T H E  

R E T H I N K

Before You Repeat Yourself 

When a message doesn’t land, it’s easy to explain it again. First, ask what would make it easier for the other person to take in.

• Talk it through when they need room to ask questions or think out loud.

• Write it down when they’ll need to refer back to instructions, details, or next steps.

• Show an example when it’s easier to see what you mean than to picture it from scratch.

• Give them time when they need to weigh a decision. If you don’t need an answer on the spot, say so.

The same coworker might want to talk through a new idea and prefer written steps when it’s time to put it into practice. You learn what works by asking: “What would help you make sense of this?” If you’re asking for a decision, try “What do you need before you can decide?”

U R B A N  

A N T H R O P O L O G Y

Where Do New Ideas Come From?

Exploring five stages of creative thinking, from defining the problem and finding connections to shaping an idea into something useful.

Next time you’re stuck trying to come up with something original, pick an idea you already like. What makes it work? Which rule could you bend? What happens if you try it somewhere it wasn’t designed to go?

Read the article →