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How does Facilitate Thinking Technology
work? Rarely can people bring to mind all the right mental tools and
questions to ask at the exact moment of thinking. Instead of relying on human memory,
Facilitated Thinking Technology takes a different approach. Its goal is to provide cognitive tools, called thinklets, that
function like a skilled consultant or coach who is always available and ready
to support your thinking needs, precisely when you need it. This technology is built on the premise that using thinking
methods and tools follows the same principle that underlies the selection of
any manual tool: choose one
appropriate for the task at hand. Thinking
Emulation Grid At the heart of facilitated thinking technology is the following
Thinking Emulation Grid™. This grid
organizes thinking components into a smoothly coordinated and integrated
system called Facilitated Thinking Environments (FTEs). The grid works by guiding thinkers along specific Thinking
Processes and Thinking Tasks to reach Thinking Points. It is at these organizing
points where you apply the thinklets as if the human consultant or expect
were working directly with you.
In some respects, the grid functions something like Google.
While Google uses key words to find
the right information, the Emulation Grid finds the right cognitive tools, thinklets, needed to improve your
thinking effectiveness. The grid is also based on the way our brain works.
According to brain theory, the mind does not store information
alphabetically, like a dictionary, but organizes information by association.
This is why one thought leads to another and how “thinklets” function. What
are Thinklets? Tools for the Mind. The 20th century can be characterized as an era when
the invention of physical tools increased labor productivity. For example, 125 different types of pliers
alone were invented to do 125 different labor tasks. The 21st century will become the era of the invention
of tens of thousands of cognitive tools (thinklets) that improve thinking
productivity. Thinklets can be viewed as mental triggers or “thought switches”
that activate thinking patterns not commonly used. These thought switches
lead the mind down different pathways to develop new thoughts, ideas, and
solutions. In its purest sense a thinklet can be as simple as … asking the
right question at the right time. Or, a Thinklet may provide small bursts of
thinking stimuli (expert “facilitation” questions) embedded in traditional
thinking techniques, templates, and worksheets. The
Bottom Line Facilitated Thinking Environments (FTEs) can help make the
average worker become good, the good become excellent, and the excellent can
attain exceptional levels of innovative thinking. Even Einstein had his circle of colleagues who regularly asked
him questions and served as his Facilitated Thinking Environment. |
