Thursday, December 31, 2009

Design With A Whole New Mind

My chapter briefing on Daniel Pink's book, "A Whole New Mind" will be presented in a later blog entry.  Chapter Four was my assignment.  Nice alluring graphic for the chapter don't you think?  A quick briefing on the book is in order.  Pink's contention/proposition that we are now in an age where creators, designers, story tellers, pattern recognizers, meaning makers, and empathizers will be the future titians and drivers of success rather than the businessman, computer programmer, lawyer, and other like white collar workers.  The artists, inventors, designers, caregivers, storytellers, consolers, big picture thinkers will dominate the top of the economic food chain.  In a nutshell, the new MBA is the MFA.

Why?  He points out the reasons with three words beginning with the letter "A".  Automation, Abundance, and Asia.  I guess that's four A's if you include "and"  so I better restate the three A's using the symbol rather than the word so I don't confuse you or myself.  I don't know why I said I might confuse you...no one is reading this blog anyway!  Ha!  If you do read this entry, please leave a comment or some kind of mark to let me know that I am not the only person left on this earth.  Automation, Abundance, & Asia are the three reasons why a whole new breed of individuals will become or are now the sought after commodity in our new Conceptual Age.  We have left all other ages behind.  The agricultural age, the industrial age, and the information age have made way for the age of concepts and ideas.  The war was fought and the future won.  The past never had a chance.  For a successful business model in the conceptual age one must answer three questions: 1. Can a computer do it faster?  2. Can someone overseas do it cheaper?  3. Is what I'm offering in demand in an age of abundance?  When these questions are asked and answered in the affirmative, a business must employ some new creative concepts to propel them into a successful position.  

Pink outlines six essential right brain based concepts or senses that one must employ to be successful in this new conceptual age.  1. Design: Moving beyond the function of an object or idea to give the item form, sense, style, and significance.  2. Story: A narrative can improve sales and maximize meaning to the purchaser.  It bonds the buyer to the seller and helps doctor understand patient.  We don't want the history-less, we desire and covet the story.  3. Symphony: Invention and the big picture are king here.  We must use the right brain "eureka" center to synthesize existing ideas into new systems.  Seeing the whole picture and combining the details into new ideas.  4. Empathy: Emotion and intuition, not just logical approaches to problems.   5. Play: Humor makes one more productive and creative.  Engaging in humor and play is not only healthy for the mind, it is profitable for the body as well.  Jocularity helps one investigate and solve problems.   6. Meaning: Seek meaning and purpose in your life.      

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