Michael Lissack
From isolated issues to systems :
• Instead of "How do we fix this specific problem?" ask "What sys- tem is generating these types of problems?"
From present to future :
• Instead of "How do we compete in today's market?" ask "What might our industry look like in five years, and how do we prepare?"
Creative reframing isn't random—it emerges from deep understand- ing of customers, contexts, and capabilities. The most innovative leaders don't just solve problems better; they find better problems to solve.
Leveraging Cognitive Diversity
Perhaps the most important aspect of creative mental modeling in or- ganizations is leveraging cognitive diversity—different ways of thinking and perceiving the world. Cognitive diversity goes beyond demographic diversity to include: • Different thinking styles (analytical vs. intuitive) • Different knowledge domains (technical vs. customer-focused) • Different personality traits (detail-oriented vs. big-picture) • Different cultural frameworks (individualistic vs. collective) • Different temporal orientations (short-term vs. long-term) Research by Scott Page at the University of Michigan has demon- strated that cognitively diverse teams consistently outperform homo- geneous teams of even higher individual ability when tackling complex problems. This occurs precisely because diverse teams bring different mental models to bear on the same challenge.
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