How can you make better decisions? Start by challenging yourself to think differently. Let me introduce yourself to someone who can help you do so.
Some of the people who have shaped how I think the most are the ones I had the privilege of learning from in graduate school. At the very top of that list is Gerald (Jerry) Zaltman.
Jerry is Emeritus Professor at Harvard Business School. Decades ago, he served on my dissertation committee, and he is, without exaggeration, one of my favorite people on the planet. Just over a year ago, I had the privilege of going to dinner with Jerry and his wife when I was on vacation. This experience made me realize how fortunate I was to be one of his students, and how much I miss him!
Jerry is one of the wisest and most generous folks I’ve ever met. Amongst other things, he pioneered ZMET™, a patented research method that uses metaphors and the unconscious mind to understand how people think.
So when I heard Jerry had written a new book called Dare to Think Differently, I scooped it up, devoured it, and immediately invited him to talk about it on the Talk About Talk podcast.
Are you ready to make better decisions by cultivating an open-mind? This newsletter is your preview of the book and our conversation.
One line in particular has stayed with me. Jerry said:
That sounds simple. It’s not.
In my coaching work with senior leaders, I often meet exceptionally smart people who are highly capable thinkers. But many operate with default assumptions that once served them well and may no longer fit today’s rapidly changing environment.
Jerry argues that open-mindedness is not about becoming passive or agreeable. It’s about consciously developing an adaptive mindset.
How exactly do you do that? Jerry has 6 specific suggestions that you can try today:
Make Better Decisions – 6 ways to think differently
1️⃣ Serious playfulness. Am I engaging in serious playfulness to ensure novel thinking?
When stakes are high, we default to somber, cautious thinking. Jerry argues that you have to introduce playfulness inside the seriousness. One of his favorite exercises: have people role-play opposing ideas (for example, “frugal” and “extravagant” having a conversation in your head) to surface the richness that a normal meeting will never reach.
2️⃣ Befriending ignorance. Am I asking bold enough questions?
This may be the hardest one. “I’ve never seen on a resume ‘expertise in befriending ignorance’,” Jerry told me. And yet, where else do new ideas come from? Imagination, he says, is “picturing that which is missing.” That requires admitting what you do not know.
3️⃣ Asking the right discovery questions. Am I allowing my curiosity to lead me to unfamiliar domains?
The right question, Jerry explained, is the one that survives all the wrong ones. It also has what he calls a “caffeine element”: it wakes people up and makes them think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” In his words, “I would always prefer a really solid question to a really solid answer.”
4️⃣ Chasing your curiosity. Am I willing to learn the languages spoken by other disciplines?
Curiosity in the US is on the decline, Jerry told me, with the drop starting as early as fifth or sixth grade. Notice the verb: chase. Curiosity is elusive, and it is yours to catch. Not someone else’s.
5️⃣ Panoramic thinking. Am I viewing ambiguities as sources of opportunities?
Jerry’s favorite recent example of panoramic thinking: scientists used the design of a lobster’s eye to build a camera capable of capturing distant cloudy phenomena in deep space. That is panoramic thinking. Yes, consilience. Look in fields that are unrelated to yours.
6️⃣ Using the “voyager outlook.” Am I identifying what I don’t know?
Old maps used to say, “There be monsters” where the known world ended. Voyagers sailed anyway. “Intelligence is the ability to make sense of ambiguity,” Jerry told me. That requires embracing it, not avoiding it.
How to Make Better Decisions?
Pick one this week. You do not need to try all six at once. Pick the suggestion that made you pause, and try it with a real problem you’re facing. It’s almost guaranteed to make you a better decision-maker. Let me know how it goes!
One last piece of gold for you: Jerry’s 3-part recipe for success in life (yes, the power of 3!):
1. Humility
- Recognizing there is always more to learn. As Jerry said: “There’s no space for arrogance.”
2. Courage
- Being willing to ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, and occasionally make others (and yourself) uncomfortable in pursuit of better thinking.
3. Discipline
- Open-mindedness is not accidental. It requires effort, reflection, and sustained curiosity.
I’m going to hold on to these three.
Jerry’s wisdom lands so much better when you hear him speak. You can listen to our full conversation on the Talk About Talk podcast, ep.213, on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. And if you want to keep thinking, Jerry’s book Dare to Think Differently is worth keeping on your desk.
Have a great week.
Talk soon,
Dr. Andrea Wojnicki Executive Communication Coach – Talk About Talk
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Most Recent Podcast Episodes 🎧
ep.213 – Dare to Think Differently with Harvard Professor Gerald Zaltman
ep.212 –The Top 7 Presentation Mistakes Leaders Make
ep.211 – Oversharing: “Revealing” with Harvard Business School Professor Leslie John
Watch Talk About Talk on YouTube Check out the Talk About Talk Podcast Archive
