Red Brick Thinking: How to make space, find focus & move forward

Drowning in obligations, tasks, and responsibilities that multiply faster than you can clear them? We've been taught to solve problems by adding more - more effort, more resources, more systems. But what if the answer is actually subtraction?

I recently sat down with Donna McGeorge, keynote speaker and bestselling author obsessed with helping people reclaim time and space for what really matters. She's written 15 books (five of them bestsellers), her ideas have appeared in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Fast Company, and she's known for cutting through corporate waffle with sharp truths and practical frameworks. We discussed her latest book Red Brick Thinking and what she shared completely shifted how I think about problem-solving.

Donna shares her famous Lego bridge exercise that reveals why we're approaching problems all wrong, and introduces the concept of "addition bias", the tendency that's keeping us overwhelmed despite our best efforts. She explains why creating space doesn't mean doing more, and what we need to let go of instead.

We explore the three types of red bricks weighing us down in business and life, and how identifying them creates room for what actually matters. Donna walks through the shift from asking "What can we add?" to a question that changes everything about how you prioritise and make decisions.

If you're consumed by busyness, this conversation is your permission slip to stop adding and start subtracting. The space you create might just reveal the opportunities you've been missing.

CHAPTER MARKERS

00:00 Introduction
01:10 What is Red Brick Thinking?
01:48 The Genesis of Red Brick Thinking
03:56 Real-World Examples of Red Brick Thinking
06:26 The Importance of Strategic Subtraction
08:51 Emotional, Cultural and Structural Red Bricks
11:37 Implementing Red Brick Thinking in Organisations
23:28 Personal Applications of Red Brick Thinking
30:08 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Connect with Donna:

Website: https://donnamcgeorge.com/
LinkedIn:   / donnamcgeorge  
Instagram:   / dmcgeorge  


Connect with Janine:

The Focus Finder: https://focusfinder.scoreapp.com/
Website: https://janinegarner.com.au/
Instagram:   / janinegarner  
LinkedIn:   / janinegarner