The ‘Art of the Possible’ is a phrase historically associated with politics. It has come to mean achieving what we can(possible), rather than what we want (often impossible)’. But it was once used optimistically as a challenge to aged ideas and paradigms.
Is it possible to create an organization with no limitations by focusing on the positive and the possible, combining best practices in leadership techniques and management processes? Yes-but it requires a shift out of being tactical into being strategic.
We often limit ourselves by believing what we have achieved in the past is as good as it gets. Having the vision to move beyond the status quo and inspire others to join is changing from being a “Witness” into being an “Entrepreneur”. This creates a philosophical and behavioral change in ourselves and our organization. A change that requires us to envision what is really attainable and be a zealot about achieving it.
It requires leadership and a genuine cultural shift. It starts with self-assessment and applies to everything we do as a company. If you want to move the mountain you have to believe you can do it.
As a company we strive to provide the best in class performance on projects, but we have just begun to move the needle on increasing the bottom line. To achieve the possible, we need to touch on every aspect of our company and everything we do.
“The ‘art of the possible’ is about recognizing the options that are available and turning those to your advantage. Further refining the set of options to only include ‘the attainable,’ places focus on those options that have a high likelihood of success. Having a high probability of attaining ‘the next best’ is better than failing to achieve an optimal solution.” Otto von Bismarck, 1867Many companies struggle to embrace new opportunities if it means breaking from “the way things have always been done.” Let’s embrace ‘Art of the Possible’ and rediscover what we can achieve as a company.