Part 1: Making Great Decisions


Part Overview

Of all the forces that make for a better world, none is so indispensable, none so powerful, as hope.

—Charles Sawyer

Great decisions bring out the best in people and galvanize them to achieve great results together. Great decisions also attract the interest, energy, and resources that members of any team or group effort need to implement them. What's more, great decisions resolve tough issues with flexible solutions that adapt to changing conditions.

Unfortunately, too few great decisions, or even good decisions, get made. Instead, tough issues fester. Businesses fall short of their potential. Communities struggle. Everyone suffers.

Why? Call it the irony of technology. Although communication hardware has multiplied our ability to transmit information, "human software"—our ability to use information to decide issues together—doesn't work nearly as well. Anyone can send a stinging e-mail to everyone they know in seconds. But when they need to decide a tough issue constructively, many people don't even know how to begin.

Typical decision-making processes set people against each other. When groups face tough issues, even people with the best of intentions can find themselves locked in divisive and destructive debates. Instead of energizing people to work as a team, most decision-making practices only work to polarize them. This slows down the wheels of progress, betrays organizational values, and undermines results. Such traditional approaches waste time and sap a group's energy and spirit.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way. The process detailed in this book is transforming. When you learn how to make great decisions together, your team members will connect with each other through their deepest hopes and aspirations. This in turn will help them discover ways to turn their hopes into concrete action and achieve lasting results.

FEAR UNDERMINES DECISION MAKING

Why do typical decision processes produce ineffective and lackluster results? The answer, as mentioned in the introduction, is fear. Hardly anyone is immune to the contagion of fear that can envelop a tough issue. Even the best and the brightest of us succumb to it. Take, for example, a research and development (R&D) group at a Fortune 500 company.

"I'm under the gun here," Tim, the manager, said. "I need to get great results from my group and I need them now. Our company has searched the planet to hire the best people. We employ the leading software programmers, psychologists, and designers, and we have a lofty purpose—to make computers dramatically easier for people to use. I've got an open checkbook to buy what we need and access to a world-class advisory board. But my group members can't even agree on which couch to put in our lounge."

Tim had the horses, but they weren't pulling together. He needed his workers to collaborate to create an integrated set of tools to incorporate into millions of computers, but different members of his team favored different approaches, and each had invested significant time and effort to develop projects based on personal software choices. Because they couldn't decide issues together, they went off on their own to concentrate on their separate projects. Not surprisingly, they weren't able to build on each other's work.

Tim worried about what to do. He didn't want to take an authoritarian stance and squelch individual creativity. Yet the team wasn't working together. He needed a way to encourage everyone's input and get a durable decision that would motivate group members to work together.

But fear gripped Tim's group. Though there was an abundance of resources, each group member was afraid that there wouldn't be enough time, money, and recognition (especially recognition) to go around. Nobody could think beyond protecting his or her own agenda and way of doing things.

The fear that plagued Tim's group plagues all kinds of organizations and groups of people who are trying to decide issues together. Even in an environment of abundance, fear can cause people to see scarcity. And once fear takes hold, all decision making (even on mundane issues such as which couch to put in the lounge) becomes difficult.

"No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear."

—Edmund Burke

The Legacy of Fear

The underpinnings of fear and scarcity lie deep within our culture. For example, business economics is defined as the study of how people choose to employ scarce resources. Classic definitions of government describe the process of allocating limited resources—who gets which slice of a very small pie.

Unfortunately, the primary reason that fear-driven group dynamics are so pervasive is that at some level they get results. Managers who win at office politics by spreading fear feel vindicated, especially when they advance in their organizations. So why should they change tactics that work for them? Employees of start-ups, afraid that they'll run out of money or that a major competitor will crush them, work extremely long hours, and often their on-the-edge performance gets good results.

The fact is that, although fear can provide near-term benefits, those benefits usually come at the cost of long-term consequences. Fear-induced behavior marginalizes and discourages employees who lose out in power struggles. Eventually these people stop offering their new ideas and voicing their concerns, because they fear they'll just be shot down. And the problem isn't just inside the organization. Fear can also cause missed opportunities to forge collaborations with suppliers or competitors and build new markets.

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FEARS GET IN THE WAY

Fears plague organizations by setting up a system of negative behaviors and responses that rarely vary. This system includes:

  • Negative thoughts: What you want is scarce.

  • Troubled feelings: There won't be enough to go around. You can never get enough.

  • Disruptive behavior: People become abrupt, short-tempered, and self-protective.

  • Frayed relationships: Participants become suspicious of one another. Cooperation declines.

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As opportunities—and risks—become greater, the potential for fears to overtake an organization's decision-making dynamics mounts. When difficult circumstances arise or big financial interests are at stake, groups clamp down, becoming less open to fresh insights or unconventional thinking. The quest for control overrides the need for inclusion and respect, and all that's wanted are preconceived results.

Fears Create Scarcity

Examples abound of what happens when fears go unchecked. Listen to Greg, a manager responsible for municipal water supplies. "All of our critical projects, where we desperately need to work together, are locked up in fears," he lamented. "One city council is afraid that their city will run out of water. In that same community, others fear that new water resources will stimulate undesired growth. People in nearby areas with extra water supplies dread that they will lose those resources. Put representatives from all these places in a room and guess what happens? Nothing of value. Each person representing a particular group seeks to control the agenda and fulfill the objectives of that group. I understand the reason—running out of water is a very serious matter—but no one thinks about any concern other than his or her own. The truth is, there is plenty of water to go around, but all of the parties are so afraid of scarcity that they can't acknowledge it. How can they manage the problem when fear narrows their vision?"

Similarly, fear thwarts effective decision making and teamwork in other settings. Whether it's vying for the corner office or trying to push an agenda in a self-serving direction, employees who want to win or be in control at the expense of their colleagues propel their organizations into fear-filled dynamics. Their worries that there won't be enough to go around drive them to get their own needs for recognition and reward met first.

Fear of not getting enough stimulates ego-driven control mechanisms. This prompts win-lose dynamics, a contest of wills. Who will prevail and get the recognition, resources, and rewards? Who will lose out? In time, lose-lose dynamics become the norm. People who have lost power plot how to regain it. Those in control fear that someone will overtake them. These factions create the conditions for the very scarcity they feared in the first place. (See Figure 1.)

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Figure 1: The cycle of fear and scarcity.

A mind-set of scarcity limits what people can accomplish. Even more dramatically, it restricts their enjoyment of what they do and create. Instead of a positive, joyful environment, the world becomes a fear-filled place.

Fueled by adrenaline from instinctive reactions to fear-filled situations, the cycle of fear and scarcity goes on. Eventually, frustration and exhaustion result in burnout, but by then the damage has been done. The people involved withdraw, needing time to recover so they can address the issue more constructively. Sometimes an infusion of new people and new energy is required to move forward. In any case, the toll is high.

Fears Provoke Decision-Making Problems

The cycle of fear shuts down decision making in ten different ways:

  1. People get left out of the decision-making process. "They'll be disruptive" and "We don't have time to include them" typify the mind-set. Excluding people, however, undermines the breadth of involvement and support needed for truly creative solutions and successful implementation.

  2. Participants lose sight of what they really want. Expectations obscure participants' true hopes and their potential to work together. Participants focus on their own slice of the pie and how big it is relative to everyone else's rather than figuring out how to make the pie bigger for the benefit of all.

  3. The real issues get ignored or overlooked. The feverish quest for control clouds the picture and distracts attention from what's really important. Participants hide their agendas for fear of "showing their hand." Issues become more difficult to resolve because people don't talk about what is really in play.

  4. Participants miss important options. They jump on the first idea or defend their own, which keeps them from seeing other choices. Fears short-circuit the deeper integration of information and creative connections needed for innovation.

  5. Information gathering is biased and inefficient. Advocates only get information to support their own positions or refute others'. There are no guiding principles for focused and balanced inquiry. Some people study issues to excess because they don't know what they're looking for or they fear the consequences of making a choice.

  6. Participants become personally attached to preset positions or expectations. They're less able to receive new information and change their viewpoints. They ignore or reject information that could lead them to better results. In their minds, the risk of showing tentativeness or losing face overrides the need to find the best path.

  7. Someone or some group drives the decision with a personal agenda. With self-protection as the first priority, participants lose sight of the bigger picture. The quest for personal victory overshadows the potential of win-win solutions.

  8. All the choices and areas for potential agreement and opportunities aren't explored. Majority or authoritarian rule often decides the path. Participants miss seeing the total solution and ways to fashion improved results.

  9. Decisions don't stick. Both winners and losers make poor learners. Winners revel in self-congratulation. Defeated or excluded people rally to reverse the decision. In both cases, they lack the openess necessary to perceive changes promptly and respond productively.

  10. Dissension builds. As difficulties mount, fears increase. Dissatisfaction spills over into other issues. Soon, even mundane issues become difficult to decide. The fear spiral takes hold.

The ten-step process provides solutions for each of these problems.

The Faces of Fear

Where decision making is concerned, participants foment fear in many different ways. Some do it by fighting. Others do it by being completely nonconfrontational.

The Fighters

Steve is what's known as a Gladiator, someone who is willing to "fight to the death." Attacking others—often personally—is the way he spreads fear and prevails.

Steve relishes the power he wields in a high-tech start-up. As finance director and self-appointed protector of investors' assets, he weighs in on many marketing and production issues and exerts heavy influence over the board of directors.

When other staff members bring up new product ideas, they steel themselves in anticipation of Steve's blistering attacks and take-no-prisoners attitude. Steve does not disappoint. Within seconds, he points out the financial shortcomings of almost any idea. His unyielding approach, fueled by financial data, detailed spreadsheets, and bankers' ratios, destroys many promising ideas. Steve feels that he is the most qualified person to make decisions, so why should he listen to anyone else?

The Gladiator is a well-known, frequently encountered fighter. But there are five additional types of fighters:

  • The Boss. Because this person holds power or is in a position of authority, he or she makes all the decisions. Employees automatically go along with (but perhaps secretly resist) the company line.

  • The Debater. This employee becomes pitted against another Debater with an opposing view. Arguments continue until one side weakens or the bonds between the two fray and finally break.

  • The Majority Ruler. This polite form of the Gladiator wreaks havoc by saying, "Let's take a vote and let the majority rule." Even in landslides, 40 percent or more of the people involved are frustrated with the decision.

  • The Briber. This bargainer cajoles, "Give me what I want on this, and I'll support you on that."

  • The Blackmailer. True to the name, this person threatens, "If I don't get my way, I'll [hurt you in some way]." Not surprisingly, dealing with a Blackmailer precludes either rational discussion or cooperative action.

Within the volatile fight group, the underlying assumption is that, after the bloody battle of wits is over, the truth will triumph. Sometimes the fight is covered with a thin coat of civil behavior so it can be called a debate. Other times it follows dramatic courtroom-type procedures so that participants can either argue or defend their positions. Sometimes shouting matches break out. But however the fight takes place, organizations that allow this behavior to continue are treating their people worse than they treat their production equipment. After all, intelligent businesspeople don't pit one machine against another to see which can destroy the other and believe that any good will come of it. Yet, many organizations position one person or one division against another in a twisted version of Darwin's survival of the fittest.

The Nonconfrontationalists

The polar opposite of Steve the Gladiator is Jane, whose modus operandi is capitulation at all costs. Jane heads a social services agency, where she never, ever makes waves. Instead, she pushes everyone in her group to agree to a solution that satisfies no one. They settle for the lowest common denominator in order to avoid conflict.

Jane, a Placater, never puts herself in a direct line of fire. Whenever a meeting takes place, the participants roll their eyes and wait for Jane to restate someone else's point of view. Hiding from confrontation is Jane's primary mission, one that she performs very well, to the detriment of her department. Since they don't engage in the tough issues, they don't make real progress.

There are two other nonconfrontational types:

  • The Pollyanna. This person ignores tough issues. Pollyannas hope that problems or concerns will disappear without their involvement.

  • The Whiner. This type is known for being so unpleasant to other people that they concede the Whiner's point just to stop the nuisance. The Whiner's passive-aggressive behavior is especially aggravating.

While they're not in-your-face fighters, nonconfrontationalists still cause problems to fester and prevent positive action. By avoiding issues and making their coworkers' lives miserable, they create an unpleasant and unproductive environment for everyone.

HOPES STIMULATE GREAT RESULTS

If the fearmongers and consequences of the damaging cycle of fear and scarcity sound all too familiar, it's time to make a change. Fortunately, no matter how bad things look, it's possible to do. All people—yes, even the fighters and the nonconfrontationalists!—possess a positive spirit. That spirit may be shrouded in fear and thus difficult to find at the moment, but it can reveal itself in even the darkest and most contentious situations.

Tapping into this wellspring of spirit is the key to breaking the cycle of fear and getting results. The antidote to fear is hope.

People feel encouraged to explore their hopes when they suspend disbelief and entertain the idea that there is potential for improvement. And when they perceive common ground, they become more willing to participate in a cooperative process that stimulates win-win dynamics, which in turn produce win-win results (i.e., solutions that support the participants' shared hopes). The outcome is real improvement that encourages participants to sustain the cycle together. (See Figure 2.)

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Figure 2: The cycle of hope and improvement.

You don't have to believe that your situation will improve, however, in order to get started. Simply following the ten steps that guide you to explore your shared hopes and provide cooperative practices to realize them will get you going.

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  • Hopes draw on the aspirations and interests of everyone involved in the decision-making process.

  • Hopes incorporate the deepest yearnings and accommodate diverse contributions.

  • Hopes motivate.

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Pursuing shared hopes, rather than fearful expectations, frees participants to identify and develop superior solutions. Considering the greater good (for oneself and the larger organization) is a radical concept in our individualistic culture. Yet it is exactly our willingness to let go of our own piece of the pie that is the first step in creating a more satisfying pie for all.

Hopes Boost Your Business

As used in this book, hopes are much more than positive thinking. They are the deepest aspirations participants have for their future. Hopes define what's most important to people about their organization and the issue at hand. As such, they energize and guide participants to thoughtful and successful results.

Hopes also serve as powerful magnets to attract customers, resources, and support. People respond enthusiastically to opportunities that fulfill their hopes.

For example, when I was the vice president of marketing for a start-up called Trade*Plus, which later became E*Trade, our goal was to give individual investors access to securities markets that only big institutional investors and brokers had. One customer, reflecting the wants of many, said, "I want technology to put me on the floor of the exchanges. I want to see the prices the brokers see. I want to put my orders in when I want, and I'd like to have all of the results organized and at my fingertips."

The company responded, developing technologies to fulfill these investors' hopes. Soon, our customers had a full suite of services with price quotes directly off the exchanges. They had the tools to place orders themselves, at any time of the day or night.

People flocked to the business. They weren't all small players, either. Some brought multi-million-dollar portfolios from full-service brokers. Investors who didn't wish to work with brokers—because of costs, language or communication difficulties, and many other reasons—reveled in their newfound freedom and power.

Our customers told us their hopes, and the company responded. Today E*Trade responds to the hopes of more than three million account holders. Hopes provided a powerful way to focus resources and stimulate great results.

THE PRACTICAL TEN-STEP PROCESS IS THE KEY TO POSITIVE CHANGE

We've established that hopes set the stage for positive change. The process of translating hopes into action is the instrument for realizing improvement in your decision making. The ten easy steps in this book are all you need to turn your hopes into reality. It doesn't matter how many people are seated around the table or how many different personal styles they bring with them—even deeply divided groups find they have common objectives or aspirations. What drives a wedge between people is not knowing the route to take in order to pursue their objectives.

Remember Tim and his R&D group? They found themselves in just this kind of situation. They needed to create an integrated set of tools to incorporate into millions of computers, but the different team members favored different approaches. Each knew what he or she personally desired and just wanted to push the other members to adopt it. Some even lacked the patience to listen to anyone with a different style or perspective.

When Tim and I introduced the ten-step process to the group, some of the people resisted the idea. Nevertheless, since prior attempts had failed to get them anywhere, the group members agreed to try the new approach.

When I asked the group to express their hopes for their work, we started to get somewhere. "I hope our work will be part of a product that makes computers much easier and friendlier for people to use," offered one researcher. "I hope we can build upon one another's work to create an integrated solution," suggested another. The remaining participants quickly followed in the same spirit: "I hope to enjoy working with my teammates." "I hope we attract more out-standing people, resources, and support to get the job done." "I hope we become known as an outstanding group of people who came together and made something special happen."

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HOPES WORK

When hopes are part of the decision-making process, you have a whole new way of thinking and acting. Hopes stimulate

  • Positive thoughts: You hear statements like "We can do this together" and "I don't know what the solution is, but it's likely that something will fulfill what we want."

  • Upbeat feelings: Energy, confidence, and esprit de corps rise.

  • Affirmative behaviors: People become willing to listen, have more patience, and are alert to new ideas and opportunities.

  • Constructive relationships: Participants develop a cooperative attitude coupled with concern about solutions that will serve everyone involved.

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As those seemingly contentious group members began to explore their hopes and why they were important to them, the tone and character of their interactions changed. They discovered that, despite all their bickering and dissension, they shared similar aspirations.

In the course of this pivotal meeting, the participants sorted through all of the issues and options and agreed upon the most desirable software for the team as a whole. They also identified an acceptable alternative in case they needed to make changes down the road.

But that's not all that happened. In addition to reaching two important decisions, they discovered that they could work together. This realization began a process of rebuilding trust, confidence, and mutual commitment. As a result, they gained something much more valuable than anything an open checkbook could buy. They found the human software to bring good people with a common purpose together to achieve great results in their business.

A Learning Process That Works—Human Software for Results

Many organizations think that decision making is a linear process. For them, it's all about assessing the situation, making a choice, and moving on.

In reality, effective decision making is a process of learning, which is more like a growth cycle. (See Figure 3.) Similar to computer software that provides a way to process information and reach conclusions, a group's decision procedure is the human software through which people process information and reach conclusions together. Effective decision making is actually effective learning.

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Figure 3: The decision process that encourages learning and gets results.

Organizational success is a function of how quickly and effectively a group can move through the entire cycle and continue growing. Thus, making a quick decision that lacks the involvement and needed support of key stakeholders won't be successful. In fact, it often moves the process backward: People who have been left out must be brought up to speed on what's happening, which options were considered, and why the decision was made. Consequently, the organization loses momentum.

No matter what kind of group you're involved with or the types of people within it, the dynamics of how that group makes decisions can change for the better. The ten-step process for decision making enables every group to

  • Identify what is truly important to each person present

  • Tap into each person's creative spirit and give everyone the opportunity to express this

  • Find common ground to build on

  • Multiply prospects for successful results

  • Provide criteria for evaluating those results

  • Give all involved something to celebrate

This process demonstrates an important truth: When you change a few things about the way people discuss and deal with issues, you can dramatically improve their degree of participation in any group effort and the results they achieve. You don't have to change who they are or what they think. This decision-making process simply invites participants to be their better selves and discover opportunities to work together that their fears and unproductive dynamics had previously hidden.

WHEN TO USE THIS PROCESS

The ten steps detailed in this book have been the foundation for breakthroughs in businesses that range from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, and the growing firms in between. They've also worked for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and different-size communities. (See Table 1.)

Table 1: A Sample of Successful Applications of the Process

FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES

  • Deciding on next generation of products

  • Solving a multi-million-dollar production problem

  • Improving industrial operations and maintenance

GROWTH BUSINESSES

  • Dramatically boosting profits

  • Expanding a specialty retail chain

  • Resolving key roles in professional firm

GOVERNMENTS

  • Gaining agreement on a contested new school

  • Determining multi-million-dollar budget cuts

  • Implementing computerized maintenance system

COMMUNITY AND NONPROFITS

  • Agreeing on regional conservation

  • Choosing a strategic direction

  • Converting a budget deficit to a surplus

When should you put the ten steps to use? Whenever a situation arises in which group members need to make a decision and work together. You can also use the process to aid discussions and other business interactions. You can apply the process to decision-making situations in your community groups, in your relationships, and in everything you do. Practicing the process in one area will help you learn from it and use that learning to benefit other areas.

Another big plus of the ten-step process is that you can use it to "fix the rocket while it's in flight." That is, you can practice the process while you decide critical issues. Applying the process to the most important issues people face focuses their attention. It helps them realize that something important is at stake—whether it's how to design a new product or the critical priorities to set for their community. When they discover that exciting outcomes are possible, they have a powerful motivation to overcome their fear-filled expectations and apply the process to other significant issues. They learn that success breeds success.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

Fears don't die easily. But progress can occur rapidly. It can take as little as thirty minutes of focused effort to see results (check out the 30-Minute Miracle technique in Strategy #1 to see how it's done), or the process may extend over several months, for example, if you're working with volunteers who gather information in their spare time and hold community meetings only once a month. The actual length of time will depend on the number of people involved and their diversity of interests. But even large, contentious groups can move ahead quickly. As groups become clear about their hopes, their decisions start to flow.

PUTTING THE PROCESS INTO PLAY

If you've been dreading facing your group because your problem-solving approach creates more problems than it solves, the solution you seek is at hand. Group decision making no longer needs to leave you exhausted, frustrated, and without hope. By putting the ten-step process to work, you can turn solving tough issues together into a positive, energizing experience. Just keep reading to learn how to

  1. Enlist everyone

  2. Discover your shared hopes

  3. Uncover the real issues

  4. Identify all options

  5. Gather the right information

  6. Get everything on the table

  7. Write down choices that support your shared hopes

  8. Map solutions

  9. Look ahead

  10. Stay charged up

And make great decisions.

The Quick Use Guide is a good way to track the steps as you read about them. (See Table 2.)

Table 2: Quick Use Guide: Ten Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement

STEP

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Step #1: Enlist everyone

Whom can we involve who knows something about this issue or will need to participate in a decision about it or in its implementation? Each person is important to get real results.

Step #2: Discover shared hopes

Before we get started or anyone jumps to specific solutions, let's spend a few minutes to hear what each person hopes will result from the effort and why that's important.

Step #3: Uncover the real issues

I'm not sure that the issue is really clear. It might be exactly as you've said, but let's explore it a little further. How about if we each take a few moments to express our thoughts and concerns about the topic? Before the next person speaks, let's have that person paraphrase what the previous speaker said so that we know that we've really heard it clearly.

Step #4: Identify all options

It's good brainstorming to get lots of options out on the table before we discuss any one in detail. We can go around the group and have each person offer an option that might help fulfill what we hope to accomplish. Let's not repeat anything or start agreeing or disagreeing.

Step #5: Gather the right information

Rather than gather information about each option on its own, we can organize our efforts by our hopes and look at all of the options from the perspective of what we really want to accomplish. That way, we will work together and efficiently collect the information we need.

Step #6: Get everything on the table

We could save a lot of time and debate if we went around the group and had everyone state something that might be negative about each option and did the same with the potential positives. I'm sure that we could each find something to say both pro and con about each option without repeating one another. It won't take much time to hear everyone's perspectives, and we'll avoid divisive debates. We're also likely to think of even better options.

Step #7: Write down choices that support shared hopes

Let's find out what each person candidly thinks about the choices. Each person can list what looks best to fulfill our hopes and any acceptable alternatives. This straw ballot will give us a snapshot of possible solutions.

Step #8: Map solutions

We can tabulate the results on a flip chart or piece of paper to sort out all of the options. Then, we can look at possible ways to improve upon the most attractive alternatives and find a solution that everyone will support.

Step #9: Look ahead

Before we rush off to implement our solution, we need a backup plan and early opportunities to see how our solution performs and compares with acceptable alternatives.

Step #10: Stay charged up

People did a great job of listening to one another and searching for solutions that will serve the best interests of the group. Let's bring everyone together and hear from people about how the results support the hopes we share. It's time to celebrate what we've accomplished and encourage people to continue working together effectively.

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BE AN AGENT OF HOPE

Be aware of your own cycles of fear and hope. Write down for yourself what your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relationships with others are like in each cycle. These are your cues to determine which frame of mind you've chosen. If you find yourself in the fearful mode, do some self-examination to determine whether you truly are in imminent danger or can choose to be your hopeful self. Your choice will make a big difference for you and the people with whom you work.

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How Great Decisions Get Made. 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues
How Great Decisions Get Made: 10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement on Even the Toughest Issues
ISBN: 0814407935
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 112
Authors: Don Maruska

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