JUST SAY YES!
Idea Champions is thrilled to welcome Dr. Barry Gruenberg to it's team of consultants, facilitators, and bloggers. Here is Barry's latest pearl of wisdom.
When somebody asks you if you can do something, just say YES. You can always figure out how later. Indeed there is a good chance that what you are being asked for is not what's really needed, anyway.
We often evaluate the value we can add to a situation by imagining that there is someone else who really has the required expertise. We interpret our uncertainty as a testimonial to our inadequacy as compared to the imagined expertise of the presumed, all-knowing other.
Actually, our uncertainty and humility are essential elements of what we bring to the party; they drive our curiosity about what is really going on and help us listen to multiple points of view on the problem without having preconceived ideas about solutions.
Developing a deep understanding of what a problem truly consists of is a much more valuable contribution than providing a pre-conceived solution; devising solutions is easy once we have a robust problem statement.
The problem with high levels of expertise?
1. When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail
2. If you have to appear as an expert, you have little opportunity to learn anything new.
In today's world, characterized by unprecedented new technologies and business models, we are much more likely to find ourselves facing adaptive challenges that require new ways of thinking and acting. So embrace your ignorance and go for it!
Barry's workshop on listening
Idea Champions
Barry on what leaders can do to foster innovation
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