Only by redefining failure will we unleash progress, creativity and resilience.
What links the Mercedes Formula One team with Google?
What links Team Sky and the aviation industry?
What connects James Dyson and David Beckham?
They are all Black Box Thinkers.
Whether developing a new product, honing a core skill or just trying to get a critical decision right, Black Box Thinkers aren't afraid to face up to mistakes. In fact, Black Box Thinkers see failure as the very best way to learn. Rather than denying their mistakes, blaming others, or attempting to spin their way out of trouble, these institutions and individuals interrogate errors as part of their future strategy for success.
How many of us, hand on heart, can say that we have such a healthy relationship with failure? Learning from failure has the status of a cliché, but this book reveals the astonishing story behind the most powerful method of learning known to mankind, and reveals the arsenal of techniques wielded by some of the world's most innovative organizations. It also reveals the dangers of failing to learn from mistakes. In healthcare, hundreds of thousands of patients die from preventable medical errors every year due to a chronic lack of Black Box Thinking
Using gripping case studies, exclusive interviews and really practical takeaways, Matthew Syed - the award-winning journalist and best-selling author of Bounce - explains how to turn failure into success, and shows us how we can all become better Black Box Thinkers.
Review -
I was relieved as I read this book to discover Syed kept the book very accessible for the regular reader. It was neither too academic or too simple. He found just the right balance in the middle and the examples shared were well chosen to illustrate and underline each point.
There are two key phrases in this book that really popped for me and I think offer insight into what we see going on in the world today. The first is Closed Loop Thinking. This happens when one assumes they have all the facts and therefore know the truth. No facts or knowledge outside this closed loop are considered. Sound familiar. It is why it is so hard to have open, productive conversations with those on the other side of emotional issues. The second is Growth Mindset. That is where we acknowledge our failures and choose learn from them. Our minds stay open to new information including ideas that conflict with what we currently believe. The airlines use of a black box to figure out what went wrong and to improve safety is an example of Growth Mindset.
I am a huge proponent of diversity as humanity's greatest strength. When I am immersed in a wide variety of voices, and exposed to ways of looking and doing things outside my bubble, it helps me stay in growth mindset. It opens me up to new possibilities. And while I don't enjoy failure, I am also ready to redefine and learn from it. A great read to help you open up to looking at creative thinking.
Meet the Author -
In his previous career, Matthew was the former England table tennis number one for almost a decade. Nowadays Matthew is a multi-award-winning journalist for The Times, a highly-acclaimed speaker, and a regular contributor to radio and television. He is the author of three bestselling books on the subject of mindset and high performance – Bounce, Black Box Thinking and The Greatest. Matthew’s fourth book is planned for publication in 2019, following his children’s book, You Are Awesome, which is available to order now.
Matthew lives in London with his wife and two children.
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