This article is excerpted from "Nine-Square Grid Thinking: Four Lines to Solve the Cognitive Dilemma"
In our work and life, we deal with different problems and challenges every day. Even if the difficulty of dealing with these things varies, it can accumulate over a long period of time and form quite serious mental exhaustion.
Therefore, if we want to avoid being kidnapped by superfluous things and emotions, the most important ability we need to master is to "simplify the problem" rather than "complicate the problem", which is also the most prominent point of successful entrepreneurs.
Frameworks are a handy tool to help us "simplify the problem", guiding us to clearly assess the situation and make informed decisions. Therefore, here, I would like to introduce you to a very excellent and unique thinking framework for solving problems - nine-square grid thinking.
What is Nine-Square Grid Thinking?
The nine-square grid thinking originates from the TRIZ theory, which is also the most important point of view. The TRIZ theory was born at a time when the Soviet Union had not yet collapsed, and the Soviet Union kept it a high level of secrecy and would never allow it to be leaked to Western countries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, experts who had mastered TRIZ skills were dispersed to Western countries, which caused a huge shock to Western countries.
Now there are institutions specializing in TRIZ in Western European countries, and there is a TRIZ software on the market that costs millions of yen (about one million yuan) to get licensed, and professional TRIZ technical consultants are also making a lot of money.
If you want to understand the real nine-square grid thinking, you can take a look at the new book by Japanese writer Yoshitoku Takagi, which is called "Nine-square Grid Thinking". A graduate of the University of Tokyo, Takagi spent his second year at the University of Tokyo adding billions of yen to the net profits of his large corporations by creatively solving industry problems. It can be said that he has brought the role of nine-square grid thinking in his work and daily life to the fullest.
So what exactly is nine-square grid thinking? What's so great about it?
Image source: CITIC Publishing House "Nine Square Grid Thinking"
As you can see in the figure above, this 3×3 split diagram is actually a nine-square grid. The horizontal axis is the time axis, which represents the past facts, the current situation, and the future trend. The vertical axis is the system axis, if the individual or enterprise is regarded as the system, then the supersystem is a larger environment than the enterprise or individual, such as the industry environment, the general environment, etc., and the subsystem is the environment smaller than the enterprise and the individual, such as the production factors, resources or individual skills and advantages owned by a company.
In a nutshell, the nine-square grid is:
●Take the vertical axis as the system axis and the horizontal axis as the time axis;
●The horizontal and vertical axes are divided into 3 equal parts, thus forming 9 grids.
This forms the framework for organizing the information. By using the two dimensions of time and space, we can grasp the problem we want to analyze in most cases and make the right decision.
What is unique about the nine-square grid thinking?
We already know that the nine-square grid is a combination of the horizontal and vertical three-square grids. The horizontal axis is divided chronologically, and the vertical axis is divided according to the size of space or perspective. The advantage of this is that we can easily sort out the impact of environmental changes and quickly predict accordingly.
In short, the nine-square grid thinking gives us the ability to think from both macro and micro perspectives. And this ability gives us a sense of what we can and can't do.
Specifically, the horizontal axis of the nine-square grid divides the objects of analysis into past, present, and future. Just list the facts in chronological order and find out how they relate to each other, and you'll have an easy time communicating them to others or continuing to think deeply.
For example, when doing something, we can divide it into three states: before, during, and after. Suppose you want to have a business negotiation with your partner in the near future, then the specific measures you take according to the before, during and after the event model are shown in the following figure:
Image source: CITIC Publishing House "Nine Square Grid Thinking"
You'll find that this way of thinking not only helps us think, but also allows us to make better use of our resources. Along this line of thought, when you elongate the time dimension, it is the past, present, and future in the horizontal axis of the nine-square grid.
You can recall your memories of traveling with a group, when you come to a completely unfamiliar place, the tour guide will not take you around without purpose, and most tours include visits to historical sites or museums that allow visitors to feel and understand the local history. If you can learn more about the future plans for regional development, you will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the local area.
This is the way of dividing the timeline that is commonly used in the travel industry. We can also apply this to our work, and we can also use it when you want to know whether the company you are working for now or the company you want is in line with your career plan, and ranking the history → current situation → future of the company will also broaden your horizons.
Image source: CITIC Publishing House "Nine Square Grid Thinking"
The vertical axis of the nine-square grid teaches us to use the size of space to think about problems. The so-called space or system size, in other words, is actually the "why/what/how" that we use in our daily life.
If you don't have the awareness to disassemble and disassemble the object of analysis before considering it, it will be very difficult to organize the information. However, as long as the system axis is consciously set, it is easy to determine the size and scale of the object to be analyzed.
After setting the system axis and then sorting out the problem, you can:
●Problems can be analyzed from a systematic perspective;
●Ability to distinguish between controllable and uncontrollable factors (internal and external);
● The solution can be continuously improved.
Image source: CITIC Publishing House "Nine Square Grid Thinking"
When people are faced with difficulties, they tend to lower their heads, and at this time, their eyes will also face downward, so that their field of vision will also be narrowed. However, we can divide our environment into three parts, from which we can see a larger vision, find out the environment that is difficult for us to influence (supersystem), and the elements that we can influence (subsystem), and everyone can know the scope of their influence, and we can identify the part of ourselves that can be creatively used.
If you put the "size of the space" in another way, if you look at a larger space, you can quickly find a solution to the problem.
In our daily lives, we often use a larger space than ourselves to solve problems. For example, it is difficult to kill mosquitoes flying around in the summer, but we can use mosquito nets to create a larger space that is difficult for mosquitoes to enter. This is the same as how a spider uses spider silk to weave a web larger than itself.
Similarly, it is important to consider the elements of a small space, because the elements of a small space are a treasure trove of information to solve problems. To deal with mosquitoes flying around, mosquito repellent potions, mosquito coils and other tools can also play a role, which is the result of focusing on the analysis of specific elements in a small space, and it is also the answer to solve the problem.
How to use nine-square grid thinking?
After understanding so much, how should the nine-square grid thinking be used?
In the book "Nine-Square Grid Thinking", Takagi Fangde dismantles the use of nine-square grid thinking in detail according to the two perspectives of horizontal axis and vertical axis. Taking "career planning" as an example, let's take a look at how to use the nine-square grid thinking to make a plan.
"Sun Tzu's Art of War" has a cloud: "Know your opponent and know yourself, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles." "Therefore, the first step is to get to know each other as much as possible, which means that we must first investigate the company that we are going to join (change jobs). In the book, Mr. A, who is planning to join (or change jobs) at Google, is used as an example, what questions should we consider when conducting enterprise analysis?
If you want to understand a company, you must put yourself in the shoes of its employees, understand its philosophy and policy, and the services it will develop. At the same time, it is necessary to understand the company's position in the industry from a macro perspective. We can use the horizontal three-square grid in the nine-square grid to organize this information.
Take Google as an example, first sort out its historical evolution, such as what is the founder and the background of its establishment; What are Google's main profitable businesses at the moment; And what Google's goals are for the future, which can be seen on the company's official website page. Next, fill in the relevant information in order to represent Google's history, current situation, and future, as shown in the following figure:
Image source: CITIC Publishing House "Nine Square Grid Thinking"
As long as you gather enough information about the company, you can immediately learn about the company's flagship products. Next, you can clearly convey your thoughts and opinions during the job search process by grasping the "before, → after" of the main product and predicting the next development trends.
For example, "Google Search" is Google's traditional product, YouTube video is its new product, and at the same time, after grasping the relevant information of Google's ongoing car self-driving experiment, we will consider it comprehensively:
Image source: CITIC Publishing House "Nine Square Grid Thinking"
So far, there aren't many candidates who can do this, so if you can analyze and elaborate on it in a horizontal grid, you'll be sure to stand out from the crowd.
If you can predict the direction of the target company, the next step is to determine whether the direction of the company's development is in line with your own situation and development direction. Also along the time dimension of the nine-square grid thinking, we think about our careers with the idea of "past→ present→ future". Take Mr. A, who is mentioned in the book, for example, his "past→ present→ future" is as follows:
Image source: CITIC Publishing House "Nine Square Grid Thinking"
By comparing your own situation with the company's possible future development, you can further judge whether the company's position and development environment are in line with your career plan. As shown in the figure above, Mr. A can predict the future launch of Google's super car navigation system from the perspective of a frequent driver, and he hopes to work on the service planning of the project in the future.
If you want to further analyze the details of the company or the company, you can also continue to use the vertical axis in the nine-square grid to analyze the ability to analyze the needs of the target work from the perspective of the "three systems", as well as what you can and cannot do. When you can imagine working for the company, it's time to consider joining the company.
Not only job hunting, but also if you can anticipate future competitors or industry structures envisioned by your own company or other companies' decision-makers in your day-to-day work, then it can be of great help to your job. If you can develop this habit, you will find that there is a certain unity behind the movements that may seem incomprehensible at first glance.
Why is nine-square grid thinking essential?
As mentioned above, you will find that the nine-square grid thinking gives us a higher-dimensional perspective to analyze and solve problems. It allows us to see the past, future, and size changes of the object of analysis at the same time, so that all relevant information about the object can be efficiently sorted out and quickly simplified. It further allows us to examine our own actions and see what actions we need to take in the future.
This is the unique advantage of Jiugongge thinking. Why is it essential to have this vision?
Many of us live in the same big picture. In most cases, the environment does not change drastically, so we usually don't care too much about the environment around us and live a comfortable life.
But today, we can realize that we are in a time of drastic change in our environment, and if we want to add a little predictability to the future, it is essential to understand the past and focus on the present, and to be aware of the changes in the environment around us.
In the same way, we need to pay attention to the changes in the business environment. In this way, you can understand and grasp the current state of your environment, and share information with team members, subordinates and supervisors in a timely manner.
Therefore, it is only when you understand the changes in the environment that are larger than your daily thinking that you can understand your current environment and why you are assigned to do this job. In this way, not only do you have to worry about unwarranted things, but you will also be able to think creatively more easily.
Book Introduction
Book introduction
Looking for a job, how can I revise my resume to highlight my strengths?
How to find a track that suits you across industries?
If you want to start a business, how to plan your own development path and core advantages?
Enterprise development, how to analyze industry trends for strategic planning?
......
These problems can be solved by nine-square grid thinking.
There are two axes of the nine-square grid thinking, which horizontally represent the past, present and future of the time dimension; The vertical represents the general environment/industry environment, enterprise situation/"you" and the company/the technology/capabilities/resources you have in the spatial dimension.
As long as we combine our own ideas and things we want to analyze according to the way of nine-square grid thinking, we can quickly find the core problems and solutions. Whether it is product optimization, creative divergence, or finding personal development direction, planning entrepreneurial paths, etc., you can use nine-square grid thinking to sort out, so as to achieve self-thinking and life advancement