6 minute read
Realism in Contrast to a Visionary by Gisele Nelson
DAY 3 REALISM IN CONTRAST TO A VISIONARY
By Gisele Nelson
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Execution Specialist at Plywood People.
@giselenelson
Are you the executor of a visionary’s ideas? If so, I can completely relate to your position.
As an executor, I know about myself that in the start up process I have to turn off the to-do list making mechanism in my brain and concentrate really hard on dreaming about the idea. I have to consciously shut down the little trigger in my brain that instantly shoots out the time and work involved in making something happen. I have to open myself up to the possibility of dreaming for a few hours and run with the creative process.
It’s painstaking. It’s exciting. It mostly makes my brain hurt. I kill myself trying to work out the details before we have even landed on an idea. I have to fight my tendency towards anxiety as I wonder how our team can accomplish the monstrously huge task list. I have to remind myself that “no” is a curse word in these scenarios.
For visionaries this is the most fun and exciting part of the process. They get to create something that’s rarely been executed before, and you can physically watch the life pouring into them. Their brain is about to explode with the possibilities.
The bigger ideas they dream up, the more the color drains from the executor’s face. For the executor, in these brainstorming sessions, take a deep breath and dig in. One of my favorite things I’ve been privileged to learn in working with a visionary is how to dream. The visionary doesn’t have to work at this at all, but the executor has to be trained to enjoy the process of creating.
There’s no easy way to overcome the anxiety of starting something new other than getting to
work. After the brainstorming is finished, it’s time to dig into making it happen. This is why the executor has had such anxiety. It’s usually a mountain of work initially.
At this junction in the process, there’s something extremely critical to remember; We’re not being asked to solve all the world’s problems all at the same time. We’re not even being asked to solve all the complexities of one specific problem. What
we’re doing is plowing ahead one task at a time, building a mosaic of pieces that will make a
difference a little bit at a time. One. Piece. At. A. Time.
There are a few important keys to problem solving that when I’m approaching a problem, I tackle head on in order to accomplish the goals. If you’re an executor working with a visionary, I think it’s important to keep these things in mind, so you can accomplish the goals.
Define your problem. From event planning to project implementation, it’s critical that the problem is defined. You may not have an immediate solution to the problem, but if you can define it, you have a better chance of solving it. Spend the time up front clearly defining the problem you’re needing to solve.
CONVERSATION
Don’t just talk AT others about the problem; have conversations about it. Talk with the people who are helping you solve the problem. Talk with people who maybe have been through something similar before. Talk with experts. Talk with people who have never thought about your problem before. Talk with the person who first saw the problem. Through conversation, clarity emerges. You might mostly find out what WON’T solve the problem, but through that comes solutions. Don’t live inside your own head. Have conversations around your problem and eventually something will click to be able to accomplish the goals.
EXPECTATION
Have a realistic understanding about what you can and cannot accomplish. You CAN make progress on the problem today. You CANNOT completely solve it by the end of the day. If you have the same tendencies that I do, when you see the opportunity to make headway on a problem, you are going to take it. And take it. And take it. Next thing you know, the office is dark, everyone else has gone home and you’re still chipping away at the problem. For the 120th night in a row. If you fail to set realistic expectations for yourself in the process of problem solving, you’re just going to end up working a lot without making true progress. Set goals for each day. I set my goals through time blocks on my calendar. I work on whatever part of the problem needs addressing in THESE 2 hours, and then I move on to another part of the problem. Otherwise, I can spend a full 10 hours on one problem that tomorrow morning if I come back to, I may have a fresh clarity and ability to tackle.
PERSPECTIVE
Through the work you’re accomplishing, you are improving the lives of others. Your work matters. You’re forging new territory. Your ability to make things happen and your work ethic set you apart. Revel in the wonder of all the life you bring and see. If you lose perspective, the work loses life. Keep your perspective on the purpose and get to work. For the people responsible for execution, it’s essential to keep the goal at the forefront of your task list. Write it on the top of your paper or you’ll have the tendency to forget what all the work is for.
In contrast to the dreamer, for the executor of the idea, the most exciting part of the process is finishing. When the final number has been entered into the spreadsheet and the last thank you has been dropped in the mail, this is success. The executor’s greatest joy is in seeing a project completed.
Realistically, the executor’s greatest joy is the dreamer’s worst nightmare. For the dreamer, they want to cast the vision and then leave the project in the capable hands of their team members. They want to think about what can make their idea more unique, fresher, and make the biggest impact. In this way the realist and the dreamer are working towards the same goal. Both want to make an impact. After this similarity, however, the paths diverge. Let the paths diverge. Dreamers have a responsibility to understand the impact of their dreaming. Likewise, executors need to understand the dread with which the dreamer sees the last 20% of a project. In all reality, the dreamer might not just dread the final 20%; they may actually not even be able to see it at all. Know this, expect it, and relish the fact that you are finishing the thing that before you cringed at creating.
You are an essential part of the process. You are completing what was created from nothing. Your
hard work and ability to see the details have resulted in the lives of others made better. Celebrate! Dance a little jig when you have closed the spreadsheet. Buy yourself an ice cream cone when the last thank you has been sent away. Or invite everyone who has helped accomplish the work to your office for a bbq to celebrate in a big way all that you’ve accomplished. It’s a big deal. Ideas need execution.
