Ten Business Problem Solving Principles

Silence Your Cynic - “Is the cynical side stronger?” No. Perhaps quicker. Easier. More seductive. The voice of the cynic may be the loudest, or the first. But if you mistake it for wisdom, you’re setting your boundaries short of your goals. So silence your inner cynic. Be open to wrong. Seek the absurd. Rally the rebels. That’s where the next big thing will come from.

Strip Away Everything - We get blinded by what we think we know We fall victim to our patterns, biases, and beliefs We get stuck on a single idea we think will define the future. Just stop. To reach breakthrough, you need to set aside everything you know. Those old assumptions beliefs. And dogmas are stalling progress. So figure out what your baggage is. Tag it. Weigh it. Check it. And let’s get going.

Live With The Problem - Overstressed. Overworked. Overcommitted. Over-connected. Welcome to the club. When you react to stress by rushing, you settle. Good things really do come to those who... well, not wait, perhaps, but who take their time. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Work your way through it. Slow down to speed up. Breakthroughs await.

Check Your Edge - Surprise magnifies emotion fourfold. When the unknown sneaks up and gives us a tickle, it pushes us past old patterns, paradigms, and ideas. But instead, most people today are bored. No wonder getting them to pay attention is such a challenge. To combat this, constantly ask yourself: “ Is this really unexpected? Weird, even?” Then keep pushing until the answer is yes.

Motley Crew - Just like the perfect party can start with a wacky guest list, research shows that the biggest breakthroughs happen when diverse thinkers, domains, and disciplines collide. It isn’t always easy—but when you can get the pop-collar prepster to mix it up with the out-there hipster...when the seller and the sold-to have a heart-to-heart...or when the CEO rubs elbows with the 20 year-old YouTube star...interesting things happen.

Get Real - Is there a “ work you” and a “ real you” ? Why? The truth is we’re all gnarly, bruised, and human. We fear, we hope, we love. We’re happy and sad. Impatient and caring. Often all at the same time. When we try to project a perfect, buttoned-up image, we lose our real selves. And that real self is who you need to make magic happen. So, resist the urge to be anything else. Instead, be personal, be real, be connected. Be you.

Make A Mess - Do you like everything to be perfectly neat and tidy? Well, we'd like to mess with you a bit. Or more precisely, make a mess with you. We know that we learn more by doing than discussing. So start doing, early on, when ideas are half-baked and it’s not exactly clear where you’re going or what you’re doing. Make, do, try, repeat. A prototype is worth a thousand discussions. And it’s a lot more fun.

Dont Play Nice - While you’re trying to ignore the elephant in the room, the 800-pound gorilla will take over. To achieve breakthrough, you need to stop dancing around issues. Give yourself permission to call out anything—and have the bravery to do something about it. Results won’t come out until the truth does. The sooner you get to the truth, the faster you get to results.

Dial Up The Drama - The spreadsheet is less than 60 years old. The story? Thousands. People know facts, but they feel drama in their bones. There’s an art to creating full-sensory experiences: a little bit theater, a little bit instinct. The result is the kind of moment that etches itself into your memory and creates the passion and momentum that can drive not only results, but legacy.

Make Change - Securing a lasting impact means relentlessly questioning the goal, the breakthrough it requires, and the way to get there—all in the hope of an ah-ha! that echoes after we’re done. Make plans, then unmake them. Pivot and iterate and evolve and grow. And don’t claim victory until what you have is truly impactful. Nothing matters unless it matters.