1. Bill needs to save money on gas so he buys a hybrid car.
2. Alberto wants to get into better shape so he joins a gym.
3. Michelle needs more sales leads so she hires a search engine consultant.
4. Lance needs to pick up his child from school so he leaves early most days.
5. Selena, a recent L.E.T. Graduate, wants to practice her skills so she downloads the mobile L.E.T. site.
So, those statements above are all proposed solutions to apparent needs. But what if we were to ask ourselves before we stated our “need”, “What would that do for me?”
So for example, be Bill for a moment. You say to yourself, “Well, the car is the solution BUT what would that do for me? I would save money on gas. Okay, but what if I could meet that need of saving money on gas with some alternative solutions, like……
A. Take the bus
B. Carpool
C. Walk/Bike
D. Telecommute
E. Combination of bus/bike/carpool/drive only once a week
So see where this is going?
What are some alternative solutions to the other needs you see listed above? Share your ideas with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or just email me—we’d love to hear them.
What this question does is help ourselves and others drill down to the real need—the list of alternative solutions can be long and varied. Getting stuck on one solution can really potentially cause a lot of challenges and conflicts.
So the next time you say to someone or even yourself, “I need….” ask yourself first, “What would that do for me?”
(And imagine if world leaders came to the table with needs not solutions!)