Table of Content (click on blue
hyperlinks) atoc 2. Innovative thinking vs. problem solving … what’s the
difference 3. Drivers of 21st century Industrial age
thinking o An innovation process, mindset, skillset 4. 21st century Knowledge-worker thinking
skill-sets § Facilitative/Collaborative Thinking
Einstein “You can not solve a
problem with the same mind that created it.” 1. Executive
Summary ToC In essence, Innovative thinking is about managing
change … not about solving problems. Many people lump everything under the word problem. But they know this
isn’t right because they come up with variations of the word problem … like prob-tuntity for a problem that is really an opportunity
for innovation. And because of a lack of understanding using some version of
Alex Osborn’s creative problem solving process for innovation. But as good as
it is … it’s the wrong hammer for the innovation job … but until now it’s
been the only hammer to use. This white paper clarifies
2.
Innovative thinking vs. problem solving … What’s the difference ToC For the past century, problem solving and scientific thinking have
dominated how we were taught and how we performed our jobs. As important as
they remain, the time has come to more fully develop our innovative thinking
skills. So what is the difference?
Characteristics are:
3.
Drivers of 21st century thinking ToC An innovation
process At some point during our education/work,
most of us were taught a problem solving and a scientific process. The most
commonly used problem solving process today was developed in the 1950s by
Alex Osborn. And the evolution of the scientific process dates back to Alhazen in the tenth century. But, how many of us have been taught an
Innovation Process? The answer is NONE … the reason … no formal innovation
process has ever been developed. Wikipedia, for example, describes in detail George Poyla’s
four step Problem Solving (PS) process. It also describes Alex Osborn’s six
step Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process. BUT … there is no mention of any
Innovation process. What thinking
process is used for innovation? For lack of
anything else, people now apply a creative problem solving process to
innovation. But remember,
innovation is not about solving problems but about embracing change. So
using a problem solving process for innovation is like using the wrong hammer
for the job … but until now it’s been the only hammer we have had to use. Innovation
process vs. Creative Problem Solving process. The following is a proposed Innovation
process compared to the Osborn-Parnes Creative
Problem Solving (CPS) process.
An Innovation mindset Innovation thinking requires a certain mindset, one that
tolerates change, and even one that flourishes on it. Innovative thinking skills is about opportunity and embracing “Change” Below are the change drivers
that point to the skills you will need to become a change-adept thinker. NOTE: (BOTH Problem Solving
AND Innovative Thinking skills are
required to become an effective thinker.)
4. Innovative Thinking Skills ToC Problem Solving and Scientific thinking skills People have identified literally hundreds of different “thinking
skills” including: inductive and deductive thinking; convergent and divergent
thinking; logical, analytical and rational thinking, etc. In the main, these skill sets are
associated with solving problems and focus on studying the past and analyzing
data that already exists. Innovative thinking skills Innovative thinking, on the other hand, embraces “Change” by focusing
on studying the future and analyzing data that may not even exist yet. To do
this you need to develop the following skills that help you master the
Challenges of Change. Questioning
ToC Smart
people don’t have all the right answers … but they do ask the right questions. Asking the right questions gives your mind the best chance to find the
right answers, ideas, and innovations.
The result of not asking questions is to greatly diminish your
thinking capabilities. Our lost ability to ask questions. Regrettably, many of us have lost our ability to ask questions. Most
of us were really good at asking questions when we were children. As we grew older and by the time we reached
high school, many of us became fearful of asking questions for various
reasons, including:
Re-acquiring a questioning attitude. If you take nothing else away from this handbook, give yourself a
questioning attitude, and simply “start asking questions.” If you are not a questioner … consider these
quotes.
Systems Thinking ToC In its simplest sense … systems thinking provides
a more accurate picture of reality. Your organization or company, like the human body, is a system. To
make and keep the organization healthy, you must consider the whole … not
just the parts. Ultimately all your business processes combined make up the
overall system that is called a
company. In a typical organization very few people take a systems approach to
understanding the organization. Systems thinking is
important because it offers an understanding of the way things really work in
your organization, rather than how they appear to work in terms of formal
structures. What is Systems Thinking? Peter Senge, a leading researcher in the
field of systems thinking, defines systems thinking as a way of understanding
and working with complexity. Systems thinking emphasizes understanding the
relationships among a system's parts, rather than analysis of the parts
themselves. Basically, systems thinking helps you view situations from a broad
perspective that includes seeing overall structures, patterns, and cycles. Benefits of Systems Thinking
How can I become a Systems Thinker? Systems thinking is a personal characteristic of
many top executives. And while it is a formal discipline, anyone can become a
reasonably good systems thinker … simply by asking “systems” questions. For example, asking the following basic questions
leads your mind down a systems thinking path.
Futures Thinking ToC
The
future is arriving faster … and with less certainty. In general, it is better to anticipate and plan for potential problems
/ opportunities rather than simply waiting and reacting to them. In the long
run the companies (and individuals) that succeed the most are the ones that
best analyze trends and prepare for change. What is Futures Thinking? Since the future has not yet happened, futures
thinking is about developing alternatives and deciding what actions
are needed today to get to a desired future. Three ways to think about the future.
How do I start to become a Futures Thinker? The future will happen no matter what you do, but if you want it to be
a good future, you need to work at it. Ask these questions to get
yourself and your organization started for getting better control over your
future.
Critical Thinking ToC The skill
to “Think about your own thinking”
may be the most important of all thinking skills. 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 heads, we
pretty much leave it to chance and autopilot thinking. Critical thinking, on the other hand, is about stopping at any given
moment and taking a reading of your current reality. This gives your mind the
mental input and opportunity to engage constructively and thoughtfully as the
current event develops. Why Critical Thinking
is important. The quality of work/life is directly related to the quality of your
thinking. Unfortunately, much thinking can be distorted, uninformed,
incorrect, and quite often biased. Critical thinking, sometimes called Meta Thinking, gives you the
ability to think about your own
thinking and helps you to:
2.
Acquire valid information to think upon: In general, there is a
direct correlation between effective thinking and the data you have acquired
to think about. Critical thinking is the filter that gives your mind valid
data to think with. Note: Critical thinking is NOT being critical of the
way other people think. How can I start to become a Critical Thinker? If you can embed the following questions into your normal thinking
pattern, you will take a giant step towards improving your thinking
effectiveness … for any given situation. Note: These questions are the same, whether you are a 12 year old
having a family problem or a 60 year old CEO having
a corporate problem.
Co-Creative Thinking ToC Together … we are
creative geniuses! Co-creation starts with each one of us, and while a creative genius
like Albert Einstein is not found every day, we do find “ordinary” people
constantly doing creative things. So the first step in co-creation is to
boost your own creativity. Two things to help:
Co-creative Brainstorming Good brainstorming sessions minimize judgmental thinking that kills
creativity before ideas have been fully articulated. The goal is to generate “Lots of
Ideas.” The chances of finding really
good and even breakthrough ideas increase the more ideas you have to choose
from. “And/Both” Decision Making ToC Why is
innovation success so elusive? A recent report from the Boston Consulting Group showed many CEOs were
unhappy with the decision making associated with innovation projects. So what’s the problem? ... Conventional
decision making leads to choosing the wrong projects to work on. Conventional vs. Integrative “And/Both” Decision
Making Conventional decision making tends to minimize complexity and narrow alternatives down
to either/or choices. Decision making focuses on certainty,
predictability and measurability. It emphasizes collecting quantifiable data
and using algorithmic processes to help make decisions. Integrative decision making, on the other hand, embraces complexity, change,
and uncertainty. Decision making
focuses on “and/both” choices and
finding the “right mix” of innovations that deserve investment dollars.
Integrative decision makers use a roadmap approach for dealing with
constantly changing customer needs and technologies.
Facilitative & Collaborative Thinking ToC The old
business mantra “Stop talking and get
to work” is replaced by “Start
talking and get to work.” Facilitative thinking is the ability to help others reach their full
potential. It is one of the most important of all 21st century
skills. More than ever, work is being done by cross-functional teams that
include internal, external, and global workers. Successfully running these
types of teams requires a new breed of “facilitative” leaders. The Growing Importance of Meetings As work becomes more interconnected, there is a
growing importance on teams and team performance. And meetings, as much as they are loathed, are the setting in which much
of the important work gets done. Quality meetings are now more important
than ever. Everyone who leads and manages people needs to understand that the success of
any team and organization depends on the success of its meetings. Magical Meetings While we have all experienced our share of bad meetings, most of us have
also experienced an occasional magical meeting. It’s where the room is filled
with energy, thoughts flow freely, and powerful ideas and solutions are
created. These meetings occur when you adopt a facilitative leadership approach
that concentrates on empowering all meeting participants to think better and
become facilitators themselves. Instead of sitting and waiting for direction, participants become
engaged in the meeting. And instead of complying with orders, they create
solutions for which they have a high level of commitment. Collaborative Thinking practices are becoming essential to achieve
sustained performance. The ability to work and think collaboratively enables knowledge workers to
leverage their collective knowledge, ideas, and wisdom. Here are two things to start you to become a collaborative thinker: 1. Build a collaborative thinking mindset The cornerstone of collaboration is “TRUST.” It is very unlikely effective collaboration
will occur without the following mindset. The Collaboration Mindset
2. Start using Conversation over Communication To become an effective collaborator, you must develop the skill of
conversation rather than communication. The purpose of conversation is to
establish and build relationships, while the purpose of communication is goal
oriented – to get things done. Dennis Heindl is President of Nth Degree Software, Inc. and can be contacted at dj@nthdegreesoft.com or at 414-529-1878.
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