Are you an ‘AND’ person or an ‘OR’ person?
We face AND/OR questions every day. Can you do this and that? Should I do this or that? It seems simple enough, and often we may not think too much about it. Answering these types of questions can be more about your mindset than the overall outcome of the question. Some people choose to see AND as possibilities and others see OR as limitations. I believe that both represent the ability to find solutions.
AND/OR can be a mindset or attitude decision
What is the difference in mindset when you talk about AND versus OR? AND is incremental, doing many things. I will do this AND I will do that. AND will typically be a positive response and can be turned into a collaborative event. Yes, we can do that, AND we can also accomplish this at the same time.OR implies a decision and a choice. I will do this or that. This closes the possibility of completing both at some point. OR thinking is more of a fixed mindset and one that closes alternative options off. Carol Dweck speaks to the difference between growth and fixed mindsets in her book, Mindset.Mindset dictates the real meaning of AND (growth) versus OR (fixed). If you are using OR because you don’t want to do both or are trying to force a decision because of desire - that is a limiting thing. There should always be a solution for the unselected OR item. In other words, the OR gets followed by an AND. We can do this OR that right now, AND we can do the other option at another (specified) time when we have these resources available. OR should never be left hanging.
Benefits of an OR Mindset
Having an OR discussion is also helpful in flushing out the real value of the choices you have. You may discover you really only have a single option, and the OR option was not in the best interest anyway. Solve for the open OR and you may discover many possibilities that are far more positive in appearance and reality.
You can have a ‘AND’ mindset, even when making ‘OR’ decisions.
Too many choices can paralyze teams. Discussing all of the OR options allows you to flush out the value of the different options. In remaining open to all of the possibilities, you can have an AND mindset, even when making OR decisions. Ultimately you can narrow down the alternatives to the one or two that make the most sense based on the situation.
A Case for Both
There is a time and a place for BOTH. Sometimes the right thing to do is OR because doing multiple things will diminish the outcomes of both or all. OR is about priorities. By doing one, I am giving up the benefit of the other. Again, though the upside of what you choose could be better than both combined or the mediocrity of doing both poorly. OR does not mean the other thing(s) will not get done; it just means it won’t get done right now.The key piece is understanding the situation, prioritizing, and then communicating effectively what the steps will be with those involved. This turns a possible negative OR situation into a positive AND situation. It comes back to your attitude and how you define AND as well as OR. Your attitude - personally or the collective team’s attitude will define what AND/OR really means. Is it a closed door or a matter of priority and timing?Like many things we encounter in retail or any other business environment, there is not a single answer for what is right or wrong. It becomes about how we approach the situation and the mindset we bring to that situation. Positive leaders will look for ways to solve the problems they face with all of their options open. Effectively utilizing AND in addition to OR situationally will open up a great number of possibilities in everything you do.How do you view ‘AND’ ‘OR’ decision points?Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive FREE leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills all at no cost. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash