The next time you feel the itch to decide, pause and say: “What haven’t we considered yet?” Give yourself one more round of exploration before committing.
i2 Insights: Skill Categories
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Go Where You Wouldn’t
Seek inspiration from a completely unrelated field. Read one article, watch one talk, or visit one space that has nothing to do with your current project. Note what sparks.
Zoom Out Before You Zoom In
Before diving into a task, spend 10 minutes mapping out the broader landscape. What adjacent problems exist? What opportunities are you not seeing because you’ve already narrowed your focus?
Ask “What’s Underneath?”
Take a problem you’re working on and ask “why?” three times in a row. Each answer should go deeper than the last. The real issue is usually hiding below the surface.
Make It a “We” Project
Take something you’ve been working on solo and invite one person to co-create part of it with you. Share an unfinished draft and say: “What would you add?”
Collect Solutions, Don’t Crown One
In your next brainstorm, aim to leave with three viable options instead of one winner. Label them A, B, and C — and resist ranking them until tomorrow.
Find the Shared “Why”
In your next disagreement, pause the debate and ask: “What outcome do we both want?” Start from the shared goal and work backwards to where your approaches diverge.
Sketch It, Don’t Say It
Take an idea you’ve been explaining with words and draw it instead. It doesn’t need to be pretty — boxes, arrows, and stick figures count. Share it and see if it lands differently.
Borrow Someone Else’s Lens
Find a colleague who sees things differently from you. Ask them: “How would you approach this?” Listen without defending your own view. Just take notes.
Say “Yes, And…”
When a colleague shares an idea, resist the urge to improve it from scratch. Instead, say “Yes, and…” and add one building block to what they’ve already started.