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4 July, 2005 12th International Conference on Thinking
1john little
The minding of
business thinking
John Little
Centre for Research into
Ethics and Decision-making in Organisations
at the
Australian Catholic University
4 July, 2005 12th International Conference on Thinking
2john little
The workshop
My purpose is, through a series of exercises, to introduce you to your own “minder” and to explore its implications for individual and corporate thinking.
Four parts1. the science of thinking: exercises /
models
2. on control
3. on the minder: reflection on exercises
4. on corporate thinking: model and discussion
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4john little
A schematic map of mind
person
ground
good
thinking
4 July, 2005 12th International Conference on Thinking
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‘good thinking’…
• adds value• improves performance
– innovation– delegation– questioning– use of language– decision-making
• empowers
poor thinking…
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mind
Thinking as a black box…
me thoughtsthinking
body
world
or thinking as
science?
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If a science, then we need data
• where do we get such data?
• how do we get it?
• what do we do with it?
• how might we sort it? and classify it?
• and make sense of it?
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9john little
Exercises for gathering some data
After each exercise, spend 1 minute to record as many
facets as you can of what you experienced - felt, thought or did mentally - during it.
1. find as many ‘reds’ as you can in the room - 30 seconds
2. meditate for 2 minutes - using a mantra
3. write down your definition of a circle: 2 minutes
4. write down your solution to the puzzle: 3 minutes
5. write down possible question(s) to ask: 1 minute
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allow me to offer a possible structure
for holding this dataAC
? A
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Short answer
Long answer
Who?, what?,
When?, where?..
Why?, how?
Is it?
Will I?
explanation
yes, no
………data
….. (maybe)
Questions ……….
1
2
3
4
classified by answersNow an hypothesis
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A value-adding structure
Sense and memory.
in touch…see, hear, feel..
imagining,perceiving
intelligence ideas, opinions, conceptsunderstanding,insight
reason what is: true, right, real, fact / riskjudging
willing Change deciding
enquirypublicpersonal and invisible
talk
walk
ATTENTION
CREATIVITY
KNOWLEDGE
CONTROL
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Key landmarks for a science of thinking
sense
formulate
assent
act
enquire
publicpersonal and invisible
self world
ATTENTION
CREATIVITY
KNOWLEDGE
CONTROL
experience
decide
judge
understand
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14john little
CORE SKILLSenquire
1experien
ce
2understand
2formulate
3judge
3assent
4decide
be open
foster clarity
be accurate
be concise
ask all relevant questions
be courageous
be humble
be focused
gather a wide range
persist
be confident
Exercise: locate the core skills
X
XX
X
X
X
X
XX
X
X
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Control, in changing the
world..
sensing
4
3
2
1
action
world
closing the loop with:
1. attention
2. intelligence
3. reason
4. responsibility
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We can also control / change our
own thinking..
4321
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The structure can integrally
sense and act on any part of itself..
eg in formulating eg in choosing
the structure
uses its self-appropriated powers
to control itself
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test against given data
foster clarity
be complete
focus and select
ask all relevant questions
range about
be open
actively imagine
persist when in darkness
be concise
be accurate
Skills for level 2: eg defining a circle
core support
2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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test against given data
foster clarity
be complete
focus and select
ask all relevant questions
range about
be open
actively imagine
persist when in darkness
be concise
be accurate
Skills for level 1: eg exercise of finding red
core support
1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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test against given data
foster clarity
be complete
focus and select
ask all relevant questions
range about
be open
actively imagine
persist when in darkness
be concise
be accurate
Skills for level 1: eg exercise - meditate
core support
1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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test against given data
foster clarity
be complete
focus and select
ask all relevant questions
range about
be open
actively imagine
persist when in darkness
be concise
be accurate
Skills for level 3: ‘is my solution correct?
core support
3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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Corporate thinking
4 levels going up
4 levels going down
decision
ground
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3. Facts / reality / risks / probabilities
1. Research
2. Opportunities / possibilities
choice
4. Positions5. Vision / mission /
values
7. Plan / capability
8. Action on the groundValued outcomes
The corporate mind: adding value in 8 products
6. Policy / strategy
stakeholder good
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choice
The mind at work
3. Facts / reality / risks / probabilities
1. Research
2. Opportunities / possibilities
4. Positions 5. Vision / mission / values
7. Plan / capability
8. Action on the groundValued outcomes
6. Policy / strategy
relating
managinglearning
wisdom leadership
achievement
stakeholder
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achievement
freedom / choice
Minding at the centre
relating
selfknowing
learning managing
wisdom leadership
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The minder’s task
to overcome
fear
secrecy
violence
betrayal
to facilitate
trust
co-operation
and achieve
unity
forgiveness
reconciliation
with
openness
attentiveness
intelligence
reason
responsibility
to discover and live by
the human good
trust
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Summary
This workshop explores the structure of the mind, using data gathered from one`s own experience or consciousness of one`s mind at work in various exercises. This exploration uncovers the notion of the minder.
A generic map of `good`, person and ground orients our search. Much can be overlaid on this map.
Part 1: the science of thinkingThe structure comprises four levels of
conscious operations - attention, understanding, judging and deciding, co-ordinated by inquiry. These four levels make up four structures: attention, creativity, knowledge and control - and introduce the science of thinking
The structure has inbuilt criteria, core competencies or skills which underpin quality performance and which can be discovered within one.
Part 2: on controlControl is a closed loop structure which has
input and output, the latter being monitored attentively, and adjusted, intelligently, rationally and responsibly.
The minder is the principle of the mind`s coordination and control. It has the same structure of the mind and is integral to it.
Part 3: on the minderThe skills of the mind can be identified
as core and minder.
Exercises are used to assist participants differentiate core and minder skills.
Part 4: on the corporate mindCorporate mind is presented as an
achievement of co-operation and trust. It has the same generic structure of the mind.
Eight value-adding products of corporate thinking are identified and overlaid on our generic map.
Also located on our map are key activities of organisational learning, relating and managing located between peak attributes of wisdom, leadership and achievement.
At the core, as integrator, is self-knowledge. Minding is presented as the heart of mind,wherein lies the possibility of discovering the human good, of choosing to live by it amd of shaping corporate achievement under its sway.
NOTEThe workshop extends the common notion
of DATA to include conscious data, or all that is `given` in one`s human experience, including that of memory with its acquired knowledge.
The four level structure, when applied to data of sense, is consistent with Scientific Empirical Method.
By including data of consciousness, it gives rise to General Empirical Method - GEM. Within GEM the Scientific method is a special application.
The ideas explored in this workshop have their origin in the classic text of Canadian philosopher, Bernard Lonergan, Insight, a study of human understanding. Google will reveal many supportive web sites devoted to Lonergan`s ideas.
Tom Daly SJ has developed the schema of skills and competencies associated with the mind and the minder used in this workshop.
Further texts of the author can be located at www.acu.edu.au/CREDO
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the Skills of thinking
• be open• be active
• avoid drifting• avoid
obscurantism
assent
formulation
data
performanceInquiry deciding
judging
understanding
experiencing
• recognise clarity• foster clarity
• attend to the data• gather a wide range of data
• be fair, patient, team spirited, committed, courageous,
self-controlled, objective, and open to each of the basic human goods
• be accurate• do not exaggerate
or understate
• be humble but not shy• do not assent without
full justification
• become familiar with the field• ask all relevant questions
• test against the DATA