Adam Grant, who teaches at The University of Pennsylvania, has a new book called Think Again.
In the book, he asks why it has become a stigma to change your mind or rethink your approach to a complex problem? Grant explores the idea of rethinking and the power of knowing what you don’t know.
I remember sitting in a class at the University where Grant teaches in 1974 at The Annenberg School of Communications. I listened to Professor Ray Birdwhistell promoting the importance of challenging society’s group thinking – especially when you start to buy in and believe what others are telling you without question.
Ray L. Birdwhistell was an American anthropologist who founded kinesics as a field of inquiry and research leading to the study of non-verbal communications. Birdwhistell planted the seeds for rethinking in Penn’s soil and Adam Grant harvests that fruit in this book.
Grant’s insights and uncanny genius are that he is always creating little scientific tests to see if what he believes is true or succumbed to groupthink. This mindset is so valuable when working on business and marketing strategy because it forces you to not see like your industry or category – but to come at problems with a critical eye and an unbiased approach.
“Intelligence is traditionally viewed as the ability to think and learn. Yet in a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.”
Grant talks about our inner preacher, prosecutor, and politician that interferes with our ability to think again. He uses this framework throughout the book to demonstrate how people think about thinking again.
“The risk is that we become so wrapped up in preaching that we’re right, prosecuting others who are wrong, and politicking for the support that we don’t bother to rethink our views.”
Grant urges you to find your inner scientist – the one that is always curious, somewhat confident, and persistently skeptical.
“…define your identity in terms of values, not opinions”, and actively “seek out information that goes against your views.”
In the book, you’ll meet Daryl Davis, the Black musician with the hobby of converting KKK members into friends. There’s the vaccine whisperer who gets legions of anti-vax parents to vaccinate their kids, and Erin McCarthy, who has her students re-write old history textbooks. All these individuals rethink their core beliefs to shift toward a new approach to problems.
The Challenge Network
Another brilliant idea in this book is assembling a challenge network.
Instead of yes, men and women, imagine gathering a group of skeptics who are there to help you think counterintuitively.
I love the idea of a board of strategic challengers to grill you and your team. A challenge network, whether formal or informal, can assist you with your career, your business, and – in life.
“It takes humility to reconsider our past commitments, doubts to question our present decisions, and curiosity to reimagine our plans. What we discover along the way can free us from the shackles of our familiar surroundings and our former selves. Rethinking liberates us to do more than update our knowledge and opinions—it’s a tool for leading a more fulfilling life.”
To hear an excellent discussion of Think Again with Adam Grant and Malcolm Gladwell discussing the book, check out this conversation on Adam’s podcast. I love the framework of questioning everything.
Take Adam’s Think Again quiz here if you are curious about your proclivity to rethinking challenging problems.
Adam’s book Think Again is a must-read whether you are focused on business or personal issues. His writing style is engaging, thoughtful, and charm.
What issues are you rethinking at work?
Considering thinking again about your go to market strategy?
I can help. You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo of Adam Grant and Malcolm Gladwell from the DP (The Daily Pennsylvanian, where I used to take photographs).
Photo by Albert Dera on Unsplash
