Another consultant shared with me that he is at a decision point about whether to go forward with an offer he has been promoting.
He said:
I’m either in the “everything’s been leading to this, and I just have to persevere through one last rough patch” part of my sales journey. Or I’m in the “you should have quit last year” part.
As I response, I replied that I’ve been challenging my either-or thinking, in a few areas of my life. Maybe the answer is in the middle.
I do recognize that sometimes you need to question if you are flogging dead horses. That you need to stop, reflect, and make hard decisions about going forward. I’ve seen a lot of people continue throwing good money after bad just because they have sunk time and effort into something. Sometimes it’s appropriate to abandon something.
At those times, I’ve been trying not to approach the reflection from an either-or perspective. Instead, I reframe the either-or with what and how questions.
Some example What and How Questions:
What level of traction do I need to see to continue? What criteria will I use to decide to stop pursuing this?
If I say no to this, what am I saying yes to?
What help might I need to get over this point?
How long should I continue with the current test?
How often should I do a checkpoint? What has changed since the last time I checked?
It helps because What questions” speak to problems and opportunities. “How questions” speak to process. Asking them opens up solution spaces.
Yes, the answer might end up being that you make a change. You may decide the best thing is a pivot that includes stopping doing something that isn’t working.
What and how questions guide you to the decision through thoughtful consideration. Not out of frustration.
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