People will say “You can’t enforce openness with a bunch of rules”, to which we’ll respond “Be open to the possibility that you can, especially if they’re “do” rules rather than “don’t” rules.”

So far, these rules have worked out pretty well for our clients and us: 1) Stay curious.And never hesitate to pursue that curiosity. Far from killing cats, curiosity brings great ideas to life. 2) Embrace change. It’s inevitable anyway. You might as well find ways to profit from it. 3) Be provocative. Presenting contrary ways of looking at things keeps possibilities open. Just don’t confuse “provocative” with “agitative,” “rabble-rousing,” “inflammatory,” or any other juicy thesaurus entries. 4) Be confident. By this we mean be confident enough to test your own assertions and conclusions and be comfortable pushing yourself – and being pushed – beyond the easy. 5) Doubt the data. Don’t ignore the valuable knowledge that can come from quantitative data. Just keep in mind that, while it may be where you’ll find information, it’s absolutely not where you’ll find  answers. 6) Trust “the Ah-ha”. If you’ve mastered the facts and filtered them through your own intuition, empathy, common sense and unique understanding of human nature, then chances are that the “ah-ha” you’ll produce will be unique and valuable. Given the preceding five rules you can rest assured that the people you’re working with will be open to this possibility.