Introduction to Asset-Based Thinking (ABT)
Every day we encounter situations that require us to be multidimensional and flexible in our actions and attitudes. Challenges and setbacks, as well as windfalls and opportunities require us to draw more deeply on our own capabilities, to interact more effectively with others, to build team spirit, to manage and develop other people. We need all this to reach new levels of effectiveness to produce the results we want. That new effectiveness serves us well in business, community and personal life.
Embracing the positive side of life’s ledger is at the core of asset-based thinking (ABT). Making small shifts in the way we see reality can lead to dramatic improvements in the way we live and work. By magnifying our personal strengths, by noticing what is most valuable about others, and by emphasizing what is already working to propel our momentum, we can increase our chances of being successful and satisfied.
Asset-based thinking equips us with a unique way of viewing everyday life that yields maximum returns on our investment of attention and effort. ABT expands and shifts the way we respond to our own thoughts, interactions and situations. Asset-based thinking is a process of identifying strengths, talents, synergies and possibilities that are immediately available in ourselves, others and all situations.
When opportunities present themselves, even more positive outcomes can evolve with the application of ABT principles. These principles help us block out distractions and create a focal point of concentration and high mental energy that keeps us alert and inspired until we have maximized all there is to gain.
If we look optimistically at problems, we have a larger range of possibilities for solving them, even when problems are clearly difficult to solve. Asset-based thinking increases our self-confidence, makes us more proactive, more effective with others, and expands our power to influence how things will turn out. ABT is practical and useful and produces dividends that continue to pay off over time.
