Last Updated on 15 January 2009

How do you take a negative situation and see it for its value versus dwelling on the potential harm?

That’s what asset-based thinking is all about… Shift your thinking to focus on the assets of a situation (what you have) versus deficit-based thinking (what you don’t have). “Small shifts make seismic differences.”

The authors of “Change The Way You See Everything: Through Asset-Based Thinking” Kathy Cramer and Hank Wasiak have put together a handy bookmark featuring an asset-based thinking (ABT) alphabet. For each letter of the alphabet they’ve identified the deficit-based way to think about something… and the asset-based way to think about it…

My favorites include… shifting from Beat-Up to Build-Up, Gotcha to Generous and Nay-Sayer to Nurturer.


ABT Alphabet

[right-click to view larger image.
Print, clip, and bring with you to meetings]

Brainstorming – The ABT Alphabet is helpful when brainstorming or when ideas are being pitched. Instead of immediately jumping on why it may NOT work… Pause before you pounce, and try to build the idea up using ABT.

Cynics in your office? – While ABT isn’t specifically designed as the remedy for cynicism, it has the power to deflate a cynic attack… Most cynics seem to have the energy to be a “devil’s advocate” – use this list to challenge them channel that energy for good versus evil.