Deadlocked Or Not?

Sometimes there is a problem….or a thought….a fear or a doubt—something the left-front thinking brain keeps turning over in hopes of making sense of “it.”  This happens to all of us sometimes. And each of us has ways of settling our brains. It’s harder when this holding on tight happens in groups. As each individual struggles to make personal sense of the challenge at hand what emerges is group-stuck—co-created collective negative force field. When, however, a group gathers, willing to hold both the challenge and the possibility of solution, they may find that an excursion into the right parietal lobe leads them back to a point of strategic action refreshed and re-energized.

If the work has been shaped with input from the group and is led with the intention of tapping into what the group knows in a collective sense, then the outcome can move the organization forward in powerful and transforming ways.  This worked has helped national associations create a new metaphor that informs their brand. It has been instrumental in helping not-for-profit organizations slice through knotty problems. This right-brain approach is appropriate for strategic tasks such as clarifying Vision, Mission or Values. It is a powerful way to clarify brand essence. It is also, in the hands of an experienced strategist, a delightful way to get “unstuck.”

From my point of view, the sweetest gift in this work, is that each person leaves with a picture of what’s possible. I mean picture in the literal sense— vision realized, mission carried out, others helped… Once that picture has been created, it lives—whole and complete and easily referred to—whenever grounding or clarifying direction is called for. So much easier than digging out some dusty written report….and so much quicker. “Ah, right, this is where we’re headed.” Course can be corrected in a heartbeat when the aspirational exists clearly in the holistic, big-picture part of the brain. Context Matters.

So play. Choose images that please you. Print them out. Or better yet, send your favorite to me and tell me a little bit the challenge at hand. I will get back to you.  Perhaps we can talk about how your Board of Directors or a handful of thought leaders in your tribe can explore what’s next.

To download an image:
“Right-click” on the image. MAC users press control, then click
Select “Save Image As” jpg (low resolution is best) and print if you wish.

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