InsightEdge
A One-year Program in Insight Development

Everyone has had the experience of an insight — an “aha!” moment. The fog lifts, confusion melts away, and the solution becomes obvious. And curiously, insight often arrives unbidden — not in response to the pondering of a problem.

These moments are immensely valuable in business. They deepen understanding, and clarify and simplify what was previously unknown or complex. They elevate spirits and bring commitment to action. Ultimately, they secure better business performance. Yet in our pressured business environments, they surely don’t happen as often as we need them to.

Imagine: what would it mean for your business if you and your key people could have more insights? Even amid the stress of typical workdays? Based on our 10 years of experience in this field, we have developed InsightEdge, a one-year education program to help people develop that capacity.

• address problems, with reduced time and resource requirements, through unusual and unforeseen solutions;
• make better decisions in less time because, in part, better alternatives are surfaced and consensus is more quickly reached;
• make fewer mistakes because even when you might not know the right move, you will know when an action feels wrong. And not taking an action is generally better than doing the wrong thing;
• spend less time in meetings because of earlier detection of better courses of action;
• enjoy better collegial relationships, characterized by ease, alignment, and creativity. “Difficult” colleagues become easier, and differing opinions are seen as enriching sources of valuable information;
• regain control of your time by dealing efficiently with the important things; and
• experience these benefits everywhere — not only at work, but also with family and even on the golf course.

The Insight State of Mind

People can learn to have insights. They are the product of a state of mind that is fundamentally innate and natural, and which, when recognized, can be made much more commonplace and even habitual. This natural state of mind differs from the frantic, obsessive, or distracted muddle that too often is the modern mental condition. Most of us know this difference, and recent research confirms its reality. In the “Insight State of Mind” thinking is relaxed; it is not fixated or “pressing in” on a problem. Having an insight is much like looking at a drawing (e.g., a Magic Eye® image) that looks one way until you relax your “seeing” and allow a different image, which was there all along, to appear.

So how does one access this state of mind more often? There is really no great secret to it — it requires only awareness and practice. Think of learning to hit a ball. Your body naturally knows its most efficient and graceful way to swing and make contact. The right coach can help you become more aware of that perfect way, and if you are already experienced, of any learned patterns that interfere with the perfect swing. In paying attention to the “good” feeling of hitting the ball well (in the “sweet spot”), you develop the new habit and will spontaneously invoke it more effectively and more often.

Similarly, with state of mind: as you begin to understand how your thinking shapes and serves up your experience, you will become equipped to return, quite naturally, to the state of mind that invites insight. And with practice, it will require no particular conscious attention. As you practice finding and returning to the Insight State of Mind, you will also become habitually connected to it as an inner source of wisdom and good judgment.

The InsightEdge Program

During the 10 years in which we’ve taught Insight Thinking to senior executives, we’ve witnessed many people recover an everyday relationship with insight. We’ve formatted our discoveries into methods whose aim is making the Insight State of Mind a permanent feature of your thinking.

InsightEdge comprises a yearlong series of telephone sessions that teach you to invoke the Insight State of Mind. We focus your training initially on you and your developing relationship with insight, addressing content issues you identify as needing attention. It begins with a one-day, individual “retreat” in Boston (or elsewhere) that: establishes the fundaments of how thought works; identifies your personal thought habits (and how they impact Insight Thinking); reacquaints you with finding the source of insight; and establishes your desired results for the remainder of the program.

The retreat is followed by telephone sessions, of 30–60 minutes each, every three weeks, at a minimum. Sessions generally have two goals: to generate insights into a business issue you face, and to develop fluency in, mastery of, and habitual access to the Insight State of Mind. Supplemental audiotapes and readings can be made available.

As you gain mastery, you will recognize both the feeling of insight in yourself and the insights and wisdom of colleagues. Your ability to discern the insight feeling increases the probability that insights of colleagues will surface and be recognized. The training can then widen focus to include work with others. This can be an important kind of leverage: your Insight State of Mind will trigger that state in others in just the same way that a naturally buoyant person uplifts the spirits of the people around him or her.

The program fee is $20,000, which includes all materials (books and use of our video tapes, MP3 players, and files) and calls. The latter are not limited. Additional calls can be scheduled if a problem requires more attention or an unforeseen issue arises.

Clients report that payback is nearly immediate, and that the value to them is more than twenty-fold the financial and time investments they spend over the course of the program year.

If InsightEdge intrigues you, call us. We’ll answer any questions and help you establish your desired results. With that information in hand, you can readily assess whether the program is right for you and a good investment for your firm.

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