The existence of doubt has inspired the creation of inventions and the development of theories. Gersonides, a Jewish philosopher, disagreed with Ptolemy’s astronomical ideas. According to researchers, Ptolemy influenced astronomy in a mathematical aspect; however, his weak follow-through on empirical observations. A frustrated Gersonides embarked on a crusade against Ptolemy’s misguided collection of data. With his background in mathematics, strong philosophical roots, and belief in the impact of scientific instruments, Gersonides debunked many of Ptolemy’s astronomical principles.
“We did not find among our predecessors from Ptolemy to the present day observations that are helpful for this investigation except our own.” – Gersonides
He was the first to deconstruct Ptolemy’s theories, but Galileo, Copernicus, and Kepler followed suit approximately 300 years later. As presenters, we need to seek out the possibilities in our industries. Through our presentations for and communications with other people, we must continually ask questions and search for answers.
How Doubt Works to Foster Innovation
When we are uncertain of the expectations of an upcoming job interview or we don’t know which brand of smartphone we should buy, we experience doubt. How do humans typically respond in these types of situations? Most of us open a search engine and begin researching and gathering information to expand our understanding and discover differences among the similarities. There are two sides to doubt in the context of a presentation. There’s the presenter’s doubt, which assists the production of revolutionary content and introspective thoughts. And there’s the audience’s doubt, which they carry into the presentation and hope to leave without.
A presenter settles on a presentation topic, but wants to share ideas that have never been heard. According to a neuroscientist, the presenter should follow this simple 3-step system to offer a new perspective:
1. Acknowledge
2. Accept
3. Question
Let’s illustrate how doubt works through the proposed 3-step system through a business example of innovation.
Acknowledge
At the most basic level, Environmental Designworks, a Scotland-based landscape architecture and planning company, acknowledged that a plethora of assumptions about their line of work subsist.
Accept
The company examined their industry and realized that many people are comfortable with the plumbing status quo. We flush the toilet and a few seconds later the toilet bowl is full of clean water. Good as new. That’s the way it’s nearly always been done. Why change it if it works, right?
Question
Wrong. They dared to ask a question. “Why not first divert the clean water into a toilet-top sink where we can wash our hands, which most of us do anyway after flushing?” Fast Company wrote of Environmental Designworks’ thought process.
The company’s doubt resulted in the creation of SinkPositive. The product – a tiny sink situated at the back of a toilet – allows customers to save money and advances environmentally-sound initiatives to conserve water. It’s even a public safety plus, giving users that extra motivation to wash their hands after using the restroom.
Do you want to create an effective presentation?
Acknowledge your own assumptions about your presentation topic. Accept their potential for inaccuracy. And be a relentless inquirer of new data and information. Challenge your previously-held beliefs and the theories of others. Channel your inner Gersonides and dispense a valuable message to your audiences.
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