Unknown unknowns

Have you ever looked back at a decision and thought: how did I not know that? We all know that there are things we don't know, but what about the things we don't even know we don't know?

When I grew my first business in my 20s, I thought skill, hard work and shrewd business savvy were how you got ahead. What I didn't know - and couldn't have known at the time - was that it's so much more about who you know and the relationships you cultivate.

I didn't overlook it. It just wasn't in my orbit at all. I didn't yet know that I didn't know it.

Known Knowns

There are certain things that we know that we know. These could be facts - like what year you were born or the capital of France. Or they could be skills - like how to ride a bike or how to create a marketing plan.

Unknown Knowns

But these aren't all the things that we know - there are certain things we know that we take for granted. Like a designer who instinctively knows if something is well designed, even though they can't articulate it. Or a natural born leader who's great at organising people, even if they don't really know how they do it.

Known Unknowns

Then there are the things we know that we don't know. I know that I don't know how to fly a plane. And I know that I don't know what you're thinking right now. There are many things that I am aware I don't know.

Unknown Unknowns

But most people don't stop to acknowledge that there are things they don't even know they don't know.

Like my example in the opener - the importance of people skills and relationships in business was an unknown unknown to me. I didn't know that I didn't know it.

Or when someone once told me I cross my arms a lot in meetings and it makes me look defensive. I had no idea! It just felt comfortable and kept my hands warm...

Gaps in knowledge can also lead to this - I've met many business owners who never considered their website was difficult to use for people with visual impairments. Naturally they knew about wheelchair ramps and disabled loos, it just never occurred to them that online accessibility was even a thing.

Where disruption lives

In innovation work, the unknown unknowns are where disruption lives.

We can't get to that place by thinking really hard or burning through ideas. To try something truly new within our space, we need to accept what we don't know and step into the unknown.

This can be by testing ideas with people to see what they really think, learning how businesses work in totally different sectors, or using tools like AI to explore blind spots.

The most useful innovation work I do at Big Echo isn't teaching you new things, it's helping you discover what you already know, and building the curiosity to explore what you don't.