I was struck by the story of the cargo ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal last week, causing a backlog of about 450 ships, waiting to cross. It also translated into a cost of billions of dollars in delays to trades and efforts to turn it around.
How do you move such a big ship that is so firmly lodged?
For laughs, have a look at some ideas that came from kids who were asked what they would do.
CLICK here to watchOn a more serious note, it got me thinking about how we can sometimes get stuck on things that seem so big and immovable to us. We feel exactly like the digger in the picture when trying to solve a problem or achieve a big goal – totally ineffective.The great news is that after 5 full days, the ship has now been freed and the canal has opened again.
And so we see, nothing is ever fixed, permanent and unsolvable.
We can always put our heads together to come up with creative ways to solve any problem.Talking about your challenges and big dreams with a coach, trusted advisor, or brainstorming with your team can dislodge fixed thinking and get to creative solutions. Being willing to try different things and even fail at some of them helps get us closer to a solution. And then we have a moment of insight and something shifts.
This brings to mind one of my favourite quotes from Nelson Mandela – There is no lose, I either win or I learn.
Do you have a challenge you need help thinking through?
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