Mental Models: Maps of Meaning

A mental model is simply a representation of reality. The world is complex, and so we cannot account for every moving part and keep all the details in our brains.

In the words of the famous physicist Richard Feynman:

“You only think you know, as a matter of fact. And most of your actions are based on incomplete knowledge and you really don’t know what it is all about, or what the purpose of the world is, or know a great deal of other things. It is possible to live and not know.”

Yes, indeed. It is possible to live and not know.

By the same token, it is possible to explore a path towards a specific destination without being familiar with the terrain. This exploration is made possible by using a model, a map of reality. The map is not reality, but a reduction of its relevant features that are useful for reaching the desired end goal.

Mathematicians model analytical pathways, doctors model physiological pathways, and consultants who function as ‘business doctors’, model organisational pathways.

Starting from first principles is one of the best ways to build a model that is customized for the specific circumstances of the problem at hand.  For example, starting with a knowledge of pathology (the science of the causes and effects of diseases), a doctor asks questions about symptoms a patient might have in order to diagnose an illness. In a similar way, starting with knowledge of economics, strategy, finance and other relevant fields, a consultant asks questions in order to pinpoint the cause of a client’s business problem.

This approach requires asking questions rather than imposing a pre-ordained structure on the situation. To again quote Feynman:

“We absolutely must leave room for doubt or there is no progress and there is no learning. There is no learning without having to pose a question. And a question requires doubt.”

Without the consultant’s guidance in interpreting the map, the client may fail to grasp the full meaning of the situation.

Imagine you are a consultant who has been contracted to improve innovation and efficiency for a client. Straight off the bat, the path charted by other organisations to achieve innovation breakthroughs may spring to mind. For example, you may recall well known innovation initiatives such as:

• 20% time: Google allows engineers to spend 20% of their work time on any innovative idea they are passionate about. This has led to new products such as Google Maps and Gmail.
• 4 day work week: Microsoft has experimented with a 4-day work week, which boosted productivity by 40%.
• Psychological safety: Google has found that teams with high levels of psychological safety (the ability to take risks and experiment without feeling insecure or embarrassed) are better at implementing diverse ideas and driving high performance.

Should your client apply these approaches to its business?

Well, without any prior knowledge of its organisation there is no way to know whether any specific prescription will be helpful in producing improved productivity or creativity. Following the same map as Microsoft or Google only makes sense if the terrain is similar. Otherwise, you may lead your client to the wrong destination.

Before blindly following a map laid out by others, you can gain a better understanding of reality by doing the following:

1. Clarify the organisation’s structure and team cohesiveness.
2. Look for evidence that confirms or contradicts your understanding. Tourists always look for landmarks to ensure they don’t get lost. In the same way, fact checking your assumptions can prevent you from going down rabbit holes.
3. Sanity check your conclusions by explaining your decision making process to others. Failing to do this would be like using a GPS system that shows you where you are but doesn’t include cliffs. Your chosen direction would be perfect, until you drive off a mountain.
4. Examine your proposed system and its implications. In the case of a plan to improve the psychological safety of a team, you might ask the following questions:

• What can people count on each other for?
• What is the purpose of the team?
• What reputation does the team aspire to have?
• What are the core principles or shared values of the team?
• What, if anything, should be done differently to allow the team to better achieve its purpose, build its reputation, and live its values?

After you have surveyed the terrain, you will be ready to draw a map for the organisation. It is crucial that you understand how the proposed map would fit with the organisation’s culture, and to what extent your services as a tour guide might be required on the journey towards improved productivity and innovation.

Final thoughts

Even the best maps suffer from limitations, and a fine grained map with a scale of one-foot by one-foot won’t be useful either. The point is to remember that even though a map does not tell the full story, it should be useful enough to guide you in the right direction.

Since each project you work on will be unique in its own way, thinking from first principles will allow you to adapt to a changing environment, understand reality, and seize opportunities that others can’t see.

Oduor Ochieng is an Economics Honors student at the University of Cape Town. He has experience working in a Medical startup and Fintech company.

Image: Unsplash

🔴 Interested in consulting?