#ThinkfullyHabit: Pass on the pattern
When we have expertise and face a situation we've seen before we often instantly spot what to do and how to do it. Experts are typically experts precisely because they spot relevant patterns that other people don’t, or are quicker than others to spot them.
However, this doesn't mean the expert, who is able to rapidly jump straight to the best solution, is good at sharing the rationale behind this or helping others learn from the situation. In fact, experts can be notoriously bad at sharing their expertise with others because they struggle to explain why they think what they do or can feel frustrated by the effort it can take to explain what seems so obvious and automatic to them.
“Sharing experiences rather than prescriptive advice is like giving someone the tools they need to problem solve on their own and become successful.”
WHY?
We are far better at spotting and responding to patterns than being able to pass them on. Take chess grand masters for instance, they read a game at a glance without systematically processing information or evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each possible move. Instead, they spot patterns and respond with their moves based on all the previous patterns they’ve seen play out time and time again over previous matches*. However, it does not make all great chess masters great chess teachers.
Just like chess grand masters, we often respond to patterns intuitively, fast and unconsciously; however, we may not be so good at making the reasons behind our responses explicit (even to ourselves), or able to pass the patterns on.
However, if we can try to make the patterns more explicit then we can start to scrutinise or sense-check our own responses to ensure they are relevant (rather than simply patterns of assumption, stereotype or tunnel vision), and importantly, others can do the same. Not only can this help check for bias, it can also give us a way to more effectively share and pass on our hard-won expertise.
So, next time you try and pass on your expertise try thinking about it in terms of the patterns involved:
- Spot the patterns: Make the pattern explicit to yourself as far as possible. This will never be foolproof as it's tough to make what is often so intuitive, more conscious, but ask yourself what are the early warning signals and the clues that you tend to notice. It's only by trying to get closer to this that it's possible to pass this onto others more effectively.
- Share the patterns: Help others tune in to the patterns that you see. Convey knowledge into broader patterns rather than a series of individual pieces of information. Ask others to play back the patterns they have understood and how this fits with their own patterns.
- Prioritise across patterns: Consider what patterns are important and what aren’t? Help by sharing the patterns that people may encounter and then differentiate between them. When should people worry and when shouldn’t they.
- Zoom in on pattern anomalies: When passing on expertise, the temptation is to share what people should be doing and looking for. The trick is also to share what they should notice is missing. What patterns wouldn’t be expected? What are the pattern breakers? In this way it helps people move on from following the rules or guidelines to a deeper internalised understanding.
Expert thinking relies on our ability to notice patterns, judge what’s typical and respond to what doesn’t fit the pattern. If you can become more conscious of the patterns yourself, it can not only help sense-check your own responses but it also gives others the best chance to learn from your expertise.
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