Aug 15, 2018
Dave Gray had me at “Assume that
you are not objective. If you’re part of the system you want to
change, you’re part of the problem.” That teaching intensified by
the basic exericse of writing down my beliefs about a challenging
situation I found myself in and then coming up with 3 or 4
alternate beliefs, both plausible and outlandish, proven useful
immediately.
My
new favorite book is Liminal
Thinking. Dave Gray is
this crazy cool mix of design thinking, business team strategist,
writer, and enlightened illustrator. I was sort of shocked he
agreed to the interview. Then I found out that he is really
interested in the results of us ordinary people reading his book
and doing the exercises.
He
was surprised I did the exercises. He said most people don’t do
them. So, I invite you, before you listen to the rest of this show,
press pause. Write down a challenge you have. Now. “Assume that you
are not objective. If you’re part of the system you want to change,
you’re part of the problem.” Write down the core belief or beliefs
inherent in the way you wrote down the your challenge. The more
outside your box the better. I’ve found that diametrically opposite
beliefs are very insightful here. That’s it. You are thinking
beyond your threshold. Welcome to liminal thinking. Press
play.
Dave Gray is a leader and manager with a background in design. He has worked with many of the world’s largest companies, as well as mid-sized businesses, startups, executives and individuals.
He is the founder of XPLANE, a strategic design consultancy, and co-founder of Boardthing, a collaboration platform for distributed teams.
He is the author of two books on design, change and innovation: Gamestorming: A playbook for innovators, rule-breakers and changemakers; and The Connected Company.
His area of focus is the human side of change and innovation, specifically: How can you get people to adopt new ideas? How can you win their hearts and minds? How can you get people, including yourself, to change deeply embedded habits and behaviors? How can you transform a business strategy from a good idea to a living fact in the real world? Connect with Dave on his website and facebook group.