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The One Word That Can Shift Your Thinking
| Guest post by: Kim Freedman |
Article Overview: Nothing stops initiative and innovation faster than “Yes, but….” Or, “We tried that before and it didn’t work.” You might as well say “No.” It’s not just about semantics. In fact, “Yes, but” may be the No. 1 phrase for killing personal hope, putting great ideas on ice and threatening innovation in organizations. The words we use reflect our thinking. Are your words positive and expansive or negative and restrictive? Try using the phrase 'yes, and' to shift your thinking and see new possibilities.
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Free Download - Listen and Learn By Kim Freedman |
The One Word That Can Shift Your Thinking
Nothing stops initiative and innovation faster than “Yes,
but….” Or, “We tried that before and it didn’t work.” You might as well say “No.”
It’s not just about semantics. In fact, “Yes, but” may be the No. 1 phrase for
killing personal hope, putting great ideas on ice and threatening innovation in
organizations.
Take Pat, for example. Pat just found out that his position in
the real estate division of a large financial services company is being eliminated.
Fortunately, he has 60 days to look for
an open position within the company before accepting the severance
package. He learns of an open position
in the company’s prestigious new-product research team. He’s been successful in
the real estate division, but never really fulfilled. What he really loves is
the charge he gets brainstorming new ideas and researching their viability.
Pat is excited to apply for the position—initially, then
during a conversation with a friend, he says, “Yeah, I’d be great for that
team, but you have to know someone to get named.” After the call, he finds
himself increasingly discouraged.
Will he get the position? At this rate, he won’t even apply.
Luckily, Pat’s coach points out his self-defeating self-talk
and suggests a simple fix.
“Yeah,” Pat says again, “I’d be great, and it’s hard to get
on the new-products team if you don’t know someone, but I’m going to give it a
shot.” Catching himself again, he says, “And I’m going to give it a shot.”
He works hard on his résumé, even proposes a potential
product line for the team to consider, and shows up impeccably for his
interview. Pat doesn’t get the position, and that’s okay because in the process
he’s become clearer about his career goals. He’s inspired to take some classes
and to develop his network of contacts, thus making his success more likely in
the future.
And Thinking
And is powerful. And unites opposites, opens up
opportunity, creates possibilities that weren’t evident before. Couple and with yes, and you have a winning combination. Here are a few more
examples.
Yes, and opens up possibility.
Yes, I wake up many
mornings with ideas for new inventions, but I’m an accountant. I can’t quit my
job.
Yes, I have lots of ideas for inventions, and as an
accountant I’ve handled my money well. Next month I’m building a prototype of
my most promising idea.
Yes, and invites cooperation.
Yes, I’d love to telecommute,
but my boss doesn’t trust anyone and would never go for it.
Yes, I’d love to work from home, and my boss has trouble
trusting his employees. I’ll develop a proposal showing him the benefits of
telecommuting and suggest that we try it for a month.
Yes, and encourages creativity.
Yeah, I’d love to move,
but I can’t sell my house in this market.
Yeah, I want to move, and the market is challenging. So I’m looking
for someone to rent my house for the next couple of years.
Try it on. Every time you hear yourself say, “Yes, but,”
change it to “yes, and.” In that moment, you’re breaking the habit of closed
thinking. The more you do it, the more open your thinking will become. As with
any habit, it takes time to break. And
it’s worth it.
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Article Tags: hope, initiative, innovation, one word, possibilities, selfdefeating, selftalk, semantics, words and thoughts
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About the Author: Kim Freedman RSS for Kim's articles - Visit Kim's website Click here to visit Kim's website   Cant We All Just Get Along 5 Common Mistakes That New Leaders Make Emotional Intelligence The Hard Truth About Soft Skills The One Word That Can Shift Your Thinking Its About Time The Path to Productivity |
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