The Next Next Common Sense Exploring Context and Setting the Stage Mental models don't exist in isolation—they function within specific contexts. The context provides the frame within which the model oper- ates, determining which elements are relevant and which are not. When Lisa Stevens, a business executive, faces a crisis with a sick child and an important client meeting scheduled simultaneously, her mental models of "professional" and "parent" collide within the specific context of that day. The context—including time constraints, the client's impor- tance, her child's condition, and available support—shapes how her men- tal models guide her decision-making. Leaders who understand context can deliberately set the stage for more effective mental modeling. This involves:
1. Creating Psychological Safety
When team members feel psychologically safe, they're more willing to share diverse mental models without fear of ridicule or punishment. Google's Project Aristotle found that psychological safety was the single most important factor in team effectiveness, precisely because it allowed for the productive exploration of different mental models. A manager at a manufacturing company illustrated this principle with a story about an environmental issue:
"One morning I got a call from one of our operators who was very upset because, as she was coming into work that morning to start her 6AM shift, she'd heard a couple of guys on a country music show criticizing our plant for all its emissions. That night had been clear and the steam plumes were glistening in the moonlight. Because of her involvement on the environmental teams, she knew they were just water vapor, but the guys on the show thought they were chemical emissions. After expressing her frus- trations, she went on to inform me that she'd called them
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