Use Parallel Thinking To Solve Your Problems

All you need is within you. You were not made for failure here. You have unbelievable resources inside you, if you find them and learn to use them.

Think of an area of your life where you are competent, successful, powerful, strong, or confident.

What situation in that area of your life would be parallel to, or analogous to, or similar to the problem or crisis you now face?

How would you handle that problem?

What would a similar solution to your current problem be?

Use your strengths to solve your weaknesses!

Let me give an example:

Say you have been trained as a helicopter pilot and you are confident and competent when flying.

You are working as a CEO, heading up a company that has entered an economic downturn.

“Hmmm,” you say, “How is this like flying a helicopter?”

“Well, when flying a helicopter, I often run into turbulence and bad weather,” you answer to yourself.

“So how do you handle that situation?”

“Well, the first thing is to be calm. Gravity will keep the helicopter pretty much straight up and down, most of the time, even if I do nothing. Then I run my checklist to see if there are any really big problems that need immediate attention. Then I start looking for a safe place to land.”

The ideas are starting to flow.

“So how can I apply that process here?”

Your thoughts are expanding.

“Well, let me see… I guess the first thing is I should be calm. My employees are all intelligent and hardworking and will probably keep the company pretty much on course even if I do not intervene. Next, let’s run our checklist. Let’s review our financial statements and see where the really big problems and costs are that we need to cut back right away. As for a soft landing spot, let’s start looking for some market sectors that are still growing and fly the company toward those. No matter how bad the economy is, it can’t be bad everywhere.”

Keep your pilot’s hat on; it will make you a great CEO!