We know Charles Darwin as the genius who came up with the theory of Evolution. Darwin transformed our understanding of life and our place in the grand scheme of things, but he was no genius. At least not in terms of his IQ, which though high (estimated at 130), was not in the range where the word ‘genius’ gets used.
What made Darwin special was his intense curiosity on all facets of the subject that he was researching. He didn’t just consider alternate points of view but gave equal time and attention to ideas completed opposed to his findings. Darwin understood confirmation bias, where we are likely to accept data that confirms our point of view and consider opposing data as erroneous or unreliable. He knew that acting on his instincts alone, could come in the way of finding the best way forward.
This is a mindset we could really use in business and indeed any other team endeavor. One way to help open our minds to different perspectives is the use of the Lego® Serious Play® method. It literally lays out the challenge before the group for everyone to consider and weigh-in, making it that much easier to see the merits of an opposing argument. For those of us less immune to human biases, it can be a great method to introduce new directions of thought, evaluate radically different points of view and for a moment, consider what if we were wrong and others right.
Something tells me Darwin would have approved 😊
Based on ideas from the book 'Mental Models' by Peter Hollins
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