STEP 1: LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Think Again (Individual Thinking)
In this resource we discuss Adam Grant’s book Think Again where we explore the power of knowing what we don’t know and how we can apply this to our lives.
In this resource we discuss Adam Grant’s book Think Again where we explore the power of knowing what we don’t know and how we can apply this to our lives.
I. Individual Thinking
A. Develop the Habit of Thinking Again.
1. Think like a scientist. Treat our emerging view as a hunch or a hypothesis and test it with data. Resist the temptation to preach, prosecute, or politic.
Preacher mode when our sacred beliefs are in jeopardy; we deliver sermons to protect and promote our ideals.
Prosecutor mode when we recognize the flaws of our reasoning; we marshal arguments to prove them wrong and win our case.
Politician mode when we are seeking to win over an audience; we campaign and lobby for the approval of our constituents.
2. Define our identity in terms of values, not opinions. It is easier to avoid getting stuck to our past beliefs if we don’t become attached to them as part of our present self-concept. See ourselves as someone who values curiosity, learning, mental flexibility and searching for knowledge.
3. Seek out information that goes against our views. We can fight confirmation bias, bust filter bubbles and escape echo chambers by actively engaging with ideas that challenge our assumptions.
B. Calibrate our Confidence
4. Beware of getting stranded at the summit of Mount Stupid. Don’t confuse confidence with competence. The more confident we are, the greater the odds that we will stop improving.
5. Harness the benefits of doubts. we can have confidence in our capacity to learn while questioning our current solution to a problem. Knowing what we don’t know is often the first step toward developing expertise.
6. Embrace the joy of being wrong. When we find out we have made a mistake it as a sign that we have just discovered something new. Don’t be afraid to laugh at ourselves. It helps we focus less on proving ourselves, and more on improving ourselves. 252
C. Invite Others to Question our Thinking.
7. Learn something new from each person we meet. Everyone knows more than we about something.
8. Built a challenge network. It’s helpful to have cheerleaders encouraging us but it is also to challenge us. Respect pushback and welcome dissenting views.
9. Don’t shy away from constructive conflict. Disagreements don’t have to be disagreeable. Relationship conflict is usually counterproductive but task conflict can be very helpful.