Why Mind Blown?

Much like a lot of you I have encountered more “no’s” than you could care to count throughout my career in the trucking industry. Within companies there exists a level of acknowledgment for both the word "no" and the reasoning behind it. “No” serves as a definitive statement, and the explanation that follows is crucial.

But what happens when the no statement is just the norm and starts to be across an entire organization. The solutions presented are met with the consistent no and the reasons why leaving you and your company stagnant and not advancing in our technology driven world. This can also be said for the organizations who are unsure of what the best solution is, leaving your organization indecisive on the best path forward.

This is what I am hoping to change or at least challenge with Mind Blown. Assist with guiding minds in creating creative solutions while also empowering people to push the limits and take these challenges head on. Provide support, ideas, critical thinking, and solutions that address these challenges.

So how do we go about changing this mentality and quick “no” reaction and starting to open our minds to new ideas and solutions? Below is a practice that I follow. It’s worked for me over the years when trying to get myself out of “my way is the only way” or “this is how I’ve done it before” (i.e. how it’s always been done) which allows me to continue to learn and evolve with innovative ideas.

Mind Blown - Challenging the No Workflow

1. The problem – First, we need to understand the problem we are attempting to solve. Now, most people will say you can't do this for all problems; and I would challenge that as well. Why is a pros and cons list only for big decisions, when it can be used to determine the simple as well?

2. The Solutions - Before the ‘no”, create a list of possible solutions to fix the problem, breaking them out one by one. At this stage, don't list the “no’s” just yet. Focus on solutions.?

3. The Pros & Cons of Solutions - Now that you have your list of solutions, start making a pros and cons list for each of the solutions. This will help you identify where there may need to be multiple solutions while also understanding what solutions are more complex than others.

4. Solution Gains - Now that you have the pros and cons, what are the possible gains of your solutions? Can some of your solutions be incorporated strategically over time versus having to do all at once? Fix the problem, then build on your solution with problem area fixes.?

5. Solution Gain Measurements - Gain measurements even though it won't be an actual number. It’s still a view into the gain list and measuring the solutions against others. What solves the problem with the least amount of resistance today, and what helps build for the future either through information gathering for future data sets or challenges in the near or distant future?

6. Presentation - Now that you have arrived at a decision point, it's time to present how you arrived at your decision. Take time to show off the work and the due diligence you and the team took to arrive at your final decision.?

7. Implementation - At this point, you have listed your solutions, the cons, and the solutions to those cons. The next step is building out an implementation plan that fixes the original problem but builds towards future goals.?

"Remind yourself, 60% better to a problem is better than 0% better!" - Justin W?

This is a very simple, basic layout of the process I go through when I am working with a client. And I’ve learned that it’s effective in helping bring a visual to the process itself and what we are going to be working towards.?

Now that you understand the reasoning behind "Mind Blown," I encourage you to implement the "Mind Blown - Challenging the No" approach. Begin by acknowledging the "no," devising solutions to overcome it, and ultimately transforming it into a "yes." Let's explore why this method can be beneficial. If you need help in creating a "Challenging the No" workflow, feel free to email me or send me a personal message.