#88: Think It Through: Parenting, Culture, and Mental Models

In this practical episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University show how the same underlying mental structures shape both family life and organizational culture.From a frustrated parent arguing with a teen about driving to a CEO dealing with conflicting rules in the workplace, the problem isn’t people—it’s the invisible mental models guiding their behavior. Using simple systems thinking tools, they break down how to surface, compare, and rebuild shared mental models that actually work.You’ll learn how to stop having the same argument twice, fix cultural contradictions, and see the structure beneath every problem—at home, at work, and everywhere in between.