1 big idea worth considering.
Great teams have a high degree of trust and transparency built into them, where team members feel their ideas and input matters. One way to build this into your team is by using divergent and convergent thinking in meetings where you’re trying to solve problems or determine projects and paths to pursue.
Put simply, divergent thinking is the process of using open-ended questions and broad participation to drive idea generation. Convergent thinking is the process of narrowing on those ideas by using positive and constructive feedback and clarifying questions.
By using divergent and convergent thinking, the team builds trust by having their ideas heard and considered, and builds transparency by giving the team visibility into how decisions are made.
➡️ Expand more on this idea here and here.
2 questions worth asking.
Good questions are the root of good coaching, because inquiry has the power to spark ideas and uncover gold that lies just beneath the surface. Each week on Forward+ I share 2 questions that you can use with yourself, at work, or in your relationships.
Question 1: What is not being said?
Alternative: Is there anything you haven’t said that you want to say?
💻 In your career: Tying to the big idea above, this question is great at extending both divergent and convergent thinking in a 1on1 or team meeting. The ideas people are hesitant to voice, and the concerns going unsaid need to be put on the table. This question nudges people into that slightly uncomfortable area where many of the best ideas and biggest risks will be uncovered.
👥 In relationships: This question is most helpful in the harder conversations, where we’re having a disagreement with someone, or where we’re processing something stressful or important. Use this question to get to the root of an issue where you can both address it directly.
Question 2: What am I optimizing for?
Alternative: What is the most important outcome I am / we are trying to create?
🌴 In your life: Use this question to think critically about the lifestyle you’re wanting to build for yourself. This should be a primary filter you use when making decisions about steps to take and opportunities to pursue. It helps us avoid a future where we’re unhappy in our day to day lives because we optimized for the wrong things.
💻 In your career: Start every project with this question. It’s far too easy for ideas to get momentum and be turned into projects before the most critical aspect of all is clarified - what is the ultimate outcome we’re trying to drive? This answer to this question becomes a filter for the future decisions and considerations you will make in the project.
3 links worth exploring.
🎧 Inside the creative mind of the top YouTuber in the world.
Cheat sheet:
Generating more ideas will help you and your team become better at spotting good ideas and recognize patterns of success.
“The next Mr. Beast won’t be anything like Mr. Beast, because they will have created their own lane.”
📹 Using lifestyle-centric career planning to pursue a life you love.
Cheat sheet:
Mastering your skillset builds career capital.
Use that career capital to design a life you love around those skills.
🧘 3 ways to reliably beat overwhelm.
Cheat sheet:
Get things out of your head and onto paper.
Define what a successful day looks like.
Write down what you’re grateful for.
That’s a wrap for the first-ever edition of Forward+.
💡 Have an idea for a future edition or an interesting link worth sharing? Just reply to this email! I’d love to hear from you.
🗓️ Your Forward+ subscription includes weekly members-only office hours where you can book a 30 minute coaching session. Grab time here.