1 BS3916 Thinking about Management 1: Linear and non-linear thinking

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BS3916 Thinking about Management

1: Linear and non-linear thinking

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BS3916 Thinking about Management1: Linear and non-linear thinking

• Linear thinking is the term which can be applied to applying processes of deduction so as to move from the known to the unknown…

• Fawlty Towers example…– If the cat (having eaten a poisoned steak)is NOT ill then

the Food Inspector MAY be poisoned..– As the cat appears to be ill, then the Food Inspector’s

steak is sound– When the cat is not ill, then its steak is sound and can

be served to the Food Inspector etc. etc.

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BS3916 Thinking about Management 1: Linear and non-linear thinking

• Thinking in the West is drawn from ‘The Gang of three’ i.e.

SocratesPlatoAristotle

(according to Edward de Bono of ‘Lateral Thinking’ fame…)

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• Socrates

• sought to uncover the truth by a process of constant questioning – in the course of discussions, he would get opponents to discover the weakness of their own arguments

• Saw his role as a helping to ‘give birth’ to the correct insight

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• Plato

• We can only have inexact knowledge acquired through the senses, but true knowledge acquired through pure reason

• Recall the Myth of the Cave

• The philosophic state:

Body Soul Statehead reason rulerschest will auxiliariesabdomen appetite labourers

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• Aristotle

• All objects are observed in categories (e.g. animal, vegetable, mineral)

• The founder of logic in which we define‘per genus et differentiam’(what is the category an object is in ? What sets is apart from others?)

• e.g.Man is the only animal that can talk)

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Linear thinking has given us…

• Mathematics• Scientific method• Superior technology

and is not to be dismissed lightly!

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• Proof of Pythagoras…

• Angle ABC=angle ADB AB/AD = AC/AB

AB ² =AC.AD

• Similarly…

• BC ² =AC.DC

• AB ² +BC ² =AC.AD+AC.DC

• = AC(AD+DC)

• = AC ²

A D C

B

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• Otherwise called convergent thinking…• Question

What were the causes of the American War of Independence?

• AnswerThe American War of Independence had 6 causes:

• The first cause was…• The second cause was…

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• Divergent Thinking• You are constructing a

railway line between cities A and B

• Give an account of the economic,geographical,political, psychological and any other factors that are likely to spell success or failure

B

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Exercise…

In one minute, write down as many uses as you can for the use of a brick…

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• Attacks have been made upon Convergent thinking in at least two directions…

• Lateral Thinking (Edward de Bono): examples include…

• Why not drill for oil down and then sideways• Why not discourage cars from parking by making them

leave headlights on all day• Why not encourage good graffiti (street art) rather than

clearing up after it all the time ?• Make four triangles from six pencils (or similar)

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• FUZZY THINKING (Bart Kosko)• Everything is a matter of degree…• Go from an uneaten apple to an eaten apple – is a

half-eaten apple still an apple ?• Bertrand Russell’s barber (who is bearded) says

‘I shave all, and only, those men who do not shave themselves’….. So who shaves the barber?

• Hence the possibility of A and Not-A:

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BIVALENCE MULTIVALENCE

Aristotle Buddha

A or not-A A and not-A

Exact Partial

All or none Some degree

0 or 1 Continuum 0-1

Digital computer Neural network

Fortran English (natural)

Bits fits

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• De Bono’s CoRT (Cognitive Research Trust)• 1: Breadth• 2: Organisation• 3: Interaction• 4: Creativity• 5: Information and Feeling• 6: Action

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• Example of CoRT 1 (Breadth)• PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting)• CAF (Consider All Factors)• C&S (Consequences and Sequels)• AGO (Aims,Goals, Objectives)• FIP (First Important Priorities• APC (Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices)• OPV (Other People’s Views)

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• De Bono’s ‘Six Hats’

White Objective info (facts and figures)

What facts do I need ? How do I get them?

Red Feelings, emotions, non-rational feelings

How do I

Black Why ideas will not work What are downsides ?

Yellow Opportunities, possibilities

Advantages? Best possible outcome ?

Green Creative new ideas Fresh innovative approaches, creative

Blue Control of the thinking process – ‘Cool’

Review thoughts, think of next logical step

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• De Bono’s 5 stages of thinking…

• TO Where are we going to• LO ‘Lo and behold’ – what can we

see/need• PO Lets generate possibilities• SO So what is the outcome?• GO Go to it – put plans into action

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• Emotional Intelligence (Daniel Goleman)• Emotional intelligence, "is a type of social

intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one's thinking and actions" (Mayer & Salovey, 1993: 433). According to Salovey & Mayer (1990), EI subsumes Gardner's inter- and intrapersonal intelligences, and involves abilities that may be categorized into five domains:

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Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence [1]

•Self-awareness: Observing yourself and recognizing a feeling as it happens.

•Managing emotions: Handling feelings so that they are appropriate; realizing what is behind a feeling; finding ways to handle fears and anxieties, anger, and sadness.

•Motivating oneself: Channelling emotions in the service of a goal; emotional self control; delaying gratification and stifling impulses.

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Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence [2]

•Empathy:

Sensitivity to others' feelings and concerns and taking their perspective; appreciating the differences in how people feel about things.

•Handling relationships:

Managing emotions in others; social competence and social skills.

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Read about EQ…

http://eqi.org/history.htm

http://eqi.org/history.htm

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1 BS3916 Thinking about Management 1: Linear and non-linear thinking