Cognitive range isn’t innate—it’s built through deliberate practice. These five practices develop your ability to move fluidly across resolution levels.
Think of it like construction: Each practice builds capacity. Layer by layer, skill by skill.
The Five Building Practices
1. Study Adjacent Fields
What: Learn disciplines that border your expertise
Why: Builds the mental muscle for resolution shifts
How: When solving a problem, ask: “What does this look like at 10x higher/lower scale?”
3. Develop Translation Protocols
What: Create frameworks for level-to-level translation
Why: Makes insights portable across resolutions
How: Practice explaining strategic concepts tactically, and tactical details strategically
4. Build Pattern Libraries
What: Collect and catalog recurring patterns
Why: Patterns are the vocabulary of cognitive range
How: When you see something work, ask: “Where else might this pattern apply?”
5. Cultivate Strategic Empathy
What: Understand how others see problems
Why: Different roles operate at different resolutions
How: Ask: “What resolution is this person operating at? What do they need to see?”
Your Building Checklist
Study adjacent fields regularly
Practice zooming in/out daily
Translate insights between levels
Document patterns you discover
Seek to understand other perspectives
The Building Principle
Cognitive range is developed, not downloaded. Unlike domain knowledge that AI can provide instantly, the ability to move between resolutions must be built through practice.
Start with one practice. Master it. Then add the next. The compound effect is extraordinary.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
