I am writing this letter just before the Thanksgiving holiday and want to express my heartfelt thanks not only for the blessings in my life but also to all the people who have helped me and helped this Bulletin improve. We are trying hard to improve an organization that allows its members to grow and network. The Bulletin is just one aspect of this, delivering interesting and hopefully insightful articles. A great example of networking happened a few days ago at the Norris Center, where the HGS and GHS held a one-day “Case Study Academy.” This event featured a panel of “well-seasoned” geoscientists with over 30 years of experience, many of whom discussed case studies of successful and failed exploration wells telling what they had learned from each. These disclosures led to frank discussions of how problems were worked through to find answers and the needed resources. This a key concept, simple in theory, really, but we (even and maybe especially the “seasoned person”) should be able to actively listen to every team member, including any new observation-based ideas, to see their merits. Interestingly, one of the many themes brought out in the case studies was how we humans think. When either identifying a new prospect or risking the prospects we have, do we have any inherent biases based on our experience or knowledge that were actually “blind spots” in our thinking? The answer, of course, is yes; we all have these blind spots, and discussions arose on how they might be better identified. There were three books on this subject that three different speakers recommended (and this was not coordinated). The books are:
“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman
“The Explorers Mindset” by Jonathan Rozien
“Blind Spots” by Dr. Marty Makary
One practical solution for addressing whether we as a team are aware of things that could lead to blind spots was to seek the opinion of someone who comes fresh to the presentation. We all likely had such an experience when, for example, taking along a non-geologist to help while measuring a rock section. While the geologist is busy climbing uphill with head down, the non-geologist, taking in all the surrounding beauty, interrupts the geologist by pointing out the precariously perched rock overhead about to fall. An obvious blind spot, but what about when blind spots are an outcome of cognitive dissonance – saying one thing while having a belief in another? Why? Well, we do. Anyway, check out any of the books and reflect.
This bulletin includes quite a few technical articles on the theme of more global exploration examples (to help our thinking broaden). Thank you to all the authors for this contribution. Remember, if you want to share something in the bulletin, please get in touch with the board or me.
Wishing you all a harvest of blessings, good health, and good times.
Ted Godo