My least favourite people are closed minded people.

Ignorance is bliss, but potentially dangerous.

Like leaders driving a heavy vehicle without eyes on the road ahead.

Those who know all the answers.

Previously published in my LinkedIn newsletter as 2024 Week 38 of 52 73% Unknowns >

Those who believe their intuition trumps the need for curiosity, or considered (System 2) thinking. They may even say they value research, but ignore any counter evidence.

There are few definitive answers, and the best questions have infinite possibilities. Questions, revealing more questions and possibilities.

“If you think there are hard and fast answers, there is no reason for art. There is no reason for continued imaginative work, because if the answers can be found, then find them, and there is no more imagination necessary!” Peter Drew

Management Key Performance Indicators are somewhat definitive. What is the profit this quarter? Or, the Net Promotor Score?

Yet, even such seemingly definitive answers, open more questions.

How do we increase profitability? How can NPS be improved?

Answers revealing more questions. Often KPIs are not met, then more questions – why didn’t we hit the targets? KPIs are often not achieved.

When times get more unpredictable, beyond the ever present uncertainty, such as our current economic times, KPIs are more often not achieved, again and again. Boards ask “WHY ARE THESE KPIS NOT ACHIEVED?” Hitting KPIs is more complex than setting them.

The problem consistently across corporate and government leaders is that KPIs are definitive, but answers are more often ambiguous. Progress and growth is not made as the vision is too narrow.

KPIs are about knowns, yet answers are about unknowns.

“…there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” Donald Rumsfeld

This is the beauty of the explorative research we do. It is divergent curiosity, ever seeking answers with a beginner’s mind. Unknown unknowns. We never really know what opportunities will be revealed.

Over my close to thirty years as a researcher, twenty with Square Holes, it is somewhat alarming at how often leaders basically proclaim how they already know all the answers. They are clearly the self-proclaimed smartest person in the room. Intuition is generally an illusion, particularly with constant uncertainty and infinite unknowns.

Good leaders are ever open minded, seeking counter perspectives.

I loved this recent related article and quote …

“We need to become more open-minded. As soon as you tap into curiosity, you turn adversity into possibility” Why you should stop fixating on KPIs, Australian Financial Review September 11 2023 >

Words fitting very closely with the work we do at Square Holes.

Systemised curiosity, such as exploratory market and culture research, is a worthy investment to map the road ahead beyond KPIs.

Have a good Friday and weekend!

Jason