“When someone pushes back on your idea, what’s your first instinct — to defend, to deflect, or to get curious?”
— Relationship Skills
i2 Insights: Skill Categories
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Who Made You Think Differently?
“Who was the last person to change your mind about something that mattered — and did you tell them?”
— Relationship Skills
What Would They Say About You?
“If your team described what it’s like to collaborate with you in three words — what would those words be?”
— Relationship Skills
Do People Feel Safe Around You?
“If someone on your team had a risky, half-baked idea — would they feel safe bringing it to you first?”
— Relationship Skills
Hold Your First Instinct Lightly
When you feel drawn to a solution in the first 5 minutes of a discussion, write it on a sticky note — then set it aside. Spend the next 15 minutes exploring at least two alternatives before you look at it again.
Stay in the Search
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.
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.
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.