What You Must Know About Flexible vs Inflexible Thinking #Think

What You Need to Know About Flexible vs Inflexible Thinking

Being flexible is such an important thing, especially today more than ever before. This is because there seems to be a direct relationship between flexibility and being effective in an ever-changing, highly dynamic world.

The scientific formula or law for this would be - the more dynamic things become and the more swiftly things change requires an directly-related level of flexibility in order to effectively interact with and respond to such an environment.

This also means that the more rigid and less flexible we are, the less we will be able to survive in such a world full of change, and the more likely our efforts will fail. Our rigidity will collapse and break apart under the pressure.

A Strong Rigid Oak Tree or a Thin Flexible Palm Tree Analogy

A great analogy is that perhaps in the past, a strong oak tree could have withstood a thousand years of a more stable environment. However, today, oak trees are more easily dying in light of the rapid and unpredictable nature of the environment. Trees like the palm tree, which seems more flexible, remain.

Just the same, in the face of a hurricane, a palm tree that remains flexible and bends with the storm will probably survive. An oak tree would just crack and crumble and be quickly uprooted, for its

This is why, if asked in an interview what kind of tree I would be, I would say a palm tree. A palm tree gets to enjoy the sun and the beach, but more importantly, is flexible enough to survive a hurricane in many cases, to survive and prosper.

These Are Useful Analogies for Flexible Thinking - Agility

Our thinking, to survive the constant pressure of change and dynamics of today's environment, must also be flexible, fast, highly adaptable and resilient. All of these can perhaps be summed up in one word - agility - the ability to be agile - which means the ability to flex and adapt and roll with changes quickly, in order to survive and prosper.

Therefore, seek to be flexible and agile in your thinking and in your arrangements and organizations. Leave options open. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Follow the 80-20 rule and "general rules" Leave enough room to move, maneuver and change. De-couple things a bit to eliminate centers of gravity and single points of failure.

Stay flexible - for it is the key to your survival and prosperity in today's environment, where things change quickly. Learn the lesson from the palm tree and stop being like the old oak of yesterday’s time, unsuited for today's environment.

Countering Deception Let Your Yes Mean Yes and No No #Deception

The Downfall of Deception and Not Being Meaning What You Say

Wouldn't it be nice if those in government and politics followed this principle of “what you see is what you get” and "let your yes mean yes and your no mean no?  Big if!  How sad and shameful.

According to the first rule I talked about in my other article about the 80-20 rule, this rule should tell us that 80% of the people in politics do not say what they mean, nor mean what they say. Instead, for 80% I think it's accurate to say that here's what most people expect and anticipate is going on, and this is unfortunate:

Lies, deceit, dishonesty, hidden agendas, corruption, masking the truth. Such are the hypocrites and can be compared to this: sharks, snakes and vipers, vile yet appearing to be clean, meek and outwardly kind and respectable. They have no integrity.

They are wolves in sheep's clothing, playing the appearance game, and behind the scenes are actually being secretive, sneaky, cunning, sinister, devious, maligned, schemers, scammers and only playing lip service and appearance games to get ahead for their own agenda and advantage. These people are the worst kind of character and soul that can ever exist.

A person dedicated to the rule of WYSIWYG as a rule of life and business does not need to play such games nor be dishonest or deceitful like this. Their lives can be so much simpler, freer and happier, because no web of lies or deceit are necessary. All of that dishonest infrastructure, as I call it, is not needed.

Let Your Yes Mean Yes and Your No Mean No

In truth, people can be straight up and honest, where their yes means yes, while their no means no. It’s really simple, and it's a choice. No one forces them to be a deceitful person, they entice themselves and make these choices based on what they have to gain, as they lose their own souls.

In all of their earthly riches, power, and glory, these deceivers are the poorest people on earth. Their actions and methods are unacceptable, and should not be tolerated as they are today. They talk a nice game and kiss babies on one hand, while their decisions kill and destroy unnecessarily on the other.

Why Is Honesty, Truth, Integrity and Straightforwardness So Difficult For So Many?

So why don't people get it? Why are people also afraid, suspicious and wary of those who try to be WYSIWYG? Are they jealous that some can be that way, but they can't? Maybe.

But I also think it's because they're so used to the deceptions in life and with the dishonest people and all the games that they played, that they lost faith and hope, and just can't believe anyone or anything at face value anymore, because they can't see why others may still have some faith or hope.

What's unfortunate is that this continuous deception all around us today in politics and advertising has us always looking for conditions and caveats, and seeking some hidden meaning or agenda. We have been conditioned not to take things at face value any longer, and this is not good.

Such people see inner hidden thoughts and agendas, so they waste their time creating false judgments about people and situations, and make something out of nothing, because they probably enjoy living and playing in a world of deception.

Worse, they further the cause of deception and its power, by calling those who don't use deception, naive. They have made it difficult for truth to prevail and for the light to shine through.

I'm Not Being Naive for Wanting More WYSIWYG in the World!

It's not that I'm naive, it's that those who want to live this way or think this way don't realize that they are prisoners, captive to an idea that counters true freedom, that goes against truth and that sides on the side of falsehood, and evil, actually, in the final analysis.

It's mental enslavement, and it causes their lives all sorts of trouble and despair. It also goes contrary to having faith and following a higher cause. Ultimately, following deception is an outward indication of an inward state. It creates a tangled web that traps people and then they give up their principles in order to gain for themselves and their families. Think politicians.

The Path of Deception and Untruth Is Not Wise

Shockingly, many choose this deceptive path, because they feel the easy way is the crooked path, and that it is the most expedient. So they lose their soul and give up their birthright, in the process, to gain in the short-term, at the expense of the long-term and everything they lose, to include their own soul.

They don't know how to face themselves and confront their own soul or character, and in their twisted minds, they somehow justify deceits, which in truth are unjustifiable, and will burn them in the end.

What Can We Do Against the Deceivers?

I've got to admit, I'm tired of deception and deceivers out. Aren't you? Can't we just be honest with each other? My goodness, let's follow WYSIWYG, where we are more honest and straight forward. How is that a novel concept, how is that not the general rule?

Why can't we take anything at face value anymore? Shouldn't we try to create conditions where we make some changes here for the better, and eliminate so many deceptions? What can we do?

We can seek to tell the truth, and to expose deception and deceit at every turn. The way to stomp out darkness is to shine the light of the sun on it and let it get bleached and cleansed this way. We must demand honesty, transparency and accountability.

We must also stop using the ways of deception as a modus or method. We need to be more chivalrous than that. 

We've got to stop being intrigued with the ways of the Machiavellianism, an absolute Pandora’s box that, in most cases, seems to bring nothing but negative results and outcomes in the world, as does any way of deception.

There is a better way, and the way for bad things to stop is by exposing them and demanding justice wherever and whenever we can.  Very few situations exist as exceptions where deception must be used.  These are usually issues that involve national security, for example.  Yet even these can be abused.

I will talk more about how the Machiavellianism is in most cases a grand self-deception, at my article entitled "The Ends Do Not Justify The Means As A General Rule" because this philosophy is one that in most cases, falsely declares ”better to be deceitful to gain something, than to be honest and possibly not gain anything nor score any points." 

 As a general rule, following Machiavellianism is not honorable, chivalrous, or necessary in most dealings.  Yet it seems to have become the way and  the rule, rather than the exception.  Don't miss this!

Countering Deception with What You See Is What You Get WYSIWYG #Deception

WYSIWYG as a Rule of Life?

WYSIWYG (pronounced "wizywig") is an acronym that stand for "What You See Is What You Get” No, this is not some boring discussion about building websites or using HTML editors, which is where this acronym seems to have originated from.  

WYSIWYG is much more important than that.  It is, to me, a rule of life and for keeping things simple, from a social and personality standpoint.  But how can I explain where WSIWYG fits into this?  Here is one example:

I once had a boss who read into everything that I said, as if there was some kind of hidden meaning or intent behind my words. This was unfortunate, because I had no hidden intent, nor was I projecting any other meaning.  They must have just been jaded by the constant deception in the world around us.

I said what I meant, and meant what I said, exactly as I said it. I couldn't understand why my words, despite basic and straight forward they were, could have a hidden meaning. I can truly tell you, they did not!

My words were a reflection of me and my intent – what you see is what you get – WYSIWYG. There was no hidden meaning or intent behind my simple words. I said what I meant, and meant what I said.  

Unfortunately, I was surprised to dins out that this is not how others deal with each other.  This is worth knowing, even for those of us who appreciate simple things and simple living don't like to read into things.  

Those of us who like things simple and uncomplicated do not try to project to others things other than how they actually are. This seems to be a big issue these days, because there is so much hidden meaning in this age of fake news, false media, deception and deceit.

The 13 Basic Principles of WYSIWYG as a Rule of Life

Recall the scene in the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles where John Candy actually touches on this point and says something to the effect, “I’m the real me, what you see is what you get”. That is what this concept, and this article, are all about. So here are some basic principles for "being WYSIWYG":

• Being genuine and honest
• Not being deceptive in any way
• Not hiding behind the fine print
• Being respectful, polite, and acting with dignity
• Letting your yes mean yes and your no mean no
• No hidden agendas, meanings or intentions behind what you say
• No ulterior motives for what you're saying
• Not being two-faced or acting one way and meaning another
• Not being ambiguous or difficult to interpret or understand
• Keeping things simple, straightforward and uncomplicated
• Sticking to the basics, the facts, and to reasonable estimations
• Having good intentions and acting right
• Giving others the positive benefit of the doubt

Of all these, the motive of being genuine, honest and straight forward without deception are most important. This is because so many things today seem like they're packaged with deception and deceit by default.

This deception and under-handedness happens with purchases we make, with things we're told on the Internet and perhaps also other forms of media, as well as in politics and entertainment. What's really bad is we've come to allow and accept this behavior as normal, rather than unacceptable. What a shame, people!

Politics is the Worst At This

In the realm of politics, we have some of the worst-ever examples that violate our WYSIWYG principles I mentioned earlier. There seem to always be hidden agendas, hidden pullers of strings, hidden meanings and enough ambiguity and legal talk to deceive. This is so unfortunate.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Abraham Lincoln, the political deceptions can be seen as nothing new or unique to this modern era. In fact, the way of deception and deceit goes back to the beginnings of mankind, and is unfortunate. What I am proposing here, using the concept of WYSIWYG, is for people to counteract this tendency toward deception, as a general rule.

WYSIWYG Background

This acronym, WYSIWYG, is usually associated with web page building, because it means that what you type into a web page builder is what you should see, or get, in the actual web browser when viewing it (same view behind the scenes and on the front end)

I'm using the WYSIWYG acronym to relate not to a web page, but to real life, whether personal or professional. To me, the saying “What you see is what you get” has a very important personal significance on the true character of an individual. It means we should be the same whether behind the scenes or on the front end.

What people see is (and should be) the real deal. No games, no show, no hidden meanings or hiding any real feelings. Unfortunately, society itself seems to set this up for failure by their expectations. We expect things to be a certain way, so this is what we are given, rather than truth and transparency.

Yes, there are probably occasions (I call these "exceptions" to the general rule of WYSIWYG) where being straight forward is not practical or helpful. In these cases, we must be a good judge of cause and effect, and determine if the effect is not worth the straightforwardness.

However, these exceptions do not justify deception. Instead, avoidance is probably the better choice. Otherwise, we can violate trust the moment we begin to use deception. We should find a better way, and aim for the high road rather than the low road, when and where we can.

WYSIWYG is the way it ought to be, as a general rule, when we deal with others, in either personal or professional settings. It means we must let our yes mean yes and your no mean no. 

This means people should be able to take us at face value for what we say and do, and not have to read into us, find any hidden meanings in our words, hidden actions in secret, hidden agendas in our personalities and psychological makeup or otherwise spend their time to figure us out.

WYSIWYG means we're not being deceptive, but instead we're being up front, frank, clear and truthful. It means that what we say is honest, and does not have any hidden agenda or “reading between the lines” that has to occur, but instead can be taken at face value. This is of great necessity when trust and reliability for decision is at stake.

That's why I say WYSIWYG Rules! It's the only right way things should be done and viewed, as a general rule. When you follow WYSIWYG, you become a person of honesty and integrity, who says what they mean and means what they say. Then, you become trustworthy and reliable, amongst perhaps many who are not, and your value increases head and shoulders above the rest.

This creates much more value, authority, trustworthiness and success for you and can make you number one, above the rest who lack genuineness and use deception, as the cheaters that they are, trying to get ahead. 

I'll continue this discussion in part two of Living Simple by WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get Part 2 so stay tuned.  #Deception  #FightDeception  #CounteringDeception

How to Solve Difficult Problems 3 Ways of #ProblemSolving

How to Solve Difficult Problems

Problem solving is not easy. If it were, everyone would be a problem solver. I have already shown what I believe are the some simple steps to take to begin to solve a problem or issue in my article The Cyberbok 5 Step Problem Solving Method.

While that method described a method or process to solve a problem or deal with an issue - there are actually 3 key prerequisites to meet before you can begin applying these 5 problem solving steps.

3 Prerequisites Before You Can Start Solving Problems

The 3 prerequisites that must be met in order to solve a problem are simple but necessary.  Here they are:

1. Acknowledging (admitting) the problem exists
2. Clearly defining and understanding the problem and its patterns, symptoms and effects
3. Determining to find the root cause of the issues or problems

Let's now look briefly at each of these 3 prerequisites...

1. Acknowledging (admitting) the problem exists

This is pretty much the first requirement for any problem. You have to believe it exists, that there actually is a problem. That is the single most important step on which all others rise or fall.

If you do not believe a problem exists, or if the team or those whom you work with don't believe it, or if leaders and managers and other don't believe the problem exists, you'll get nowhere. The battle will be lost before it's even fought, at this first, most critical step. (See Sun Tzu)

This problem recognition demands three things to be done effectively to show, prove and convince others that here is a problem: marketing, communication. and persuasion. I talk more about this at my article How to Convince Others Using Marketing Communication and Persuasion.

Once you've received consensus that there is indeed a problem, your next step is to reach agreement on what exactly the problem(s) is or are. You must first use informal methods or semi-formal methods, ideally, to brainstorm and discuss or use the Delphi Method to Brainstorm and Avoid Groupthink.

2. Step two is to clearly define and understanding the problem and its characteristics in detail, using main themes and points or pillar statements to define an issue.

Albert Einstein once said, "If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes." 

That Einstein quote speaks to exactly what I'm referring to in this second part, to ensure we know most clearly and exactly what the problem is first, and perhaps also what it is not.  That is so very important.  We must seek to clearly and completely understand the problem.

Step two should scope the various patterns, symptoms and effects. This requires some research and discovery, to see what the common events, symptoms, characteristics and outcomes of the problem(s) is or are.

By clearly defining these characteristics, you will begin to better understand the problems and then define them.

3. Determining to find the root cause of the problem.

I talked before about the importance of driving at root causes to find a solution. While I am not going to detail here how to determine a root cause, I will tell you why this is a key step in the overall problem solving thought process, as a pre-requisite.

We don't want to just be treating symptoms and then the problems resurface. Also, we must think in terms of degrees of solvability possibility (completely, partially, etc.) and then solve in ways that may need to encompass deterrence, avoidance, distraction, enticement, diversion, indirect and direct confrontation (the last one being the last resort), etc. The

For actual steps on how to find root cause issues and problem(s), I detail a few simple but highly effective ways I've done this in my career, in my article How to Find the Root Cause of a Problem.

Next, however, let's look at the nature and characteristics of what is called a "wicked problem" because we all face this kind of problem, whether we know it or not. I talk about this in my article The 10 Characteristics of a Wicked Problem, subscribe so you don't miss it!