I’ve recently worked with several people on their Positioning, ie not what they are currently known for, but, more strategically, what they want to be famous for.
This very much involves working out what they, uniquely, are brilliant at. Positioning is all about Focus, so is not about all the many things one is good or great at, but what is the one thing you want to be known for?
If you look at my home page, it is first highly focussed on the types of people who may wish to talk to me about becoming a client, and then it says my “one thing” that I offer, being:
Actionable Insight
You need authentic, creative, relevant and “cut through” actionable insights. Tom delivers this through deep listening allied with decades of business experience. That’s why his clients are clients for life.
This is my “what am I brilliant at”, my “one thing”. Of course, with 35 years of business experience, I have many things I am good or great at, but this is my “one thing”, my Positioning.
So, how do you establish what your “one thing is”?
I have numerous tools for this, but one is to help you put on your “Red Hat”. In Edward De Bon’s seminal “Six Thinking Hats” concept, the hats are:
White Hat: “the Factual Hat”
The white hat represents information gathering. Think about the knowledge and insights that you’ve collected already – but also the information you’re missing, and where you can go to get it.Blue Hat: “the Conductor’s Hat”
When you or your team are in blue hat mode, you focus on controlling your thinking and managing the decision-making process. You have an agenda, ask for summaries, and reach conclusions.Green Hat: “the Creative Hat”
The green hat represents creative thinking. When you’re “wearing” this hat, you explore a range of ideas and possible ways forward.Red Hat: “the Hat for the Heart”
This hat represents feelings and instincts. When you’re engaged in this type of thinking, you can express your feelings without having to justify them logically.Yellow Hat: “the Optimist’s Hat”
With yellow hat thinking, you look at issues in the most positive light possible. You accentuate the benefits and the added value that could come from your ideas.Black Hat: “the Judge’s Hat”
This hat is about being cautious and assessing risks. You employ critical judgment and explain exactly why you have concerns.
To establish your “one thing”, I recommend stepping out of analysis and going with feelings and being instinctive, ie put on your Red Hat.
The most common way I do this is to coach someone through a Red Hat exercise that looks like this:
- Begin by asking the client “so, what do you do in your role?”. They will give a whole lot of detail (“White Hat”) and content around all the many things they do and are responsible for.
- Next, ask them: “If I gave you a team of people to do all of that, what would you then do?”
- This, in the right environment, will enable them to access their feelings and instincts and they will tell you something that is closer to their heart, to their unique brilliance, to their highest value to others.
- The trick then (and familiar to anyone who knows Kaizen, or simply the “five WHYs”) is to ask the same question again.
- “Ok, so that is interesting. Now, if I then gave you a team of people to do that, what would you then do?”
- Whilst it may need to be asked one or two more times, in my experience if the right coaching space has been created, this exercise only needs you to ask the question twice.
It is possible to do this on your own, but it is generally far easier and flows better with an expert listener and coach there for you.
I always love this work, almost as much as I love helping people find their Intent, their Purpose, their “Why” in life, who they truly are.
Gosh, I love my work!
PS my WHY is #MakingPotentialPossible, perhaps I can help you with that?