Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Franck Appleby
Global HR | Talent | Transformation | OD | Leadership | Culture | CHRO
"Sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas, everybody is looking for something."
These iconic lyrics from Eurythmics pose a profound question: "What are you looking for?" And more importantly, is what you look for truly what dreams are made of?
Counterfactual Thinking: A Dual Approach
Our ambitions in life, career, and business often boil down to two pivotal ways of thinking (known as counterfactuals):
"If Only" Thinking: Imagining how things could have been better, often leading to regret. Example: "If only we had sweet dreams for breakfast, we'd never run out of ideas by lunchtime!"
"At Least" Thinking: Imagining how things could have been worse, fostering appreciation. In the spirit of Eurythmics, you might say, "At least we managed to keep moving on, despite the rain again!"
"If Only" Thinking in Business
Regret can be a powerful motivator. Reflecting on "if only" scenarios can drive businesses to make better decisions in the future. However, it's crucial to balance this with positivity—nobody wants a perpetual pessimist in the boardroom (here comes the rain again!).
"If only we had launched the product earlier, we could have captured a larger market share!"
"If only we had embraced new technology sooner, we might be industry leaders now."
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The two follow-on questions to "if only" thinking are: what can ‘we can learn from it and what would it take?’
"At Least" Thinking in Business
Focusing on what went well can keep people motivated. Yet, it's important to stay realistic and not get carried away (must be talking to an angel!).
“At least we managed to maintain our market position despite the challenges.”
“At least we identified the issues early on, which allowed us to mitigate the impact.”
Sweet dreams - The Harmonious Blend
In business, both "if only" and "at least" thinking offer invaluable insights.
"If only" thinking can drive learning and innovation, while "at least" thinking builds resilience and gratitude.
By integrating these approaches, you create a balanced and proactive environment; because if only "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) at least they can help us move on.