Dear , After a summer hiatus, welcome to this edition of "To Be Clear..." - a refreshing sip of regular coaching clarity in your inbox where I share a couple of brief ideas which I hope that you can apply in your work life. I hope this finds many of you having enjoyed some sort of break over the last few weeks. As we head into the final trimester of the year (and the new school year feeling it engenders for so many), this issue offers two excellent and underused tools for greater clarity at work which have made a big difference to my clients and which I hope will be helpful to you.
When it comes to getting greater clarity on decisions or direction, one often overlooked tool is the humble 2 x 2 matrix. Alan Weiss, a prolific author and well known consultant and coach says, "Give me a two by two matrix and I can rule the world!" While that might sound a bit dramatic, he has a point - 2x2s can really help move the needle even in complex situations; I've used them a number of times to help both team and individual clients to get unstuck and deliver significantly improved results. I've found that, while it's relatively simple to construct, a well-used 2x2 can prompt game-changing insights and actions. A 2x2 matrix doesn't solve every problem but, where you are stuck or unclear on what to do, it can be a highly effective sorting mechanism, bringing greater focus and clarity to your thinking and action. It seems appropriate that a framed 2x2 looks like a child's drawing of a window because 2x2s can function as
portals which help you to see a challenge or question more clearly and to take clearer action as a result. I've used 2x2s to help clients in numerous ways including mapping markets, developing and launching new products and services as well as helping leadership teams to determine more effective use of staff and resources. I've also used 2x2s to help clients to develop succesful stakeholder strategies. I've
even used 2x2s to help clients to successfully seek and find new roles. I have found that 2x2s can be a great tool to use not just with individuals but as a team, helping everyone to understand and align around priorities and decisions together. If there's an area in which you could use a bit more clarity at work right now, why not make your own bespoke 2x2? Here are some tips as to how to do that. 1) Draw your grid - one horizontal and one vertical axis which intersects in the middle and looks like a big plus sign.
2) Now, draw an arrow at the top of the vertical axis and on the right of the horizontal axis and label the left hand side of the horizontal "Low" and the right "High" and the bottom
of the vertical axis "Low" and the top "High". It should look like this.
3) Next, choose two different relevant categories, one for each axis. It's important that the categories you choose are a) highly relevant and b) have some potential tension between them.* Rather like the the Options
layer of ONION®, this helps you to focus on what matters most. In the example below, I've made the matrix about food products and chosen "Tastiness" and "Nutritional Value" as the two categories.
4) Now populate each of your four boxes with your options (it might a range of tasks, ideas, providers, people or products). In the example above, it could be different sorts of foods, so, for instance, chocolate would go into the top left box (high in tastiness but low in nutritional value)
whereas some forms of natural protein bars might go into the top right (high in tastiness and high nutritional value). 5) Then, depending of the kind of decision or analysis you're seeking, you can work out a corresponding description or action for each box -
the well-known Eisenhower "Do/ Decide/ Delegate/ Defer" Matrix is a good example. You can also prioritise the boxes 1,2,3,4 with 1 being the most attractive option. You might find that you skip straight from step three to step five in some cases. You can also use or share 2x2s with clients or colleagues or collaborators to help them establish where they are or even to gain clearer alignment. For more help on how to build and use an effective 2x2, this article might be helpful or feel free to get in touch. Next up, a tool for clarity at work more commonly associated with science fiction...
Have you ever wondered why stories that involve time travel are so popular? From Charles Dickens' pioneering Victorian novel, A Christmas Carol**, to Robert Zemeckis' 1980s classic, Back to the Future, to Rian Johnson's excellent Looper***, to (a childhood favourite of mine), Alison Uttley's 1930s novel, A Traveller in Time, stories which take their heroes on a journey through time are often packed full of adventure. But I think another reason time travel stories resonate for so many is that, as their protagonists, from Ebenezer Scrooge to
Marty McFly to Penelope Taberner Cameron, get a glimpse into the past and the future, they are given an opportunity to see the present more clearly and to make different decisions as a result. To use the language of
ONION®, for these characters, time travel reveals
possible Outcomes and gives a new perspective and greater clarity on Now. Indeed, one of things users of ONION® regularly report is that it gives them a framework to cut through the overwhelm to what really
matters.
Image: Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Muppet Christmas Carol, courtesy of Disney
As I work with clients to help them to successfully achieve their desired Outcomes at work and in their businesses, I encourage them to use a form of time travel to help get more clarity, especially when they are
experiencing overwhelm. However, rather than summoning ghosts or tracking down a DeLorean, I ask my clients (and encourage them to ask themselves) two simple questions "How much will this matter in three weeks' time?" and then, "How much will this matter
in three months' time?". The answers are always instructive and always lead to greater clarity and more effective action. These two questions work because they function as effective time machines, allowing you to step back from the noise of Now and
into the near future. They give you the gift of time, space and perspective even in high pressure situations. They allow you to walk around the issue from a different viewpoint and work out whether to step back, step
forward or FLOAT. Perhaps you're finding that a particular issue or question at work is unduly consuming your focus (implicitly or explicitly) and creating a sense of overwhelm and a lack of
clarity around everything else. Or perhaps an overwhelmed colleague or team member has come to you with what feels like an urgent/ all-consuming challenge. Why not take a moment, write down the challenge and then ask, "How much will this matter in three
weeks' time?" followed by "How much will this matter in three months' time?" Answer (or encourage them to answer) honestly, pay attention to the answer and then act accordingly.
I'll be in touch before long to share more ideas for greater clarity at work. In the meantime, wishing you a very good weekend and a clearer week ahead. As
ever, Ranti * - Fun fact - there are apparently over 100 adaptations of A Christmas Carol in existence ** - Say you've worked out your top three priorities in the Options layer of ONION®, you
could take the top two - (e.g. cost & effort, cost & value, speed & quality, challenge & enjoyment, influence & impact) and put one on each axis. It's important that there's some element of tension between the two categories you choose. *** - I haven't seen it for a
little while but what a brilliantly entertaining film Looper is.
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