“We need to understand why so many of us see time through the lens of productivity instead of that of curiosity” – Anne-Laure Le Cunff, PhD
With so much of today’s culture focused on productivity, we often forget that slowing down and being curious are among the most effective ways to drive change. Curiosity is the foundation of innovation and improvement.
As we continue this journey of #100DaysOfChange, it’s essential to shift our focus from productivity (doing) to curiosity. This means embracing a new mindset.
We are currently mentoring hundreds of candidates through their improvement projects as part of their Lean Six Sigma training, and almost every time, the biggest challenge is getting the candidate to “hold off” on the solution. Why?
Firstly, without a doubt, most candidates come from companies where the culture is one of firefighting or seeking immediate results. If something goes wrong, we blame someone and quickly fix whatever went wrong. We do not pause to explore the problem or show curiosity about how it occurred in the first place. We implement a quick fix, and even worse, often get rewarded for doing so.
Secondly, curiosity takes time! We need to explore the problem and understand what the customer wants. We need to understand the process and what went wrong before we can begin to identify the root cause. This takes time. The time we are rarely given.
Thirdly, curiosity takes effort! Curiosity requires us to engage our minds actively, asking questions, challenging assumptions, and seeking a deeper understanding. It can feel alien not to know or at least to pretend to know the immediate solution.
Curiosity is not a passive endeavour but one that demands energy and focus. To be curious, we must resist the temptation of settling for surface-level explanations and instead commit to thoroughly investigating issues. This effort can be mentally taxing, as it often involves uncovering complexities or recognising gaps in our current knowledge. However, the rewards of such effort—a more comprehensive understanding and long-term solutions—far outweigh the initial challenges.
Our ingrained ways of thinking
This brings us back to the Cognitive Script Theory that is explored early on “Tiny Experiments“.
Cognitive Script Theory explains a psychological framework that provides insight into how individuals process experiences and develop patterns of behaviour based on prior knowledge and expectations. Cognitive scripts are mental representations that guide us through routine situations, shaping our reactions and decisions.
By recognising and examining these ingrained patterns, we can all unlock opportunities to challenge biases, encourage creativity, and improve problem-solving abilities. To do this, we must be willing to explore and not simply jump to the next thing on our to-do list.
Call to action: Suspend Solutions.
If we want to drive a culture of learning and improvement to bring about real change, we must suspend solution thinking and spend more time being uncomfortable with understanding the problem.
To get involved or engage your team in Problem-Solving, contact us to explore our programs.
