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It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well. -- Rene Descartes
Bricks?
Walls?
Cathedral?
When you first discover you have a problem or challenge, before searching solutions... be sure you're about to fix the right thing.
Who has the time, energy, or money to fix something that isn't broken?
But, how do you determine what the true problem is?
One method is to examine your problem from both narrower and broader perspectives... Is your problem a wall? Or is this problem really about smaller, contributing factors - the bricks. Or is it actually a symptom of a larger issue - a cathedral.
PingThink
is a radical iconoclastic firm that primarily integrates thought with
action to develop new insights, deal with management challenges or
personal change.
For years, we have observed broadly two different disciplines in the thinking process.
The classical model of first clarifying goals, assessing the situation, formulating options, estimating the likelihood of success, making the decision and then taking action to implement the decision.
Nothing wrong with this classical approach, but the world we live in has increasingly become complex, non-linear and often inter-related.Complexity is increasing and trade-off decisions are sometimes too difficult.
Most problems need to be dealt extemporaneously and often with a non programmable artistic sense.
The PingThink model enlarges the canvas and brings to bear a different process.
We use a 5 step approach drawn from cognitive theory, human behavior and other disciplines.
Focus on the overriding concern: The overriding concern weaves its way in and out of all the activities of the management's current thinking, especially during crisis and business reviews.
A solution to the problem which is not congruent with the "overriding concern " invariably ends up as a sub-optimal option.
Using intuition: Intuition refers to the smooth automatic performance of learned behavior sequences. It is also the ability to synthesize isolated bits of data and experience into an integrated picture. Intuition also helps to come with plausible solutions. It is based on extensive experience both in analytics and problem solving and in its implementation, and to the extent that the lessons are logical and well-founded, then so is the intuition.
Problem management: The process of problem management is broken into:
Using the rational assets: Using hard date within the organization, gathering appropriate metrics,using the appropriate search /query tools all forms of codified knowledge that has a bearing on the problem and the complementary issues surrounding the overriding concern. The key point is keep the context of the problem and its linkages with the overriding concern.
Deploy Thinking/Doing cycles: Thinking is inextricably linked to action and often the action bias brings in the new perspectives. It is not the ultimate act of implementing the first solution in the mind, but the constant process of doing the thinking that helps in refining the thought process. With this model analysis then becomes a dynamic, interactive series of activity and reflection.
For years, we have observed broadly two different disciplines in the thinking process.
The classical model of first clarifying goals, assessing the situation, formulating options, estimating the likelihood of success, making the decision and then taking action to implement the decision.
Nothing wrong with this classical approach, but the world we live in has increasingly become complex, non-linear and often inter-related.Complexity is increasing and trade-off decisions are sometimes too difficult.
Most problems need to be dealt extemporaneously and often with a non programmable artistic sense.
The PingThink model enlarges the canvas and brings to bear a different process.
We use a 5 step approach drawn from cognitive theory, human behavior and other disciplines.
Focus on the overriding concern: The overriding concern weaves its way in and out of all the activities of the management's current thinking, especially during crisis and business reviews.
A solution to the problem which is not congruent with the "overriding concern " invariably ends up as a sub-optimal option.
Using intuition: Intuition refers to the smooth automatic performance of learned behavior sequences. It is also the ability to synthesize isolated bits of data and experience into an integrated picture. Intuition also helps to come with plausible solutions. It is based on extensive experience both in analytics and problem solving and in its implementation, and to the extent that the lessons are logical and well-founded, then so is the intuition.
Problem management: The process of problem management is broken into:
- Defining the problem.
- Making a network of problems
- Choosing which problem to focus on.
- Tolerating ambiguity
- Perceiving the novelty
Using the rational assets: Using hard date within the organization, gathering appropriate metrics,using the appropriate search /query tools all forms of codified knowledge that has a bearing on the problem and the complementary issues surrounding the overriding concern. The key point is keep the context of the problem and its linkages with the overriding concern.
Deploy Thinking/Doing cycles: Thinking is inextricably linked to action and often the action bias brings in the new perspectives. It is not the ultimate act of implementing the first solution in the mind, but the constant process of doing the thinking that helps in refining the thought process. With this model analysis then becomes a dynamic, interactive series of activity and reflection.
