“The world of work is increasingly more knowledge intensive, fast-paced, diverse, chaotic, interconnected, and multicultural. In such a world, we need new ways of thinking, learning, and development in organisations.”
(Karacas et al 2008)
Problem solving, organising and planning are core activities for managers, but most never receive any training in the effective and efficient thinking that underpins these functions. In fact, most of us never give thinking a thought, we under- or mis-use the most powerful aspect of our mind by simply going along with it.
How we think is often more important than what we think. Since how we think often determines what we think, paying some attention to our style of thinking can benefit us in all sorts of ways. This workshop helps participants to think more quickly, pragmatically, effectively and decisively.
Contents
- Introduction and expectations
- Our preferred styles of thinking
- Three main styles, strengths and benefits
- Problem solving, planning and organising, for example
- Thinking about how to think
- How thinking relates to outcome and productivity
- Active vs passive thinking
- Argument as a tool for thinking
- Using thinking time to best effect
- Structured thinking, creative thinking and routine thinking
- Harnessing untapped potential of the inner mind
- Conscious vs unconscious
- Structuring questions to promote creative thinking
- The right style for a given task
- Helping others to think
- Keeping the mind in good shape
- Activities and tasks to promote thinking.
objectives
Recognise the main styles of thinking
Make active choices about thinking
Learn a structured approach to developing more effective thinking
Use time more effectively
Think actively, rather than passively.
Reference
Karakas, Fahri and Kavas, Mustafa (2008). Creative brainstorming and integrative thinking: skills for twenty-first century managers. Development and Learning in Organizations, 22(2), pp. 8–12.