Solving very complex situations

Analysis and synthesis. Creativity and organization. Reflection and contemplation. Action and more action…

There are so many ways to solve situations that emerge, however as time go by, these are becoming more and more complex, and the used and overused old formula does not work at all times.

These new circumstances require a new approach. One possibility is to explore a spiritual perspective and here are some ways:

• Experiencing a stage of detached observer. Connecting to the self helps into watching whatever is happening with detachment, as if it is someone else doing. The easiest way is just to be aware of the present environment a person is for one minute, focusing on the present.
• Meditation, contemplation or reflection. Focusing the mind into something that is beyond the physical helps get in touch with spirituality and, eventually, to find solutions for very complex situations. There are many ways to use any of these tactics, but you may want to check the Brahma Kumaris' way, which is my own method of meditating.
• Yoga and deep focus. No need to forget about all that is around, but by doing yoga or simply focusing deeply into something else, different than the circumstances, it helps the self to find a deep solution, reaching into the roots and seeds.
• Prayer from the heart. When prayer comes from within, the mind gets clear and it is possible to take hard decisions. It is important to not recite old prayers learnt by heart or, if it is so, feel them.

Keep thinking…

By thinking we understand the world outside and we are able to take decisions based on our perception.

However, as our life develops, thoughts repeat and old experiences restrict our capacity of embracing the unknown. There may be a point when routine has taken over…

Routine is good, it works as a pipe that enables the water to reach the whole house; it channels our energy and makes life easier. Without a routine, a person would be like a hose connected to water, but with nobody holding on… lots of water, but no clear focus.

To prevent that, it is important to dare, to challenge assumptions and to experiment. It does not mean to refuse reality or go against things for the sake of it, just reshape reality.

The alarm goes off anytime we feel we are taking the same decisions as before without a proper reflection, anytime we feel routine seeping into our minds and our lives look less bright than the day before.

To help with that, let’s ask powerful questions that shake our beliefs, meditate or contemplate. Let’s allow the mind access to a new fresh source of possibilities every time.

How to be creative in a non-creative environment?

There are places where creativity is discouraged. It may be because of giving priority to routine instead of initiative or just because the team is still learning and the person in charge is trying his best to accomplish a task, with no time to explain or to help people to understand what they are really doing.

In the short term, there is not much damage… but in the long term, that may affect a person’s capacity of thinking out of the box and even the task may be affected.

However, there are ways to keep creativity alive even in the worst places:

• From a leader’s point of view, the leader may help others to think in different ways to find solutions to whatever they have in hand. Many years ago, I arrive at an airport just to learn the flight was much delayed; their system has failed and they were doing our registration by hand, including luggage. What impressed me was the leader’s attitude: she was following up the process and every time someone has found a new way of doing something, she used to call everybody’s attention to that. She was promoting creativity in a critical situation and with a team of young people.
• A simple way to encourage creativity is to share with others in an informal environment, or even to have a training that is not related to their main subject. I had a workshop with a group of public officers working at a company that was closing. Situation could be grim as everybody there knew they would be fired at the end of their process; in other words, their prize for success was to be fired… It was very valuable for them, for their peace of mind and their morale to talk about things not related to their work.
• When there is rigidity in the place, make effort that mind is free. I was at the Air Force for three years, spending the equivalent to high school there. However, I’ve made effort to keep my mind free – I was well informed, doing poetry and even practicing meditation in my last year.

In other words, there is no excuse to not be creative...

If you want some help with your creativity, let's talk... contact me by commenting and leave your email address. 

Bringing Emotional Intelligence into life

When the concept of Emotional Intelligence was exposed in a book, many years ago, it was such a novelty that it seemed everybody was speaking about it. But one thing I’ve noticed: very few were working on that.

Many years later, emotions are on the top – just look at the present headlines and you can see emotions. Look at your workplace and check the emotions present there. What about your family?

So, can we work on that emotional intelligence now?

According to Daniel Goleman, it means basicly 4 things:

• To know your own emotions.
• To know how to deal with them.
• To know others’ emotions.
• To know how to deal with them.

It seems easy enough and yet, its impact may change lives. Why? Emotions are a shortcut at times of reaction or decisions, bypassing the need of reasoning and reflecting, and going into the action in hand. By knowing your own or others’ emotions, an individual is able to understand that and help reflection and reasoning to meet the emotions.

For instance, if someone just wants to marry another person he just met one week ago, it will be difficult to talk the person out of it, but using creative techniques like storytelling or even a little role play it is possible to awake the reasoning behind the decision and help the person to think it over.

How do you manage emotions? As any management acting, first you need to know them. Then, you need to have some skills, techniques or a relevant education that enables you to deal with them.

However, good managers don’t simply deal with things, they attain success by using energy in a very effective way, comparing to results. So, it is not only techniques that will help convincing another person to not get married yet, many other things are required, like: empathy, spirituality would be helpful, listening to the other’s point of view, etc. Developing emotional intelligence is a very effective way to live better and help others to live better too.

My message here is simple: dust your favorite Emotional Intelligence book and use all that knowledge into your day-to-day life.

Management with open ears and eyes

A good management process starts from ears and eyes.          

Ears help the manager to listen to others. After all, hearing others is easy, if you have the physical capacity, but listening to people is something else as it requires attention and focus. Dynamic listening, a particular technique, requires the manager to turn into a coach so that he or she may help others to express their own feelings and emotions, dreams and tragedies.

Eyes help the individual to see people in a different perspective. Yes, being a manager is a job and as such, that person is expected to judge, evaluate and assess their employees all the time, but by opening eyes of understanding, a manager is able to catch signs of a talent, the possibilities of a change and the brilliance everyone has. A closed-eyes manager will just check the job; by going deep and opening eyes, the manager checks potentials too.

Both will help a boss to direct people’s energy in a direction that will be satisfied to the same person, the boss and others too. It also helps to fill the gap between management and leadership. So, open your eyes, open your ears, and let your world changes…