As a parent, I want to encourage curiosity and creativity in my children. To signal my interest in their education, I frequently ask the question: “What did you learn in school, today?” It recently dawned on me that this is a most unsatisfactory question. I now ask one or both of these questions: “What questions…

“No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else.” This quotation is widely attributed to Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. Whenever you begin thinking that unlearning may no longer be necessary just remember this quotation. If nothing else, it should help keep you humble and open to the idea…

You’re right, of course. You are always right. (Just like me.) That is until you’re wrong. At which point you’ll say, “I was wrong.” Funny, isn’t it? Being wrong is such a black-and-white issue. We are right up until that very moment we are wrong. At which point we’ll then say, “I was wrong.” Notice…

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“Sometime over the next decade your company or organization will be challenged to change in a way for which it has no precedent.” –Gary Hamel in The Future of Management Most companies and organizations claim creativity and innovation hold the keys to future success. As a business forecaster, futurist and change management professional, I agree….

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” –Mark Twain The path of unlearning can be steep and, often, the first step is the most difficult. The reason this is so isn’t necessarily because the journey ahead is so arduous (although often it can be), it…

Want to help your company or organization unlearn a little faster? Here’s my advice: Bar the sentence “That’s not the way we do things around here” from ever being uttered again.

Next week, I’ll be traveling to St. George, Utah to address the Utah Hospital Association on Why the Future of Healthcare Will Require Unlearning. One important aspect of unlearning is the embracing the art of asking a new question. To this end, did you know health care is already being revolutionized by a simple question:…

What is the abbreviation for “pounds”? Did you say “lbs”? Congratulations, you are correct. Now, where does the abbreviation come from? It’s rather curious. None of the letters (l-b-s) appear in the word “pound.” What should be more curious is why you have never inquired into the matter (provided that is you don’t know the…

I speak frequently on the topic of unlearning to the healthcare industry. As a result, I’m always scanning the horizon for insights which seem to turn the “conventional wisdom” of healthcare on it’s head. Recently, I came across this article describing how some healthcare innovators are asking new questions to determine the best treatment option…