To solve problems during challenging times, embrace imperfection

—Alex and Axel

September 2025

If you’ve ever talked with a four-year-old before, you’ve likely picked up on one common trait that most young kids possess: They ask questions, and lots of them. But before you brush this off as merely a minor (if at times adorable) nuisance, the authors of this McKinsey Quarterly classic would challenge you to channel your inner four-year-old the next time you encounter a problem at work. Why? Because when faced with uncertainty, being curious about a wide range of solutions can help you arrive at a better one—and help avoid the behavioral biases that can hinder creative problem-solving.

That’s one of six mutually reinforcing problem-solving mindsets that the authors argue are crucial for uncertain times. The other five are equally paramount: Be an imperfectionist, with a high tolerance for ambiguity; have a “dragonfly eye” view of the world to see through multiple lenses; pursue occurrent behavior and experiment relentlessly; tap into the collective intelligence, acknowledging that the smartest people might not be in the room; and practice “show and tell,” because storytelling begets action.

Needing to solve a problem doesn’t have to be a problem. To learn more about how to cultivate the mindsets of the best problem solvers, read our Quarterly classic “Six problem-solving mindsets for very uncertain times.”

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—Edited by Drew Holzfeind, editor, Chicago 

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