You’re smart. Well-educated. Doing well in your career.

If it worked and was true to get you here, why rock the boat?

If you are like me, there have been times in your career when some Truth (yes, with a capital “T”) that you have held onto is shown to be untrue or, at least, not as black-and-white as you thought it was.

It can be a touch embarrassing as well as unsettling.

“What else am I holding onto that might not be accurate?”

That thought is fleeting as we move on to the next thing. “Besides, who has the time or inclination to do a complete belief audit?”

At the same time, we must recognize what got us here will not necessarily get us where we want to go.

Outdated thinking is more common than you might suspect. Ideas and frameworks that we hold onto have long been debunked, but the business community hasn’t read the memo.

A few examples:

Alpha Male. Bunk. Research into captive wolves led to the creation of the theory of the Alpha Wolf. So, people have transferred that into humanity as the Alpha Male. The domineering leader—the way nature intended. New research on wolves in the wild shows there is no alpha, just a family unit.

Left-Brain/Right-Brain. Nonsense. If you like numbers instead of drawing, or vice versa, there is no science to back up that one part of your brain is more dominant. But how many social media influencers, let alone seasoned executives, still believe it to be true?

Learning Styles. This is the idea that if we like to learn through doing, listening, or visual materials then we learn better when presented through that modality. It’s poppycock. Research doesn’t back this one up, either. Does that mean you go back to writing long, boring emails or newsletters? No. It means using various methods to communicate is important.

How do we challenge our thinking enough without driving ourselves nuts? The following are some helpful tips. As a reminder, with any advice like this, pick one or two. Give them a try. See how they work. Then, try something else.

Stay Curious: If you are not naturally curious, it is a skill that can be learned. One of the best ways to do this is to ask questions about different areas. Don’t just accept things at face value. Probe deeper into why things are the way they are and how they work.

Challenge Assumptions: Related to the above, it’s important that you challenge your own processes, procedures, and beliefs. Ask why you hold that belief, action, or behavior and whether it continues to serve you.

Work with Younger People: Engaging with younger generations can provide fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, challenging your own preconceived notions.

Work with Older People: Working with people who have been through it can provide perspective and wisdom, challenging what you think is critical.

Work with New People in Your Office: There is a saying that if you don’t fix something wrong with your house within the first six months after you move in—it will never get fixed. Why? You won’t see it anymore. It’s the same at work, especially when it comes to cultural norms or practices. When a new person comes to your team, they bring fresh eyes. They will see things that have been accepted that need to be challenged.

Devil’s Advocate: In the United States, after the disastrous failed CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in April 1961, President Kenney’s administration adopted a new policy. For critical meetings, a person was appointed to play Devil’s Advocate. That person was responsible for challenging assertions and assumptions to help ensure they were true and/or thoroughly vetted. It’s a good practice to prevent groupthink and to ensure that old thinking isn’t taken as gospel.

Note: The Devil’s Advocate role must move around. Otherwise, a group of people will just tune out the one person who constantly challenges them. It’s just how it works. And, group dynamics being what they are, if one person plays the role too long, the pressure to not be a jerk all the time and fit in with the group will take over, diminishing their vigor and efficacy for the role.

Explore New Experiences: Step outside your comfort zone by trying new activities, visiting new places, or even experimenting with different types of cuisine. Each new experience can open up avenues for learning and spark curiosity about other unfamiliar topics or cultures. At an even more basic level, drive a different way to work and see what you notice.

Read Widely and Often: Expose yourself to a variety of subjects through books, articles, documentaries, and discussions. Even if you start with topics you enjoy, try gradually branching into other areas. This broadens your knowledge base and often leads to surprising connections and insights. Tip: Most libraries offer access to magazines online for free. Pick a few you would typically not read and see what arises.

Get a Coach: The challenge with blind spots is that they are just that—areas that you cannot see on your own. An executive coach will ask probing questions to help you challenge assumptions and discover areas that might need reexamination.

Hire People That Challenge Your Thinking: Teams often hire people who are very similar because they are a good fit. Good for functionality, bad for allowing groupthink. While you don’t want to hire someone who feels like sandpaper—which isn’t a win for you or them—studies have shown having differing viewpoints and experiences on a team produces better results.

An excellent way to ensure that your team or organization has individuals who can challenge assumptions productively is by hiring Pathfinders. These individuals are curious, innovative, and adaptable, which is ideal to ensure thinking doesn’t get stale.

We have developed a proprietary online assessment tool to help you hire Pathfinders or identify them in your organization. Feel free to contact us to find out more.