Hold that NO…for now

“The Art and Discipline of Pure-Form Thinking”
by Pat McNellis

Shooting down ideas seems to have replaced Baseball as “America’s favorite pastime.”

Let’s face it…we’re good at it. It’s something we’ve learned to do since we were kids. Well, as kids, we were often told “don’t do that” or “that’s a dumb idea.” Maybe not in those words, but certainly that was the intent.

Here are some you may have heard recently:

  • “It’s not in the budget”
  • “Takes too much time”
  • “It’s never been done before”
  • Let’s for a committee to further study this idea”

This list goes on and on.

Innovation and breakthrough ideas need a different set of playing rules. This is where Pure-Form Thinking comes into play.

The basics: there is a time to explore and there is a time to focus. The key is NOT to mix the two.

The guidelines for when you are in the Exploration Phase of the Master Planning Model include:

  1. Suspend Judgment
  2. Listen to Each Other
  3. No Speeches
  4. Churn Thoughts to Rich Ideas (for more information on Churning, please visit the Brainstorming series on the blog)

After the Exploration Phase comes the Focus Phase. This is where you begin to make decisions. It requires a different set of rules.

  1. Narrow Down to a Manageable Few
  2. Challenge Ideas and not People
  3. Focus in on the Unique Factor
  4. Merge Ideas to Create Strength

Different thought processes require different “rules and guidelines.”  To download a new set of Compression Planning guideline cards, click here.

The trick is to NOT mix the two.

How is that done?  Watch and learn as Jerry McNellis shares the Compression Planning approach to Pure-Form Thinking.

Please feel free to share your experiences in the comment section below!  I know it is personally one of the hardest skills I have had to work on in the development of my Compression Planning skills. It is also a skill set that is useful both professionally and personally.

Good luck!

Pat McNellis

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