Gil FriendCEO, Natural Logic, Inc. · Ontological/Ecological/Strategic Coach • Sustainability OG • Helping world-changers change worlds.

Unlocking Creativity: The Power of Asking "What Might Be Possible?"

Name: Unlocking Creativity: The Power of Asking "What Might Be Possible?"
Uploaded: 2025-02-08T01:45:01+00:00
Duration: 25 s
Channel: Gil Friend
Description: A short YouTube anecdote by Gil Friend describing how Pam Anton, as assistant city manager in Palo Alto, would diffuse stuck, contentious meetings by…

8 Feb 2025 · 0 min

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A short YouTube anecdote by Gil Friend describing how Pam Anton, as assistant city manager in Palo Alto, would diffuse stuck, contentious meetings by asking the simple question, 'What might be possible here?' The question acted like a solvent, shifting mood and allowing creativity to emerge.

When I started as CSO of city of Palo Alto, Pam Anton, the outgoing assistant city manager, had this remarkable move that she would make. In meetings that were stuck, people at loggerheads battle, not open to ideas. She would say in the most unassuming way. She would ask what might be possible here. And it was like a solvent in the room and the mood would shift and creativity would start to emerge.