Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know
AMA formatting Background: Reflection is a powerful tool that emphasizes the process of continued growth. Part of reflectionis rethinking the status quo. As we continue to evolve as leaders, evaluating and rethinking key experiencesfrom the past and determining how they have impacted us as a leader will assist us in further developing ourleadership skill set. Purpose: This assignment focuses on the analysis and reflection of the book, “Think Again: The Power ofKnowing What You Don’t Know” and how rethinking can impact your personal and professional life. Assignment: 1. Read the assigned book, “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” 2. Write the following reflection piece with the stated guidelines and upload to Blackboard Assignments by the assigned due date • 3-5 pages • Double-space • 12-point font • AMA formatting Reflection: Consider the following questions to reflect upon and include in your paper: • In one paragraph, summarize the book. • Expand on three (3) points or topics of discussion from the book that resonate with you and why. • Do you see yourself mostly in the preacher, prosecutor, or politician role? Provide an example to justify your response. • What do you view as a topic stuck in binary bias in need of being ‘complexified’ and why? • Using any of the constructs set forth in Think Again, discuss one (1) ‘best practices’ we should rethink, either personal or professional. • Add your conclusion for this reflection piece.
Sample Solution
The book “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” by Adam Grant provides an insightful look into the different roles people play when attempting to come up with new ideas and perspectives. From the three highlighted roles of preacher, prosecutor, and politician, I personally identify more with the politician role as it emphasizes being open-minded to considering other peoples’ ideas while also being able to take a stand on an issue when necessary. In this role one must focus on developing trust and understanding between parties before making decisions which is something I strive for in both my personal and professional life.
For example, recently at work I was tasked with redesigning our customer feedback system which involved collecting opinions from multiple teams within our organization. Rather than taking a hard stance right away on any one particular idea or solution, I strived to create an environment where everyone felt comfortable expressing their thoughts without judgement while also allowing me to acknowledge potential flaws in each proposal so they could be addressed quickly (Grant 2021). This allowed us to come up with a suitable solution that everyone agreed upon within a relatively short period of time as opposed to if we had gone down the path of debating each side without ever reaching a consensus.
Additionally, this approach has proven useful when dealing with friends or family members who may have conflicting viewpoints about certain topics. As someone who tends towards having strong convictions about certain subjects myself it can be easy for me to become defensive whenever my beliefs are challenged but instead I try my best not take things too personally and understand why someone else may think differently than me even if I don’t agree (Grant 2021). By doing so it makes conversations much easier since rather then trying defend my views endlessly we can explore potential compromises or solutions together instead which leads much more satisfying outcomes in the long run.
