Learning a new problem space can be a challenge. Especially when there’s no map. While writing books for the past several years, I’ve learned a more effective approach for chunking up and solving problem spaces. Each new book is a new problem domain. I can’t afford to churn or be inefficient while ramping up. I’ve basically learned how to get myself and my teams up to speed faster by using a process. This process has served me well. I hope it does the same for you.

How can you cut to the chase? What’s an effective approach for clearing the air of ambiguity and getting to facts? Ask cutting questions. A cutting question is simply a question that cuts to the chase and reveals insightful information. The most effective people I see, don’t ask a lot of questions. They ask the right ones.

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How much do your expectations shape what you get?  A lot.  According to the Pygmalion effect,  you get what you expect.  However, the latest research is showing that your expectations and attitude play a larger role in your perception than we previously thought.  David Rock and Jeffrey Schwartz write about how your expectations and attitude shape your reality in their article, “The Neuroscience of Leadership”, in strategy+business magazine.
Key Take AwaysHere’s my key take aways:

Ask others better questions.  If you’re a mentor, ask insightful questions over …

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I don’t remember who drew this on my whiteboard, but I liked it.   It’s basically personas for focus and energy.  I’ll summarize it like this:

Procrastinators – Low energy and low focus
Disengaged – Low energy  and high focus
Distracters – High energy and low focus.
Purposeful – High energy and high focus

I like new lenses.  They make an old song new.  In this case, it’s a reminder of the power of focus. 
I think Beware the Busy Manager (Harvard Business Review) is an interesting article on how this shows …

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Have you ever wondered why some things you can do on “auto-pilot” or without thinking, while other tasks are mentally draining? Your thoughtful tasks are using your working memory (prefrontal context), while your repetitive, familiar and routine activities are using your basal ganglia, which doesn’t require conscious thought.
Working Memory vs. Routine ActivityDavid Rock and Jeffrey Schwartz summarize the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia in their article, “The Neuroscience of Leadership”, in “strategy+business” magazine:

Working Memory (Prefrontal Cortex) – Your prefrontal cortex is your working memory.  It’s …

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I finally wrote up my notes on Precision Questioning and Precision Answering, or PQ / PA for short.  It was one of my most effective training sessions at Microsoft. 
My manager encouraged me to take PQ / PA so that I would be more effective in executive reviews and our group was full of avid PQ / PA practitioners.  I had a tendency to tell stories and elaborate, so this was about cutting to the chase crisply, with brutal effectiveness.  I took the class a few …

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Don’t fall into the intelligence trap.  The intelligence trap is when you get trapped in one point of view.  The solution is to use the PMI technique to improve your thinking.  The PMI technique is a thinking technique to find the Plus points, the Minus points, and the Interesting points about the issue before your form an opinion.
In Tactics: The Art and Science of Success , Edward de Bono writes about using the PMI technique to improve your thinking.
Key Take AwaysHere’s my key …

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Do you have to be great at everything?  If this stops you from doing things you want to try, then it’s a limiting belief.  Scott Berkun spells this out in Why You Should Be Bad at Something.   Life’s not static.  As Tony Robbins would say, you’re either growing or dying, climbing or sliding.
One of the things that can hold you back is a fixed mindset.  If you have a fixed mindset, you attribute results to innate ability and you discount learning.  You think people are …

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If you know how to use the Six Thinking Hats, you can deal with two very common problems.   The first problem is incomplete thinking.  The second problem is deadlocks in meetings.   I’ve been in way too many deadlock meetings that are absolute energy drains.  I’ve also seen too many ideas fail simply because they didn’t have enough perspective.  Once I discovered Six Thinking Hats, both scenarios became easy to solve.
More Complete Thinking  In the Six Thinking Hats, each hat represents a different perspective (facts, emotions, …

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How can you use questions to improve individual performance? You can ask solution-focused questions. David Rock and Jeffrey Schwartz write how to improve non-performance by asking solution-focused questions in their article, “The Neuroscience of Leadership”, in “strategy+business” magazine.
Key Take AwaysHere’s my key take aways:

Spend 20 percent on the problem and 80 percent on the solution.  Focus attention on the solution.  This doesn’t mean ignore understanding the problem.  It means, that rather than spending 20% of your energy on the solution and 80% on the …

Wanna learn more effectively and be a better teacher?  Learn to match or bridge learning styles.  It’s one of those things you do everyday, but you might not be aware of.  It’s about how you sequence information and how you relate to it.  The key is to first know your own preferences, and then  understand others.
Concrete, Abstract, Random, Sequential Here’s the parts that make up the styles:

Concrete – You’re dealing with the here and now and processing information based on what you see, …

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Do you have a routine for getting into your best mindset?  Exceptional thinking is when you’re in the moment.  You’re fully focused on the task at hand.  You’re not practicing.  You’re performing.
If you have a routine, then you can consistently shift gears to get into your best mindset.  In Overachievement: The New Science of Working Less to Accomplish More , John Eliot, Ph.D. writes about using routines to consistently think your best when you need it most.   
Key Take Aways Here’s my key take aways:

Create …

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I sometimes catch myself analyzing my performance while I’m performing. This could be as simple as giving a presentation or as complex as influencing a room of stakeholders. I start to second guess myself. I’m no longer in the moment. I’m suddenly my worst critic at the wrong time. This is the Training Mindset. The Training Mindset is the right place to be when you’re practicing. It’s analytical, intentional, and calculating. It’s exactly the wrong place to be when you’re performing. Your best performance happens in …

What are four common ways of making decisions?  How do you choose the most effective decision making approach?  In Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler write about the four most common decision making methods and how to choose the most effective approach.
Key Take Aways Here’s my key take aways:

Don’t use command when you need consensus.  Don’t use command for important decisions that need buy in.  Consensus would be more appropriate.
Use consult to make …

How can you ask better questions?   How can you ask more effectively?  If you improve the questions you ask, as well as who you ask and how you ask, you can produce more effective results.   In Unlimited Power : The New Science Of Personal Achievement, Anthony Robbins writes about asking intelligently and precisely to get the results you want.
Key Take Aways Here are my key take aways:

Be specific.
Ask the right person.
Find a win-win.
Believe in what you’re asking for.
Keep asking until you get …

Why are you stuck?  That’s not a very empowering question.  You’ll just figure out reasons for why you’re stuck.  Instead, ask a question like “how can you move forward?” or “how might you accomplish that?”  The key is to ask “how” questions over “why” questions.  In Unlimited Power : The New Science Of Personal Achievement, Tony Robbins writes about choosing “how” questions over “why” questions.
Choose “How” Questions Over “Why” Questions
Robbins writes that you should choose “how” questions over “why” questions:
Here’s another important frame.  Choose “how” questions over “why” questions.  “Why” …

How can you ask better questions to improve your effectiveness?  By asking “outcome questions” you can change direction toward the outcome and away from the solution.  In Unlimited Power : The New Science Of Personal Achievement, Tony Robbins writes about asking better questions using “outcome frames” and “outcome questions.”
Outcome Frame
Robbins writes about reframing questions towards the outcome:
There are other ways to direct communication by asking the right questions.  One is the “outcome frame.”  If you ask someone what’s bothering them or what’s wrong, you’ll get a long dissertation on just …

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Do you get return on your reading investment? Do you turn insights into action? In Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life: How To Get More Books In Your Life And More Life From Your Books, Steve Leveen writes about reading as an investment.
Your Notebook is Not a Miser’s Sock
Leveen writes:
“‘The time you spend in reading is an investment,’ Walter Pitkins advices us. ‘You ought to get good returns on it. But, in order to do so, you must salt down the essence of books and articles in whatever …

How can you retain more information? What are the most effective techniques for remembering information? After all, what’s the point of learning if it’s not there for you when you need it. In Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life: How To Get More Books In Your Life And More Life From Your Books, Steve Leveen writes about proven practices for remembering information.
SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review
Leveen writes:
“In the 1940’s Francis Robinson, a professor of Ohio State University, came up with something of a breakthrough for learning college course …

How important is speed reading in today’s information overloaded world? What do the experts do to read faster and retain more? In Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life: How To Get More Books In Your Life And More Life From Your Books, Steve Leveen writes about the truth about speed reading.
Key Take AwaysI read a lot of information every day, on the job and on my own time, whether it’s books, blogs, email, sites or feeds. If there’s a better way I’m always looking for it. Here’s my key take …