Upside Down Thinking: Disrupting the Status Quo
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The document explores 'upside down thinking,' a method of questioning conventional beliefs and practices by presenting heretical proposals that challenge the norm. It emphasizes the importance of different types of thinking, such as critical, creative, and integrative thinking, while discussing biases that influence our understanding. Additionally, it highlights the necessity of involving diverse perspectives in problem-solving and the need for innovative solutions, particularly concerning poverty alleviation.
Upside Down Thinking: Disrupting the Status Quo
- 1. Upside Down Thinking: Disrupting the Status Quo Mark Holmgren May 2015
- 2. 2 When was the last time you had an in-service or attended a workshop that was about how (not what) to think?
- 3. What is Thinking? What is thinking? 3
- 4. What is thinking? • Think carefully before you begin. • I was thinking about you. • I couldn’t think of her phone number. • Think about what we should do next. • I think you are right. • Let’s think about the future. • I need to think about what that means. • Let’s think of a better way. 4 4 ADVICE CONSIDERATION REMEMBERING LINEAR JUDGEMENTS VISIONING REFLECTION INNOVATION
- 5. Thinking… It is how we connect “things” we experience into knowledge, order, patterns. 5
- 6. Thinking… It is the language of “self” and not only is “of” the self but continually constructs and deconstructs the “self.” Thinking is how we understand our differentiation from and alignment with others. It is how we engage from our own uniqueness. 6
- 7. Thinking…It’s simple, complicated, complex and chaotic. SIMPLE Make a cake Any one can do it COMPLICATED Build a Rocket Those who know how can get it done. COMPLEX Raise a Child No one really can say with certainty how to do it consistently. CHAOS Forest Forests are the result of unpredictable natural order. 7 Based on the work of Brenda Zimmerman
- 9. Thinking… It has innumerable filters, often called “biases.” 9
- 10. Biases 10 Ambiguity Effect: ignoring what is not clear Anchoring: Allowing one thing to anchor one’s position Availability cascade: The latest shiny thing influences us. Backfire Effect: Digging in despite evidence Bandwagon Effect: All aboard but not sure to where Bias Blind Spot: I am less biased than you. Confirmation Bias: Seeking proof of what I want to hear. Endowment Effect: I want more to give up what I would pay less to achieve Information Bias: We just need more and more info. Immediacy Bias: I just got robbed. We must have more police.
- 11. What it’s not • You. • Physical Reality. • Objective. • Static. • Language. • That which you are thinking about. 11
- 12. Our Preference Image from http://www.quora.com/ Rules. Order. Predictability. Clarity. Comfort. Easy. 12
- 13. However, often thinking is… Now look at what we have to contend with. Image from https://cldeanrobles.wordpress.com Associative. Messy. Chaotic. Murky. Uncomfortable. Boggling. 13
- 14. Some Types of Thinking CRITICAL THINKING CREATIVE THINKING INTEGRATIVE THINKING LATERAL THINKING All involve divergent and convergent thinking. 14
- 15. 15 CRITICAL Analytic Convergent Vertical Probability Judgement Focused Objective The Answer Left Brain Verbal Linear Reasoning Yeh, but… CREATIVE Generative Divergent Lateral Possibility Suspended Judgement Diffuse Subjective An Answer Right Brain Visual Associative Intuition Yeh, and…
- 16. 16 Achieving Resolution Conventional Thinkers Integrative Thinkers Focus on what is obviously relevant. Seek less obvious but potentially relevant factors Consider one- way linear relationships between variables… Consider multi- directional and non- linear relationships among variables Break problems into pieces and work on them separately or sequentially. See problems as whole, examining how the parts fit together, and how decisions affect one another. Make either- or choices; settle for the “best” option. Creatively resolve tensions among opposing ideas; generate innovative outcomes. Based on the work of Roger Martin. Chart from Harvard Business Review, 2007 Integrative thinking
- 18. Wicked Questions Wicked Questions are a method of provocative inquiry. 18
- 19. Upside Down Thinking is a heretical proposal. Image: https://zestpestdotcom.wordpress.com/ 19
- 20. This is what the goose did to land in tumultuous winds. In other words, turning itself upside down served as an act of “whiffling” which allowed the bird to overcome the wind and land safely. 20
- 21. Upside Down Thinking It is about setting a heretical context more so than crafting inquiry; it poses new realities or potential realities that run contrary to how we think and act and how we see our own identities 21
- 22. Example Right there in front of us all the time. 22
- 25. Upside Down Proposal Logic models destroy creativity and block innovation. 25
- 26. More Proposals • Anti-poverty activists sustain poverty. • Hidden agendas are the real agenda. • Funders should apply to agencies to fund them. • Self-interest should drive collective impact. • Collaborations create competition and divisiveness. • Volunteer programs have destroyed citizenship. • Agendas are why meetings are a waste of time. 26
- 27. The Upside Down Environment • Welcome the outliers and the boat rockers. • Seek divergence and invite “strangers” • Be explicit about “safety” to think upside down. • Deploy various methods to involve everyone. • Be clear about the purpose of an upside down session. • Record everything and share it with everyone. • Have a facilitator who cannot only work with disruption, but also be disruptive. 27
- 28. Upside Down Thinking About Poverty Economic poverty is the barrier to addressing real poverty: the deprivation of one’s humanity. 28
- 29. Upside Down Thinking About Poverty Economic policy should be crafted by people living below the poverty line. 29
- 30. Upside Down Thinking About Poverty Give poor people what they ask for and stop supporting gatekeeping. Enough to pay their rent. Enough good food to eat. Clothing and winter gear. Child Care. Transportation. Education. Work. Help. 30
- 31. Construct Homes for $25,000 Give them away. It’s cheaper. 31
- 32. Housing First does not work for those who need… 32
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- 35. About Mark Holmgren • CEO of Bissell Centre since 2011. • Strategy and change consultant for more than 20 years. • Former executive staff at two United Ways. • Project Developer of numerous supportive housing ventures. • Blogs often about strategy, innovation, collaboration, and upside down thinking. • Researcher, Analyst, Advocate. • Tamarack Institute “Thought Leader.” • Instructor at two universities. • Published poet and fiction writer with dozens of publication credits. • Singer/Songwriter/Musician • Partner, Father, Son • Chicken soup maker. www.BissellCentre.org www.markholmgren.com @mjholmgren on Twitter 35