Table
of Content (click on blue hyperlinks) 2. Vision for Facilitated Thinking Technology 3. Facilitated Thinking Technology - Theory 4. Thinking Emulation Grid – How FTT works 5. Facilitated Thinking Environment – Put Theory into
Practice 6. An assembly line for the mind 7. Full Spectrum Innovation – FTE 8. Appendix 1: Thinking vs. Learning 9. Appendix 2: How Thinking Works 10.
Appendix 3: Evolution of Facilitated Thinking
Technology
Plato “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only help them think.” ■ Executive
Summary ToC The business visionary Peter Drucker said
in his 1999 book, “Management Challenges for the 21st
century” One of the biggest
challenges of the 21st century will be to increase
knowledge-worker thinking productivity fifty-fold, the same increase as
manual-worker labor productivity during the 20th century. So far
it has been abysmally slow.” As described in the white paper “Age of Exponential Change”, a new
workforce is emerging that is based on change-adept (innovative) thinking
abilities. So … the time is right to
improve the quality and effectiveness of personal, group and organizational
thinking. This white paper describes how Facilitated Thinking Technology and
the application of new cognitive thinking tools, called thinklets, improves
natural thinking abilities; to analyze and understand information quicker, to
develop more creative and innovative ideas, to make more correct decisions,
to identify proper action steps, and to develop all critical thinking skills. ■ Vision
for Facilitated Thinking Technology ToC
A fifty-fold increase in productivity of thought comes from boosting
your intelligence in these four areas:
But … what if you could improve your intelligence by tapping into the
wisdom of the best consultants, teachers and coaches … anytime you choose …
as if they were working directly with you. That’s the vision of Facilitated
Thinking Technology and what the following schematic portrays. Facilitated Thinking Technology
Artificial Intelligence: Facilitated Thinking Technology is not a
substitute for human thinking, and is actually just the opposite of
Artificial Intelligence. The purpose of AI is to automat human thinking in
ways that lead to deterministic answers.
This works well routine thinking that follows a script. Facilitated Thinking
Technology uses questions to enhance natural human intelligence by taking the
mind out of scripted thinking patterns and leading to new associations, ideas
and innovations. ■ Facilitated Thinking Technology –Theory ToC
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 that function like a skilled consultant or coach who is
always available and ready to support your thinking needs … precisely when
you need it. Facilitation Thinking Technology is built on the premise that the
choice of using thinking methods and tools follow the same principle that
underlies the selection of any manual tool: choose one appropriate for the task at hand. The 20th century can be characterized
as an era when the evolution of physical tools increased Manual worker labor
productivity fifty-fold. There are now, for example, over 125 types of pliers
to do different manual tasks. The 21st century might well become
the era when “thinklets” and new cognitive tools like increase Knowledge
worker thinking productivity fifty-fold. ■ Thinking Emulation Grid: How Facilitated
Thinking Environment works ToC At the heart of Facilitated Thinking Environments are Thinking
Emulation Grids™. These grids emulate how a human consultant, teacher or coach
functions when providing intellectual guidance. With a just-in-time approach, the grid
delivers the right questions to ask, the correct thinking tools to use, and
the proper thinking methods to enhance personal or team thinking performance In some respects, this grid works the way our brain works and
functions like Google that uses key
words to find information. MindSights’ emulation grid uses thinklets to facilitate finding the
right cognitive tools and questions to ask for better thinking.
1. Thinking Processes Thinking Processes are the mental structures or frameworks in which
thinking occurs. Like a human
facilitator, these processes guide thinking by helping people focus on what
is important, and, prompting them on how to think through situations more
effectively. Correctly identifying the right thinking process to use is a critical
first step for successful thinking. Proper identification is vital because
different thinking processes
are needed depending on the situation you are trying to address or resolve. MindSights
defines eight basic thinking processes as follows:
Thinking, of course, generally does not following one
process but is a combination of processes. That is why the grid is designed
to use “Thinking Points” that enable jumping around as needed. Note: Today,
the Creative Solving Problem (CPS) process developed by Alex Osborn in the
1950s is really the only process used. However, using CPS for every thinking
task is like using a sledgehammer for ever hammering task. 2. Thinking Task Within each Thinking Process are Thinking Tasks … the basic building
blocks of thinking. Understanding the sequence of thinking tasks within a
“thinking process” significantly influences knowledge worker thinking.
Skipping or missing a task can lead to ineffective thinking, for
example:
3. Thinking Points Thinking points are the cross section between “Thinking Processes”
and “Thinking Tasks”. It is at these points where cognitive tools (thinklets)
are applied just as if the human teacher or facilitator were working directly
with you and providing intellectual guidance to help you find your own best
solution. 4. Thinklets - Tools for the mind. So what are thinklets? Thinklets can be viewed as mental triggers or
“thought switches” that activate thinking patterns not commonly used. 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. These thinklets help the thinker alter routine
thinking patterns and activate not commonly used patterns leading to new
associations, relationships and ultimately new innovative ways of thinking.
There are four basic kinds of thinklets.
5. Thinking Information & Content From a knowledge-worker perspective,
information can be viewed as the “raw material” of thinking. For the most
part, there is a direct
correlation between data and thinking. Effective thinking occurs only if a
person acquires the right “critical mass” of relevant background data and
information to think upon. Applying good thinking upon bad information
results in ineffective thinking and in poor quality results. Note: The Evolution of Facilitated Thinking
Technology can be seen in Appendix 1. ■ Facilitated Thinking Environment – Putting
Theory into Practice ToC
Putting the
concept of Facilitated Thinking Technology into practice creates a new type
of application called Facilitated Thinking Environments (FTEs). FTEs function like a skilled consultant, educator or trusted friend
who delivers timely advice by asking just the right questions,
recommending the right cognitive tools to use, and offering successful
methods and insights. This results in amplifying natural human thinking to
arrive at higher levels of thought. Facilitated Thinking Environments (FTEs) put in place a comprehensive
environment that surrounds knowledge-workers with cognitive tools. Creating these environments makes the
average worker good, the good become excellent, and the excellent can attain
exceptional levels of new thinking. ■ An Assembly line for your mind
ToC As the assembly line improved manual worker “labor” productivity, new Facilitated Thinking Environments will
improve Information worker “thinking”
productivity. Facilitated Thinking Environments is a process that improves
knowledge-worker thinking
productivity in much the same way the invention of the assembly line
improved manual-worker labor
productivity. With a just-in-time approach, a Facilitated Thinking
Technology delivers within a precise thought process the right questions to
ask, the correct thinking tools to use, and the proper thinking methods to
enhance personal or team thinking performance. The following is an analogy of an automobile assembly line process
compared to a problem solving process. Both follow a
sequence of tasks (mental tasks), both use tools (manual vs. cognitive
“thinklets”) and both use raw materials (physical vs. data/information).
■ Full
Spectrum Innovation FTE Applications ToC FTEs are
brought to life in applications. The
following schematic depicts a Facilitated Thinking Innovation Environment
(FTE). The FTE is
comprised of the three applications that are designed to systematically
harness creative ideas and support
the entire spectrum of an organizations innovation needs. Note: The
Users of FTEs can apply it “as is” or shape it and command it to fit specific
needs of a project, team or entire organization. FTEs should allow for full customization
making it truly under the Users cause and control. For a full
description, see the white paper Innovation Infrastructure: Managing change
through innovative thinking. 1.
Personal Innovation FTE: Sitting at the heart of innovation is the
individual. This FTE empowers individual workers to tap into their creative
talents and make performance improvements in their own jobs, 2.
Collaborative Innovation FTE: This FTE facilitates self-organizing teams to quickly experiment with existing technologies
and create new innovations … at minimal cost. 3.
Enterprise Innovation FTE: This FTE focuses on business processes.
Dramatic innovations and competitive advantages occur when you concentrate on
improving your business processes.
Appendix1:
Thinking vs. Learning ToC ■ First
… What’s the difference between thinking and learning Several years ago, I posed what I thought was a simple question to several
of my colleagues: “what’s the
difference between learning and thinking?” While everyone defined
learning the same way, there were widely varying definitions of what thinking
meant. What does Learning mean? People commonly described learning much like the Oxford English
dictionary definition: “Learning is
knowledge or skills acquired through experience or study or by being taught.”
This definition is also consistent with Webster’s New World, Britannica
and American Heritage dictionaries. What does Thinking mean? The word “thinking” however, was not commonly defined nor understood.
Some people defined thinking as creative, rational or scientific thinking.
Others thought that thinking and learning were the same and could not be
separated. They would say; When you
think you learn, and When you learn you think.” Going to a few reputable dictionaries for help, I found these
definitions for thinking.
I don’t know about you, but these definitions seemed pretty fuzzy to
me. Therefore, here are definitions for purposes of my developing facilitated
thinking technology. Learning Defined:
Thinking Defined:
■ Two
Types of Thinking: Autopilot and Change-adept By 2015, it is expected
the US workforce will be comprised of 60-70% knowledge workers. If you want one of those jobs, you will need to
become a change-adept thinker. Autopilot “scripted” Thinking While we all possess the ability to think in different ways, each of
us has developed routine thinking patterns called “scripts.” When confronted
with a thinking task, the mind instinctively draws upon the skills (scripts)
that are most familiar to guide us. Efficient thinking is very important to us. It’s a time saver. We do
not want to rethink how we drive to work everyday,
or relearn how to do our job everyday. Efficient
thinking is applied whenever we do something of a repetitive nature. Moreover, it could even be classified as putting the brain on
autopilot. For example, we know that thinking must be going on when we drive
to work, but sometimes we arrive at work wondering how we got there. Somehow,
we just drove to work with our brain on autopilot … much like a plane flying
itself on autopilot. Change-adept “innovative” Thinking Autopilot thinking is the proverbial two-edge sword. On the one hand,
this kind of “scripted” thinking works well for doing routine tasks. On the
other hand, there is a danger of getting in the habit of using routine
thinking patterns all the time. It prevents us from seeing anything other
than what is revealed by that script. So when our work routine changes, we will not get the correct results
if we apply the same old efficient, routine and scripted thinking. For
example, what happens if our regular driving route to work is closed? We are
not going to get to work by following our normal driving route. Now, we have
to stop and think to develop a new route. This is called change-adept or
un-scripted thinking. Today, businesses are starting to recognize the need for change-adept
thinking because they are now starting to tout the value of creative and
innovative thinking in their employees. However, while creative thinking is obviously
very important, change-adept knowledge workers must be able to do: systems
thinking, strategic thinking, critical thinking, collaborative thinking and
much more. Appendix 2:
How thinking works ToC For many of us, we have never had a lot of formal training on “How to
think”. It was pretty much assumed that thinking was a by-product of
learning. Because we haven’t been taught to think, most of us don’t pay much
attention to our thinking patterns. Instead of making a deliberate effort to
direct the mental traffic in our head, we use autopilot “memorized’ thinking.
There is a huge mind shift needed to become a Change-adept “innovative”
thinking. But how does thinking really work? From a non-scientific standpoint: “Thinking is observing something and comparing
it to your memory so
you can decide what actions to take.” Here is the basic thinking process:
Thinking Process Example: Grocery store checkout
Note: The difference in efficient autopilot thinking and change-adept
thinking is the Thinking Point step. In autopilot thinking, this step is not
needed or used. The brain simple finds prior knowledge and follows that
thinking pattern. In change-adept thinking, this is the step where real
thinking occurs. The brain uses thinklets in this step to find the right
non-routine thinking pattern to apply to the current situation.
Appendix 3: Evolution of
Facilitated Thinking Technology ToC The evolution of computer technology presents new opportunities to
enhance human thinking like no other time in history. The following Taxonomy provides the guiding
principles that lead to the development of Facilitated Thinking Environment software. In summary, the model represents a natural
evolution and constructs different thinking
layers, and builds upon these layers to show how humans think and acquire
understanding, and demonstrates how technology can improve human thinking
along the way.
Data Layer: The Data layer is the most elemental layer in thinking. For the most
part ‘data’ is meaningless facts, figures and statistics that are represented
by words, terminology, signs, numbers, etc. Thinking at this layer is
essentially memory-based. It is about acquiring enough critical mental mass
to allow reasoning to occur. From a computer software perspective databases
and document repositories are analogous to our human memory. Just like
expanding human memory, the more data that is available in computer memory
the more information that can be produced. Information Layer: The Information layer is created when understanding
is added to the Data layer. Information is acquired by putting data/facts
into a context in which understanding occurs. Traditionally data/facts are
given meaning through teacher-lead instruction. The critical success factor here is about
acquiring the right amount of relevant information to allow effective
reasoning “thinking” to occur. In the computer technology world the
interactive nature of software can emulate teachers and allow students to
interact with the software to discover meanings. These software products not
only offer ways for students to learn essential data/facts but more
importantly provide the context within which the data is mentally indexed for
easier retrieval and association. Knowledge
Layer: The Knowledge layer is created when experience
is added to the Information layer. That is, knowledge is acquired when
information becomes grounded in some reality. Typically, this type of
knowledge is obtained through hands-on learning and real life experiences.
Simulation software becomes the closest way to acquire knowledge. Simulations
can mimic real life situations so well that they prepare people for those
situations without actually having to be in them. Simulation software helps
people gain knowledge in the same context that they will use that knowledge.
By using computer-based simulations, we can vastly expand knowledge and the
range of things people can learn from ‘experience’. Wisdom Layer: Although it is very important for people to
have wide and profound knowledge, it is more important to acquire wisdom.
Wisdom is acquired when practical application is added to the
Knowledge layer. While wisdom can be gained when individuals put their
knowledge into action, wisdom can more broadly be gained through
collaboration and the sharing of experiential knowledge. The critical success
factor for gaining wisdom is having a ‘shared space’. Today physical meeting
rooms provide the most common shared space. Shared electronic workspaces on
the Internet are evolving another way people will share experiences. As we
move into an era of more complexity, we will require more collaborative
wisdom from people who have a variety of different knowledges
and experiences. Insight Layer: Insight is the highest learning layer. It
represents the power of the mind to form mental images or concepts of
something that is not real or present. Gaining insight is about creating
conceptualizations based on understandings acquired from all the other
layers. The problem is all the previous thinking/learning layers naturally create
mental routines or scripts that generally lead to a few dominant-thinking
patterns. While scripts are necessary and account for most of our thinking,
going by the script all the time can prevent people from seeing anything
other than what can be applied to the script. Scripts in essence prevent us
from gaining insights by channeling thinking down rigid mental pathways. The critical success factor at this layer is people’s ability to think out-of-the-box (out-of-the-script). From a technology standpoint, helping people gain insight is the purpose of new Facilitated Thinking Environment software. FTEs use thought stimuli that are designed to break scripted mental patterns by prompting users to react to “Thinklets”. Dennis Heindl is President of Nth Degree
Software, Inc. and the developer of MindSights™ Facilitated Thinking
Environment. Dennis can be contacted
at dj@nthdegreesoft.com or at 414-529-1878.
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