Changing obsolete mental models (nº 5)

Introduction

After writing my second post, "Key factors to build group cohesiveness", related to cohesion and its relationship with the performance of the teams, I made the conclusion there are still some old fashioned mental models in our environment affecting the evolution of the Organizations. I think we should work on how to change them.

I have focused this post on that matter. I wanted to discern about which can be a good method so people can change the obsolete models, updating them to better adapt our Organizations to the reality we live in the markets right now.

I want to start with some of the different definitions given to mental models, the ones I like most.

Definition of a mental model    

The chapter 2 of the thesis by San-Marie Aucamp and publidhed in 2002 contains a number of definitions of what can be considered as a mental model. 

The most interesting ones for me are: 

"According to Espejo et al. (1996) mental models represent an individual's implicit and explicit understanding of the world, that is their world vision. They control the individual's search for data and information and determine how this would be used. This suggests that mental models cannot be classified as right or wrong but should rather be thought of as useful or not useful. Prejudice can for example be thought of as a simple, but not very useful mental model".

"According to Doyle & Frod (1998) a mental model is the mental image of the world around them that people carry in their heads. They do not have cities or governments in their heads, they have selected concepts and relationships that they use to represent the real system. A mental model of a dynamic system is a relatively enduring and accessible but limited internal conceptual representation of an external system whose structure maintains the perceived structure of that system. Mental models do not only include knowledge, but also detailed information on how the knowledge is organised and interconnected". 

 And the last one I like, that can implement the information in the previous definition is: 

"According to Hinsz (1995) a mental model is an individual's mental representation and beliefs about a system, and the individual's interaction with the system, with particular focus on how the individual's interactions with the system lead to outcomes of interest. This definition indicates that there are four elements that are central to the definition of a mental model: 
. the individual. 
. the system. 
. the interactions between the individual and the system. 

. the outcomes of the individual's interactions with the system  

Mental models are important because people's beliefs and expectations regarding systems and their interactions with those systems influence their actions with regards to those systems profoundly".

Our perception of reality is also involved in giving shape to mental models

In the "The Power of Impossible Thinking" book, written by Yoram (Jerry) Wind and Colin Crook, some guidelines for working in changing mental models are provided.

But before we get to qualify the method itself, I would like to do a little analysis of the effect that perception has on this matter. I also take the advantage of the explanations shown on the book. 

The book uses "internet" as an example of how we change our perception hen the "dotcom" crisis happened. I trancribe the example then:

 

my wife and my mother-in-law   

"One day, the Internet was infinitely attractive. It could do no wrong. It was magnificent and beautiful. The next day, it was overhyped and ugly. It could do nothing right. Nothing had changed about the picture, yet in one instant we saw it as a seductive young woman and the next minute we rejected it. What happened?

This is called a “gestalt flip.” The lines and data points are the same, but the picture is dramatically different. What has changed? Not the picture, but our making sense. What is in front of our eyes is the same. What is behind our eyes has changed. The same sight produces a very different perception.

We use the phrase mental models (or “mindsets”) to describe the brain processes we use to make sense of our world".

Changing mental models: thinking the impossible

It is also very clearly explained in the "The Power of Impossible Thinking" book the necessary steps to take to modify our models.

"First, we need to recognize the importance of models and the way they create limits and opportunities. Then we have to find ways to keep our mental models relevant, deciding when to change to a new model (while adding the old to our portfolio of models), where to find ways of seeing, how to zoom in and out to make sense of a complex environment, and how to conduct continuous experimentation.
 

Even if we are willing to change our thinking, we also need to recognize the walls that keep us in the old models, the confining influence both of the infrastructure and processes of our lives and of the slowly adapting models of those around us. 

Finally, we recognize that models are used in order to act quickly".

We can see the 4 steps to take implement this change in the chart below, and the description lower (transcribed also from the book):

Four steps to change the mental models/mindsets 

"CHOICES FOR CHANGE

1.- RECOGNIZE THE POWER AND LIMITS OF MENTAL MODELS
• Understand how models shape your world
• Recognize how models limit or expand your scope of actions
2.- KEEP YOUR MENTAL MODELS RELEVANT
• Know when to shift horses
• Recognize that paradigm shifts are a two-way street
• See a new way of seeing
• Zoom in and out to make sense from complexity
• Engage in experiments
3.- OVERCOME INHIBITORS TO CHANGE
• Dismantle the old order
• Find common ground to bridge adaptive disconnects
4.- TRANSFORM YOUR WORLD
• Develop and refine your intuition
• Transform your actions"

Conclusions 

For me the conclusion on this matter is very simple; you only change your mental models if you want to.

There is nothing worse for an Organization than having people not willing to revise their mental models, and even worse if those people have decision making power.

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