What is the one question to ask to help us to turn things around?
According to Brian Johnson, this question is our secret weapon. He calls it the hero’s wand because it has the power to transform bad situations into something good.
What do I want?
Asking this question moves us from victim to creator. We ask: If I could wave a wand at this challenge, what would I like to happen? What is the desired outcome?
An alternate version of this question is: What am I here to learn?
It’s not win or lose.
It’s win or learn.
Instead of catastrophizing the situation, Brian writes, we alchemize it. Doing so transforms the challenge we are facing into kindling for the hero’s fire.
A key part of Brian Johnson’s year-long Optimize Mastery course is learning to ask questions. Of ourselves. And others.
Brian shares three questions to ask ourselves (as well as our teams) after any significant occurrence:
What was awesome?
What needs work?
How can I optimize it for the future?
These questions are part of the Active Learning Cycle. Danny Friedland, author of Leading Well from Within, calls this cycle “the Infinite Curriculum” because it never stops.
1. We have an experience.
2. We reflect on that experience.
3. We decide to take action.
Which leads to another experience… about which we reflect… and then we decide to take action… and so on…
Better questions = Better result.
_______________
Reflection: What challenge am I facing?
Action: Ask: What is it I want?
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1 Comment
YOU are still so Amazing Drew. I am jotting down that book right now in my Note 8 Galaxy. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to be part of Rise With Drew once again. I think I’m at some kind of reunion or something!:) I’m so happy to know your are more accessible on LinkedIn. I know the post wasn’t meant for just little old me, but I took it that way on purpose. I miss you Drew and I miss my job at your awesome company. I am loving this time off to reevaluate my life and my goal is to use all my knowledge from PCI and work my last 20 years with a Fortune 500 company. Life closes doors sometimes but behind that door there are 3 others in my opinion:
One door says “Seize the Day”, the other says “Walk the Walk”, and the third one says, “Become who you are and want to be BUT each time REVISE your self-worth and be brave & honest.” My point is I am doing a relay with all three doors because of You Drew. You have given me the best gift of all. KNOWLEDGE!!! I hope you’ll stay in contact with me. I have not been on LinkedIn for any length of time in the past, but “I’m loving every minute of it.” Seinfeld-KRAMER!!!!