The Revolution Researcher
The 1789 Coffee Talk Series
This time we have a very unique team member to introduce to our community: our Researcher in Residence!
Judith joined us as a full-time team member only a few months back, yet has been part of our 1789 Innovations network for over a year. We waited impatiently until she successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis in political science from the Technical University of Darmstadt (and received a very casual Summa Cum Laude for the effort), to finally join our team. We knew from the very beginning that this smart woman has something rare to bring to the table, and to our team.
She is a person who understands two things exceptionally well: how to work scientifically and how decisions are made and influenced. In our last research projects, she has already been able to bring light to some very complex problems that today’s organizations are facing, and help create knowledge in uncertain environments — in order to strategize and innovate effectively.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Hi Judith, very happy to sit down with you today and let our community to finally get to know you better. Let’s start with the golden question: How did you end up joining 1789 Innovations? What’s the story behind?
It’s a bit of a longer story, but I think it illustrates the discovery process well.
When I was working on my Ph.D. thesis, I was regularly meeting with a friend who was, at the time, writing his MBA thesis. We would meet at the library and work, then take coffee or lunch breaks and talk about life. I remember telling him how much I enjoy doing research but struggle to envision how to later apply in practice what I learned. He said he knew a group who had recently founded a consulting startup and I should give them a call. Luckily I did, and then met the whole team. I noticed how we were interested in very similar questions and ideas, addressing them from different perspectives. We enjoyed going deep with topics and challenging our perspectives, which was cool.
True, we were also at that time experimenting on which future direction to go with the company, and your input crystalized our research & scientific method approach even more.
It was really fascinating to see how the company evolved over this period, along with our conversations and knowledge sharing. As soon as I had defended my thesis, I joined the team full time. By that time, it was a very natural step.
Tell us more about your Ph.D. thesis — how does this bring in a new perspective to 1789’s mission?
I have always been interested in the interface between technology, society, and politics, and especially people’s roles in technology. So, in the thesis, I was looking at how framing and communication can play a role in decision-making and concerning technologies, especially those technologies that are still emerging. For example, this could be a situation in which you try to figure out as a group or as a society what the technology could look like and how it is then shaped by people. (Further reading on the thesis can be found here)
In terms of what I bring to 1789’s mission… I think this is closely connected to what I think political science does in general. In some ways I understand it to be pursuing two large-scale objectives:
On the one hand is the empirical knowledge creation part: to understand and explain the phenomena in the real world, e.g why a specific number of people voted for a specific party in a specific election. On the other hand, is the critical reflection part: Political scientists also reflect on the concepts and tools that we use, which methods we use, and how that influences how we think about things.
So in a nutshell, it is bringing these two objectives together. I know it is always a bit of struggle, to be torn towards two directions at once. But it’s a very useful place to be, in this balance, and trying to reconcile the two.
What has been the biggest difference being part of this crazy revolution with the 1789 team?
During the PhD, I learned to be very independent, to motivate myself, and do a lot of work and thinking by myself. I had a really great supervisor and also colleagues with whom I was working on various teaching and publication projects, but the Ph.D. thesis was my very own project.
So when I joined 1789, I was amazed by the degree of interaction and collaboration between all team members. You can always go and jump into a project or a topic that interests you, then discuss and learn and create together. Even though I had already practiced working like that on some levels, this “closed-knitted-ness” of the team was the greatest “aha” moment.
What has surprised you most?
A rather simple answer, but very helpful: talking can also be thinking. By talking or discussing a new topic, you are able to use two brains: one being your own brain and the other one your teammates. You can share different perspectives and then develop your own ideas further. I had experienced that before, of course, but my joining 1789 brought this to a new level. (Listen to Corporate Therapy Podcast by 1789 with Judith on “Decision-making”)
In general, there are various ways in which I think: it can also be reading a book or writing; to grasp my own idea and then write it down requires a lot of thinking in its own right. (Here’s Judith’s article on puzzlement & mental models)
What’s your go-to stress relief method after an intense day of work?
Indeed, work can sometimes be intense, especially when developing new concepts and tapping into unknown territories. I love running in nature, no matter whether it rains or snows. Fresh air and oxygen can do wonders. Also, my second-best choice is rowing.
What are your favorite sources of information?
During my Bachelor’s studies in Philosophy, I got acquainted with the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. I have turned to it again and again ever since. They have really interesting discussions on complex terms from a philosophical point of view, I always found that really useful. What I read right now and find very insightful is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Harari.
If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it — what would it say and why?
“Dare to Learn.” It takes courage to face the limits of one’s own knowledge, but at the same time, it’s indispensable that we admit that we do not know everything that is out there in order to be ready to start exploring.
In your opinion, what do you see as the biggest pain point in today’s organizations and how do you see tackling this change?
It is kind of connected with my last answer: an immense amount of knowledge is out there, and it’s now more accessible than ever in the Internet Era. I think what could help organizations address certain challenges is to have more exchanges with various disciplines — to bring in and listen to different perspectives, ideas. Tapping into that knowledge.
The business environment is constantly changing and organizations need to react to new impulses and conditions on a daily basis. They shouldn’t put up boundaries focussing on a specific discipline when searching for solutions, like using only insights from management studies.
What advice would you give to today’s company leaders?
Never stop being open to learning. Our world is so complex and constantly changing, it would be flawed to believe that life is sequential, that there is a separate phase for learning at school and then a different phase for “applying” knowledge on the job. To believe that you are suddenly “done” learning is not right. The phrase “lifelong learning” should be taken seriously.
What is your personal revolution?
I want to connect learning to applying what I learn. To help unlock the knowledge that can help us as a society, or address challenges in organizations so that we can shape the future in a good way.
Thank you, Judith!
I am Liisi from 1789 — Beyond Revolution. We are a group of experts who are fundamentally rethinking the ways future organizations are designed and led in the digital age. Contact us & let’s have a chat!
