#ThinkfullyHabit: Call on the novice
A novice? Really? It may sound counterintuitive as we usually expect to go and seek out an expert, rather than a novice. However, sometimes expertise gets in the way and stops us from seeing things with fresh eyes.
Our knowledge about the world can interfere as we become unable to detach ourselves from previously held knowledge which taints our judgements and make us less sensitive to what we observe. In this way expertise can sometimes hinder us rather than help us. It means we need to call on the novice, the person(s) who have the beginners eyes; who aren’t the experts, and actively encourage them to give their own ideas. They are the ones who can often help us to challenge our own assumptions.
“When we begin to identify as experts, our outlook can narrow, both in daily work and in times of crisis… Learning requires exposure to novelty. But when you’re an expert, it’s easy to become intellectually cloistered.”
WHY?
Studies have found that expertise can sometimes throw us off course. For example, researchers from the University of Geneva and the University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté found that high-level mathematicians can be duped by some aspects of their knowledge which can mean that they fail to solve primary school-level subtraction problems*. It suggests we may need to check our expertise isn’t getting in the way.
A good illustration of this is when we get stuck if asked to use an object in a different way than what we're traditionally used to - which can hamper our problem solving skills. In fact, sometimes we need to forget what we know.
Take this challenge: You have a cardboard box full of sand and buried coins. You’re given 60 seconds, a set of chopsticks and a spoon to get the coins out. Without tipping the box or putting your hands in the box, how do you get the coins out? If you’re stuck for ideas – read here: