Doing well, feeling fine

#24 | Can we see with neutral eyes? How to observe and pay attention with Christian Madsbjerg

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New episodes are in the bag, and we are back for the next "season".

In this episode, I am in NY, sitting down with Christian Madsbjerg who is a professor at NY's New School and co-founder of consulting firm ReD Associates. Christian teaches widely on the practical application of the human sciences. Here are some key questions and insights from our conversation:

  1. We are trained in having opinions and need to learn to see with neutral eyes
  2. Getting lost in philosophical arguments about the impossibility of a truly neutral, objective vantage point isn't all that helpful: even if we cannot escape our "frame of reference", there is so much to see and learn if we just suspended judgement and opinion and allowed the world to stream in
  3. This stuff has business application, e.g., gathering customer insights. Christian recounts the way midwestern SUV users care deeply about the environment: But instead of referring to "fighting climate change", they might talk about their love of the outdoors, the importance of conservation, freedom, etc. Reframed in those terms, this customer segment can become highly interested in electric vehicles, say. And Christian recounts how these insights informed his consulting work for a global automotive player
  4. We talk about there being too much "introspection" and not enough "inspection" of the world: Instead of observing and optimizing ourselves, we should observe and listen to what is happening around us
  5. Christian also highlights the through-line from observation and gathering a unique insight about customers to innovation and creativity: instead of brainstorming sessions, play, and "channeling inspiration", we should start with an insight.


    6. Finally, Christian leaves us with perhaps one of the most distinctive accounts of observation, here, in the context of wildlife: we talk about J.A. Baker's classic The Peregrine, published over 50 years ago, and still such a compelling account of how to look without judging or opining.


    LOVED this conversation and hope you find it valuable.

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    Doing well, feeling fineBy Boris Ewenstein
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