"While you might never open many closed minds, be careful to never close your own!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
A closed mind is a dangerous thing.
There's a lot of them about.
And the fact is, many innovation efforts fail because of all the closed minds that surround any new initiative. It's often said that the best antidote for a closed mind is an open book, but many refuse to read. It is also said that minds are like parachutes - they only function when they are open Things like this make it extremely difficult for forward-oriented organizations and innovative people to move forward with new ideas.
Remember my innovation killer list? "You can't do that, because we've always done it this way!" "It won't work!" "It's doomed to fail!" These phrases and many others are indicative of the closed mind - the inability to change the way things are done, to conceive new ideas, or to accept a different way of thinking.
And the problem is, if you are always surrounded by this type of negativity, it can drag you down into a swell of conformity - one in which you too begin to find that your open mind is slowly beginning to close.
Don't let that happen. Always keep in mind the characteristics of open-minded people:
- they are open to new ideas and opinions and willing to consider them.
- they aren't instantly judgemental of new ways of thinking or living
- they are willing to accept different lifestyles, cultural norms, or day-to-day behaviors
- they respect the belief systems and deep values of other people
- they know how to take any challenge and turn it into an opportunity
- they are sympathetic to other viewpoints
- they make sure to take the time to see both sides of every situation.
- they are curious, eager to learn, and always exploring new things
And most important, being open-minded involves treating all people with deep respect and dignity for who they are - regardless of who they are.
For some people, being open-minded is easy - it's a natural, everyday mindset. And yet, even for them, keeping a mind open and not allowing it to close is a difficult thing - something that takes constant training, a series of day-to-day reinforcement steps, and a recognition that it takes hard work. In that context, ask yourself this - how often do you need to regularly exercise your open mind?
You need to understand that you live in a reality in which you are surrounded by people who will hold onto their existing beliefs, opinions, and attitudes despite the presence of all the facts that provide a contrary reality. You need to deal with those whose minds have been poisoned by the conspiracy theories that surround them. You need to resist the urge to scream when you encounter those who live in an alternate universe. You must stay true to your core beliefs involving the opportunities of today and tomorrow while others are trying to take everything back to the past.
Being open-minded means being open to new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of working. It means being curious, always learning, and continuously taking risks. It means accepting that tomorrow will be quite different from today, and realizing that it will take a lot of open-minded thinking to get there successfully.
Can you open a few closed minds? Perhaps - that's what change management and innovation leadership are all about. But understand this - you will never succeed at doing so if you don't regularly fortify and strengthen YOUR open mind!
Futurist Jim Carroll is in the business of trying to open closed minds.