Have you ever looked at a situation and said “That’s too complex for me?”  Complexity seems easy to identify, and hard to address.  While some situations need complexity, sometimes in the long run, keeping it simple has huge advantages.

This was a recent conversation that my wife and I had after addressing a major medical issue. The health scare started us talking about what’s important in our lives.  We knew we had a lot on our plate.  And as we addressed this health scare, we both agreed that we have created this complexity by not clearing out the ‘stuff’ that was making the situation more complicated than perhaps it needed to be.  Hence, we were the culprits of our own complexity. Once we acknowledged this, we were able to really look at the situation and make changes that have moved us toward simplifying our lives.

Are we over this?  Not by a long shot.  We’re just starting, though it is apparent that by asking one question, “does this simplify our lives?”, we’re finding some answers to very complex issues.

Whether the situation is personal or professional, if it feels overwhelming or complicated, maybe taking a step back, breaking it down and taking a more simplistic approach might not only reduce stress, but also increase focus on what is truly  important.

What areas of your life could use some simplification?

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We all hear this response in answer to our questions, “I don’t know!”  This answer shouts “red flag” for me as either one of two things.  Either the question was not focused enough to get a proper answer, or the receiver of the question is not willing to explore the question.

Have we lost the art and science of asking questions?  Or better yet, do we not honor and acknowledge that ‘not knowing’ in today’s world is a sign of not being educated, bright, aware, open, exploratory, (and the list can go on)?  Have we lost the capacity to wonder (and explore) possibilities that keep us focused on topics that need further exploration?

Nothing has been developed or explained without the sense of exploration and questioning.  Kids do it all the time and if we’ve lost that capability, who do we need to become to get it back?  And if we’ve been cut off by societal norms for being inquisitive, who do we need to become to bring it back so we can experiment without the stigma of failure?

How can we increase our leadership style if we believe (and it has been reinforced) that failure is a demon that keeps us from being the smartest person in the room.  And we can’t develop ourselves when having all the answers is really limiting us from disrupting the status quo, and pushing beyond our own limitations.

To those people who have helped me see this — thank you!  I really appreciate that you have taught me something because of your comfortableness of being “correct.”

I’m looking forward to my next “ah-ha” moment, are you?

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Terry Schaefer offers a complimentary 30 minute call where you can explore how to grow your business past your own expectations.

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On my way back from a west coast trip this winter, I stopped in Colorado to visit with a friend who is a great ski instructor.  I was there to fine tune my skills on skis and she surely helped.

One of her comments about skiing is that as we start our turn, we shift our weight and have to re-balance ourselves as we shift the weight into the next turn.  I thought, “WOW, this is true for business owners as they review and reflect on their next opportunity.”

It would be a good practice at each organizational meeting to spend some time on defining how your organization is re-balancing itself.  There is not a set way of doing this, though asking your leaders, managers and staff questions like, “what’s out of balance” or “what’s not working” will provide insight for what needs attention.  It will also give permission to explore other possibilities that give new life to solving problems.  This may be a great ‘game changer’ for letting your staff share their ideas in a safe and creative way.

So, what are your thoughts?  Does re-balancing make sense for you? How can this keep you on top of your game?

COMPLIMENTARY EXPLORATION

Terry Schaefer offers a complimentary 30 minute call where you can explore how to grow your business past your own expectations.

Schedule Your Call!