Thought Leadership Cribsheet

Thought leadership: Principles and tools of thought channels (The Thought Leadership cribsheet) Derived by David Cushman from ‘Thought Leadership’ by Robin Ryde Process Words Purpose! Standard thought channels (and triggers questions/language/environment) Deficit thinking What do you think Weaknesses, Encouragement of this? problems, rarely needed! deficiencies, shortfalls, risks, concerns, faults, but, however Rational Thinking What would your Diagnosis, Serious business analysis be? assessment, meeting conditions analysis, evaluation, reason, logic Common Sense What is our view Sensible, Gathering of Thinking on this? reasonable, on generalists balance, straw poll, all things considered Binary thinking What are our Either, or’, ‘change Crisis situations options here? tack, on the one hand Equity thinking Are we being Fair, Unfair, Gathering of consistent here? equitable, equal, representatives of consistent, larger groupings comparable eg union Holding pattern questions: Seek further descriptive (not analytical) elaboration. Invite problem holder/presenter to outline what they hope to achieve from the encounter Provide neutral conversational distraction (eg, you must have been working on this for some time… etc) Introduce a physical break to the conversation (coffee anyone?) Explicitly recognise the need to select a process for the discussion: let’s pause for thought for a moment. What’s the best way X can get full value from the meeting?

Channel flipping – evaluate the value of what’s been contributed in the channel before you flip from it. Broader repertoire: The shadow sides of the dominant thought channels. Dominant function Deficit thinking Rational thinking Common Sense thinking Equity thinking Binary thinking Sticky thinking

Shadow function Strength-based thinking Feeling thinking Insight thinking 360 degree thinking Re-integrated thinking Exit thinking

Qualities of particular channels Qualities Qualities Energy

Generating energy (conversational fuel)

Ideas

Generating ideas and possible solutions

Ideas

Generating breakthrough ideas

Buy in

Achieving buy-in to new ideas and strategies

Idea sifting

Sifting ideas and possibilities Easy implementation of new ideas and strategies

Implementation

Most appropriate channels • Strength-based thinking • Feeling thinking • Re-integrated thinking • Insight thinking • Strength-based thinking • 360-degree thinking • Reintegrated thinking • Strength-based thinking • Reintegrated thinking • Feeling thinking • Strength-based thinking • 360-degree thinking • Common sense thinking • Deficit thinking • Feeling thinking • Insight thinking • Strength-based thinking

Best modes of thinking for generating new ideas and possibilities: (continuum of thinking channels) Proven solutions

Un-proven breakthroughs

Insight thinking/360 degree/strength-based thinking/re-integrated thinking

The meeting checklist: 1. This is what we need to achieve by the end of the discussion… 2. This is the job I would like the participants to do… 3. It will be my job to keep focusing the discussion on the objective by…