Make An Impact As A Leader: 6 Steps Authentic Guide to Transform Constraints into Opportunities
We will always have constraints, no matter how smart we are. As a norm, we forget we are always limited by constraints. In fact, constraints define us as humans — only God has no constraints.
Despite this, I always used to take constraints as punitive restrictions. Whenever I faced constraints, I used to moan and groan about them. As a result, I underperformed and failed to inspire myself and the team to look for innovative solutions. This mindset of thinking about constraints as a hurdle was seriously affecting my work performance until I read the book “A Beautiful Constraint” by Morgan and Barden.
In this book, writers have given a very effective guideline with loads of inspirational examples to explain the art of converting constraints into opportunity. Here are the summarized six steps guideline that I found very helpful.
- Change the Mindset
No matter what business we are in, it’s increasingly the constraints of funding, time, regulation, competition, and resources that dominate our work. When we faced these constraints, our initial response is non-acceptance and frustration.
We think of these constraints as limiting factors. Being a victim of these constraints, we either scale down our goals or get busy removing these constraints.
But those who see constraints differently break out of the victim mindset. They see constraints as an opportunity. They achieve greater outcomes that might not have been possible without constraints.
Research shows that a healthy dose of constraints is beneficial for out of the box thinking and it helps in focusing our efforts.
How to do it
It isn’t easy to change the mindset to see constraints as an opportunity. It is a deliberate process that needs self-control and conscious efforts. We can break the process into the following steps:-
- Think of constraints as project outlines and requirements which liberates instead of restricting
- Believe in own and team capabilities
- Acquire required knowledge
- Build a strong desire to take on the challenge
2. Question the Norm
The absence of constraints makes us complacent. We do not try hard to find innovative and efficient solutions. We follow usual and already established ways of doing things.
When we face constraints added with the requirement of improved results, our minds get choked. Routine problem-solving does not work. It only adds to the frustration and fatigue. In such situations, we need to break away from the routine problem-solving approach. We need to question the norm and adopt unconventional out-of-the-box thinking.
How to do it
Steps that I find helpful:-
Challenge Assumptions and Established Ideas. What we know helps us understand things and generate new ideas. It also binds us to already established concepts and understanding. For new solutions and fresh ideas, challenge assumptions and ask ‘Why?’ more often from self and the team members.
Think from a Different Perspective. Sometimes how we see things blind us from different facets of the problem. To get a fresh perspective, think of the problem from others’ points of view–like competitor, customer, employee, or supplier.
3. Ask Propelling Questions Using Constraint as the Driving Force
People with a victim mindset either give up when they face constraints or lower their ambition to adjust to constraints. However, those who take constraints as an opportunity don’t compromise on ambition.
They articulate the situation into a propelling question that comprises two parts-ambition and specific constraint. The ambition defines the desired impact and the specific constraint identifies the limitation that makes the task challenging. Pull from both sides requires more hard work, but the result is very rewarding.
How to do it
Frame a propelling question to give direction to the efforts required to transform constraints into opportunity. The question should have two main parts linked: -
(a) High ambition–describe significant and specific ambitions to achieve.
(b) Specific constraint-clearly layout the specific constraint faced.
Examples:-
How to increase annual production by 20% without increasing the workforce?
How to construct an ‘A’ class house with a 10% less budget?
4. Move From ‘We Can’t,’ to ‘We Can if’
The next step is–how to find the answer to this propelling question? The best answer lies outside our usual experience and comfort zone. Most likely, we may not find the answer in the first attempt. The search for the right answer will require a good deal of focus, curiosity, and optimism-a combination very hard to sustain for a longer period.
The key here is to help create an environment that maintains the momentum of positive thinking and rejects dead-end thoughts.
How to do it
The answer lies in altering the way we attempt to answer the question from “We can’t” to “We can if”. This change is crucial to sustaining the desired momentum required for the right answer. This powerful shift makes everyone involved in the process responsible for finding the solution rather than identifying problems. Example:-
Propelling Question: How to increase annual production by 20% without increasing the workforce?
Answer 1: We can if we simplify the production process.
Answer 2: We can if we reduce the machine downtime.
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.” Henry Ford
5. Exploit Abundance of Resources All-Around
The next challenge is to seek new resources to overcome the constraints.
The usual way of thinking of resources as those which are under our control won’t give the solutions we are eager to find. We need to broaden our thinking and consider resources spread all around us. We need an abundance mentality instead of a scarcity of resources.
Think of all the resources that you can access–look for the possibility to share, hire, combine, change or exploit existing resources.
How to do it
There are two ways to explore additional resources: -
(a) Find New Value in the Available Resources
Think creatively to find new value in the resources we already have and trade-off with the ones we require. A simple listing of the resources won’t suffice. Instead, ask questions and explore the best possible answer: -
i. What can we offer for what we need?
ii. What can we do together to have more impact?
iii. How we can combine limited resources to create collective abundance?
Example: We see a large population of the country as a burden and not as a resource to increase the country’s GDP growth.
(b) Access External Resources Broaden the search for resources beyond those which are not under our control. Explore the possibility of using resources from other departments, organizations, governments, own social networks, neighbourhoods or some unfamiliar source.
The high ambitions will require going beyond the usual way of thinking and taking an inventory of resources with a fresh eye for new possibilities.
Example: Zindagi (Life) Trust is a Pakistani NGO committed to introducing educational reforms. They exploited government school infrastructures and human resources. In return, they offered uplift in infrastructure, free teacher training and extra-curricular activities for students.
6. Create Emotional Engagement
Change of mindset and the above methods are not enough. Another important step is to inspire and motivate the team to continue the search for the best solution. We need an unlimited supply of enthusiasm and energy. This is not possible without emotional engagement with the task.
If the team members are not emotionally engaged in the problem, they cannot persevere, to face repeated failure until they find a unique out of box solution.
How to do it
To create emotional engagement, think of propelling question you are facing, the constraints you are trying to turn into an opportunity and ponder why it is important for the organization.
Use these as prompts to articulate different aspects of emotional relationships (positive or negative) with the challenge. Choose three most likely to work with the team.
Out of these three statements, at least one should contain positive or negative emotion. Use these statements to create a narrative composed of rich contrasting positive and negative emotions to harness the power of both shades of emotion.
The positive emotions motivate the team for future rewards and stimulate the cognitive ability to find unique solutions.
And negative emotions evoke resilience, commitment, and a sense of urgency to push the team to avoid an undesirable outcome.
When one emotion fades, the other kicks in, keeping the persistence in a swing.
Once you establish the narrative, reinforce it, make it visible in prominent places, use it in communication, and support it with the company policy and rewards.
Conclusion
We live in a highly complex world, with increasing constraints and competition. The only way forward is to accept the challenge of constraint and transform it into an opportunity.
We must think differently about how we think and how we do things. We must embrace constraints for personal growth and find a novel path. So, begin your journey of transforming constraints into opportunity and chart a fresh course.
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