figured out how to make work
• Research and any unique insights you’ve gathered
• Your financial assets
• Trusted relationships you’ve built with clients, partners, suppliers, funders, and other relationships across your ecosystem and in your community
• Your collective experiences (including your scars and lessons learned!)?
• Your hard-earned reputation.?

Most of my clients are often pleasantly surprised at the treasure trove of strengths they have as an organization. Like the familiar story of God feeding five thousand with only two fish and five loaves of bread, an abundant mindset helps teams see new possibilities when they realize what they actually DO have to work with.

The result: Dopamine soars. Your team starts to feel more confident. It’s not that the RISKS go away -- but focusing on your team's STRENGTHS makes the risk more manageable. It’s not that the work goes away, but focusing on the PROGRESS the team IS making builds positive momentum and can even surface new ways to see capacity.

IF OUR WHOLE NATION CAN STOP TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE DO HAVE, YOU CAN TOO.

Each year, Americans stop everything for ONE DAY to apply a “strength-based approach” as a nation. We call it “Thanksgiving”, and on this day we intentionally and proudly prioritize gratefulness.

Why not take ONE DAY TO FOCUS your organization on what you DO have?

Here are three ideas for your next all-hands (or family meeting!) that are sure to get the dopamine flowing:

?1.????Ask everyone to write down AT LEAST ONE STRENGTH they see in each member of the team ( especially strengths that they might not be aware of themselves).?Collect the input, and then share with each person the many strengths others see in them.

?2.????Buzzer Round: Ask every person to share at least ONE WAY THEY HAVE MADE PROGRESS over the last year and how that progress made a difference. Progress could be personal or professional, as an individual or as a team. It could be big dramatic steps or eliminating small irritants that were standing in the way of progress. (Keep this list visible later for inspiration on days your team feels out of gas!)

?3.????Brainstorm as a team your own "What We DO Have" list. Get specific. Make a game of how many things you can come up with rewards for every ten added. (You can use this list as a reference when planning new efforts, to make sure you've fully leveraged your strengths from the start).

In just ONE DAY of focusing on your strengths as individuals and as an organization, your team will feel more confident (and you may even see a little swagger!) as you plan to tackle your next challenge. And don't be surprised if the reaction is the same as my kids': "Let’s do it again tomorrow!”

But there's a catch: Gratitude is the real deal. To get the benefits of this “strength-focused approach,” we have to be authentically appreciative. We can’t mindlessly go through the motions of being grateful with perfunctory prayers and fluffy platitudes-- we need to genuinely MEAN it.

Our brain will know the difference:)

#leadership #strategy #riskmanagement #innovation #business

This article is part of my new LinkedIn newsletter series, Driving a New Direction to equip and energize leaders with practical ways to move people forward, whether you're leading a new strategy (or getting one back on track).

To get notifications of new posts, click +Subscribe at the top right corner of?this page. Please don’t be shy about sharing, leaving comments or dropping me a private note with your own reactions or ideas. I’m at linkedin.com/in/susanbaileyschramm?and would love to connect.

For more about how to get results faster when driving a high-stakes strategy, including workshops, keynotes, resources, and the next book I’m writing, visit?www.gotomarketimpact.com

Your mission is too important. Don’t let it get derailed!