COAIA Sequential Thinking

The "Introduction to Structural Thinking" posits a **core principle: the underlying structure of anything will determine its behavior**. This approach encourages understanding the causal forces behind predictable patterns of behavior before attempting to change them, contrasting with typical problem-solving or situational thinking. The sources outline a rigorous, disciplined process involving several key steps to engage in structural thinking effectively. Here are the steps in the Structural Thinking Process: 1. **Start with Nothing (No Preconceptions)** * This fundamental first step means beginning without a **"knowledge base," "preconception," or "hypothesis"**. It's about approaching reality without comparing it to existing information or preconceived notions. * The sources highlight how difficult this is, as the mind automatically seeks associations and comparisons to create orientation. However, relying on a database or comparative thinking means you'll **"miss a lot of reality"** and information that isn't consistent with your existing knowledge. * **Sir Isaac Newton** is quoted as stating that "hypotheses have no place in science," emphasizing starting with a question like "why did what happen?" rather than a pre-formed idea. Similarly, Desas advised ridding oneself of preconceptions to understand principles. * **Accountants** serve as an example of a discipline that inherently practices this step; they must look at actual numbers uniquely and originally, not compared to previous reports or expectations, to avoid legal consequences. * Crucially, learning a visual language (Step 2) helps in this process by **eliminating biases**, making it easier to "start with nothing" and picture only what is said. 2. **Picture What Is Said** * This step involves translating verbal information into a **"visual language"** because it allows one to **"think dimensionally, you can think structurally, you can think in relationships"** in a way that linear language does not. Visual language helps in holding more ideas simultaneously. * The work of Nancy Bell, who teaches children with learning disabilities to picture words, sentences, and paragraphs, is cited as evidence that converting words into pictures dramatically increases **comprehension** and activates visual centers in the brain. * The goal is to teach you **"how to look at something and understand what's there,"** rather than applying a pre-existing diagnostic model. * An analogy to an art class illustrates this: students initially "saw" brick buildings as "red" because they substituted a *concept* of color for actual *observation*. When they used a spot screen to isolate the color, they could see that the distant objects were actually blue due to atmospheric effects. This demonstrates how powerful concepts can be, making us think we see reality even when we haven't truly observed it. * When a client speaks, you are instructed to have a "little film crew in your head" making a "little movie" of what they are saying. If a client mentions a "chair," for instance, you might picture a "placeholder" chair, understanding there are many types, but all share common characteristics. * This step directly supports "start with nothing" by helping to **eliminate biases** and focus solely on the information provided, without external comparisons or theories. 3. **Ask Questions (Four Types)** * Once you have pictured what is said, you can begin to ask questions, of which there are precisely four types in structural thinking. These questions are **functional** and aim to expand or clarify the picture without importing outside information. * The four types of questions are: * **Information Question**: This expands the existing picture. For example, if a client says, "I have a job," an information question would be, "What kind of job?". * **Clarification Question**: This is used when there's a word or phrase you don't know, and you need a definition. It helps to understand specifically what the client means by a general term (e.g., "What do you mean by quality?"). The description provided in response does not change the fundamental picture but deepens its understanding. * **Implication Question**: This involves identifying something that is implied by a client's statement and then asking if they agree with that implication. For example, if a client says, "We got to market too late," the implication is that earlier market entry would have led to better performance. The question would then be, "If you got to the market sooner, would the performance have been better?" This process helps make implicit meanings explicit and confirm understanding. * **Discrepancy Question**: This is used when a client contradicts themselves, either in close proximity or at different points in the conversation. By picturing the whole narrative, contradictions become apparent. For instance, if a client states, "This past year was a great year; sales were down," a discrepancy question would seek to understand this apparent contradiction. Possible explanations include one statement being untrue or missing information (e.g., a proprietary patent made it a great year despite low sales). **Sorting out discrepancies is often where one begins to "see a change of underlying structure"**. * It is vital to **avoid "fishing expeditions"** or "importing questions from somewhere else." All questions must be "internally focused on the information that the client has provided". If no new questions arise, reviewing what has already been established can sometimes motivate new inquiries. This rigorous, disciplined approach aims to help individuals and organizations better observe reality, understand underlying structural dynamics, and ultimately lead to a **"change of underlying structure" that "will lead to a change of behavior almost invariably"**.