"When deciding which R&D projects to pursue, leaders often rely on highly expert advice. New research finds that this approach favors easy-to-implement choices over breakthrough ideas.
Participants were asked to evaluate 10 entries in a NASA robotics contest on novelty, feasibility, and quality. Some evaluators were deemed experts after taking a skills test, some had work-related expertise, and some were unscreened.
The experts gave 30% more weight to feasibility when assigning quality scores than the other evaluators did.
Judging feasibility draws directly on prior knowledge, the researchers explain, but experience is less relevant when assessing novel ideas -- and experts' mental maps often break down in the face of new terrain. Textual analysis of the comments showed that indeed, the experts paid more attention to feasibility than the others did.
"High expertise is likely to lead to selection criteria that filter out novel ideas even before they can be considered," the researchers write. They suggest that managers broaden their evaluator pools to include people with varying depths of knowledge about the field in question." [1]
Practical conclusions for each of us:
A. Don't be afraid to explore less familiar areas in your work.
B. When you see a new co-worker who is cautious because he doesn't know much, support him. If he offers new, very worthwhile solutions, help him to realize that.
C. Ask for advice from a wider circle of colleagues, not only famous experts.
1. Why You May Be Overlooking Moon Shots. Harvard Business Review, 00178012, Jan/Feb2023, Vol. 101, Issue 1
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