The Reflexive Practitioner: Professional Cognition as an Impediment to
Social Adaptation
Kent Myers
Strategy and Organization CapabilityBooz Allen Hamilton
Orient
Gather
Act/test
ObserveValue
Decide/hypothesis
Generic model ofpractitioner cognition
OutwardInward
Release
Kent Myers [email protected]
Professional Cognition as an Impediment to Social Adaptation
Idealize(value)
Formulate(observe)
Optimize(orient)
Adjust(decide)
Plan(act)
Rational Practice
The Ancient of Days William Blake (1757 - 1827)
Bound (value)
Collect data(observe)
Describe(orient)
Make accurate(decide)
Fix(act)
Focused Practice
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande JatteGeorges Seurat, 1884-1886.
Polish template(value)
Find discrepancy(observe)
Align to template(orient)
Rationalize(decide)
Instantiate(act)
Principled Practice
La Condition humaine René Magritte. 1933.
Read constituency(value)
Read opposition(observe)
Find position(orient)
Revise & extend(decide)
Advocate(act)
Interested Practice
Liberty Leading the PeopleEugène Delacroix 1830
Potentiate(value)
Scan(observe)
Reframe(orient)
Prune(decide)
Elaborate(act)
Cognitive Configuration for Reflexive Practice
Nude Descending a Staircase (No.2) Marcel Duchamp 1912.
Cognitivecomplexity
Plateaus in adult mental development
Socializedmind
Self-authoring
mind
Self-transforming
mind
Based on Kegan, Immunity to Change, p16, 28
5
5
8
40
35
6
<1
Aspects of personality/
Reflexive practitioner in turbulent conditions
At Risk practitioner in turbulent conditions
Reflexive practitioner in stable conditions
Emotional control
Stable, positiveTolerates doubt and uncertainty
Overwhelmed by complexityRattled by uncertainty
Slow in a crisisDistracted by small matters
Proclivity toward relatedness
Common goodSocial networks
Good ideasIndividuals
Any and all ideasSocial butterfly
Openness, curiousity
Uses ideasTolerates being wrongThoughtful, intuitive; sees aheadMulti-disciplinary
Decisive; Self-justifies in resolving cognitive dissonanceTheoretical
IndecisiveUnconcerned with errorsFrequent changes of mind
Tolerance for conflict
CooperativeResponsiveApproaches conflict
CompetitivePartisanConflict avoidant
Makes nice, doesn’t get to workDistracted; nosy
Goal attainment
Flexible, varied aimsShifts focus comfortably, agile, can act quickly
Driven to single goal / issue; Focused on plan; compulsive
Unclear what he really wantsDoesn’t stick to a topic
Intellect; reasoning
Reasons especially well nonverbally; broad conceptualizer; uses fluid intelligence to develop new ideas
Quickly seeks bottom line; Drives products top down
“On the other hand”Unclear what he really contributes
Capacity to reflect and reframe
Lifelong learnerUses experimentation and what-ifAccountable, open loop process
Well trained in specific domain expertiseResolute; closed loop
Wastes time on questioning, reading, when should be doingEndless tweaking
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