Sherpa Alliance

Three is a powerful number which our breakthrough thinking can pivot around - keeping the elegant simplicity of “3” in mind helps us understand and solve complex problems.  When wrestling with complex problems here are some hip-pocket ways to tap into breakthrough thinking which can come from the power of 3:

A Middle Road/3rd Way
Whenever you are presented with an either/or problem, experiment with seeing things as a continuous spectrum instead, with the opposite ends defined by whatever your either/or parameters are.  This allows you to explore the possibility of there being a 3rd way in the middle – a middle road.  Creative, hybrid approaches can often give you the best of both worlds, which are not mutually exclusive.  Think of some of the either/or problems you are wrestling with and what might middle road, 3rd way, hybrid options be.

Consider an example – as a Vistage Chair running round-table peer groups, a common debate emerges regarding the approach which is most prone to success – running a “structured” group or running an “unstructured” group.  My approach is to see these as a spectrum and as not mutually exclusive – creative approaches can give us the best of both worlds as an “and” proposition not an “or” proposition (Mastering the Challenge of the “and”) and, indeed, is one of the key sources of Agility – being “structured” and “unstructured” all at the same time.

Unpacking 3 Other Quadrants of a 2X2 Matrix.
How many times do you see a 2X2 matrix?  It’s made fun of as the kind of stock MBA approach to problems, but there’s a reason for its prevalence - it’s a good approach to teasing apart an issue into 2 dimensions and its component parts.  If you are struggling to make sense of an issue, try experimenting with unpacking 3 other quadrants of a 2X2 matrix.

Consider an example – the other day I was in a session with one of my Vistage groups with a fantastic speaker on the topic of Accountability and the issue of “micromanagement” came up, rightly with largely a negative connotation.  But I got to thinking, with a sense that there is more to it than that, and it occurred there is value in unpacking the word “micro-management” to consider 3 other quadrants of a 2×2 matrix:

• Macro-Management (managing the big picture of things)
• Macro-Leadership (leading in the context of the big picture and big issues we face)
• Micro-Leadership (the kind of detail oriented, roll-your-sleeves-up leadership we need in a crisis)

All of a sudden, we realize that this unpacked framework helps reveal hidden differences which we can discern, with a lot of positive connotations and value.  Often times, we might discard a concept, such as “micro-management”, without realizing that it has a lot of hidden value packed away in it, if only we will experiment with unpacking it.  In this example, these hidden categories explain the value of Morning Meetings (Holding a Morning Meeting – just do it) which can easily be written off prematurely as “micro-management”.

Triangulation
I often find it useful to experiment with triangulating issues, imagining each side of the triangle is illuminating a common space of intersection in the middle or, in reverse, is being illuminated by the common theme in the middle.  

Consider an example – the triangulation created by the 3 core financial accounting statements found in a business (Cash-Flow, Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet) and how they illuminate the concept of Return-on-Investment (ROI) and, in turn in reverse, how each of the statements is illuminated by ROI.

3-D
If triangulation doesn’t liberate much breakthrough thinking, try experimenting with 3 dimensions instead, allowing great insight at the intersection of 3 different dimensions.  Each face of the cube becomes a different window to look through at an issue, with a common space of intersection, with each window being orthogonal (at 90 degrees/perpendicular) with the others.  When trying to join-up-the-dots of an issue, I find it helps to “go orthogonal” and often the dots join up differently through a different window and a different picture emerges.  When we experiment with this through different  windows/faces of the cube, we begin to sculpt a more multi-dimensional and rounded appreciation of the issue.  We can select which window or windows it is most illuminating and informative to look through, keeping the others in mind as appropriate.

Consider an example – the In the Driving Seat concept-suite, model-set and tool-box is built around a 3-Dimensional frame – this helps us to consider the challenge through multiple windows and to “go orthogonal” in looking through the longitudinal/journey oriented window, in particular, which is the most illuminating in these uncertain times.

Mental Agility
Our organizational agility depends upon our mental agility, individually and collectively, to be able to pivot our breakthrough thinking in creative ways and to unlock new perspectives, possibilities and options.  The approaches above, leveraging the power of 3, are an entrée into the bigger realm of Mental Agility – turning things upside-down, back-to-front and inside-out.