Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
quadrant III carries the same inquisitorial context, just asking closed-ended
questions that only need a yes or no answer. Any inquisitorial questions will
evoke fear, defensiveness, and oftentimes anger and reprisal by the listener.
Many research teams have errantly traveled down this path, with less than
stellar results as human energy was wasted on protection of status, ego, or
honor, instead of focusing on the larger, nobler cause which the research team
was trying to achieve.
Quadrant IV describes the types of questions that typically constitute
much of scientifi c research. They tend to be tightly bound, based on evidence,
focusing on generating knowledge. While these types of questions can work
wonders in the scientifi c context, they can be very limiting in the human
context.
Being aware of these differences can help the leader of any clinical research
team shift the content and style of their dialogue to generate a much higher
esprit de corps, inspire curiosity, and gain much deeper insight, with an atten-
dant shift in the results produced.
The most transformative creativity results when a group either thinks of a
new way to frame a problem or fi nds a new problem that no one had noticed
before. When teams work this way, ideas are often transformed into questions
and problems. This is critical, because creativity researchers have discovered
that the most creative groups are good at fi nding new problems rather than
simply solving old ones [2].
2.5
ELIMINATE THE WORD: FAILURE
One paramount fear in all scientists is the fear of failure. Studies have shown
it to be common to nearly all college graduates. This fear, if used mildly, can
motivate people to great heights and long hours of work. But overused or used
as a threat, it can paralyze people, causing them to shut down or avoid the
possibility of failure, because fear of failure immediately attacks the ego, which
never wants to accept the stigma of tragic disappointment. Senior executives
have some advice on “ failure ” (Table 2.2 )
Returning to the development of the electric light, Thomas Edison and his
research and development (R&D) team provide a superb example of how to
TABLE 2.2 Advice from Senior Executives about “ Failure ”
• “You only get the ten percent of innovations that succeed if you are ready to
accept the ninety percent that fail.”
• “ If you never failed, you never dared. ”
• “ Relieve failures of their negative aura by calling them ' lessons learned ' or
' learning opportunities. ' ”
• “ It ' s a mistake to punish innovative people for failures, particularly in industries
with very short product cycles, where decision making is invariably faster and
often based on incomplete knowledge. ”
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