john little 4 july, 200512th international conference on thinking1 the minding of business thinking...

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


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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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Part 1: the science of thinking


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A schematic map of mind

person

ground

good

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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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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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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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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Part 2: on control


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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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Part 3: on minding


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test against given data

foster clarity

be complete

focus and select


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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foster clarity

be complete

focus and select


range about

be open

actively imagine


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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foster clarity

be complete

focus and select


range about

be open

actively imagine


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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foster clarity

be complete

focus and select


range about

be open

actively imagine


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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Part 4: on corporate thinking


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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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Minding… as the heart of mind


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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

john little 4 july, 200512th international conference on thinking1 the minding of business thinking...

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