Seeing What Others Don’t
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Seeing What Others Don’t

The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights

Gary Klein
Public Affairs, 2013
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

Eureka! Here’s a new way to look at insight: Cognitive scientist Gary Klein delves deeply into the phenomenon of that flash of inspiration or recognition and structures its attainment according to the “Triple Path” model he devised – in an insight of his own. Rather than following the prescribed path of conducting carefully controlled experiments, he developed his model by using the “naturalistic” method of collecting and analyzing 120 stories of human experiences that altered someone’s “core beliefs.” The stories bring his research to vivid life. His analysis of these tales persuaded him that “connections, coincidences, curiosities, contradictions and creative desperation” lead to insight. getAbstract recommends Klein’s method and smart exposition to anyone who wants to be more attuned to their intuitive processes, to make sounder decisions more quickly, and to inspire insights among their colleagues, employees, friends or family.

Summary

Pull Over

A police officer observed the driver of a new BMW flick ashes from his cigarette onto the upholstery. He wondered who would be so uncaring as to do that in a brand-new car. The officer pulled the vehicle over and arrested a car thief – he’d caught the careless crook in the act. This story demonstrates the power of a flash of insight.

Businesses rely on such insights to shape decisions and trigger innovation. Yet, to boost performance, managers work hard to reduce errors. In the process, they often neglect to facilitate useful insights. While many experts say that focusing on avoiding errors stifles innovation, they don’t know how to increase insight: What ignites that flash? What traits or events impede people and block their ability to seize an insight? And, how can you build your stream of insights?

Insight Stories

Martin Chalfie, a professor of biology at Columbia University, won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008. Chalfie was studying the nervous system of worms. He attended a lecture about a topic unrelated to his field. The speaker described the discovery of a protein in jellyfish that enables them to fluoresce underwater. Chalfie realized...

About the Author

Gary Klein, a senior scientist at MacroCognition LLC, also wrote Sources of Power, The Power of Intuition and A Practitioner’s Guide to Cognitive Task Analysis.

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