Thank Goodness It's Monday #319

WHAT IF …?

THINKING IN HYPOTHETICALS

Just suppose … Well, suppose whatever you want to suppose. 

Is that really a good idea? You can burn up a lot of time and spend a great deal of brain power running a variety of different scenes with different possibilities and different outcomes through your mind.  

And for what? At the end of any thinking-it-through process, there will be only one real outcome. Will fussing and fretting about it actually change that outcome? 

Perhaps. While, as a rule, I caution mightily against “the paralysis of analysis” – that is, getting so caught up in the details that you fail to take action – there’s a strong argument to be made that thinking in hypotheticals –

Sharpens the mind. Let’s stick to some easy-to-follow business scenarios to make the case. In almost any important business situation, there’s insight to be gained by playing the “What if …” game in your mind. 

Easy-to-grasp example: A friend is urging you to get involved – your time and your money – in a “can’t-miss” project they’re keen on. 

Sure there’s plenty of solid due-diligence to apply that will make or break your decision, but you’ll also want to take a step back and apply some --  

WHAT-IF THINKING: Ask, “What if we remove our friendship from the equation?”  Would the deal still have appeal? 

Get it? Good. 

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Thinking in hypotheticals focuses your thinking, sharpens your reasoning and lets you approach challenges from unusual angles.  

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: “What if …” processes are also useful when you need to assess (or reassess) how things are currently going. Especially when you find yourself at some sort of impasse, coming up with some challenging conjecture and premises from which some conclusions can be drawn can be enlightening.  

This kind of personal introspection can produce some eye-opening theories and insights that can become a solid basis for further investigation and more informed decision making. 

As we come off the vacation season in our part of the USA and prepare for the push to year end, here are a half dozen introspective hypotheticals it might be productive to ponder: 

#1: WHAT IF … you were offered your job today? Would you take it?

Despite the problematic employment situation, this is a real reality check. Any answer remotely resembling “No” should move to #1 on your Action List.  

#2: WHAT IF … you could have anybody’s job at your company? Which one would you take? 

If you’re happy where you are, good for you. If you want your boss’s job, that says something. If you want the CEO spot, that says something else. If you don’t want anyone’s job at your company, you might want to take a serious look at why you’re doing what you’re doing.

#3: WHAT IF … your pay was determined like a publicly traded stock? What price would you be quoting? 

If you’re not at an all-time high, why not? And, in a similar vein, putting aside today’s wild market fluctuations, would you be a “Buy,” “Hold, or “Sell”?

#4: WHAT IF … you could magically and painlessly eliminate your biggest flaw? Would anyone notice?

This somewhat silly premise may just help you uncover personal insecurities that do not deserve all the concern you allot to them. If you can discover that few to none of the important people in your life would much care or notice, how big a flaw can it be? 

#5: WHAT IF … you lost your biggest personal asset? Would anyone care?

This is sort of a corollary to the “flaw” hypothetical; it may be a good indicator of something you overestimate or over value. 

#6: WHAT IF … you could assemble a personal “Board of Directors” to guide and advise only you. Who would/should be on it?

Of course this hypothetical should reveal much to you about you in as much as it will also make you consider what you think this Board would be telling you.  And it’s got a huge follow-up component: How many of the people on your list are you now connecting with on a regular basis? When will you begin to take advantage of the collective wisdom of people who know and care about you? 

BONUS Hypothetical: “What if …” we call it a day for this TGIM and get down to work making a real future?

Oh, wait. That’s not conjecture. I’m getting on that right now. Hope you are, too.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com   

P.S.  To all our East Coast friends and followers: We hope this TGIM finds you safe and sound in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Thanks for taking the time to read it.