Easy Ways to Refresh Your Thinking
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Stuck in a rut? Feel as if others are rapidly overtaking you or that you are in danger of being seen as outdated? It could be time to refresh your thinking, update your ideas, and change your outlook. Here are some helpful tips…
The latest trends – what are they? Are you aware of them? It may be a case of ‘old wine in new bottles’ but if it’s what everyone’s talking about how do you join in and sound positive and up to date? Take out a subscription to a leading journal or business magazine, or join a professional networking group. Ask others what they read or what books they would recommend, or blogs they find useful and informative.
Consider some reverse mentoring. It may be that a younger person has better tech skills than you do, or greater awareness of social media and how to use it, or is studying at a good university or college and has access to the latest ideas and papers that they can share with you. In return, you might offer to mentor them in skills they lack – so a mutual benefit exists. I did some reverse mentoring with a graduate who knew how to use social media to boost marketing – it was much easier talking to her than reading a manual!
Join a new initiative or project to extend your network and way of thinking, but avoid saying “Oh, we did that years ago, it didn’t work” as it can make any of us sound tired and negative. It could be that changes in technology or cultural norms mean that ideas tried years ago have finally come to fruition, in which case embrace this development and celebrate it for what it is. That said, if you have examples of things you’ve tried in the past that offer useful lessons still, share them in a positive way – lessons are lessons after all.
Get others’ inputs. Perhaps you and the team have a problem or challenge to solve. If you are prone to thinking alone consider organising or joining some group activities. Whilst extrovert thinkers [those who think out loud] love brainstorming it can be a nightmare for introvert thinkers [who like to think in silence first before sharing their thoughts]. If this applies to you, suggest blending silent brainstorming with some discussion. In other words, suggest everyone jots down their thoughts on an issue on post-it notes, as many as they need, and then stick them on the wall – in absolute silence. When everyone has finished, each member of the group can read the results and then start discussing the issue – preferably with someone acting as referee!
Prioritise time to connect. Who do you admire at work or within your wider social network as a thought leader? Can you connect with them more often, perhaps over a coffee, to discuss issues and get their thoughts and perspectives? This will help open your own thinking and approach and re-energise your brain.
Find a challenger. Look for people to challenge your way of thinking – even if it’s because they love to play ‘devil’s advocate’! Challenges are good as we’ll either realise we’ve been too blinkered in our approach, or that our arguments are weak, or need to be better articulated so others understand our perspective and concerns. Often, we shy away from a challenge or get defensive. Learning to see a challenge as a friend will be a big mind shift in itself and strengthen us.
Get creative. Finally, if it’s creative thinking you want to nurture in yourself don’t forget to consider taking up a creative hobby. Out of work we often feel freer to think and act differently, to try out new things, be a different self, and this in turn can help our minds to think differently and be more creative at work.
TAKE AWAY
No one likes to feel side-lined or that our opinions don’t count. But if we’ve become stale and predictable in our responses that’s exactly what will happen. So, take a ‘thinking’ health check every so often to refresh your approach and boost your energy and confidence in the process.
The latest trends – what are they? Are you aware of them? It may be a case of ‘old wine in new bottles’ but if it’s what everyone’s talking about how do you join in and sound positive and up to date? Take out a subscription to a leading journal or business magazine, or join a professional networking group. Ask others what they read or what books they would recommend, or blogs they find useful and informative.
Consider some reverse mentoring. It may be that a younger person has better tech skills than you do, or greater awareness of social media and how to use it, or is studying at a good university or college and has access to the latest ideas and papers that they can share with you. In return, you might offer to mentor them in skills they lack – so a mutual benefit exists. I did some reverse mentoring with a graduate who knew how to use social media to boost marketing – it was much easier talking to her than reading a manual!
Join a new initiative or project to extend your network and way of thinking, but avoid saying “Oh, we did that years ago, it didn’t work” as it can make any of us sound tired and negative. It could be that changes in technology or cultural norms mean that ideas tried years ago have finally come to fruition, in which case embrace this development and celebrate it for what it is. That said, if you have examples of things you’ve tried in the past that offer useful lessons still, share them in a positive way – lessons are lessons after all.
Get others’ inputs. Perhaps you and the team have a problem or challenge to solve. If you are prone to thinking alone consider organising or joining some group activities. Whilst extrovert thinkers [those who think out loud] love brainstorming it can be a nightmare for introvert thinkers [who like to think in silence first before sharing their thoughts]. If this applies to you, suggest blending silent brainstorming with some discussion. In other words, suggest everyone jots down their thoughts on an issue on post-it notes, as many as they need, and then stick them on the wall – in absolute silence. When everyone has finished, each member of the group can read the results and then start discussing the issue – preferably with someone acting as referee!
Prioritise time to connect. Who do you admire at work or within your wider social network as a thought leader? Can you connect with them more often, perhaps over a coffee, to discuss issues and get their thoughts and perspectives? This will help open your own thinking and approach and re-energise your brain.
Find a challenger. Look for people to challenge your way of thinking – even if it’s because they love to play ‘devil’s advocate’! Challenges are good as we’ll either realise we’ve been too blinkered in our approach, or that our arguments are weak, or need to be better articulated so others understand our perspective and concerns. Often, we shy away from a challenge or get defensive. Learning to see a challenge as a friend will be a big mind shift in itself and strengthen us.
Get creative. Finally, if it’s creative thinking you want to nurture in yourself don’t forget to consider taking up a creative hobby. Out of work we often feel freer to think and act differently, to try out new things, be a different self, and this in turn can help our minds to think differently and be more creative at work.
TAKE AWAY
No one likes to feel side-lined or that our opinions don’t count. But if we’ve become stale and predictable in our responses that’s exactly what will happen. So, take a ‘thinking’ health check every so often to refresh your approach and boost your energy and confidence in the process.