In what universe do kindergartners regularly outperform MBA's? Having taught thousands of MBA's — and at least four kindergarteners — this may be one question I'm uniquely qualified to answer. The answer lies in the results of the Spaghetti Marshmallow Tower Challenge, a famous team-building activity conducted by Tom Wujec at Autodesk and replicated by our team at the d.school.

The Spaghetti Marshmallow Tower Challenge

In this challenge, teams are tasked with building the tallest freestanding structure using only spaghetti, tape, and a marshmallow, which must be placed on top. They’ve got 18 minutes to compete. Surprisingly, kindergarteners consistently outperform MBA graduates in this challenge.

Why? It comes down to mindset.

The Mindset Difference

Kindergarteners approach the challenge with a beginner's mindset, knowing they don't have all the answers. They experiment, learn from their mistakes, and iterate. In contrast, MBA graduates often assume they know the solution based on past experiences, which hinders their ability to experiment and innovate.

The Pitfalls of Expertise

In a rapidly changing environment, deep familiarity with what’s worked in the past, and an ability to lay out a plan based on past experience, is increasingly irrelevant. The challenge is our incredible ability to pattern match and rationalize our matches: we often don’t know when we’re doing something new, so we approach a new problem as if it’s somewhat like the old problem, and trigger a bunch of wrong assumptions about how to approach the work.

A study by my colleagues at Stanford found that even when introduced to valuable risk-reducing methods, MBA graduates resist their application. This suggests that formal training in "learning-by-thinking" methods can limit the use of "learning-by-doing" approaches, which are crucial for tackling new problems.

Cultivating a Beginner's Mindset

To foster innovation and effective problem-solving, it's essential to create an environment where "kindergarten-minded individuals" feel comfortable asking "dumb questions." By embracing a beginner's mindset, we can approach new challenges with curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to learn from our mistakes. A simple way to do this is to assumption storm: ask, “What do we assume is true in this situation?” and then suggest simple and quick ways to test if those assumptions are indeed true.

Try It Now

The Spaghetti Marshmallow Tower Challenge teaches us that expertise can sometimes be a liability when facing new problems. By cultivating a beginner's mindset and encouraging curiosity and experimentation, we can unlock our full potential for innovation and problem-solving.

So, the next time you face a new challenge — or for that matter, even an old one — try to channel your inner kindergartener and approach it with fresh eyes and an open mind.

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