May 2023 - Peripheral Thinkers™ Newsletter
May 15, 2023
Aloha Peripheral Thinkers™,
Welcome to the May 2023 edition of the Peripheral Thinkers™ Newsletter. If this is your first edition, you'll find an overview of Peripheral Thinking™ at the bottom. If this is your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th edition, thank you for being part of the Peripheral Thinkers™ community.
This newsletter is for you. To serve you. To inform, challenge, and occasionally entertain you.
If you like it, please share it.
If you disagree with something, please tell me.
If something's confusing, please ask me.
I'm stoked you are here, so let's drop in!
🏄🏽♂️
A Peripheral Perspective: Thrive Anywhere, Anytime
Did I Tell You The One About…
Most of my stories begin with the following:
"I tried [new experience] the other day and learned …"
"I noticed [so and so] doing [such and such], and it got me thinking…"
"I talked with someone I met (after my speech, on LinkedIn, at a conference, etc.), and get this…"
Meeting people with different backgrounds, reading about new topics, and trying different things feeds my curiosity. It expands my perspectives. It provides content and references I use to inform my decision.
And… it increases what I can share.
Sometimes it is familiar to the other person. Occasionally it's a variation of something they know. Other times it is entirely new to them.
In all cases, the dialog is richer, and often, the conversation leads to something better. A new idea, modified approach, deeper appreciation of _____.
So What?
How would your company be different if everyone was actively learning and sharing?
Right now, you may be:
→Cutting costs and reducing staff to ride out a storm.
→Heads-down and hyper-focused on your first start-up.
→Plotting the path to acquire companies or go public.
Regardless of your situation, you need a healthy stream of new perspectives. New perspectives are ideas, approaches, and proven methods from outside the norm. They are not shiny objects that distract you. Instead, they are the new content and context that informs and guide you.
The breadth of your perspectives will determine whether you survive, grow, or thrive.
Get To It!
Here are 3 actions Peripheral Thinkers™ take to fuel their companies with new perspectives and thrive in any market condition.
1. Peripheral Thinkers™ encourage their people to think, dream, and capture their ideas and life experiences.
Allot time daily or weekly for your staff to think and journal. For some people, this will come naturally. Others may require more structure. Here are a few prompts:
· List one memorable experience from outside of work this week.
· Recently, what did you notice that you hadn't before?
· What's the craziest thing you saw/read/heard this week?
· If you had a magic wand, what would you change today?
· Finish this sentence for each of the above. The moral of this is ________.
This time of reflection does not have to be about your business. To make this activity safe, don't require that your people share their musings. They will share when they want to share. Freedom to think beyond their daily tasks is the goal.
2. Peripheral Thinkers™ are curious, ask questions, and don't judge.
Start with the people in your company/organization/team. If they are willing to share a thought, observation, or idea, ask them :
· What environment were they in when they had the thought, observation, or idea?
· What are the elements that contributed to the experience?
· How does sharing it make them feel?
· How and where do they suggest applying it?
Allow time for them to share other things. Fully-baked ideas are not required. Free and safe exchange of ideas is the goal.
3. Peripheral Thinkers™ offer their thoughts for consideration, not direction.
As business leaders, this activity is part of your routine for working on the business rather than in the business. Therefore, you need time to think, explore, experiment, and experience new things.
· Expand your curiosity to other industries and non-work-related topics.
· Take an afternoon to try something new, like throwing an axe, reading about Himalayan Sherpas, or drawing stick figures with your non-dominant hand.
· Then… journal about it.
· What did you learn?
· Any principles you can use as ideas? Cool!
· Share your ideas with your team.
The more perspectives you have, the more you can contribute and relate to your colleagues, peers, and staff. Expanding your perspectives is the goal.
Broaden your perspectives. Thriving in any market condition is the RESULT.
Until next time, I'll be seeing you in the periphery.
🤙🏽 Mahalo,
Paul
One More Thing
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Peripheral Thinking™ Background
What is Peripheral Thinking™?
A little over 10% of the population is born with secret super-skills. While they represent a small percentage of the population, they also represent a disproportionate percentage of notable innovators. From corporate pioneers to scientists to world-class athletes—these leaders raise the bar for their professions and, in some cases, create new industries.
Einstein, Henry Ford, Ann Bancroft (explorer), da Vinci, Edison, Agatha Christie, JFK, Richard Branson, Erin Brockovich, Kobe Bryant, and more.
All innovators.
All Dyslexic.
We've cracked the code to these innovative, super-solver, Swiss army knife dyslexic brains.
So, I translated the super-skills to support the neurotypical 90%.
In general terms, Peripheral Thinking™ is an unconventional approach to finding seemingly unrelated ideas, principles, and proven solutions and applying them in new ways. It's a way of pulling meaning from everyday experiences to expose patterns and hidden paths that move you beyond obstacles. It informs the way you communicate, connect, and empathize with people. It exponentially increases the resources you can tap into at will.
Dyslexic innovators have led the way for centuries. Now anyone can learn and apply these skills to create more paths than problems. More choices than challenges. And more opportunities than obstacles. I've used/shared it with clients and companies in 31 industries and 27 countries. It's a pleasure to share it with you.