What is it that drives us to pigeonhole everything? Why does everything need to have its own label and a space to be put in? Whether it is your taste in music - punk or rocker - or in art - classical lover or post modern enthusiast - we need to be able to label and categorise it or else how can we make sense of it.

We know that the human brain is only capable of recognising what it has seen before, and looks for patterns and symbols that it recognises and associates these with what has gone before. We all bring our past experiences with us to any new situation and can't help but shape the future based on what we have done before.

‘You don't believe what you see, you see what you believe'
So is this a problem? How does it stand in the way of progress? When we make decisions based on ready made off-the-shelf solutions or the latest fashion or trend rather than applying past experience to learn and grow, we are capping our potential for development and growth.

How can you know if NLP, TA, Six Sigma etc are the solution to your problem until you have really spent time on deciding what it is you are trying to achieve? Even then what is the chance that any single solution will meet all your requirements?

Team-building, communication skills, time management: what do these labels actually mean and how is that relevant to you and your company?

‘All things to all men'
Just because it is the latest fashion and worked for X,Y and Z doesn't mean it will work for you. Is it the name of the process or the process itself that is important? To push it a little further, does any of that matter or is it ultimately the results that your actions achieve that really matter?

Are you focused on the solution before you know what you are trying to achieve or what the problem is? Should you refuse to be put in a box or recognise labels and fashions in helping your business succeed in what you want and are capable of achieving?

So try something different, something simple and something that works. Focus on what it is you and your business want to achieve and then do whatever it is that you need to do to make that happen.

‘Diagnose before you prescribe'
Forget what it's called, who cares if it's fashionable, old, new complicated or simple, just do what works for you and enjoy your success.

‘So what do I need?'
Honestly, I can not tell you because I do not know. That depends on what you want to achieve: do you simply want to expand people's understanding of a topic or do you want to find a specific solution which you can understand and implement, one which will allow you to achieve what you want?

If it is the former, then consider what specifically that individual needs and find a solution which most closely fits, contact the provider and have a conversation about it and what their labels actually mean. Then make a decision based on what will achieve this individual's goals and not looks like it should.

If it is the latter, then find an organisation that will find out about you, your people and your business and what you need in order to achieve your outcomes. Then work together to create and implement the solutions YOU need, this way you will achieve success.

‘How much is that going to cost me?'
Well, that depends on what it is worth to you to achieve a successful solution in the most time efficient, effective and focused way you can. Only you can answer that.

Nik Burrows is master jedi at Corporate Jedi. For more information visit www.corporatejedi.co.uk [1]