Everyone plays the what-if game, probably every day, albeit subconsciously.

It’s a technique we’ve developed to assess risk. Is it dependable?

No! Based only on what we already know, or what we think we already know, this technique is highly biased and we find ourselves subconsciously developing the reasoning to alter the preferred outcome.  If you ask yourself “what if this email receives a negative response?” you are already supposing that will happen.
We don’t need to stop what-iffing. We just need to open our mind.

Consider this:
1. What if the person you find most difficult at work is actually the one who can teach you about yourself?
2. What if putting forward the idea you’ve been thinking about will actually make for some fantastic conversation?
3. What if, instead of waiting for the ‘right time’ to start a project, you just start it now?
4. What if the individual who’s being counterproductive is actually just struggling and could do with some help?
5. What if doing things a little differently each day will change your mind-set in the first instance, and your productivity in the next?
The list is endless. Start what-iffing!

Read about mindfulness, the values gap and soft skills.