One of the hardest things to keep doing as a professional is always have an open mind. Once we have applied our experience and working knowledge to a matter and come to a conclusion, having considered all the options, then we naturally want to stick to it. Others may have their view, but it is easy to insist we are right. The more experienced we are the more this is likely to be the case.
I am however just reading Think Again: The Power of knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant which advocates having the ability to keep an open mind. He suggests we should be confident in our knowledge and conclusions, but still be prepared to question our conclusions in a scientific manner. “What we want to attain is confident humility: having faith in our ability while appreciating that we may not have the right solution or even be addressing the right problem.”
He cites Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon: “People who are right listen a lot, and they change their mind a lot. If you don’t change your mind a lot you are going to be wrong a lot”.
And observes shrewdly that “The curse of knowledge is that it closes our minds to what we don’t know”.
The Cambridge dictionary says the meaning of “open mind” is “to wait until you know all the facts before forming an opinion or making a judgement. We should keep an open mind until all the evidence is available.” I suggest we need to go further than this as professionals and continue to question our judgement even after we have reached it as new facts emerge and matters evolve.
See this Forbes article How To Keep An Open Mind which proposes “Perhaps we need the constant reminders to be open minded because it’s such a hard state to sustain. Our brains are constantly instituting shortcuts that cause us to close our minds. Psychologists call humans cognitive misers and have identified various ways that we shut out information in order to process more efficiently” and observes “Further, the more success that we have, the harder it is to be open to new ideas. Research from Loyola University of Chicago has found that those who consider themselves to be experts in their fields are often more closed-minded to alternative viewpoints.”
The research cited says in its abstract “social norms dictate that experts are entitled to adopt a relatively dogmatic, closed-minded orientation. As a consequence, situations that engender self-perceptions of high expertise elicit a more closed-minded cognitive style.” In other words the more of an expert we are the more we have a tendency to being close minded.
I also like this article How to Be Open-Minded and Why It Matters which proposes: “Open-mindedness refers to being receptive to other ideas and new experiences. Close-mindedness involves much more rigid thinking and a refusal to consider other possibilities.”
It advocates taking time: “Giving yourself time to consider information can help you approach it with a more open mind. This often takes more effort, but it can be a great way to learn more about other points of view.”
See also this blog 10 Steps To Become More Open-Minded which says “Open-minded people tend to be good listeners who strive to understand how other people perceive situations. They see differing opinions as valuable and thrive in diverse environments where they can interact with people with unique ideas and backgrounds.” And proposes how we can be more open-minded including:
While this blog 9 smart ways to keep an open mind in the workplace proposes “Being open-minded doesn’t just mean accepting new ideas and tolerating other people, or expressing a certain degree of flexibility. It’s much more than that, and it is expressed through attitudes and actions — it means being receptive to everything and everyone that comes your way, allowing yourself to embrace various possibilities and opportunities, perspectives, suggestions and concerns. It means letting go of prejudice, stubbornness and rigidity.” And then suggests how to achieve this state of mind concluding “exchange ideas regularly with your colleagues or employees; accept respectful criticism without bitterness; appreciate and celebrate other people’s achievements; be flexible toward altering tasks, assignments or schedules; request feedback from within the company, as well as from clients, collaborators and service providers; encourage open-mindedness in others.”
This open minded approach is perhaps best captured as a concept by Carol Dweck in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success which suggests “it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success–but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset”. See this blog Carol Dweck: A Summary of Growth and Fixed Mindsets for a good summary saying `”If you believe that your qualities are unchangeable — the fixed mindset — you will want to prove yourself correct over and over rather than learning from your mistakes.`’ `it then cites `Carol Dweck on the opposite, growth, mindset:
“There’s another mindset in which these traits are not simply a hand you’re dealt and have to live with, always trying to convince yourself and others that you have a royal flush when you’re secretly worried it’s a pair of tens. In this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.”
As George Bernard Shaw says “Those who can’t change their minds can’t change anything.”
While Albert Einstein observed “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
And the American author Colleen Hoover advises “Keep an open mind; it’s the only way things can get in.”
I am however just reading Think Again: The Power of knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant which advocates having the ability to keep an open mind. He suggests we should be confident in our knowledge and conclusions, but still be prepared to question our conclusions in a scientific manner. “What we want to attain is confident humility: having faith in our ability while appreciating that we may not have the right solution or even be addressing the right problem.”
He cites Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon: “People who are right listen a lot, and they change their mind a lot. If you don’t change your mind a lot you are going to be wrong a lot”.
And observes shrewdly that “The curse of knowledge is that it closes our minds to what we don’t know”.
The Cambridge dictionary says the meaning of “open mind” is “to wait until you know all the facts before forming an opinion or making a judgement. We should keep an open mind until all the evidence is available.” I suggest we need to go further than this as professionals and continue to question our judgement even after we have reached it as new facts emerge and matters evolve.
See this Forbes article How To Keep An Open Mind which proposes “Perhaps we need the constant reminders to be open minded because it’s such a hard state to sustain. Our brains are constantly instituting shortcuts that cause us to close our minds. Psychologists call humans cognitive misers and have identified various ways that we shut out information in order to process more efficiently” and observes “Further, the more success that we have, the harder it is to be open to new ideas. Research from Loyola University of Chicago has found that those who consider themselves to be experts in their fields are often more closed-minded to alternative viewpoints.”
The research cited says in its abstract “social norms dictate that experts are entitled to adopt a relatively dogmatic, closed-minded orientation. As a consequence, situations that engender self-perceptions of high expertise elicit a more closed-minded cognitive style.” In other words the more of an expert we are the more we have a tendency to being close minded.
I also like this article How to Be Open-Minded and Why It Matters which proposes: “Open-mindedness refers to being receptive to other ideas and new experiences. Close-mindedness involves much more rigid thinking and a refusal to consider other possibilities.”
It advocates taking time: “Giving yourself time to consider information can help you approach it with a more open mind. This often takes more effort, but it can be a great way to learn more about other points of view.”
See also this blog 10 Steps To Become More Open-Minded which says “Open-minded people tend to be good listeners who strive to understand how other people perceive situations. They see differing opinions as valuable and thrive in diverse environments where they can interact with people with unique ideas and backgrounds.” And proposes how we can be more open-minded including:
- Being aware of biases
- Considering the opposite view
- Asking questions
While this blog 9 smart ways to keep an open mind in the workplace proposes “Being open-minded doesn’t just mean accepting new ideas and tolerating other people, or expressing a certain degree of flexibility. It’s much more than that, and it is expressed through attitudes and actions — it means being receptive to everything and everyone that comes your way, allowing yourself to embrace various possibilities and opportunities, perspectives, suggestions and concerns. It means letting go of prejudice, stubbornness and rigidity.” And then suggests how to achieve this state of mind concluding “exchange ideas regularly with your colleagues or employees; accept respectful criticism without bitterness; appreciate and celebrate other people’s achievements; be flexible toward altering tasks, assignments or schedules; request feedback from within the company, as well as from clients, collaborators and service providers; encourage open-mindedness in others.”
This open minded approach is perhaps best captured as a concept by Carol Dweck in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success which suggests “it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success–but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset”. See this blog Carol Dweck: A Summary of Growth and Fixed Mindsets for a good summary saying `”If you believe that your qualities are unchangeable — the fixed mindset — you will want to prove yourself correct over and over rather than learning from your mistakes.`’ `it then cites `Carol Dweck on the opposite, growth, mindset:
“There’s another mindset in which these traits are not simply a hand you’re dealt and have to live with, always trying to convince yourself and others that you have a royal flush when you’re secretly worried it’s a pair of tens. In this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.”
As George Bernard Shaw says “Those who can’t change their minds can’t change anything.”
While Albert Einstein observed “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
And the American author Colleen Hoover advises “Keep an open mind; it’s the only way things can get in.”
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