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Do you ever feel stuck? Find it hard to see your way ahead?
We’ve all been there, done that.
In a world where you can pay the really big bucks for the high-powered business and leadership coach, I’ve instead been learning a ton from lately from a very understated but powerful teacher: the UnBlockMe iphone app.
Its wisdom and universal lessons for success are right there in the palm of your hand 24/7 if you want them.
For those of you not familiar with this game, the object is to move the red block across the screen to an opening on the right hand side. The challenge is there are an increasing number of blocks that stand in your path. In my moments of downtime and distraction, playing this game offers a great workout for my creative and logical muscles in how to navigate obstacles, frustration and open to breakthrough thinking.
Sweet!
Here are 5 great tips, along with some focus questions, that I’d love to share with you to help you navigate whatever blocks you might be facing in reaching your goals!
Tip 1 – Stay Nimble
If you think you know exactly how to get where you want to go, you’re in for disappointment. Unexpected roadblocks, uncooperative team members, misunderstandings in communications and vision abound in the real world and you need to stay nimble to navigate them.
My best success in moving through the different levels of the UnblockMe game came when I was willing to be flexible. For leaders, that nimbleness is what helps you tune into the landmines that are below the surface of awareness. Just like my old volleyball coach used to tell me – stay on your toes not your heels. When you’re nimble and ready, you can move towards the unexpected opening and opportunities when they arise.
Focus Question: What part of your business or life could use more flexibility and nimbleness from you right now?
Tip 2 – Sometimes You Need to Move Backwards to Move Ahead
So many times as I was moving my red block around, I had to backpedal. Reverse my moves, then shift one more wooden block to create a different opening and then try again.
When you’re leading it can feel like failure when you need to take a step back to regroup or rethink. That machismo factor to just forge ahead and damn the torpedoes regardless of the obstacles can be a recipe for disaster. Stepping back to get the big picture and re-assess helps you see the landscape more clearly, and see whether you’ve got the tools, team and the right path to get you moving ahead with greater ease and success.
Focus Question: Where do you need to take a step back and reassess or regroup right now?
Tip 3 – Solutions May be Simpler Than They Appear
Have you ever had an experience where you overthink and overcomplicate things, when the answer is staring you right in the face? Playing UnblockMe I often thought I had to move ALL the blocks out of the way so I could move my red block through the target. But I didn’t. I just had to move the RIGHT blocks that stood between me and the next round of the game.
Focus Question: Where might you be overcomplicating your decisions? What can you take off your plate and keep things just a little bit simpler?
Tip 4 – Keep a Soft Focus
Playing the UnblockMe game I got a lot of practice in having my logical and linear side partner up and play with my creative and intuitive side. Keeping a soft focus meant I kept an eye on where I wanted to go as my ultimate goal all the time, but gently. This way I (mostly) avoided developing tunnel vision that meant I fixated on solving just certain parts of the puzzle, and losing sight of the big picture.
Focus Question: Where might you be developing some tunnel vision that’s keeping it hard to keep a soft focus on your ultimate goals?
Tip 5 – Be Willing To Experiment
Too often we make our decisions to be all-or-nothing kind of stakes. Either you succeed or you fail. This can become a big barrier to your willingness to innovate, take risks or bring more creativity to your work. I goofed around a lot trying to solve the UnblockMe roadblocks. The more lightheartedness I brought to my endeavors, the more readily I was able to find a solution that worked.
Adopt the curiosity of a scientist and experiment. Beta test a program. Get some feedback from an informal focus group. Old school leadership used to be about having all the answers and telling people what they needed to do. But 21st century leadership is more about the process of bringing together the power and alchemy of the team, and tapping in to the brain trust of the people you work with. Test, experiment, measure results, and recalibrate your response accordingly.
Focus Question: Where could you bring more experimentation and curiosity to your work?
STEP INTO YOUR BRILLIANCE
Pick the tip and focus question that resonates most for you right now. This week take 15 minutes to contemplate it and take the action needed. Of course, if you’re an iOS kind of person, I encourage you to check out the UnblockMe app yourself and have some fun.
