“We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them,” advised Albert Einstein.
Is it true that a well defined problem is 90 percent solved? How does one apply the martial art of jiu-jitsu to business problems? Why is it that managers like to use the words ‘challenge’ or ‘issue’? Who was born in Kampala in October 1991 that confronts Donald Trump’s thinking? Are our brains inherently lazy? Is not knowing helpful?
Problems define us. Declining profitability, making a loss, or even trying to sell a product that a competitor offers for free like WhatsApp, can be devastating.
Jiu-jitsu is a martial art that revolves around the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger opponent by using leverage and weight distribution.
Quite simply, they use the opponent’s supposed strengths to their disadvantage. Both Mamdani and astute business leaders are able to reframe the problem to their advantage.
In business, the bigger the problem on your job description, the bigger the pay package.
Lazy, designed to conserve energy
“The human brain is a fantastic piece of machinery. But it is inherently lazy. It’s optimised to save energy, and as such, it has some properties that make us work in a lazy manner.
The brain consumes about the equivalent of 20W of power within an order of magnitude more than existing supercomputers. Remember, the brain is lazy. Its purpose is not to be an analytical machine. Its main purpose is to go back to idle mode and to consume as little energy as possible,” writes Alexander Winkler.
Our brains often find the most energy-efficient and least time-consuming solution to a problem. That’s why managers ‘cut and paste’ and love ChatGPT, yes, a useful tool, but not at the expense of critical thinking.
Easier to take business plans off the shelf, copy competitors, rather than come up with a distinctive [not the obvious] strategy, consuming time and energy.
Notice that for CEO’s, if something worked before, they are inclined to apply the same solution again and again, given the risk is perceived to be reduced. While reuse is not a bad thing by definition, to save energy, the brain uses a quick ‘down sampling’ of memories and removes outliers over time.
The truth is out there
Design thinking applied by start-ups, goes to the customer, observing the problems the user actually faces, not what one guesses they need.
Imagine Sarah the young tarmacking graduate who takes the time to diagnose a persistent problem Acacia company is having. Seeing the wisdom of her energetic thinking, she lands an internship, giving her precious job experience.
Can you fight reality? Helps to understand how the other person thinks. What influences them? How do they see the business marketplace? Somehow one has to notice the unnoticed, be able to connect the dots – and see patterns in what often seems chaos.
“Material for our work surrounds us at every turn. It’s woven into conversation, nature, chance encounters, and existing works of art. When looking for a solution to a creative problem, pay close attention to what’s happening around you. Look for clues pointing to new methods or ways to further develop current ideas. These transmissions are subtle: they are ever present, but they’re easy to miss. If we aren’t looking for clues, they’ll pass by without us ever knowing. Notice connections and consider where they lead. When something out of the ordinary happens, ask yourself why? What’s the message? What could be the greater meaning?” writes Rick Rubin.
Have a beginner’s mind
Taking on a beginner’s mindset is a difficult-to-get-to ‘state of being’ to dwell in because it involves letting go of what our experiences have taught us. Remember, our default thinking mode is “I am right” always protecting our ego, trying to look good.
Business life is inherently unpredictable, tough to know what will happen by the end of the week. Sounds crazy, but imagine you are an alien from outer space who just landed on planet earth in Kiambu town, what would you see?
“Beginner’s mind is starting from a pure child-like place of not knowing. Living in the moment with as few fixed beliefs as possible. Seeing things for what they are presented as. Tuning in to what enlivens us in the moment instead of what we think will work. Avoiding any preconceived ideas and accepted conventions limit what’s possible.”
“We tend to believe that the more we know, the more clearly we can see the possibilities available. This is not the case. The impossible only becomes accessible when experience has not taught us limits. Did the computer win because it knew more than the grandmaster or because it knew less? There’s a great power in not knowing.
“When faced with a challenging task, we may tell ourselves it’s too difficult, it’s not worth the effort, it’s not the way things are done, it’s not likely to work, or it’s not likely to work for us. If we approach a task with ignorance, it can remove the barricade of knowledge blocking progress. Curiously, not being aware of a challenge may be just what we need to rise to it,” advises Rubin.
Switch the mode of thinking. Straight lines don’t exist in nature. Sometimes we need to take several steps back to move forward.
David J. Abbott is a director at aCatalyst Consulting. [email protected]
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