Quote
“Any time in life you're tempted to think, 'Should I do this OR that?' instead, ask yourself, 'Is there a way I can do this AND that?'”— Chip Heath & Dan Heath, in Decisive (2013) · Decisive →
Why it was said
Chip and Dan Heath write this in the chapter on the first of their four villains, narrow framing. It follows the study showing that most organisational decisions considered only one option and failed more than half the time.
What it actually means
The mind presents most choices as a fork, and forks are usually false. The AND question is a tool for widening the frame: the job and a review clause, the flat and a year to decide, the launch and a small pilot. The Heaths are not promising that both are always possible; they are saying the question costs nothing and finds a third door surprisingly often.
How to use it
- 1When a decision arrives as 'this or that', write the sentence with AND and see what would have to be true.
- 2Do not evaluate any option until you have at least three real ones.