To effectively solve complex problems, assemble groups with “transient diversity,” where members possess differing perspectives yet remain flexible and open, enabling productive debate and collaboration to achieve superior solutions.
The human brain tends to settle on the first explanation encountered, a phenomenon known as “explanation freeze,” but Julia Galef suggests that by actively exploring alternative possibilities, we can overcome this cognitive bias, especially in critical situations.
In this lesson, Julie Galef explains how to apply Bayes’ Rule to evaluate existing theories against new evidence, enhancing your understanding of belief certainty and encouraging the integration of new information rather than denial.
Leadership strategist Dan Pontefract argues that effective workers balance action with reflection, taking time to introspect, learn from mistakes, and prioritize tasks, emphasizing that the best workers think as much as they do.
Lisa Bodell, Founder and CEO of FutureThink, discusses her “Kill a Simple Rule” exercise, which empowers teams to challenge existing rules and foster innovative cultures by allowing them to change two rules while identifying non-negotiable ones.
In this video, FutureThink’s Lisa Bodell presents a team exercise that encourages companies to adopt their competitor’s perspective, identify their weaknesses, and strategize on how to leverage those insights for innovation and change.
Lisa Bodell, Founder and CEO of FutureThink, outlines effective strategies for managers to embrace and implement change, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, identifying competitive weaknesses, and fostering a culture where change is collectively supported and simplified.
Innovation thrives on audacious ambition rather than incremental steps; in his video lesson, Charles Duhigg emphasizes that starting with “stretch goals” can inspire revolutionary change by encouraging a fresh perspective on challenges.
Entrepreneur Nathalie Molina Niño emphasizes that organizations can compensate individuals creatively beyond monetary payments, such as partnering with universities for housing support or building alternative funding programs, encouraging a smarter approach to value provision.
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant emphasizes that high-potential team members can effectively alternate between abstract and concrete thinking, enabling them to envision innovative strategies while also addressing practical details, and suggests coaching techniques to enhance this dual-thinking capability.
Cognitive biases can cloud decision-making even for the intelligent, so Annie Duke suggests forming group charters based on The Mertonian Norms to ensure transparency, universalism, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism in evaluating decisions and information.
In this video lesson, theoretical physicist Leonard Mlodinow illustrates how elastic thinking can transform problem-solving by encouraging a flexible approach that challenges initial strategies and explores underlying principles governing the issue at hand.