Our word choices influence our perspective. When it comes to problems and challenges, sometimes these words can force us into a corner or make us look at the problems from just one perspective.
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Rephrasing the problem can help us find more creative solutions.That’s the lesson from Psychology Today: Either rephrase the problem in your own words without using definitions (which can be empty and confuse someone trying to understand the problem) or change the words in the problem statement to lead to a different perspective.
Examine your problem statement, identify the key words, and change them five to ten times to see what results. One of the easiest words to change is the verb. Suppose you want to increase sales. Look at the changing perspectives as the verb is changed in the following:
In what ways might I increase sales?
In what ways might I attract sales?
In what ways might I develop sales?
In what ways might I extend sales?
In what ways might I repeat sales?
In what ways might I keep sales?
As with creative brainstorming, simply exploring a different option can lead to better or more interesting solutions.
Your Words Influence Your Perspective [Psychology Today]
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