The way we frame a situation can either open or shut down our ability to meet it effectively, creatively, and sucessfully.
Let’s try an experiment. Ask yourself the following questions:
“How can I prove I’m right?”
“How did I get stuck with these idiots?”
“Who’s to blame here?”
“How can I lose?” (…and what can I do to protect myself?)
What do you experience when you read these questions? What does your body feel like? Light? Heavy? Open? Constricted?
What if you were on the receiving end of them? How might they affect your motivation level? Your emotional state? What actions are likely to result from these questions and what outcomes do you think they’d produce?
Now try asking yourself these questions:
“What’s working?”
“How do we move this forward?”
“What can we learn from this?”
“How might we support one another for success?”
How do you experience these questions? Is there a difference when compared with the first set? Most people experience the first set as tight, defensive and demotivating. Furthermore, the first questions seem to be focused on one’s own needs and provoking an attack or at least actively disengaging. The likely outcome may…
