At what point in our journey, and for what reason, did we abandon the practice of inquiry?

 

"When and why did we cease to question?"💕

Six Problem-Solving Mindsets for Highly Uncertain Times👋

 

An Open and Curious Mindset👃

 

Even the most perplexing problems have solutions—or at least better outcomes than we have achieved thus far. Here is how the best problem solvers crack the code.

Building upon the mindsets presented by Charles Conn and Robert McLean, we have incorporated some of our own lived experiences.

 

Great problem solvers are made, not born.👳😟

 

This is what we have witnessed and discovered time and again through decades of working on problem-solving with leaders in business, nonprofit organizations, and policy sectors. These leaders have learned to adopt an open and curious mindset in particular, and they adhere to a systematic process for solving even the most intractable problems. They are exceptional problem solvers in any circumstance. And when uncertainty reaches its peak, they shine at their brilliant best.

 

At the foundation of their success lie six mutually reinforcing approaches:

 

1.      Be ever-curious about every element of the problem.

2.      Be an imperfectionist with high tolerance for ambiguity.

3.      Have a "dragonfly eye" perspective and view the world through multiple lenses.

4.      Pursue emergent behavior and experiment relentlessly.

5.      Tap into collective intelligence and acknowledge that the smartest people are not in the room.

6.      Practice "show and tell," because storytelling drives action.

 

1. Be Ever-Curious

As every parent knows, four-year-olds ask questions incessantly. Consider the endless "why" that makes young children so delightful yet so persistent. For young children, everything is new and highly uncertain. Yet they are on a mission of discovery, determined to figure things out. And they are good at it. It is this high-energy inquisitiveness that necessitates high shelves and childproof bottles.

When facing fundamental uncertainty, remember the four-year-old or summon your inner four-year-old. Ask relentlessly, "Why is this so?" Unfortunately, somewhere between preschool and the boardroom, we tend to stop asking questions. Our brains make sense of vast numbers of data points by imposing patterns that have worked for us or other humans in the past. That is why a simple technique worth adopting at the outset of problem-solving is to pause and ask why conditions or assumptions are what they are, until you reach the root of the problem.

Natural human biases in decision-making—such as confirmation bias, availability bias, and anchoring—often prematurely narrow the scope of solutions. Better and more creative solutions emerge from being curious about a broader range of potential answers.

One simple suggestion from author and economist Caroline Webb for generating more curiosity in team problem-solving is to place a question mark after the initial hypothesis or first answer. This small device is surprisingly powerful. It tends to encourage multiple solution pathways and focuses attention on gathering evidence (which is the right focus).

We are also fond of thesis/antithesis or red team/blue team sessions, where you divide the group into opposing teams and have them argue against the initial answer (typically a more traditional conclusion that tends to arise from conventional patterns). "Why is this solution better?" "Why not that solution?" We have found that better outcomes emerge from embracing uncertainty. Curiosity is the engine of creativity.

"At what point in our journey, and for what reason, did we abandon the practice of inquiry?"

"The Knowledge of Ignorance" (Socrates)

True wisdom lies in knowing that one does not know. The greatest danger in problem-solving is the assumption that we already possess the answers. To remain ever-curious is to continuously acknowledge our ignorance and maintain a posture of perpetual learning.

Thank you for your reading. 

If you have any question, please let us know. 

Warm regards,

Keiko 

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