Are You a Blue Thinker? Or Green…Or Red?
If you find yourself in a group faced with a task of creating something new this might help!
Blue, Red, & Green Thinking
I am grateful for this idea to Nigel May Barlow, author of Re-Think-How to Think Differently.
He talks about three stages of creative thinking:
Blue - Blue is for IDEAS- with the sky being the limit! Blue type questions are Well, why not? and What if we…?
Red - Red is for STOP, like traffic lights. It’s the selection, evaluation, fine tuning and prioritising stage, choosing your best ideas.
Green – Green is for GO, deciding who is going to do what, by when, planning in the milestones.
In any group of people you are likely to find a scattering of all these types. Some will be more comfortable with a particular colour than others. if you get too many in one category you may miss out some of the valuable stages.
For example, a room of Blues may generate some fabulous ideas but never actually get around to putting them into action! Whereas Reds will never allow enough discussion of ideas as they push to get something agreed. And the Greens will be busy planning who is doing what before Blues have finished being creative!
What colour are you? How does it show itself in you?
Talk to Yourself!
Have you tried talking to yourself lately?
One of the reasons people find coaching so helpful is that it gives them an opportunity to rehearse ideas with a neutral person. We often don’t know what we think until we say it loud.
Sometimes we have an idea that we’re not actually ready for the world to hear because we haven’t heard it made real.
Mirror, Mirror
If you find yourself in this position, try this. Stand in front of your mirror and pitch the idea to yourself!
Think about it as your literal reflection time!
Who helps you bring ideas to fruition?
Women and Careers Tip 4
Number 4 in my occasional series of tips for women who want to advance their careers!
Listen
On the face of it this seems really easy but it isn’t! Listening well is a real art and a good listener will be a well informed woman. People also love being listened to, so some of that feel good factor is attributed to the listener
Allow the Silence
Next time you are in a meeting and an awkward silence ensues, don’t rush to fill it, or feel responsible for rescuing the situation. Just let it be for a while. If this makes you feel uncomfortable ask yourself why. The person who knows how to hold their counsel on occasion is often seen as wise and thoughtful.
John Harvery Jones once said that a meeting without silences meant no one was thinking. Study the body language of your colleagues, aim to look comfortable and relaxed yourself but don’t rush in. Use the space to think!
Listen Well
Practise good listening in other areas of your life. When asked a question, or to solve a problem, don’t always rush to add your own thoughts or experiences but instead, from time to time, practise focussing on the person speaking to you. Ask them questions about what they actually mean. Get them to clarify and give examples. Don’t feel rushed into a response but tell them you’d like some time to consider and come back to them with a response (always get back to them though!)
