Who said we Cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them?

Why Are Albert Einstein Quotes So Inspirational

Three Tips For Problem-Solving

Born in Germany in 1879, as a young man Albert Einstein would also live in Italy and Switzerland, studying at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich between 1896 and 1901, per the official site of The Nobel Prize, which Einstein would win in the field of physics in 1921. Before that, he had not only taught at many renowned universities around Europe but, among other work in math and physics, he had developed his famous Special Theory of Relativity. It fundamentally changed the approach to physical science that had held sway since the era of Sir Isaac Newton some 200 years prior.

Having resettled in Germany in 1914, only to emigrate from the country forever in 1933 given the rise of Hitler, Einstein would spend the last 22 years of his life living and working in America. He died in Princeton, New Jersey in 1955.

Einstein achieved more in his life than most of us could do in five lifetimes. His brilliance and his successes are so unparalleled that he’s a purely inspirational figure, not an aspirational one. Few among us seek to compare themselves to Einstein, in other words.

Part of the reason so many of his quotes are so inspiring is that this man played such an instrumental role in history and is so widely renowned for his intelligence, but the operative here is that Einstein nonetheless comes across as relatable.

Albert Einstein famously said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” In turbulent, uncertain, novel, and ambiguous (TUNA) times, one skill that will never go out of reckoning is problem-solving.

The good news is that problem solvers are made, not born. There are some common characteristics of great problem solvers that could be transferred to most situations. Let’s explore three tips that you can use for yourself and your teams to solve better, bigger, and bolder problems around you.

  • Are you solving the right problems?

It’s critical to understand the problem well. Thomas Wedell, author of What’s Your Problem? provides a simple yet strong outline for defining the right problem. He advises framing and reframing the problem before moving forward. Framing involves simply defining the problem that we are trying to solve. The reframing stage brings the magic out by focusing on different ways to see the problem. It encourages looking outside the frame and rethinking the goal. It examines the circumstances and inherent biases and takes external perspectives during the reframing of the problem.

Today, some organizations are grappling with the problem of employees’ reluctance to return to their offices. The organizations that have reframed this issue and are focusing on their productivity culture seem to have done better in regards to employee engagement and their bottom lines. The holistic approach of reframing clarifies the right problems and helps prevent everyone from barking up the wrong tree.

  • Learn to see the forest through trees for best problem-solving.

If one has a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Don’t limit your ability to find solutions because of your expertise. Once you have identified the right problem, build a diverse perspective about the solution by being open-minded. Bring in diverse ideas and teams, and break silos to connect the dots through cross-collaboration across the disciplines.

I see Branson, Bezos, and Musk’s quest to venture into space as one of the best examples of thinking out-of-the-box solutions for wicked problems. All three are solving different problems with the same solution. Branson wants to reduce the time taken for business travel, Bezos is exploring a solution to the world’s energy supply crisis, and Musk is out to build Mars settlements to solve over-crowding on Earth. You could imagine the rich diversity of ideas, open-mindedness, and cross-collaboration required to bring these solutions from dreams to reality.

McKinsey veteran Robert McLean and entrepreneur Charles Conn, co-authors of Bulletproof Problem Solving, recommend a cyclical process of defining, disaggregating (break), prioritizing, work planning, analyzing, synthesizing, and communicating. All the steps in the process are equally important, but the analysis is where we can get the best possible solutions by keeping an open mind with blue-sky thinking.

  • Use “thinking, fast and slow” as a litmus test for your outcomes.

Einstein’s unique way of thinking contributed to his genius

Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, explains we have two minds within our brains. Fast thinking (system one) is unconscious and automatic, and slow thinking (system two) is conscious and deliberative. If not trained well, system-two thinking is lazy and supports the unconscious system one. This understanding has great relevance to problem-solving skills. You need to consciously practice turning your slow thinking into critical, cogent, and methodical to look for missing information, test your hypothesis, and use tools to make sense of a situation.

Before announcing your solution to the problem, it’s important to check the rigor of your analysis and recommended solutions. The above litmus test helps ensures that there is clarity, transparency, and fairness in your recommended approach.

Problem-solving is the greatest enabler for growth and opportunity. Embrace it by identifying the right problems, solving them by being open-minded, and testing them before you implement them to make the world a better place.

Sources:

  • https://youtu.be/GuEzkDvHPv4
  • https://www.goalcast.com/why-albert-einstein-inspirational/
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2021/08/17/three-tips-for-problem-solving-in-uncertain-times/?sh=55ca10b93654
  • https://quotefancy.com/quote/762735/Albert-Einstein-We-cannot-solve-our-problems-with-the-same-thinking-we-used-when-we
  • https://us-east-2.console.aws.amazon.com/polly/home/SynthesizeSpeech

Related

Who said we Cannot solve our problems with the same thinking?

at the same level of thinking that we were at when we.

Who said it you can t solve a problem on the same level it was created you have to rise above it to the next level?

“You can't solve a problem on the same level that it was created. You have to rise above it to the next level.” Einstein tells us that you can't solve problems if you stick to the same type of thinking that led to the problem in the first place.

What did Albert Einstein say about solving problems?

Einstein is quoted as having said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” The point he makes is important: preparation has great value to problem solving.

What does Einstein mean when he said that you Cannot solve a problem with the same mindset that created it?

“We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” To me, he is saying that it is inconceivable that we could find the answers we need on the same level of consciousness in which we see something as a problem.