\n\tGrowing up, I loved stories, poems, and imagining worlds that don\u2019t exist. As I became a professional, teacher, coach, and leader, I mostly thought of imagination and metaphor as the stuff of my hobbies\u2014an escape from work rather than a key competency for it. Through coaching, I\u2019ve been reminded of how short-sighted this is.<\/p>\n
\n\tDan Pink, author of \u201cA Whole New Mind,\u201d believes that \u201cthe future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers\u2014creative and holistic \u2018right-brain\u2019 thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tTHE REASON WHY<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tA metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn\u2019t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. So why should we use metaphor and imagination more often at work?<\/p>\n \n\tNo matter our background and training, we can flex these underused creative muscles.<\/p>\n \n\tWHAT LIGHTS YOU UP?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tIn working with a friend who wanted to start a coaching business, I had two possible approaches:<\/p>\n \n\t1. <\/strong>Tell me who your clients are, your niche, and let\u2019s talk about the business case for your services. Then we can lay out a year 1, year 2 marketing plan, etc.<\/p>\n \n\t2. <\/strong>What\u2019s the new vision like? What lights you up? You love food? Coaching reminds you of when you find a great meal? OK, tell me about that.<\/p>\n \n\tWe took approach #2, and it went like this:<\/p>\n \n\tHim:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s like a really cool food truck.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMe:<\/strong> \u201cMmm, keep going!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHim:<\/strong> \u201cThe food smells great, something new on the menu, creative and unexpected. Nourishing food\u2014 just what you want when you go get food on a busy day, with a little spice.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHe\u2019s beaming, energized. We both can almost smell our favorite foods. We keep going, designing, savoring, and resisting the urge to overly intellectualize it. He describes the music, the menu, the color of the truck, how well prepared the food was, the delight everyone experienced, and the joy he experienced in surprising people and making them feel welcome. Joy. Delight. Surprise. Quality. Welcoming.<\/p>\n \n\tNow that he has this image, he\u2019ll never lose it. It\u2019s so much more vivid than a mission statement or business plan. He\u2019ll utilize those, too, of course, but when times get tough, he\u2019ll come back to the image, the impact, the unique approach that only his imagination could generate.<\/p>\n \n\tHOW TO GET STARTED<\/strong><\/p>\n\n