Sunday, June 17, 2007

how to be an effective thinker

Inspired by & extraction from June 2007 publication of Harvard Business Review article 'How successful leaders think' by Roger Martin.

Effective leaders can hold two opposing ideas in his head and still function optimally while rationalizing them creating an even better idea than the sum of earlier two.

Conventional thinkers:
1. Determining Salience. Focus only on obviously relevant features.

2. Analyzing Causality. Consider one-way, linear relationships between variables, in which more of A produces more of B.

3. Envisioning the Decision Architecture. Break problems into pieces and work on them separately or sequentially.

4. Achieving Resolution. Make either-or choices; settle for best available options.

Integrative/Effective thinkers:
1. Determining Salience. Seek less obvious but potential relevant factors.

2. Analyzing Causality. Consider multi-directional and non-linear relationships among variables.

3. Envisioning the Decision Architecture. See problems as a whole, examining how the parts fit together and how decisions affect one another.

4. Achieving Resolution. Creatively resolve tensions among opposing ideas; generate innovative outcomes.

i do agree with the above after observing my own thinking process and others.. and is it born or bred? i believe IQ is mostly born but the process of effective thinking is bred.

And if you understand the power and workings of the unconscious mind, it will be even better!!

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