Page 78 - Perfect Phrases for Motivating and Rewarding

individuals and groups strengthens your team and helps your
team sharpen your competitive edge.
■ Critical thinkers don’t blindly believe everything or nothing.
They see full spectrums of colors and shades, not just black
and white.
■ Skepticism is not necessarily negative. Healthy skepticism
raises necessary questions.
■ Brainstorming can continue even after you think you’ve hit on
the best idea. It may only be the best idea yet. You also may
need backup plans.
■ Monday-morning quarterbacking should not be played as
a game of regret but used as a catalyst for growth. It can be
helpful to replay an incident that did not go well in order to
prepare for successful future outcomes.
■ Avoid jumping to simple cause-and-effect conclusions. For
example, Bob spilled his coffee during the presentation. The
client chose to contract with a competitor. Of all possible
reasons for a client to choose a competitor, don’t decide it was
because Bob spilled his coffee.
■ Encourage employees to consider other points of view, even
those that sound outrageous.
■ Look at prior experiences and consider their relevance to the
current situation.
■ Use and teach a simple problem-solving strategy:
1. Identify the problem.
2. Analyze the problem and consider possible causes.
3. Generate possible solutions and select one.
4. Implement the solution.
5. Follow up by evaluating outcomes.
■ Conduct problem-solving sessions that allow everyone to
participate. Allow for additional questions and creativity to
broaden the experience.

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