Unfortunately, “OR” doesn’t require a lot of explanation. It’s all around us. It’s how we’ve been trained to think: this or that, big or small; rich or poor, Democrat or Republican and on and on. It’s the world we currently live in. But these aren’t the only choices we have. The world is not black or white. It’s full of color. All issues are not simple, some are complex. One size never fits all.
OR is a powerful little word that can do many things. Here are two.
OR can Limit
OR is a great way to limit options and there are times when you want to do that. Think about the parent trying to ready their child for school. Some days are a battle just to get out the door. The child wants to decide what to wear and the parent wants to get out of the house without the usual drama. It’s been a struggle, but this morning will be different. Why? Because the parent asks, “Do you want to wear your blue or green shirt? This is the either/or lens. The child can choose the color, but the parent makes the decision about wearing a shirt. This is a simple situation and using OR in this way accomplishes the goal. Both mom and child get out of the house without the usual drama. People like having a choice, even if it’s limited.
But what about when things are more complex?
Look at our politics today. Our issues are complex, yet we’re trying to apply an either/or lens. Our issues aren’t Democrat or Republican. They are American, they are global. They are about how we live together in a civilized society. That’s where the focus should be, not who has the power. We can do so much more united than divided. There are no real winners, unless we all win and we all win, when we all focus on contributing to the greater good.
Imagine if we approached politics from a different lens? Imagine if we had more Independents than Democrats or Republicans. Imagine if issues were our main focus, not party affiliation. Imagine if our elected officials worked together (not reaching out across the aisle) on our issues. Imagine if we used the right lens for this complexity.
We need OR to do more and it can.
OR can Explore
So, we know OR can limit, but OR can also be used to push us beyond the obvious.
A few years back, leaders were struggling to streamline their new organization after reorganization. Whose policies, practices and systems would win out? Each leader thought his or her division’s way was best, so no one budged. I came up with a simple process to help them explore their options. It gave them the freedom to take a step back, understand how each division operated and learn about their best practices without judgment. The process honored each division. It took either/or off the table.
I used OR to push them to think beyond the obvious. Of course, they could follow the best practices of Division A or Division B OR, maybe the best way forward, is something they created together. WOW! No one had thought about that. Why? Because they felt threatened by the change. They were approaching it from a win/lose (either/or) perspective. They couldn’t have arrived at this third option, unless they were willing to travel together. And they could only travel together, when each leader felt their work was valued.
One easy way to use OR to explore, is to stimulate brainstorming by continually saying OR after each response. We can do this OR we can do that OR we can try this OR we can… Using OR to explore, creates a pathway for people to push beyond their own thinking and move into the realm of possibility. Try it! You’ll be surprised how it opens up the thought process. You will get more options to consider.
So, be intentional about how you use OR. Do you need it to limit or do you need OR for more? The choice is always yours. Choose well!