book.chapter Competency one - solutions mindset

Thomas edison's career exemplified a solution-focused mindset through observing problems, embracing innovation, and maintaining passion. He attracted resources by sharing his vision and demonstrated resilience by persisting through setbacks, ultimately impacting society with his solutions. Emulating these elements can cultivate a similar approach to problem-solving. Level one - align goals and passions Edison once remarked that he never worked a day in his life since it was always enjoyable. This statement epitomizes his career as he perfectly matched his work to his passions, solely pursuing what he loved. Edison had a deeply ingrained desire to gain knowledge. He was extremely enthusiastic about inventing products and services to enhance people's lives. He constantly concentrated on the joy of making discoveries – on "surprising nature to reveal her secrets" as he expressed it. Edison precisely defined what he aimed to achieve and persevered tirelessly until succeeding. As he stated: "one might believe an invention's monetary value constitutes the rewards for someone passionate about their work. However, i continue finding my greatest pleasure, and therefore my reward, in the labor preceding what the world labels as success." Level two - cultivate optimism Edison's optimism empowered him to attract the people and means to succeed. When fire devastated his lab in 1914, destroying $7 million in equipment, the 67-year old stayed calm. Rather than seeing a catastrophe, he viewed it as a chance to start fresh and build something better. That infectious optimism inspired others. To cultivate similar optimism: don't take failure personally, external factors are often at play. See setbacks as temporary glitches en route to eventual success, not permanent obstacles. Coach yourself to remain focused on the better future that will come through perseverance. Make a conscious decision to think and act more positively. Stay focused on unearthing solutions, which are frequently embedded within each temporary setback. As edison said, "our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try one more time." Level three - seek knowledge always Edison had an unrelenting desire to comprehend how things functioned. He posed questions regarding everything to everyone he interacted with. He was an avid reader, stocking his research laboratory's library with over 10,000 volumes. Edison’s first step in creating anything was to research what others had attempted previously. Additionally, edison filled shelves with specimens of ores, minerals, and all kinds of other materials. In this way, he could not only read about these items but also experience them, engaging his other senses of smell and touch. This multi-sensory approach enabled edison to understand materials better than others, leading to many hands-on experiences. Edison became so skilled he even began predicting the outcomes of his experiments in advance based on his understanding of the different substances involved. To emulate edison: learn speed reading comprehension techniques to absorb large groups of words at once rather than individually. Become adept at learning to extract key ideas from books rather than reading for entertainment. As edison stated, "to invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." Level four - experiment constantly Edison relied heavily on hands-on experimentation to drive innovation. He would start by forming hypotheses based on his readings, then test to determine what worked and what didn't. Doing numerous experiments enabled edison to surpass his competitors. His experiments were never haphazard though. He meticulously documented every test. Failure never discouraged edison because it eliminated another dead-end. It was common for him to spend over a year testing hypotheses before making progress. Edison's experimental approach was extremely patient, methodical, and thorough. He once said his technique was intended to "surprise nature into betraying her secrets by asking her the same question hundreds of ways." edison didn't restrict experiments to the lab but tested in cities, communities, deserts, parks, gardens, or anywhere relevant to his hypotheses. His quotes sum up his philosophy - genius requires inspiration and tremendous effort. Without experimentation there is no progress. When problems occur, experiment until you understand the root cause. Level five - pursue objectivity Edison trained himself to view the results of his experiments neutrally rather than negatively or positively. He examined the outcomes objectively, independent of any agenda, allowing him to take the widest perspective on his discoveries instead of restricting them. By letting data stand on its own merits, edison noticed unexpected patterns and connections across multiple experiments, even linking results from tests with totally different purposes to head in promising new directions not considered beforehand. Due to this mental neutrality, edison uncovered various phenomena that first arose as anomalies detected while other experiments were underway. He was extremely careful not to predetermine what he was analyzing. As he said, "our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." and "nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."