First Find the Good

Imagine you’re holding a magic sword.

The only problem is that it’s wrapped in dirty rags.

When faced with a worthy challenge it would make sense to unwrap the sword and cast away the rags. Once you do, the road to victory is all but assured.

Consider now that the rags contain an old stick.

In that case you should not waste time unwrapping it. It would be wiser to start running before the wolves get you.

So it is with everything else.

A common problem (especially in engineering circles) is to be overly problem-oriented. To immediately look for what’s not working and try to fix it.

But some things are more worth the improvement effort than others.

That’s why it’s useful to first find what’s good. Then find ways to turn it up: repeat, reinforce, amplify, use in other contexts. Then think about how to make it even better.

See you on the other side!