How to get around unexpected obstacles

Every project begins with a great plan, but unanticipated bumps and hurdles always pop up along the way. That’s when a reframing exercise we call “the obstacle course” comes in handy. Here’s how it works:

• Grab a bunch of index cards, and on each one write down an obstacle blocking the team.
• Talk about each obstacle: What’s underneath it? Why is it there? How big is it?
• Discuss the specific outcomes that these obstacles are blocking you from achieving.
• Now brainstorm ways to get around, demolish, or ignore each obstacle. Approach the problem from different angles, think creatively, get under the surface.
• Consider whether any of the possible solutions might help with multiple obstacles.
• Finally, as a team, commit to a course of action.

Reframing the obstacles is an opportunity for the team to see things from a new perspective. Getting rid of what doesn’t work helps make room for fresh possibilities.