What do gingerbread, chemistry, and House MD have in common?

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How could you usefully see things differently?

What do gingerbread, chemistry, and House MD have in common?

They can help us with #Leadership, #Innovation, #Management, and #ProblemSolving.

In the spirit of the festive season, I’m reminded of two fun stories I head this year.

A dad was making Christmas gingerbread with his son, who was reading out the recipe for him to follow. It was when they got to the instruction ‘one or two teaspoons of salt’ that he realised what his son was misunderstanding… having already added ‘three or four teaspoons of ginger’ and ‘two or three’ of cinnamon.

Another, a more serious lab error, where experiments were askew for months, and it was only after they had tested every single combination of lab tech, equipment, process, and sequence that they realised their supplier had mislabelled a key chemical.

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One of my favorite examples of reframing is the TV series House MD, where the protagonist, Dr. Gregory House, is a brilliant but unconventional medical #diagnostician. He often uses reframing techniques to crack the most challenging cases, such as:

* Asking ‘what if’ questions to explore alternative scenarios or explanations

* Using analogies or metaphors to simplify complex concepts or draw parallels

* Applying lateral thinking to find connections or patterns that are not obvious

* Switching roles or perspectives to empathise or criticise

* Changing the context or scale to highlight or minimize certain aspects

House, MD is inspired by the classic character of Sherlock Holmes, who was also a master of reframing and deduction. Both of them demonstrate the power of #creativityand #criticalthinking in solving problems. Both also paid a price for it.

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In my anecdotes, there are several critical lessons:

– the importance of precision

– the importance of perspective

And the possibility of taking what we perceive subjectively — the experiences we are inside, the context cues we are responding to, the assumptions we make just to make the world make sense — and objectifying and considering them.

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As a #consultant and #facilitator, I often use reframing tools and methods to help my clients and partners achieve their goals. I believe that reframing is not only a cognitive skill, but also a social and emotional one. It requires curiosity, openness, and humility to admit that we don’t know everything, and that we can learn from others.

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So, this Christmas, as we wrap up the hardest year I can remember in UK #publicservice — I invite you to try reframing some of the challenges or opportunities you face, whether in your personal or professional life. You might be surprised by what you discover, or what you can achieve.

How could you usefully see things differently?

And, if you’re making gingerbread, make sure you read the recipe carefully!

Wishing everyone a reflective and joyous holiday season.