Week 2 Blog Post 2: Response to Karl Peterson

 Karl,

Great analysis of the book to the EMDT Program. I couldn't agree with you more when you stated that by taking a different perspective on various projects and assignments that have stumped you, you've been able to find a work around. I can't tell you how many times that I've said, "well THAT didn't work!" As someone who thinks of himself as a fairly creative individual, I've had many visions of projects that have taken on new dimensions since the initial thought or vision. As I work through the details and discover my "inabilities", the project begins to take a different shape and even though it may be totally different from what I originally intended, I think many times it turns out much better than I originally intended. I enjoy this process and through it I get a better sense and admiration of what I've accomplished. It is this process that I believe the Zanders are speaking to in their book.

 

Karl Said,

MAC Week 2 - Post 1 Reading

The Art of Possibility (or should it be the Art of Perspective?)

I have noticed on a reoccurring basis, throughout these last 10 ½ months that I have been in the EMDT program, a reoccurring theme. That theme has been the importance of looking at things from a different perspective. After reading the first four chapters of “The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life” by R. Zander & B. Zander (2000), that is the major theme that I walked away from the reading with. In fact I am a hard time looking at this book in any other light than that. That isn’t a bad thing, this I am certain of. As I have gone through course after course, and run into countless challenges, I have always had something occur that has forced me to take a step back and reevaluate the situation from a different perspective. Every single time this has happened, I have managed to find a way to work through or around the issue as a result. The four chapters of this book have only served to open my eyes to new ways or ideas on how to do this more frequently in my everyday life. I really like the ideas of “give an A” and “game of ‘contribution’”. I think these are fantastic ideas. My hope is that if I am able to implement some of these ideas into my life, I can reduce much of the stress that exists in my life and to try to view more things in life, thusly opening up more possibilities as a result.

Thanks for reading,

Karl Peterson