“Invisible Solutions”: Challenge Your Assumptions With This Book

Today’s book “Invisible Solutions” by Stephen Shapiro is one of the most “useful” business books I have read:

Its premise is quite simple:

We as people and organisations need to solve problems.

However, our brain is resistant to change or anything new. Hence, we need to make the change feel less risky.

Shapiro’s approach is not to focus on the endpoint (the solutions), but on the beginning (the question), and to reframe it using different lenses.

This approach drastically differs from the stereotypical “don’t give me problems, give me solutions” way of handling innovation. Instead, it should be about reframing the problem itself and NOT being committed or blocked by too rushed solutions.

25 useful reframing lenses outlined by Shapiro have to do with looking at the original problem under different angles. Drawing analogies to other industries, using more abstract concepts or focusing on details, converting concerns into questions (“How do we..?”, “Why don’t we..?”), stretching the criteria to get to more ambitious goals.

“You likely have been told to think outside the box in order to find creative solutions, but the reality is that you want to find a better box”

It’s a great book that will be the most insightful if you start reading it with a particular problem in mind. Then, you can apply all the different 25 lenses, as a helpful practical exercise.

You might know that I don’t post book reviews without a beer recommendation. It’s just not what I would do.

This winter, I got into rich, flavorful stouts again. Today’s beer is one of such beers — a “chocolate orange” stout by the Fierce brewery based in Aberdeen, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (I have moved to Scotland recently so Scottish beers are my thing).

It was a really good stout, without much (or any) orange flavor, though. Perfect for cosy winter evenings ❄️