Check for Limiting Assumptions

In every sector, industry, organization, program, and group, it seems that even before you start a project, there are real or imagined limitations on what you can do. You're undoubtedly familiar with hearing, “We can't do that because…” whenever you propose something innovative and different. Of course, some of the reasons for not making a change are valid. But some are simply emotional reactions, because change can be uncomfortable and even frightening.

Following are examples of common statements about possible constraints on your project. Check the statements that express what you are likely to hear when you propose a change. Then use the space below the examples to add any other reasons you might hear.

Examples:

• We don't have enough staff/space/money/time/and so on for this project.
• We're working remotely, which makes it hard to communicate.
• We have too many other more important priorities/commitments.
• No one on the team has the technical expertise for this project.
• We're having a hard time replacing missing team members so we can get our current work done, let alone do something new.

Other reasons you might hear:

• Ask your team members to make the same list.
• Combine the lists and send a copy to every team member. At your next team meeting, review each statement and do the following:
  • Put a plus sign (+) next to those constraints that are valid because of a law of nature, a governmental law, an ethical value, or other valid reason for not doing something.
  • Put a minus sign (–) next to those constraints that are not valid or may be valid but can be challenged.
  • Put a check mark (✓) next to those apparent constraints that you want to challenge in the planning and execution of this project. You may not want to challenge all the ones that you marked with a minus sign (–), but check as many as you reasonably can. Stretch yourself and your team to search for opportunities and experiment, but don't stretch yourselves to the breaking point.
  • Ask team members to post the final list prominently in their workspaces. You and your team will come back to it again as you think of ways to Challenge the Process and more “We can't do that because…” assumptions appear.

Look Outside

The best leaders and the most successful organizations do not assume that they have all the ideas they need. They know that the source of creative and innovative ideas on how to do things differently is more likely to be outside their boundaries. They are net importers of ideas. For example, to exercise “outsight” you might:

• Arrange a field trip to a place that would stimulate your group's thinking about what's possible.
• Read publications from industries and sectors you know nothing about.
• Contact three customers or clients and ask what they would like to see your group do that you are not now doing.
• Go shopping at a competitor's store or on their website.
• Invite an internal or external client or customer to one of your project planning meetings and ask that person to share their ideas.

What are some ways you and your team can search outside of your project and your organization to discover unexpected ideas? List them here:

Innovate and Create

Gather your team together to complete this activity. Explain that behind every apparent limitation is an opportunity waiting to be discovered. Say that you are going to ask them to think outside the box—literally! By doing so, they can transform how they approach any obstacle.

Share this example of thinking (and writing) outside the box:

As a group, review the list of constraints that you identified earlier and want to challenge. Then follow the instructions below to Challenge the Process by brainstorming a way to turn each limitation into an opportunity to grow.

Instructions: Draw a box for all team members to see. Write the limitations you want to challenge in the box. Draw an arrow from each limitation to a point outside the box, as in the example seen on page 94, and come up with a way to turn each limitation into an opportunity.

Check the Fit

Before you embark on making changes, make sure you and your team members talk about how what you plan to do fits with your shared vision and values. Record the ways in which the innovative things you want to do will contribute to the realization of your vision and can be guided by your shared values.

Take the Initiative

As we said when discussing Model the Way, leaders go first. If you want others to be proactive in searching for opportunities and taking risks, you need to be the first to demonstrate those behaviors. Use the spaces below to write down what you will do during this project to take the initiative.

• The status quo I'll challenge and overturn:
• The experiments I'll try:
• The places where I'll look for new ideas:
• The ways in which I'll reward failure:
• (For example: You could give a Stuffed Giraffe Award when people stick their necks out, or an Edison Award for failing more than once on the way to inventing something new and different. You could give gift cards to people who “took a chance.” Be creative, and send the message that you want people to take risks and learn from their experiences.)
• The immovable obstacles I'll demolish:
• Other things I'll do to take the initiative to change, grow, and make improvements:

Encourage Initiative in Others

Remember, you can't do it alone! You need to model Challenge the Process, and you need to create a climate in which others can do the same.

Ask your team members to answer the questions you answered in Application 5. They can do it as prework for a team meeting or they can do it in a meeting. What's important is that everyone participates in the process.

Before people share their ideas with each other, ask them to respond to the following question:

• “In order for me to feel safe in taking this risk, I need you (the leader of this team) to ___________________________.”

  Record the responses so everyone can see them and make a copy for yourself. Give team members one of the following responses to each request:

• “Yes, I will do that. No problem.”
• “I can do that, and in order for me to do it, here's what I need.”
• “No, I won't do that, because __________________.” For each thing you will not do, the team deserves to know a reason why. It's a sign of respect to explain your response.