#10: Think Again

Adding an extra dose of behavioral science to your week with our series In a Nutshell— a collection of behavioral science principles, explained in 150 words or less, written weekly by CUBIC director Allison Zelkowitz.

Do you remember the last time you realized you were wrong? 

In his book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, organizational psychologist Adam Grant encourages us not just to develop knowledge and experience, but to hone the skill of rethinking. Grant asserts that too often we favor feeling right over being right, and we slip into one of three mindsets:  preacher, prosecutor, or politician. 

 He recommends we aspire to emulate Nobel Prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who says, “I change my mind at a speed that drives my collaborators crazy. My attachment to my ideas is provisional. There’s no unconditional love for them.”

To do this, Grant proposes these approaches:  

1.       Think like a scientist – recognize our knowledge gaps and remain curious

2.       Open minds – ask more questions and find areas of agreement

3.       Resist viewing issues as two-sided – consider the full range of perspectives instead