Gardner’s Reading Response 4/15/10

Gardner’s Reading Response 4/15/10
In this book, he goes a step further by describing five "minds" which he believes will need to be cultivated in order for individuals and groups to flourish in the future. This cultivation will require substantial reform of our educational systems, which will need to continue for each individual as a lifelong pursuit, and will need to be balanced (in the best liberal arts tradition) in a way that encompasses the arts and humanities along with the usual mathematics, science, and technology. In my opinion, Gardner's proposed five minds pass the basic test of being reasonably distinct from each other. It could be debated whether additional minds need to be added, but I think that they cover plenty of ground, and are at least an excellent starting point. The five minds can be summarized as follows: 1. The Disciplined Mind has mastered the distinctive ways of thinking associated with a scholarly discipline, craft, profession, or other practice. The resulting expertise goes well beyond the erroneous or inadequate approaches laypeople would employ, and often involves the ability to conceptualize problems in multiple ways. Such mastery doesn't generally come naturally and therefore typically takes about a decade of steady effort to develop, followed by continued education and practice to maintain it; coaching and mentoring can be a big help in this regard. 2. The Synthesizing Mind is skilled in drawing information from various sources and organizing it in sensible ways, making useful connections while avoiding false or unproductive ones. Since we tend to operate in domain-specific ways and are driven toward specialization, synthesis doesn't come naturally, but we yearn for it. We often achieve it in the form of narratives, taxonomies, complex concepts, rules, aphorisms, metaphors, themes, theories, works of art, etc. Interdisciplinary work explicitly aims for synthesis. 3. The Creating Mind breaks new ground by putting forth new ideas, new ways of thinking, unfamiliar questions, and unexpected answers, and then ideally also gaining their acceptance by others. Not surprisingly, creators are much rarer than "mere" experts and have traits like willingness to deviate from the crowd, perseverance in the face of difficulties and failures, comfort with turbulence, and eagerness to continue pushing boundaries (even after achieving success). But creativity isn't simply a result of individual "genius," since context can also play a large role. 4. The Respectful Mind recognizes and accepts the diversity among individuals and groups and thereby shows tolerance and the ability to collaborate effectively with others. Ever-intensifying globalization makes development of the respectful mind an imperative. 5. The Ethical Mind ponders one's work and society's needs at a more abstract level than the respectful mind, and then finds ways to go beyond self-interest and instead also serve others. Ethical work is "good work" in the senses of being of excellent quality, responsible to the community, and engaging in a way that provides meaning.

Howard Gardner 5 Minds for the Future 3/22/10

Howard Gardner 5 Minds for the Future Reading Response 3/22/10

Gardner does an excellent job in this book of fleshing out the five minds and illustrating their importance. He does this by drawing on his formidable erudition and giving a wonderfully diverse range of great examples. His writing is also exceptionally clear and the book is very well organized. As a result, I found it very easy and enjoyable to read.
I am fascinated by Gardner's ideas. The focus is more on the discipline, academics, and ensuring synthesis in learning. I think this reading is worthwhile for any educator. It is very convincing regarding the need for us to discipline our minds for the betterment of ourselves (both individually and collectively). I like the way he is able to pull a reader out of ignorance. He offered some concrete methodologies for healthy cohesion in the home and in society at large.

Pink’s Reading Response 4/15/10

Pink’s Reading Response 4/15/10

The journey was reflective of Pink's belief that just over the horizon, Right Brain ("R Directed thinking" in his lexicon), resplendent in its ability to recognize patterns in disparate actions, will be the key to success and competitive advantage. After reading his book, you'll agree that the future belongs to those of us who can craft symphonies from unrelated categories, who have narrative aptitude for story, and who have empathy to solidify relationships, we will be the masters of the Conceptual Age. Pink layers on aspects of globalization in advancing his argument pointing out that with ever flatter competitive markets, cost reductions and scale-welled educated workforces in Asia the old narrow advantage of rote fact based work will fall to the greater functionality of working jazz, blending and connecting high Concepts, relational advantages driven by right brain thinking. Not with standing some of the New Age qualities such as "laughter class", and the buttressing the argument with globalization theory, Pink is spot on regarding the increasing economic value of pattern and strategy recognition. At root his book is as much about approaches to business and competition as it is about psychology and the development of man's working culture. My epiphany in discovering the book is precisely how he outlined his theory of "High Concept" and its advantages. The pattern I detected in my journey was all about personal effectiveness. In riffing from design theory to graphics, then to learning theory, my "R Directed thinking" was cobbling together my own pattern recognition of personal effectiveness and the ability to lead an audience and establish "thought leadership." Along the way I found new language to describe how I already do things and approach problems. my success have been on the L Directed ability to execute, a focus on making things happen, but also within an overall big picture, R Directed aspects on the "Symphony" which Pink asserts the "Conceptual Age" will require. Too often, the business press narrows on "focus" to develop "expertise" but the real high value functions is not about how well you know one market or a technology, but how well you assimilate the pieces into the bigger picture. The special talent in the ability to interpret things simultaneously, in seeing all the elements of a situation and understanding what they mean is really global business.
If you're reading this blog, with its combinatorial elements, I think you'll really enjoy Pink's book. Whether it might be varied country markets such as Asia, N. America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, CEER, or a wide range of commercial sectors crossing mobile, banking, content, platforms or social networks, the results and the rewards will go to those who can operate with equal aplomb in very different categories. "A Whole New Mind" is an enlightening read for any global professional and should be on your reading list or office book shelf.

Pink’s Reading Response 4/6/10

Pink’s Reading Response 4/6/10

In the age of Abundance -- appealing only to functional, logical, and rational requirements is not enough. Design, empathy, play, and other "soft" aptitudes have become the focal point for individuals and companies that want to stand out above the others in a crowded marketplace. Look no further than Apple's design-triumph, the physically appealing and emotionally compelling iPod, for quick confirmation of this notion! Looking at trends, Pink concludes outsourcing of white-collar jobs (knowledge work) to nations in Asia will have profound "long term effects" on the economic well-being of Australia, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US. Just as factory jobs flowed out of the country during the eighties, globalization of white-collar jobs will soon follow. Consequently, most Americans will need to come up with a new skill set that is not abundant overseas. Even if Pink is wrong, and Abundance and Asia aren't transforming America, rest assured that Automation is. Pink cites specific examples of how Computer Programming, Law, and Medicine have been radically altered by technology. You'll notice this trend in even simpler venues (like self-checkout at supermarket and department store chains) throughout the US. Transaction based jobs may soon start declining. Now here are a few key items worthy of consideration, when it comes to your present or future career track. Can computers do it faster? Can overseas labor do it cheaper? Are your skills in demand? Are your skills overly abundant? Eventually we'll all have to find new jobs. The Agricultural Age and Industrial Age have fallen away, and the Information Age is fading fast. We're hurtling into the Conceptual Age, where the majority of jobs will be held by people that create something, or by people that are capable of empathizing with others. Most of these jobs will require care, humor, imagination, ingenuity, instinct, joyfulness, personal rapport, or social dexterity.
Pink explains High Concept, High Touch, avenues of growth that are likely to appear, delves into the importance of gaining an MBA or MFA, and then compares the differences between IQ and Emotional Intelligence in rough metaphor. He then closes Part One with two pages of observation on the baby boomer generation, and their newfound gravitation toward meaning and transcendence, and away from the allure of wealth. Most of A Whole New Mind actually resides in Part Two, wherein a complex theory of the "six senses" that one could harvest to build a whole new mind. Design is an asset above function. Story is an asset above argument. Symphony is an asset above focus. Empathy is an asset above logic. Play is an asset above seriousness, and Meaning is an asset above accumulation. After an extensive essay about each of these six components, Pink includes a "portfolio" of exercises (further reading, tools, and websites) that one could call upon to enhance this mindset, all being useful.

Pink’s Reading Response 3/15/10

Pink’s Reading Response 3/15/10

Pink that covers creative thinking and other aspects of success. Ostensibly geared toward career pros, this non-fiction title analyzes transitions in society as America migrates from an Information Age to a Conceptual Age economy. The text is not academic -- instead it is more biographical, intuitive, observational, and playful. His book is a real triple threat of content, style, and visual presentation. Pink shares this experience to illustrate normal brain function -- to note a few misconceptions about the way the brain divides work -- and then posits that while most people integrate both left and right brain activity, R-Directed Thinking will increasingly be relied upon in the future, by people that want to succeed in business or life. Here is the crux of what Pink is trying to relay. America is currently organized around a cadre of accountants, doctors, engineers, executives and lawyers. These "knowledge workers" excel at the ability to acquire and marry facts to data, and these abilities are typically accrued through a series of standardized tests such as the PSAT, SAT, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT. (As an aside, Department of Education only serves to increase the number of L-Directed Thinkers, providing corporations cheap labor in abundance.) Pink asserts this regime of L-Directed Thinking in America is diminishing due to three factors: Abundance, Asia, and Automation

Pink's Reading Response 3/2/10

Pink’s Reading Response
3/2/10

Pink is absolutely right: creativity and innovation will be a boon for post-industrial, post-information age workers now that countries like China and India can produce cheaper knowledge workers. However, the economics of supply and demand will simply do the same to this new conceptual age worker that it did to programmers and MBAs. Once the economy is flooded with talented designers and creative personnel, the market will correct and wages will fall. And many creative and brilliant "whole brain" workers will become yet again another glut of talent. In the end, the market favors no whole class of worker but rather the most unique and talented of a class. And this has always been the case.

A Whole New Mind 2/20/10

Reflective Writing

A Whole New Mind is the kind of book that many life coaches will love. Pink presents ideas that will reassure us we can have fun while reaching success. Creativity wins. Meaning matters more than money. Your job (and even your industry) could be automated or exported out of existence.

This book reminds me of newspaper articles about "new jobs for aging boomers," where the fine print describes a few boomers in exceptional circumstances who continued their jobs, rather than moved to new ones. Or we get warned about "shortage of management talent," but thousands of managers can't find jobs. Similarly Pink optimistically reports evidence that we're moving to a more creative, right-brained society. Executives attend seminars on humor and story-telling. Design is used to differentiate me-too products. But for the most part, corporate jobs and rewards continue to accrue to the left-brained. Maybe a few top execs at a few companies go to seminars on story-telling. The rest of the employees get measured on hard numbers and are lucky if they find time to tell bedtime stories to their kids. Another example: Pink identifies medical training aimed to create kindlier, more empathic doctors. But in reality, once physicians are forced into managed care systems with mandated 7-minute consultations, they're lucky to find time for a civil "Good morning."