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Improve Performance, Provoke Thought, Think Critically.

You are constantly striving to improve.  You are looking for practical tips you can apply to your daily work that will impact your performance.  You are looking for advice from professionals who do the work. You want to engage with professionals who have been in your shoes.

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The Catalyst Sale Podcast is published weekly.  We take listener questions at @catalystsale on twitter or hello@catalystsale.com via email.

Topics discussed - B2B Sales, Sales Training, Product Market Fit, Growth, Hiring, Recruitment, Sales Process, Business Acumen, Startups, Leadership.

  1. All Episodes
  2. Open To Think - Repost - 159

Open To Think - Repost - 159

Sep 11, 2019

Guest - Dan Pontefract, Author - Open to Think

Dan is the author of Open to Think, an awesome read on the process of thinking, aspects of thinking, issues that get in the way of thinking, and what you can do about improving your thinking.

We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did.

Thank you for listening to & sharing the Catalyst Sale Podcast.

Questions Addressed

  • Why do we struggle with thinking?
  • Why do we like to go to the signal?
  • How do we overcome stress, distraction or both?
  • What are some ways leaders can build empathy?
  • Prioritization - how can we do better at this?
  • What inspired Dan to write the book?
  • What are the three types of thinking?
  • What are some examples of where things have gone bad when we fall to think?

Key Takeaways

  • Busyness gets in the way of Thinking
    • We are distracted
    • Our minds wander
    • Think of the dogs in up - "Squirrel"
  • Inability to say no gets in the way of Thinking
    • We forget to subtract
    • We are addicted to the dopamine hit
    • We are good at doing.
  • Plato's warning about the Book.
  • We are distracted 
    • In 2016 distracted driving outpaced drunk driving accidents
    • We don't like to say no
    • We need to remove distractions and consciously invoke willpower
  • Executive function is not fully formed until the mid-20s
  • Be mindful - be into the point of why you are where you are
  • Attentiveness to what is going on "in the moment"
  • Block things out
  • Empathize / life is difficult these days
    • Rational empathy - sensing (mind of someone else)
    • Emotional empathy - feeling the pain
    • Sympathetic empathy- observing and reacting
  • Time is our most precious asset/resource
  • Prioritization - When the leader helps the team with management of their time good things tend to happen. 
    • Recognize the way the leader prioritizes will be different from the team. This should not be micromanaged.
    • Indirect - Don't accept the default meeting times - Free up time
    • Direct - Coach, guide.
  • The inspiration for Open To Think
    • Maybe there is a lack of purpose because our thinking is not like it was back with the greeks.
    • Cole - How many more mother's days to they have left?
  • Dream, Decide, Do - Repeat
  • Types of Thinking - ~ min 31 of the episode.
    • Open Thinking revolves around three types of thinking.
    • Creative Thinking - Do you Reflect?
    • Critical Thinking - Decide - How are you making that decision?
    • Applied Thinking - commitment to take action on something you have decided.
  • Don't skip critical thinking to get to applied thinking, and don't skip applied thinking to get back to creative - Leverage your loops
  • Hawaii example
    • Rushed and not thought through
    • Listen to the evidence
  • "Beware the barrenness of a busy life" - Socrates

Show Links

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Catalyst Sale

In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal.  There is a Catalyst.  We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high-growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do. 

Sales is a Thinking Process.