Mental Models
We all rely on mental models to guide us through life. They are our maps of reality and we use them to get the best outcomes possible. But where do those models come from and who is to say they are right?
A family wedding
A few years ago I went to a family wedding. Let me be honest, it was 20 years ago, I’m at that age when I have stopped going to weddings. The next one I’m likely to attend is my daughter’s — assuming of course she invites me, I have several embarrassing stories to tell…
The wedding was near Liverpool, which for those of you who don’t know is in the North West of England.
My brother (fresh out of university) was also at the wedding. He had driven up from Essex, in the far South-East of the country.
The interesting part of the story is not that my brother had chosen to live in Essex — I will put my north country prejudices aside — but the route he took to the wedding. He drove all the way down the M4 to Bristol, turned right and then up the M5 / M6 to Liverpool. Sorry if I sound a bit nerdy. The map below shows why this is odd.
There are several other routes and motorways in England that would have saved him 100 miles and got him to the wedding ever so much faster.
Was he stupid?
My little brother is a lot of things, irritating, loud, cocksure, and smug, but stupid isn’t one of them.
So why didn’t he take the direct route? The answer is simple, he didn’t have a proper map, only a map in his head. He was just too young/foolish/tight to buy a real one (this is in the days before you downloaded an app). So instead he took the best route he could.
He didn’t know any better.
Doing the best thing
We all do the things that we believe will get us the best outcomes. It is rare that we do something deliberately suboptimal. We make the best choice we have, given the map we have in our heads:
- The knowledge we have
- The resources we notice
- The constraints we see
- The outcome we want
Nobody would knowingly sit in a car on a UK motorway for a minute longer than necessary. My brother did what he thought was best for him
Maps aren’t just for geography
We all hold mental maps or models that guide our behaviour. Those models can be deeply flawed, but that doesn’t stop us from believing they are right.
Our models can only be challenged if we make them explicit. We can only improve them if we state our assumptions, share our concerns and espouse our beliefs.
- Outcomes will only get better if we improve our mental models.
- Mental models will only get better if we challenge them.
- Models can only be challenged if we share them.
It takes a big man to admit he thinks the quickest way from Essex to Liverpool is via Bristol. To my brother’s credit, he didn’t go home the same way.
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