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unthinkable is a strategic design company that creates impact and value through design

unthinkable blog

Intriguing thoughts and musings to provoke
you to think and inspire the unthinkable.

The tree hit the house

Mar 2, 2021

Cold winter night, swirling winds, full moon.  A sharp thunderous crack. Silence. A massive crashing thud.  The large pine crashed onto the house. Quiet.  Everyone safe.  A close call.

Yes, there is damage to the outer structure. A weeping cherry decimated. No stunning spring blossoms.  Massive clean-up to come. Other  trees to be removed.  Repairs, how bad, not sure? Insurance in place. Inconvenience. The past longing. The future, trepidation.  The present, everyone is safe.

You lost the customer. The factory burned down. Key employees left. A major cyber attack. A pandemic has hit.  Disruption, inconvenience, a set-back, alternate actions, time wasted, uncertainty.

The organization is still intact. You have other customers. Your core team is energized.  Opportunity. Alternate plans. A rethink. Not the status quo. Possibilities.

The tree did hit the house.  Do we re-scape? Should we add the addition? What are the options?  Do we move?  Winds continue to swirl. 

You have a setback. There is uncertainty.  What is your new plan? Where are your opportunities? With certainty, you are not going back to the day before the night with the full moon and the large pine tree.  Think possibilities. Think forward.

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Seeing with clarity

Mar 1, 2021

We believe we see clearly, enabling us to comprehend a situation or task at hand fully. Through simple synthesis, we think that we understand the best possible solution or steps to be taken going forward. 

But what do we see?  We see with that lens we always have seen through. We view the situation or problem with the typical bias we have for all conditions.  Regardless of who we are, our experiences shape us, and our view into the future is a projection of our past opinions and experiences and not a clear picture of the future.   

Have we taken the time to step back and ask ourselves – what we do not see?  What have we missed? What elements could affect our view?  Have we thought them all through well enough?  We go with the easy route, our past view, because that is what we always do, and it’s comfortable.  Comfortable and easy may be the trusted approach to simple situations; however, if we are looking to improve, innovate, or grow, that will not do.

For a moment, choose any issue that challenges you today. Don’t overthink this; pick one.  Now, ask yourself if you fully understand the problem or situation.  What has led you to this conclusion?  What elements have you possibly not thought of? Is there another perspective that differs from your own that may be worthy of consideration? Why do you discount that perspective so fast,  and what elements of this alternate view should you consider further?  Now, look at it through that lens. What has changed?

When we begin to see the challenge from a perspective other than our own and fully address it from all possible vantage points, that may well be the point when we begin to see with clarity.

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unthinkable is a strategic design company that creates impact and value through design