In a world that's changing faster than ever, the ability to rethink and unlearn is becoming increasingly crucial. Adam Grant's book "Think Again" explores why it's important to question our own beliefs and opinions, and how we can become better at changing our minds when presented with new information or perspectives.
Introduction
We often pride ourselves on our intelligence and ability to think critically. But in today's rapidly evolving world, simply being smart isn't enough. We need to cultivate the skill of rethinking – the ability to question our own beliefs, unlearn outdated information, and update our views based on new evidence.
"Think Again" challenges us to embrace intellectual humility, seek out information that contradicts our beliefs, and approach disagreements with curiosity rather than defensiveness. By doing so, we can become more adaptable, innovative, and effective in both our personal and professional lives.
The Importance of Rethinking
The Danger of Certainty
Grant begins by highlighting how our tendency to cling to our beliefs can lead to disastrous consequences. He uses the example of Blackberry, once the dominant smartphone maker, whose refusal to adapt to changing consumer preferences led to its downfall.
The key lesson here is that in a constantly changing world, it pays to change your mind. Blackberry's inventor, Mike Lazaridis, was so certain that consumers only wanted devices for calls and emails that he failed to see the potential of touchscreen smartphones like the iPhone.
This example illustrates how dangerous it can be to stick rigidly to our beliefs, especially in rapidly evolving fields. The pace of change in today's world means that what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. To succeed, we need to be willing to constantly reassess our assumptions and strategies.
Thinking Like a Scientist
Grant suggests that we can improve our ability to rethink by adopting a scientific mindset. Scientists don't begin with answers but with questions. They form hypotheses, test them rigorously, and are willing to abandon or modify their theories based on new evidence.
In business, leaders who think like scientists are more likely to pivot when things aren't working. A study of Italian startups found that founders who approached their business strategies as theories to be tested were more successful than those who didn't. They gained more revenue and customers because they were more willing to adjust their business models when faced with challenges.
Overcoming Our Blind Spots
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
One of the biggest obstacles to rethinking is our tendency to overestimate our own abilities, especially in areas where we're least competent. This phenomenon, known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, can prevent us from recognizing our own weaknesses and seeking improvement.
Grant cites studies showing that people who score lowest on tests of logical reasoning and sense of humor often have the most inflated views of their abilities in these areas. Even more problematically, those with the lowest emotional intelligence are the least likely to seek coaching to improve.
The Power of Humility
The antidote to this incompetence blindness is humility. By adopting a humble attitude and acknowledging that there's much we don't know, we open ourselves up to learning and growth. However, Grant emphasizes that humility doesn't mean lacking confidence. The most successful people combine confidence in their ability to achieve their goals with humility about their current methods and knowledge.
Productive Conflict
Another way to illuminate our blind spots is through productive conflict. Grant distinguishes between relationship conflict, which involves personal dislike and emotions, and task conflict, which focuses on disagreements about strategies and methods.
Research on Silicon Valley tech teams showed that the highest-performing teams experienced moderate levels of task conflict, especially early in their projects. This allowed them to challenge each other's ideas and find better solutions. However, these teams had low levels of relationship conflict – they got along well personally even when they disagreed about work.
In contrast, low-performing teams had high relationship conflict but low task conflict. They disliked each other so much that they never felt comfortable challenging each other's ideas, leading to groupthink and poor decision-making.
The Art of Changing Minds
Effective Negotiation Techniques
Grant identifies three key strategies used by the best negotiators to change people's minds:
Finding common ground: Instead of approaching debates like a tug-of-war, skilled negotiators treat them more like a dance. They look for areas of agreement and are willing to concede some points, which encourages the other person to reciprocate.
Using fewer, stronger arguments: Contrary to popular belief, piling on lots of reasons doesn't make your case stronger. In fact, weaker arguments can dilute the impact of stronger ones. Research shows that people are more likely to be persuaded when presented with one strong argument rather than multiple arguments of varying strength.
Asking questions like a scientist: The best negotiators show curiosity about the other person's perspective. They ask probing questions and listen carefully to the answers. Studies have found that top negotiators end about 20% of their statements with a question, twice as often as average negotiators.
Changing Deep-Seated Beliefs
Even deeply held beliefs can be changed with the right approach. Grant shares the story of Daryl Davis, a Black musician who has convinced many Ku Klux Klan members to leave the organization. Davis's success comes from helping Klansmen see how arbitrary their beliefs are by asking them to consider how different their views might be if they had been born into different circumstances.
This technique of highlighting the randomness of our beliefs can be effective in various contexts. In a study of rival baseball team fans, getting people to write about how their team loyalty was largely due to chance (like where they were born) led many to reconsider their negative views of the opposing team's fans.
Motivational Interviewing
Another powerful technique for changing minds is motivational interviewing. This approach, often used in healthcare settings, involves asking open-ended questions and practicing reflective listening to help people discover their own reasons for changing.
Grant shares the story of Dr. Arnaud Gagneur, who used motivational interviewing to convince a vaccine-hesitant mother to vaccinate her premature baby. Instead of lecturing or arguing, Gagneur asked questions about the mother's concerns and feelings, acknowledged her fears, and emphasized her freedom to make her own choice. This approach led the mother to decide to vaccinate not only her baby but her other children as well.
The key principles of motivational interviewing include:
- Starting from a position of humility and genuine curiosity
- Asking open-ended questions about the person's thoughts and feelings
- Practicing reflective listening to show understanding
- Emphasizing the person's autonomy and freedom to choose
Avoiding Binary Thinking
Grant cautions against presenting issues as black and white, which can make people less likely to rethink their positions. He uses the example of climate change activism to illustrate this point.
While Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" raised awareness about climate change, the environmental movement's success in changing minds has been mixed. By 2018, only 59% of Americans viewed climate change as a severe problem, with 16% saying it wasn't a problem at all.
One reason for this limited success may be the tendency to frame the issue as a simple choice between accepting scientific consensus or being a "climate denier." This binary framing forces people to pick sides and can make them less willing to consider nuanced perspectives.
Grant argues that people are more likely to rethink their views when issues are presented as complex, with multiple perspectives to consider. This approach encourages people to focus on the actual issues rather than on picking sides.
Importantly, admitting complexity and uncertainty doesn't make you appear weak or unsure. Research shows that experts who express some doubt are often seen as more credible and persuasive, not less.
Creating a Culture of Rethinking
The Importance of Organizational Culture
Grant emphasizes that rethinking isn't just an individual skill – it's also crucial for organizations. He uses the example of NASA's Columbia Space Shuttle disaster in 2003 to illustrate how a performance-focused culture can inhibit necessary rethinking.
When foam broke off the shuttle during launch, the ground team quickly decided it wasn't a serious issue, partly because similar incidents had occurred before without consequences. This decision proved fatal, as the foam loss ultimately caused the shuttle to break up upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts.
Performance Culture vs. Learning Culture
NASA's culture at the time was heavily focused on performance – getting things done to an excellent standard every time. While this emphasis on results can drive achievement, it can also leave little room for rethinking and reassessment.
In contrast, organizations with a learning culture prioritize growth and make rethinking routine. In these cultures, employees maintain an element of doubt about their methods and are always aware of how much they don't know. This mindset promotes humility and reduces the risk of overconfidence.
Contrary to what some might expect, research shows that companies with learning cultures are often more innovative and make fewer mistakes than those with strict performance cultures.
Creating Psychological Safety
A key element in fostering a learning culture is providing psychological safety for employees. This means creating an environment where team members feel comfortable taking risks, admitting errors, and questioning established practices without fear of punishment.
In psychologically safe environments, mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than reasons for blame or shame. This openness allows problems to be identified and addressed more quickly and effectively.
In contrast, performance-focused cultures often punish failure, leading employees to hide their mistakes. This can result in errors going undetected and unresolved, potentially leading to serious consequences like the Columbia disaster.
Practical Strategies for Rethinking
Throughout the book, Grant offers various strategies to help individuals and organizations become better at rethinking:
Seek out information that challenges your views: Actively look for perspectives that contradict your beliefs. This can help you identify blind spots and refine your thinking.
Practice intellectual humility: Recognize that your knowledge is limited and be open to learning from others, even those you disagree with.
Embrace the joy of being wrong: Instead of feeling embarrassed when you're wrong, try to see it as an opportunity for growth and learning.
Create a challenge network: Surround yourself with people who will respectfully challenge your ideas and help you identify flaws in your thinking.
Learn to disagree productively: Focus on task conflict (debating ideas) rather than relationship conflict (personal attacks or dislike).
Use "confident humility": Combine confidence in your ability to learn and grow with humility about your current knowledge and methods.
Avoid binary thinking: Recognize that most issues are complex and resist the urge to oversimplify them into "us vs. them" narratives.
Practice motivational interviewing techniques: When trying to persuade others, ask open-ended questions and practice reflective listening to help them discover their own reasons for change.
Foster a learning culture: In your workplace or team, prioritize growth and improvement over perfect performance. Encourage experimentation and view failures as learning opportunities.
Provide psychological safety: Create an environment where people feel safe admitting mistakes, asking questions, and challenging established practices.
Final Thoughts
"Think Again" challenges us to reconsider how we approach knowledge, beliefs, and decision-making. In a world of rapid change and increasing complexity, the ability to rethink and update our views is becoming ever more crucial.
By embracing intellectual humility, seeking out diverse perspectives, and creating cultures that value learning over performance, we can become more adaptable, innovative, and effective in both our personal and professional lives.
Grant's book serves as a reminder that true intelligence isn't about having all the answers, but about knowing what you don't know and being willing to learn. It encourages us to see changing our minds not as a sign of weakness, but as a strength that allows us to grow and improve continuously.
Ultimately, "Think Again" argues that progress – whether personal, professional, or societal – comes not from doubling down on our existing beliefs, but from being willing to question them, consider alternative viewpoints, and update our thinking based on new evidence and experiences.
By cultivating the habit of rethinking, we can navigate an increasingly complex world more effectively, make better decisions, and contribute to a more open-minded and adaptable society. In doing so, we might just find that the key to success lies not in being right all the time, but in being willing to admit when we're wrong and adjust our course accordingly.