Rethink to Unlearn

The word "unprecedented" has been thrown around so much in the last 2 years that it may have lost its meaning. Unprecedented worldwide pandemic. Unprecedented levels of social upheaval. And enormous disruption for organizations. What we're talking about is how traditional ways of working and addressing problems don't seem to align to the present difficulties we face. So the publication of Adam Grant's fourth book, "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know," couldn't have come at a better time. Grant contends in it that in a quickly changing environment, the capacity to rethink and relearn may be more important than IQ.

1.     Think Like a Scientist

How did we get so entrenched in our old methods of thinking and addressing problems? Grant used the phrase "thinking like a preacher, a prosecutor, and a politician," which was popularized by Canadian-American writer and lecturer Phil Tetlock. A preacher is already aware of the truth. A prosecutor is attempting to win a case. A politician, on the other hand, will only tell you what you want to hear.

Instead, Grant advised acting like a scientist. That is, "you do not allow your views to become your identity. You value humility over ego, curiosity over conviction, and when you have an opinion, you recognize it is only a hunch. It's only a notion that has to be tested."

Are you thinking like a scientist about your people strategy and culture, or are you sliding into the preacher/prosecutor/politician trap? Is there any location where you might incorporate some trial and testing to uncover better ways of working?

2.     Practice Brainwriting Instead of Brainstorming

This last year of remote and hybrid work has put a strain on corporations, and Grant believes our approach to human connection in the form of group brainstorming is incorrect. Here are his three justifications:

a.     Production blocking: Ideas get lost because we can’t talk all at once

b.     Ego Threat: People don’t share unconventional ideas for fear of looking bad

c.     HiPPO Effect: people just blindly agree with highest paid person’s opinion

Instead, Grant suggested that we practice brainwriting, in which the employees are given a prompt ahead of time and people produce ideas on their own. "Then you gather the group to bring in the knowledge of multitudes," he explained. “That is where you determine whether ideas have promise, and that is where human interaction is truly required."

3.     Admit What You Don’t Know

Are your employees guided by an explicit or tacit set of best practices? "It bothers me when people talk about best practices because the instant you proclaim a practcse great, you create the idea that there is an endgame," Grant explained. Rather, commit to "looking for improved procedures." That is, you offer them the flexibility to experiment and learn in their daily job.

Another method for identifying your blind spots is to build what Grant refers to as a challenge network. This is a community of "thoughtful critics" that are eager to provide you with the critical comments you require to develop and get better.

4.     Recognize Culture Carriers

Do you know who your culture bearers are - the folks who embody your vision and values every day? "One of the reasons I've been a Workhuman fan for a long time is that a lot of people performing essential work in organizations go unappreciated and unnoticed," Grant explained. "A lot of vital work that employees undertake is invisible to senior executives, especially if it isn't part of their job description. And it's one of the reasons why peer recognition programmes are so valuable."

A peer-to-peer recognition programme empowers everyone in the organization to recognize and reward exceptional performance, not just top executives or middle managers. Some of the unseen tasks highlighted by Grant might be connected to onboarding new workers, recruiting, or simply interacting at a high level. All these habits contribute to your culture, but they consume time and energy. "We need to do a much better job of recognizing and appreciating that effort, as well as encouraging those culture bearers," he added.

5.     Rethink Your Privilege

Grant stated that the previous year has compelled him to reassess his perspective on privilege, particularly after learning from psychologist John Amaechi. "Our talk greatly increased my grasp of his eye-opening and assumption-shattering discovery," Grant remarked. The observation was that white privilege is not necessarily about having an advantage, but rather "the absence of an impediment, that you haven't necessarily had to prove yourself in ways that people who might look different have had to because of all the biases and prejudice that exist in our society." Grant cited this example as one way rethinking could be leveraged to continue advancing work in the DE&I space.

Reference: Grant, A. (2021). Think again: The power to knowing what you don’t know. Viking.