Most of us have been taught to become better at finding solutions. But some of the biggest business mistakes happen before the search for a solution even begins. We misdiagnose the problem, lock onto the first plausible explanation, or rush into action before we understand what is actually happening. In this episode, we explore what separates exceptional problem solvers from everyone else, and the practical tools that can help you frame problems more accurately, challenge your assumptions, and arrive at better solutions.
Dr. Jackson Nickerson has a long, distinguished career in teaching, research, consulting, administration, and entrepreneurship. Starting out as an assistant professor in 1996, he became the Frahm Family Professor of Organization and Strategy at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis. As Associate Dean and Director of Brookings Executive Education from 2009 to 2017, he led innovations including one of the nation's first Executive Master of Science in Leadership degrees, doubled executive enrollment, and increased revenue by 75%. He was the first-ever senior fellow at the Grameen Foundation. He is a Visiting Professor of Corporate Governance at Insper in São Paulo, Brazil, and a frequent collaborator with the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School.
He is the founder/co-founder of five companies. Of note is NFORMD, which produced a first-of-its-kind online sexual assault prevention program used by colleges and the U.S. Army. A consultant for scores of companies and government agencies, he advises on strategy development, inclusion and diversity, and processes to ensure that leaders solve the right problem the first time. Jackson is the chief social scientist for EPC Learning Labs LLC.
Jackson Nickerson holds a Ph.D. in Business and Public Policy, an M.B.A., and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, all from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Before entering academia, he was a control systems engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Dr. Jackson Nickerson's Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Nickerson
Dr. Jackson Nickerson's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Jackson-A-Nickerson/e/B003Y1L9X4/
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:53) Dr. Nickerson’s background
(01:35) Why is problem-solving hard?
(02:56) Teams often solve the wrong problem
(04:45) Common problems in leaders
(05:10) Tool: Strategies to stop bias
(07:10) Tool: Strategies to minimize confirmation bias effects
(08:59) Tool: Framing effect
(10:49) Thinking traps
(14:05) Enhancing critical strategic thinking
(18:21) Conclusion
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