SID2023 Sarah Stokes - Wisdom in design is closer than you think

As designers, we want to be able to make wise decisions and choices. Wouldn't it be great to draw on wisdom to guide us as in our work with teams and organisations?

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait until we are old and grey to access wisdom; it can be experienced through ways of thinking and acting. In this talk we will explore what wisdom is made up of (according to research )and how we as designers can use aspects of wisdom now.

Transcript

1. Sarah Stokes
   Design Leader / Coach
   

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4. No matter what age, we’re
   able to be wise
   Knowledge doesn’t equal
   wisdom
   Fresh perspectives can be
   wise perspectives
   

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6. “The ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good
   decisions and judgements”
   🔮
   

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7. McKenna, B., & Rooney, D. (2019). Wise leadership. In R. J. Sternberg & J. Glück (Eds.), The
   Cambridge handbook of wisdom (pp. 649–675). Cambridge University Press.
   https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108568272.030
   Research says wise leaders:
   ● Have foresight
   ● Use reason, experience and careful observation
   ● Allow for non-rational and subjective elements when making decisions
   ● Have an orientation beyond self-interest and towards the Common Good
   

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8. 🔭
   Within With others
   

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9. “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”
   🪞
   

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12. In times of change, which is where we are,
    we must be able to rely on ourselves:
    ● Self-awareness
    ● Self management
    ● Social awareness
    ● Relationship management
    🧠
    

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13. https://www.inc-aus.com/jessica-stillman/an-80-year-harvard-study-shows-emotionally-intelligent-people-use-wiser-model-to-handle-strong-emotions.html
    ● WATCH
    ● INTERPRET
    ● SELECT
    ● ENGAGE
    ● REFLECT
    🧠
    

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14. ● When are you at your best?
    ● What triggers you?
    ● What are your strengths?
    ● How aware are you of your limits?
    Reflection time
    💭
    

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15. ● When are you at your best?
    ● What triggers you?
    ● What are your strengths?
    ● How aware are you of your limits?
    Reflection time
    💭
    Google: VIA character strengths or strengthsfinder
    

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16. “In real life, wisdom manifests itself in situations that are important,
    difficult, uncertain, and emotionally challenging. Neither cognitive nor
    personality components of wisdom alone are sufficient to understand
    real-life wisdom”
    The Wisdom Researchers and the Elephant: An Integrative Model of Wise Behavior
    Glück, J., & Weststrate, N. M. (2022)
    

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18. A mindful moment…
    󰩓
    

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20. When we think about enacting wisdom,
    we have many techniques in the design
    process
    💡
    With others
    

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23. “The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing.”
    📖
    

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24. Dror, Itiel E., Alvaro Pascual-Leone, and Vilayanur Ramachandran. "The paradox of human expertise:
    why experts get it wrong." The paradoxical brain 177 (2011).
    ✅ ❌
    - Focus
    - Speed
    - Inflexibility
    - Tunnel vision
    

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26. ● Assumption mapping
    ● Known / unknowns
    ● Pre-mortems
    ● DVF collaborating
    ● Customer research / data
    

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27. “Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your
    understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate
    to each other.”
    🖼
    

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28. Popularised by Covey in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
    

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30. https://boxesandarrows.com/activating-change-a-designers-guide-to-systems-thinking/
    

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31. ● Customer research
    ● Diversity of inputs
    ● Data
    ● Stakeholder interviews
    ● Service blueprints
    ● Mystery shopping
    ● 360 reviews
    ● Feedback culture
    

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32. ● Customer research
    ● Diversity of inputs
    ● Data
    ● Stakeholder interviews
    ● Service blueprints
    ● Mystery shopping
    ● 360 reviews
    ● Feedback culture
    

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33. What is Phronesis: “The habit of making the right decisions and taking
    the right actions in context, and relentless pursuit of excellence for the
    common good.”
    

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34. ● Build your self-awareness
    ● Be humane
    ● Reflect, be mindful
    ● Stay curious, always be learning
    ● Take the observer POV
    ● Be collaborative
    ● Take action - use our tools and techniques
    Practical wisdom:
    

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35. “...Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the
    courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the
    difference.”
    

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36. Special thanks to Kat for support on the Viz Comms!
    linkedin.com/in/sarahlucystoked/
    Sarah Stokes
    Design Leader / Coach
    

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