Whose Script Is This, Anyway?
Rethink your narrative and embrace a bold, unscripted professional future.
Oct 23, 2025
Rethink your narrative and embrace a bold, unscripted professional future.
What if the story you've believed isn't even true? Rewrite your future intentionally.
When I was 35, my youngest child said, “Have you ever thought that half your life is gone, and you’ve done nothing with it?” Never mind the fact that I had already published three books, been the president of my professional society, and taught my clinical content area in multiple countries?
What about you? Have you ever been halfway through your life, or Monday morning, and thought, wait a second… whose script is this?
I spent years following someone else’s playbook – you know the one. Work harder. Do more. Never say no. Don’t question why. Until one day, somewhere between a missed flight and another family crisis, I started asking different questions.
Not, “How do I fix my schedule and stop saying yes to everything?”
But this:
“What if the story I’ve been telling myself… isn’t even true?
The term “What if” changed everything and is the core of my design thinking work.
Here’s why!
I’d been collaborating with Dina Readinger, the founder of Diagnostic Design Thinking™, for several years. This innovative approach promotes fresh thinking and drives confidence across an organization. Employees develop a sense of accountability for the changes needed to feel valued and fulfilled in their work.
The process accelerates company growth, career advancement for employees, and an accountable workforce, helping leaders see what they cannot see on their own. Diagnostic Thinking™ bridges this gap by fostering collaboration, reducing fear and self-sabotage, and promoting solutions-driven leadership and strong, resilient cultures.
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As a co-author of Think Differently…18 strategies to fix broken thinking (Readinger and Weinstein 2022), and a facilitator for Diagnostic Thinking™ (DT) Groups globally, I’ve seen participants jumpstart their thoughts, create impact for their organizations, ideate, and innovate, solving the right problem at the right time. Our book features case studies from design thinking groups at large pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as universities worldwide. While their day jobs required them to navigate complex change, regulation, and uncertainty, participants realized the value of rewriting their respective futures.
Thinking differently is not new; I’ve been doing it since I was a child; I simply did not know what it was called at the time.
Have you ever been told to think outside the box? Thinking differently is a metaphor for thinking outside the box. Sometimes, the box is all you’ve ever known, and leaving that box can be frightening, because we never know what is on the outside.
Digging deeper into the DT concept, I discovered Jeanne Liedtke’s (Liedtka, 2018) 4Ws framework, based on four questions (not those that are asked during the Passover Seder).
The Model is about cutting through the fog, so you don’t trip over the same old thinking.
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What is? – What’s my reality? Face it and name it!
What if? – What could be possible “if” I took a different approach?
What wows? – Given the time, talent, and resources available, what inspires and motivates?
What works? – What’s sustainable and real?
But thinking differently isn’t easy. Thinking differently involves risk. Not every idea will succeed, but every attempt teaches us something valuable. The courage to fail forward is about embracing failure as a stepping stone to success.
Take an example from history. Thomas Edison found 10,000 ways that did not work in his quest to discover electricity, and he changed the world. Imagine if he had been too afraid to fail. Our world would be a much darker place!
Let’s apply the 4Ws to career development.
1. What Is
Definition: Assess the current state of your career. Understand where you are right now, your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis).
Steps:
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Self-Assessment: Identify your current skills, experiences, and achievements. What are your core competencies? What value do you bring to your role?
Environmental Scan: Look at your industry and job market. What trends are affecting your field? How is your organization positioned within the industry?
Definition: Explore possibilities for your career. Imagine different scenarios for growth or change. Steps:
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Brainstorm Scenarios: Consider various career paths, job roles, or industries you could explore. What if you pursued further education? What if you shifted to a different sector?
Evaluate Risks and Rewards: For each scenario, consider the potential benefits and risks. What if you took on a leadership role? How might that impact your work-life balance?
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"“Ask the right questions, and the right answers will always reveal themselves.”
– Oprah Winfrey
What if the story you've believed isn't even true? Rewrite your future intentionally.
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Yes, you can provide text passages or key points from the book so that I can use them in the analysis. If this is not possible, then you can simply provide a
Yes, you can provide text passages
Yes, you can provide text passages
Yes, you can provide text passages
3. What Wows
Definition: Identify the opportunities or actions that can have the most significant positive impact on your career. These are the game-changers.
Steps:
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Spot High-Impact Opportunities: Identify the most exciting and impactful opportunities from your “What If” scenarios. What could truly set you apart in your field?
Innovation in Approach: Think creatively about how you can leverage your unique strengths or interests. What could you do differently to wow your employer or industry?
Definition: Implement strategies and actions that are practical and effective in advancing your career. Focus on what delivers results. Steps:
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Action Planning: Develop a detailed action plan to achieve your career goals. What specific steps do you need to take? What resources do you need?
Measurement and Adjustment: Regularly evaluate your progress and make necessary adjustments. What strategies are working well? What needs to be changed?
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What is: Assess your current career status.
What If: Explore potential career paths and scenarios.
What Wows: Identify high-impact opportunities and set ambitious goals.
What Works: Develop and execute a practical action plan, focusing on what delivers
The same thinking that built the future can rebuild the way you see yourself.
So I’ll ask you again, what if the story you’ve been telling yourself isn’t even true? And what if the real story – the one waiting for you is even better than you ever imagined?
The future isn’t something we inherit. It’s something we imagine, design, and build, starting with the stories we dare to rewrite.
Now, I invite you:
- Challenge your old story.
- Ask your “What if?”
- And start creating your extraordinary, unscripted future.
Because bold futures don’t come prewritten.
References:
Readinger, D., and Weinstein, S. (2022). Think differently: 18 strategies to fix broken thinking. SMW Group.
Liedtka, J. (2018, September–October). Why design thinking works. Harvard Business Review, 96(5), 72–79. https://hbr.org/2018/09/why-design-thinking-works
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