Shift Paradigms To Shift Thinking

To Shift means to move over. We have a close election here and each candidate is doing what they can to shift our thinking. McCain is trying to do it by talking about "Maverick." He wants us to NOT associate him with President Bush. Obama is tying to do it by talking about "change." He wants us to see that it is a chance to get some new direction.

Now one of the things at the core is taxes. You hear people up in arms and fighting about who should be paying what taxes, when and how the wealth should be distributed. That would be a prime situation where a candidate would want to use a story or anecdote to get us to see their side of the equation.

Here is an example of what McCain could be using: "Who should pay taxes and what is fair is on the minds of all Americans today. I am for keeping taxes as they are or reducing them even. Now my opponent says that is not fair. That those who make over $250,000 should pay a higher percent taxes than those that make less. The theory being that the wealth should be redistributed. Let's take that theory and apply it to another situation. Imagine your child comes home from school. He has worked hard to achieve grades of As. But the teacher feels it is not fair that some kids get As while other kids don't. After all, not all kids have the same brainpower, not all kids have parents that work with them on their home work and not all kids have a great home environment to encourage studying. Therefore, the teacher is going to redistribute some of your child's points to other kids so your child will now go from an A to a B. Would you, as a parent, vote for that or would you fight it?"

You can see how the example used can shift our paradigm from seeing it as a "tax issue" to seeing it in a new light.

As a leader you want to take controversial points and issues and always anchor them with a unique twist that gets your audience seeing them in a new light.

Take ACTION: Look at a point that clients or prospects challenge you on about your company and twist it with a great story or anecdote that brings it to a new light. For leaders, take a company initiative or change you want in place and think of an anecdote that will fit and shift the thinking!

Anne Warfield