Sometimes I get stuck in trying to think through a problem. I feel like I’ve hit a wall and I’m not sure how to work around it.
I’m not the most experienced person to answer most of the questions I’m struggling to answer. But that person isn’t always reachable (or worth bothering!)
So I take off my Jordan hat and put on my expert hat. And then I just try to think about it the way they would.
- How would Seth Godin connect with people and tell them about this thing?
- How would Niki respond when someone is a total jerk?
- How would my boss respond to that difficult question?
If I can’t think of a particular expert, I just try to pretend I’m coming in as an outside consultant. If someone asked me what I would do in this situation as an outsider, what would I say?
The next time you’re struggling to find a solution, step outside of the situation, and ask how someone else would handle it.
(This also works retroactively, after you’ve already botched something. It’s a good learning exercise to correct poor thinking or poor responses after you’ve made a mistake.)