The consultant widely credited for being the architect of postwar Japan’s economic recovery was W. Edwards Deming whose famed “Deming System” became the gold standard of strategic consulting for decades.

Deming was an author, consultant and advisor to governments and multinational corporations, and he believed that all organizations are holographic of their leaders.  With all of his accomplishment and wisdom, he often said that one of his primary strengths was asking “naive questions” – questions which assumed little to nothing about how things had always been done.  The reason?  To have the freshest possible approach and an open mind.

Are there places in your business or employment situation where asking “naive questions” could be useful?  How are you with letting go of prior knowledge and assumptions, at least for a while, in service of seeing something new?  What resistances have you noticed to this kind of approach?  How can you effectively address those fears?

In Zen Buddhism, there is the concept of beginner’s mind. This is a state of openness and receptivity as if one were just beginning – no matter how long you might have actually engaged in a particular activity or faced a specific situation.  There is less analysis and judgment about whether or not something is working.  Thus, there is more presence and attention. Less distraction, more focus.

Imagine the possibilities of approaching your career, your romantic interests, your financial position, your dreams, your life –  all from the perspective that you are just beginning. Why? A beginner has, by definition, no preconceived notions about how something should be done; therefore, she or he has a very open mind.

Where in your life would having beginner’s mind be most useful to you? What assumptions and limitations might have to fall away if you approached everything as if for the first time? Have you ever done this before? If so, how did it work for you?

Among the best-known quotes about risk is this observation by author, Anais Nin: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more powerful than the risk it took to blossom.”

We humans have spent so much time protecting our assumptions of safety that we have often lost sight of the possibility of phenomenal fulfillment if we take the risks of going for our personal and professional dreams.

Nin is saying that there is often a greater harm in seeking safety than in taking the risk to experience life fully.

What is your history in adventuring in the human condition? What kinds of risk have you avoided? What are the costs of your avoidance? How have you seen risk avoidance behavior in your life and the lives of those around you?

I had the privilege last week of seeing the great poet and songwriter, Leonard Cohen, live in concert. He said many things that night, but among the most striking was, “There’s a crack in everything. That’s what lets the light in.”

Most of us have had issues with perfection. We live in a world where airbrushed models, celebrities, professional athletes and even business people are presented as glamorized role models and heroes because of their supposed perfection.

This week, as we explore perfection, let’s take some time to consider Cohen’s remark and look carefully to observe those facets of our lives that appear to be imperfect or “cracked,” but which, in fact, let the light in. We can revisit the state of “perfect imperfection” in which each human being continually lives as a dynamic and ever-changing work in progress.

Copyright 2009. E. B. Hutt Bush and Coaching for Results, Inc.

Perhaps, for purposes of this discussion, we can accept that absolute security does not exist . . . in order to allow a practical conversation about relative security. A very simplistic way to define SECURITY is FREEDOM FROM CONCERN OR WORRY.

Let’s take on financial security first. Do you consider yourself financially secure? Why or why not? Without violating any confidence about your personal financial situation, can you share with the group how you define financial security?

Again, ABSOLUTE SECURITY would mean that you had enough money for the rest of your life (unknown duration) and it was always going to be safe and liquid and available to you . . . in an economic climate that did not erode its purchasing power through either inflation or deflation . . . and on and on.

The point being . . . that we have to come to terms with relative financial security to achieve a certain comfort level. A certain amount of cash to last for a period of time that you decide is “sufficiently secure,” a livelihood, macro-economic conditions that allow you to maintain or expand your security.

It’s always interesting to challenge assumptions. In this time of an ailing economy, it’s useful to examine what we require to feel secure. What is it for you? How much are you concerned about financial security?

Copyright 2009. E. B. Hutt Bush and Coaching for Results, Inc.

Habits are simply patterns of behavior that occur almost without thinking . . . kind of like living on automatic pilot.

We conclude this week’s conversation about changing habits with thoughts on habitual thinking – i.e., pre-existing assumptions, perceptions, and attitudes.

Can you think of any situation or person where you have had a limiting point of view . . . a set of old assumptions . . . the flavor of “you know how they are”?

Habitually assuming based on old perceptions is an opportunity to shift to fresh, objective thinking.

Try to open your mind to the reality that situations and people actually can change for the better. Don’t limit this “new thinking” to others . . . give yourself a break, too, and examine outdated habitual ways of thinking about yourself.

Consider the implications of an old Spanish proverb: “Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables.” If that’s so, then make them GREAT HABITS.

Copyright E. B. Hutt Bush and Coaching for Results, Inc.