LET NEW

NEW IDEAS
LEAD You TO SUCCESS

JIM WHEELER

BARNES
&NOBLE
BOOKS
NEW YORK
Copyright © 1998 by National Press Publications,
a division of Rockhurst College Continuing Education Center, Inc.

This edition published by Barnes & Noble, Inc.,

by arrangement with Career Press, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in

any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the Publisher.

2003 Barnes & Noble Books

ISBN 0-7607-4552-8

Printed and bound in the United States of America

04 05 06 07 08 MC 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

BVG
 Contents

Foreword 5

Chapter 1
Thinking About Thinking 7

Chapter 2
Thinking Styles 27

Chapter 3
Problem-Solving, 33
Opportunity-Seeking and
Decision-Making
Chapter 4
The Rethinking Model 47

Chapter 5
Strategic Thinking 51

Chapter 6
Power Thinking 69
Chapter 7
Creative Thinking 89

Chapter 8
Analytical Thinking 107

Chapter 9
More Than Thinking About Thinking 121

Index 123
 Foreword

The Power of Innovative Thinking will give you an ad-

vantage over your competitors. While they are busy work-
ing harder, you'll be able to work smarter! Rather than
attacking problems with muscle and might, you'll learn to
"think" your way to success.
The tools and techniques discussed in The Power of In-
novative Thinking are ones that I have used in business,
education and my personal life. While I have my favorites,
I always rethink new situations and try other tools until I
find one that works for me. You can do the same. Find
tools that work for you—and have fun along the way!
I hope you enjoy "tickling" your mind on your way to
discovering what success is all about.
—J. Wheeler

5
 Chapter 1

Thinking About
Thinking

`The significant problems we face cannot be

solved at the same level of thinking we were at
when we created them."
—Albert Einstein

What Is Thinking?
In today's fast-paced, continually changing business
world, you need powerful thinking skills to make decisions
quickly and—more importantly—effectively. To become
successful, you must know why you think the way you do
and how to use your natural thinking abilities to your best
advantage.
If you keep thinking in the same old way, you'll arrive
at the same old conclusions and leave behind a well-worn
rut of business-as-usual decisions. Trains must go where
the tracks lead; they cannot follow unplanned routes.
Similarly, if you always think along the same tracks, you
will probably arrive at the same destination. But if you use
a helicopter for your journey, you will not be limited by
"tracks."
The Power of Innovative Thinking will assist you in
making better decisions by helping you better understand
7
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

your thinking abilities. In addition, it will give you the tools

to effectively solve problems. Specifically, after reading this
insightful and motivational book, you will be able to:
1. Reduce negative thinking barriers.
2. Avoid one-dimensional thinking.
3. View old problems iin a new light.
4. Uncover the opportunities in every problem.
5. Think more quickly and accurately.
6. Avoid falling into common thinking traps.
7. Move successfully from idea to action to success.
8. Find new answers.
9. Discover your own thinking style.
10. Make better decisions.
Thinking is the conscious use of our minds to reason,
deliberate, debate, predict and reflect on a subject. By bet-
ter understanding why humans think the way they do,
you'll learn how to approach problems in ways that lead to
better decision-making. By smoothing out the ruts that
have formed in the past, you'll be better equipped to "re-
think" your responses when faced with new problems and
opportunities. You don't need to be a victim of doing what
has always been done.

Emotions vs. Thinking

Our brain gives us sets of two messages—one for
thinking and another for emotions. Our eyes, ears, nose,
taste buds and sense of feel produce sensations of pain and
pleasure that tend to rule our actions.
For example, you may have planned to spend the eve-
ning with your family discussing next year's vacation. As
you arrive home, your neighbor invites you to play tennis
after dinner. Logically, you know the vacation plans are
important to your family; however, you receive a lot of
pleasure—a sensory reaction—from playing tennis with
8
 Thinking About Thinking

your neighbor. A conflict results between your logic and

your emotions.
Or perhaps your manager has given you the job of
streamlining the production line to increase productivity.
After a lot of work and thought, you know that the best al-
ternative is to install new equipment that will result in
laying off three people. The people who will lose their jobs
are your friends. The logic part of your brain tells you the
correct action. Emotionally, you want to avoid hurting your
friends.
Through the years, you have learned to conform to both
written and unwritten rules that lead to success in your
personal life. If you want to be successful in your business
decisions, you must resolve the conflict between emotion
and logic.

Resolving Mental Conflict

By resolving the conflict between logical thinking and
emotion, we gain new insights into how to think in differ-
ent ways. Most of what we have learned has come from
people of influence such as parents, teachers, peers and
friends. That learning has produced filters that may distort
the information we receive. For example, when we were
children, we were taught that people should keep their
promises. Our value filters want us to believe that people
in the business world will keep their promises. Logical
thinking—and good practice—warns us, "Get it in writing!"
Or perhaps you grew up next door to immigrants from
the country of Boldavia (not a real country). They were
rowdy and lived like slobs. As a result, when you meet a
Boldavian at work, your filters automatically pin a label on
that person—a rowdy slob!
While we must be sensitive to the potential negative ef-
fects of filters, they can be beneficial! Filters allow us to
9
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

sort information and discard what is not important. Imag-

ine what would happen if you had to remember all the in-
formation with which you're confronted each day. Weather
forecasts, news, family plans, sounds you hear on the car
radio while driving to work, your appointment schedule,
your associates' appointment schedules and information
about your company's new products as well as the competi-
tor's new products, all draw your attention. Confronted
with such an onslaught of information, filters help you
highlight which items are important. The three types of
filters that influence your thinking are:
• Subconscious filters
. Values
▪Culture and heritage
. Religion
• Survival filters
• Social filters

1. Subconscious Filters
Subconscious filters automatically open the door to our
values, culture, heritage and religious background. We do
the "right thing" because our unconscious filters tell us to
do the "right thing."
For example, if you are a thrifty individual, you may be
cautious about waste and how your organization's re-
sources are used. While this value may be an asset to a
loan officer, it could be a liability when it's time to decide
how much money to spend on research and development.
Or just suppose you feel that people with green noses
are lazy and unreliable, and therefore you're reluctant to
hire people with green noses. However, your personal value
system may be in conflict with employment policies re-
garding discrimination issues. This conflict has never been

10
 Thinking About Thinking

more important than now, since the Equal Employment

Opportunity Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act
affect personnel decisions.
Some cultures recognize special holidays. For example,
salespersons from the East Coast might find customers
unavailable if they plan sales calls for May 5 (Cinco de
Mayo) in the Southwest. Those unfamiliar with Patriot's
Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts, would encounter
similar frustration.
Perhaps your religious upbringing has taught you that
Sunday is a day of rest. Therefore, your business remains
closed on Sunday. Customers who normally work Monday
through Friday may be looking for your product on the
weekend. If your competitors are open on Sunday, you lose
potential revenue. If your religious beliefs are stronger
than your desire to increase profits, you will remain closed
on Sunday. Your unconscious filter controlled your busi-
ness decision.

"Trigger" Words
When we hear certain words or phrases, messages from
our subconscious filters can "trigger" emotions. It may be
the name of someone we dislike very much, or words that
recall pleasant experiences. "New and improved," "audit,"
"customer service" or "overtime" are typical examples of
words that trigger certain emotions. When we are aware of
these trigger words, we can control the filter, monitor our
feelings and rethink the issue.

Becoming Aware of Subconscious Filters

You can become aware of and subsequently take con-
trol of your subconscious filters by answering the following
questions. Ask someone whose insights you trust to review
your answers with you.
11
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

1. Values
a What values do I subscribe to with a passion?
a What does my company value?
a How might these values complement one another?
a How might these values conflict?
a How can I resolve conflicts between my personal
values and my organization's values?
2. Cultural/heritage
a What behaviors are associated with my heritage
and culture?
a What behaviors do my associates, customers and
clients display that, in my mind, indicate their
heritage and culture?
a How can I resolve differences between my own and
others' cultures and heritage that affect my
thinking?
a What positive and negative reactions does my
culture and heritage prompt from others?
3. Religious background
a What are my religious beliefs?
a How do these beliefs help or hinder me in my
business relationships?
a What positive and negative reactions do my
religious beliefs prompt in others?
4. "Trigger" words
o What are some "trigger" words that stir my
emotions and interfere with my thinking abilities?
a What specific emotions are affected by these
"trigger" words?

12
 T12inking About Thinking

2. Survival Filters
Human beings have built-in survival filters to prevent
sensory overload. Sound filters, for example, usually pre-
vent us from hearing sounds that aren't important to us.
To become aware of how this works, sit quietly in a com-
fortable place, close your eyes and listen. Do you hear the
motor in your computer? The hum of a laser printer or copy
machine? The phone ringing in a distant office? When you
are focused and concentrating on your work, you usually
don't hear these sounds. However, sudden noises of a dif-
ferent frequency—your telephone ringing or a colleague
calling your name—almost always grab your attention.
We also have memory filters that serve as our "auto-
pilot." They let us perform routine tasks while we're con-
sciously thinking of something else. For example, memory
filters allow us to drive home while we're thinking about
what to have for dinner. Learning a new task such as typ-
ing or operating machinery requires much thought and
concentration. But once we are skilled at the task, we no
longer need to think through the steps—they become
automatic.
Memory filters are time-savers that can cause us to
make mistakes and miss opportunities. For example,
Brent, a well-respected electrician in a factory, could fix
anything—find the problem and Brent could fix it. The
power cord on a machine that moved back and forth
needed to be fixed at least twice a week. Brent could see
that the insulation around the cord was always broken in a
different place. Without much thought, he would work his
magic on the cord, and the machine could be used again.
Fixing the cord had become a habit with Brent. Rather
than thinking through the problem, he just fixed the cord—
his memory filter was working. One evening, the shop su-
pervisor was working overtime and saw the real problem

13
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

that Brent had failed to see—the insulation on the power

cord was a treat for a family of mice. When we are solving
problems and making decisions, we need to check our mem-
ory filters once in a while to be sure that we are defining
the real problem.

Using Survival Filters to Your Advantage

Survival filters can be an asset to your career if you
know which tasks should be routine and which tasks re-
quire more concentration. List the tasks that you perform
frequently. Consider the following questions so you can
improve the way you use your survival filters.
1. What tasks do I routinely perform without much
thought?
2. On which of these tasks should I focus more
attention? Why?
3. What tasks should I learn to perform in a
routine manner?
4. What steps will I take to recognize when a task
requires more concentration? Consider the
following:
▪ Have I always solved problems in the same way?
Are my results always the same?
o Do others come up with better results?

For example, answering the telephone whenever it

rings has become a habit for many of us. We may answer it
even when someone is in our office talking to us. You can
improve your communication skills by examining this
sound filter. Do you need to answer the telephone just be-
cause it is ringing? How do you think this makes your visi-
tor feel? Can you ask someone else to answer the phone or
use voice-mail if it's available?

14
 Thinking About Thinking

3. Social Filters
Our social filters determine how we behave at work, at
home and in our careers. They contain written and unwrit-
ten rules that dictate how we act in different situations. In
short, social filters tell us what we "should" do.
For instance, when we meet people socially, we usually
call them by their first name. In a business setting, how-
ever, we usually use the title of respect and the person's
last name until we are given permission to do otherwise.
Consider:
• Do you answer the telephone the same way at
home as you do in the office?
• Do you greet visitors at work in the same manner
you welcome guests to your home?
• Do you prepare your office budget the same way
you prepare your personal budget?

Thinking about Social Filters

To help recognize your social filters, answer the fol-
lowing questions.
1. How might your behavior differ when meeting
an unfamiliar child selling candy at your front
door as opposed to meeting the child of an asso-
ciate at work selling the same candy?
2. How would you respond to an offer to attend a
major sporting event with your supervisor vs.
the same offer from your brother-in-law?
3. How might your response differ when someone
requests a charitable contribution at your home
vs. the same request from a business associate?
4. How would you behave differently when your
significant other asks you to lunch vs. a business
associate of the opposite gender?

15
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

When you can recognize appropriate behavior and use

your thinking skills in similar situations, you will be in
control of your social filters.
When you have a better understanding of your subcon-
scious, survival and social filters, you can take control of
your thinking skills. And when you are in control of your
thinking skills, you'll make more effective decisions!

Framing
When your subconscious, survival and social filters in-
teract with your desires, goals and aspirations, you have a
frame of reference. Your frame of reference—or framing—
influences the decisions you make and how you respond to
challenges. The following figure shows how this might look
on your wall if you think of "framing" as a picture frame.

Framing

Survival Filters
Subconscious Social
Filters \ Filters
/
Your desires, goals and aspirations

Understanding your frame of reference gives you

greater control over your end results, because you will be
able to separate your logical thinking from your emotions.
Understanding frames also gives you insight into how
other people think and act.

16
 Thinking About Thinking

Anchoring
While framing provides a "picture frame" that tends to
define boundaries, anchors form a point of reference. Both
framing and anchoring can restrict your thinking.
For example, by adding only one line, change the fol-
lowing picture so that it has a value of 6.

a
Most people see the Roman numerals I and X. Because
they are made of straight lines, people tend to "anchor"
themselves on the concept of straight lines, then look for
another straight line to solve the problem. Another straight
line is not the solution. A line can also be curved. The an-
swer to this problem, then, is to place a curved line in front
of the "IX" to form the word "SIX."

SIX

But anchoring can also help us. For example, let's say
your manager tells you to send a memo to the employees in
your department to find out who's available to work over-
time. The key words "memo," "employees," "department,"
"available" and "overtime" provide anchors, or points of ref-
erence. Because of these anchors, you know exactly what
your boss wants you to do.
Imagine the potential confusion and embarrassment if
people were not anchored in certain business practices.
When you tell an employee to entertain a visiting client
while you finish an important telephone call, you expect
17
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

the word "entertain" will create an anchor, or image, of cer-

tain acceptable business behavior. If the employee has a
different anchor for the word "entertain" than you do, how-
ever, the visiting client may be subjected to a juggling act
or a tap dance.

Anchoring Others
To influence others, you need to have a starting point
for communicating. For example, when you tell your staff
that you are having a meeting to discuss next year's
budget, they have an idea of what you will be talking
about. However, if you were to tell them you are going to
discuss the effect of a decline in the price-earnings ratio of
nonconvertible debentures on the availability of opera-
tional and capital resources for the succeeding year, they
would probably have no idea what will be discussed.
When people start at the anchor, you can communicate
with them in one of three zones—the "Safe Zone," the "Aha
Zone" and the "Danger Zone."

The Safe Zone

When you communicate information that is understood
by both you and the other person, you are operating in the
Safe Zone. When anchored in the Safe Zone, people are
comfortable and usually respond as anticipated. If a topic is
introduced that is not understood by both people, you can
remain in the Safe Zone only if you and the other person
are aware of each other's limits of knowledge.
Case Study: 1-1.
Roger is a financial wizard who knows all there is to
know about finance and accounting. Clare Marie is a com-
puter expert who can make letters and numbers dance
across any computer screen. As long as Roger understands
18
 Thinking About Thinking

Clare Marie's limited knowledge of accounting and Clare

Marie is aware of Roger's limited knowledge of computers,
the two can safely discuss how to integrate Roger's ac-
counting work into a new software program. When Roger
begins to talk about contra accounts and price-earnings
ratios, Clare Marie may become uncomfortable. When
Clare Marie speaks of bits and gigabytes spinning into the
computer's RAM, Roger may become uncomfortable with
the new software program.
Each person has neglected to recognize the limitations
of the other and has stepped out of the Safe Zone. As a re-
sult, communication will suffer, or will stop altogether.

The Aha Zone

When you move from what people realize they know to
information they didn't realize they knew, you are in the
Aha Zone. The pathway to the Aha Zone is blazed by
making, new associations built upon current information.
Case Study: 1 2.
-

Diane is an excellent administrator with a knack for

getting the most out of people. Consequently, she was
asked to lead the committee formed to write the company's
mission statement. Diane knew she could influence people
to work cooperatively, but she was worried that she didn't
have the writing skills necessary to compose a clear state-
ment. As the mission statement began to take shape, how-
ever, Diane realized that she knew more about writing
than she'd thought. This inner excitement motivated her to
successfully lead her committee.

The Danger Zone

The Danger Zone, as the name implies, is a dangerous
place to anchor when you communicate. When you anchor
19
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

in the Danger Zone, you'll hear phrases like, "They are out
of their environment,"'and "...like a fish out of water."

Case Study: 1-3.

Danny, the company's top salesman, was appointed by
the CEO to the position of Human Resources Director be-
cause of his excellent ability to get along with people.
Danny knew there was much to learn, but he failed to re-
alize just how much legal information was involved with
the job. Because of his lack of legal knowledge, he made
hasty decisions that resulted in confusion and distrust
among associates. Conversation about Danny usually
started with, "He's a nice guy, but...."
The content of the message you send to others will de-
termine the location of the anchor. By changing the mes-
sage content, you can make people feel comfortable, instill
excitement, or you can cause them to mistrust you and
even stop communicating.

ANCHORING AWARENESS CONTENT OF

ZONE LEVEL MESSAGE
Unaware of how
AHA much you
Known
know
Information
Aware of how much
SAFE you know and don't
know
Unknown
Unaware of how
Information
DANGER much you don't
know

20
 Thinking About Thiniang

Anchoring for Successful Results

When you make good use of your thinking skills, you'll
know ahead of time where you want to anchor yourself and
others. In Case Study No. 1-1, Roger and Clare Marie will
respect one another's abilities as long as they remain in the
Safe Zone. Diane, in Case Study No. 1-2, has the potential
to lead successful future projects because she gained confi-
dence while working in the Aha Zone. In Case Study No.
1-3, the CEO placed Danny in the Danger Zone and the
company was forced to suffer the consequences.
Deciding where to anchor yourself and your associates
requires careful consideration of everyone's abilities. For
example, when you need to make decisions, you'll be most
successful if you start in the Safe Zone. Moving toward the
Aha Zone may produce successful results as it rewards
people for their efforts and initiative. In the Danger Zone,
strong leadership skills will be necessary to guide people
around anchoring points. You need to know what informa-
tion may be requested by others and make it readily avail-
able. Ask yourself what the people involved will need to
know that they don't know now.
The guide on the following page will help you decide
where you want to anchor your communication. The zone
that you choose depends on how much you know about a
topic.

Paradigms
Paradigms (pronounced pare-uh-dimes) are a combina-
tion of frames and anchors that establish and define your
decisions and actions at work. A paradigm is a generally
accepted system that makes rules for acceptable behavior,
attitudes and actions that are necessary for success. For
example, the "proper business attire" in most corporate of-
fices is a suit for men and a dress or suit for women. There
21
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

THE APPROPRIATE
I•••
ZONE
...am aware of what Iknow.
SAFE
...am aware of what I don't know.

...am aware of what I know.

AHA
...am not aware of what Iknow.
...am aware of what I don't know.
DANGER
...am not aware of what I don't know.

may be no written rules that state this policy—it's just un-

derstood. This paradigm, called "the business world," has
created its own rules.
In another example, when the Chrysler Corporation
was in financial trouble, Lee Iacocca cut his own salary to
$1. The paradigm included belt-tightening for all employ-
ees. Iacocca wanted the respect of his employees, so he
changed his anchor, or point of reference. He was no longer
working for money, but for the welfare of the company.
Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, once stated that
there was only room for about five kinds of computers in
the entire world. Consistent with this view, for years, IBM
focused on producing large computers. After losing most of
the personal computer market to competitors, IBM made a
paradigm shift, meaning that IBM changed its set of refer-
ences. The corporation had to rethink its position, meet the
needs of buyers and become a manufacturer of PCs.
Anchors are located in frames, frames are located in
paradigms, and our actions within a paradigm can be con-
trolled by anchors within the paradigm. For example, in
the business world (the paradigm), we may be encouraged
to care for the needy (the frame) by giving to the employer's
favorite charity (the anchor).

22
 Thinking About Thinking

There will be occasions when the paradigm will shift,

or change, forcing the anchor to change. For example:
• The Paradigm: "I've been working for The
Company for 10 years. My father worked here for
40 years. The Company takes care of us."
• The Frame: "Because I'm a hard worker and
loyal to The Company, I'll be taken care of."
• The Anchor: "We all succeed at The Company—
there'll always be a job."
• The Paradigm Shift: "Money Buckets, Inc., lost
money for the first time in its history. There will
be no pay raises."
In some cases, we change our paradigm, and that affects
our anchor. For instance:
• The Paradigm: "I have worked for Old Standby
for 15 years. Old Standby pays well and has good
benefits."
• The Frame: "Because Old Standby has good
benefits, I get free medical insurance."
• The Anchor: "I never have to worry about
sickness or injury costs because my medical
insurance will take care of the bills."
• The Paradigm Change: "I decided to take a job
with My Dream Company because I've always
wanted to work there, and they offered me a
15-percent salary increase. My Dream Company
doesn't have medical insurance for its employees."
To be a successful decision-maker, you need to keep
your eye on the paradigm and be ready for changes that

23
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

may affect your anchor. Successful thinking and decision-

making within a paradigm depend on mental flexibility.

The Thinking Box

Throughout The Power of Innovative Thinking, you'll
meet the Thinking Box. It gives you a chance to immedi-
ately personalize what you have just read. By completing
the exercise in the Thinking Box, you will remember the
information more easily, and you'll be more successful us-
ing the tools and techniques you've just learned in the real
world.

Personal Life Career

Identify the paradigms, Identity the paradigms,
frames and anchors that frames and anchors that
affect your personal life. affect your career or your
workplace.

The
Thinking
Box
Identify the paradigms, Identify the paradigms,
frames and anchors that frames and anchors that
affect how you solve affect your personal and
problems. career growth.

Problem-Solving Growth

24
 Thinking About Thinking

Summary
In this chapter you learned about:
• The conflict between emotions and thinking.
• Subconscious, social, and survival filters.
• How filters create frames and anchors.
• The Safe, Aha and Danger anchoring zones.
• Frames and anchors within paradigms.
When you understand frames, anchors and paradigms,
you can better understand your thinking style and learn
how to make more effective decisions.
In the next chapter of The Power of Innovative Think-
ing, you'll identify your primary thinking style. You will
also learn pitfalls to avoid when you "rethink" your way to
effective decisions.
 Chapter 2

Thinking
Styles

Vudgment and imagination

can help each other if kept apart when they
should be kept apart."
—Alex F. Osborn

When forced to make a decision, people take different

mental routes to arrive at that decision. Like travelers you
may know, some take the most direct route to get where
they're going. Others think of all the routes available, se-
lect the best one and then go. Still others take the scenic
tour and enjoy the journey. And some people jump in the
car and just go, giving very little thought to direction or
destination.

Identifying Your Thinking Style

To better understand the mental route you take when
solving problems and making decisions, you need to know
your thinking style. Once you understand your thinking
style, you'll be able to select the best thinking tools, tech-
niques and strategies to use in different situations. The
following informal survey will shed some light on your
thinking style. Choose either a or b.

27
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

1. When a new computer software program is

loaded on your computer, you prefer to
a) proceed through the tutorial.
b) start using the program right away, learning
through trial and error.
2. You prefer to
a) vary your route to and from work.
b) always take the same route to and from work.
3. When dining out, you usually
a) order the same foods.
b) order different foods most every time.
4. When taking notes during meetings or
conferences, your notes are
a) usually covered with doodles.
b) neat and well organized.
5. When you travel by car to a distant city, you
prefer to
a) plan your route and stick to it.
b) plan a number of routes and decide which way to
go once you're on the road.
6. When faced with a number of different tasks at
work, you prefer to
a) work on several tasks at one time.
b) complete one task before starting on the next.
7. When required to learn new and difficult
material, you prefer to
a) study one source of information.
b) use different sources of information.
8. Your desk at work or home contains
a) a wide variety of pens and pencils.
b) one or only a few writing tools.
28
 Thinking Styles

9. The files in your desk are

a) arranged in a logical manner that most people
would understand.
b) arranged in such a way that only you can find
anything.
10. You prefer to associate with people who
a) have many different and varied interests.
b) have interests similar to yours.
Add together the a's selected for the odd-numbered
questions and the b's selected for the even-numbered ques-
tions. These choices represent an adaptive style of think-
ing. If you have eight or more, you tend to use an adaptive
thinking style. If your total is three or less, you tend to use
an innovative style of thinking. If your score is between
three and eight, the situation usually dictates which
thinking style you use. Neither the adaptive nor the inno-
vative style of thinking is "right" or "wrong."

The Adaptive Thinking Style

Adaptive thinkers tend to:
• Follow established patterns.
• Be well organized.
• Focus on the goal.
• Be pleased when the decision is made.
• Be comfortable handling one task at a time.
• Prefer to learn through one source.

Adaptive thinkers are usually at their best within a

well-defined paradigm, meaning that they follow the rules
of the established system. Adaptive thinkers are usually
satisfied only when a goal is reached, and they prefer to
complete one task before moving on to another. They may
get locked into an anchor that prevents them from making
29
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

changes fast, but by being locked in they offer stability

during periods of change.

The Innovative Thinking Style

A score of three or less on the previous survey indicates
that you tend to be an innovative thinker. Innovative
thinkers tend to:
• Use different ways to get results.
• Appear unorganized.
• Value the process more than the actual goal.
• Prefer to continue the process rather than reach
the goal.
• Be involved in more than one activity or task at a
time.
• Prefer to learn through more than one source.

While innovative thinkers usually work within the sys-

tem, they also go outside to look for answers. They may
attempt to change the rules or redefine the system along
the way. Innovative thinkers usually appear to be in a con-
stant state of movement and seem unorganized. They often
get great pleasure while working through the process and
may even be disappointed when the goal is reached. "Many
irons in the fire" was probably first used to describe inno-
vative thinkers.

Need for a Balance of Thinking Styles

To be successful in business, you need to be able to
effectively use the tools and techniques of both innovative
and adaptive thinking. If you are an adaptive thinker, in-
novative thinking techniques will get you out of the rut of
always doing things the same way. If you are an innovative
thinker, on the other hand, adaptive thinking techniques

30
 Thinking Styles

will help keep you organized and more goal-oriented. De-

pending on the situation and desired results, you will find
the tools and techniques of each thinking style can be bene-
ficial to you.
For example, when you are looking for new ways to de-
velop a prospect list, innovative thinking tools will be use-
ful as you'll be able to think of more ways to find prospects
than by resorting to the tools of the adaptive thinking
style. Similarly, when selecting someone for promotion, you
will find adaptive thinking tools more useful, because you
will focus on the end result rather than on merely finding
more people for promotion.
Groups—teams, committees, task forces—can benefit
from a mix of people with different thinking styles. An ef-
fective leader will choose both innovative thinkers and
adaptive thinkers when forming a group. Adaptive think-
ers keep innovative thinkers in touch with the reality of
the paradigm; innovative thinkers help adaptive thinkers
see beyond the individual steps of a plan. Adaptive think-
ers keep innovative thinkers goal-oriented and make sure
the project is completed. In other words, the two thinking
styles complement each other.

Pitfalls to Avoid
When using new tools and techniques to develop your
thinking skills, be aware of the following pitfalls:
Time. When pressed for time and in high-stress situa-
tions, rely on tried-and-tested tools and techniques to get
results fast. Use new tools and techniques when you have
time to experiment and possibly need time to correct mis-
takes that may occur while you learn something new.
"It always worked in the past." Just because a fa-
miliar technique or strategy has worked in the past doesn't

31
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

necessarily mean it will work in the future. One constant

in business is change, and change usually occurs when you
least expect it. Rules can change. When they do, you can be
ready if you have rehearsed new techniques and strategies.
Effect of results. When learning how to use new tools
and techniques, work on problems that have little effect on
your workplace. Start with small decisions—file organiza-
tion, parking assignments, recreational events—before tak-
ing on the big ones like company reorganization, changes in
personnel policies or changing marketing strategies. This
will provide a way for you to perfect and adapt your new-
found thinking tools and techniques.
The paradigm. Know your paradigm! Some para-
digms are more willing or capable than others to accept
and use new tools and techniques. You may need to prove
to others that a new thinking tool is useful on small tasks
before tackling major projects. Then you can encourage
others to use powerful thinking tools.

Summary
This chapter has made you aware of your dominant
thinking style. You learned the characteristics of adaptive
thinkers and innovative thinkers and the importance of
balancing the two thinking styles. You also discovered
some of the pitfalls you may encounter when attempting to
use new thinking tools and techniques.
In Chapter 3, you'll learn the differences in problem-
solving, opportunity-seeking and decision-making, and how
you can best use your thinking style. You will also become
familiar with the characteristics of reactive and proactive
climates and begin to use the Friends and Frustraters Tool.

32
 Chapter 3

Problem-Solving,
Opportunity-Seeking
and Decision-Making

"Eveiy activity is a process and can be improved"

— W. Edwards Deming

People often go through their daily activities without

being aware of the thinking skills it takes to perform those
activities. We dress for work, drive our car and use the
telephone without giving it much thought. In the previous
chapter, you learned about the adaptive and innovative
thinking styles that you may have been using uncon-
sciously up till now. Chapter 3 will show you how to use
specific thinking skills more deliberately in the workplace
when solving problems and making decisions.

The Reactive Climate

The work climate of any company is set by the organi-
zation's leaders and the personalities of the people who
work there. A reactive climate is a work environment that
usually waits for something to happen and then responds.
In the business world, that "something" is usually caused
by forces outside the workplace, such as customers, the
33
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

community or government. If nothing pushes the reactive

climate, the status quo is maintained.
For example, for years the defense industry operated in
a reactive climate. As long as there was a need for military
equipment, defense-related companies survived and saw
no need to figure out what they would do in the future. As
a result, when there were major cutbacks in military
spending, many companies went bankrupt.
In a reactive climate, managers are measured by their
ability to be speedy problem-solvers. Terms like "fire
fighter" and "crisis manager" describe these individuals.
They rely on thinking skills oriented toward problem-
solving and quick decision-making and are usually crisis-
oriented.

The Proactive Climate

With rapid changes in business, the role of the prob-
lem-solver has changed. If you want your organization to
be successful today, you need to recognize, establish and
nurture a proactive climate in which energy is spent find-
ing ways to prevent problems before they happen. In a pro-
active climate, you must anticipate problems, needs and
changes rather than wait for a crisis. Military personnel,
for example, often prepare contingency plans before an op-
eration is launched. Computer users back up their hard
drive onto floppies in case the hard drive crashes. Many
companies have "disaster" plans in the event of a major
catastrophe.
People in the proactive climate use phrases like, "If it
happens, we know what to do," "No sweat! We've already
thought of that possibility," and "If the zazzle flute doesn't
fit, then the giggle gear will." They are prepared—"just in
case."

34
 Problem-Solving, Opportunity-Seeking and Decision -Making

When you are aware of your work climate, you'll be

able to use the proper thinking skills. Reactive climates
require problem-solving tools and techniques. In the proac-
tive climate, you'll need innovative thinking skills that help
you come up with more than one option or solution to a
problem. Clearly, some tools and techniques work better in
a reactive climate than in a proactive climate, and vice
versa. Before you select thinking-skills tools and tech-
niques, you first need to determine if your work climate is
reactive or proactive. Once you've determined that, you'll
be more successful at using your thinking-skills tools and
techniques. The key concept is to determine the type of
climate you're in before you select your strategies, tech-
niques and tools.

Strategies, Techniques and Tools

What's the difference among strategies, techniques,
and tools? Consider the following:
Strategies are similar to blueprints used to build a
house. They provide a broad picture of how everyone will
get to the anticipated goal, which is the finished house.
Strategies are the long-range plans and are hard to
change. In business, Total Quality Management and
reengineering may mean drawing up a whole new plan,
and making these plans work requires powerful thinking
skills.
Techniques are the instructions and procedures that
tell you how to operate a particular tool. If the blueprint
indicates that the house will be built of wood, it might be
safe to assume that the technique will involve joining the
wood with nails. Doing things better and faster with
fewer resources is the standard operating procedure in
many organizations. However, management techniques,

35
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

job descriptions and pay rates may not match the new
strategies. You need to stay on top of new techniques to
ensure success in your job.

Tools are the devices used to do the actual work. To

drive nails, you'll need a hammer. However, the blueprints
may or may not specify whether the hammer is to be the
standard hand-held type or a power nailer. Because most
plans don't tell us which tool to use, we need to experiment
with new, different and sometimes better tools. That's
what ongoing self-improvement is all about—learning new
tools and techniques so we can survive in the constantly
changing business world.

Facing Challenges
When confronted with a challenge, you first need to de-
termine if your work climate is reactive or proactive. In
most cases, you probably already know. But take a mo-
ment to assess the situation. Changes may have occurred
that will contaminate the issue. The people in your organi-
zation may have changed, or the organization itself may
have changed. Rather than just assuming that the work
climate is the same as it was yesterday, spend a few mo-
ments thinking about it.
Then assess the challenge—will you be solving a prob-
lem or seeking new opportunities? For example, for the
fifth time in a month, a customer has threatened to cancel
a substantial order if it's not received within three working
days. If you see this situation as a problem, your strategy
will probably be to find a way to speed up the delivery of
this order, as you have done with the previous four. On the
other hand, if you see this situation as an opportunity to
improve your delivery service, your strategy may end up
resulting in a new delivery system.

36
 Problem-Solving, Opportunity-Seeking and Decision-Making

In this example, the two strategies tell us how to deal

with the situation. If the strategy is to provide immediate
customer satisfaction, then we'll solve the problem with
little or no thought about the future. We'll use the same
techniques and tools we've used four times before. How-
ever, if the strategy is to provide customer satisfaction now
and in the future, we'll question how well the tools and
techniques we've used before will work this time. We may
need to find new ones. When we solve the immediate
problem by using a new strategy, we hope to eliminate this
type of problem for good.

Problem-Solving
In a reactive climate, the problem-solving process usu-
ally starts when a crisis is in progress. A solution is
needed—fast! People react to the situation and attempt to
fix it. If the same thinking skills are used that have always
been used, there's a good chance that the solutions you get
will be the same that you always got in the past. When un-
der pressure, people tend to operate in the way they always
have. Old strategies rarely produce new results, and out-
dated techniques and tools may be too slow to keep up with
today's business climate.

Opportunity-Seeking
Opportunity-seeking uses the same thinking skills as
problem-solving, except time usually isn't a key factor. In-
stead, opportunity-seeking usually is found in a proactive
rather than a reactive climate because people seek oppor-
tunities to prevent future problems. An opportunity-
seeking climate is the best place to try out new thinking
strategies, techniques and tools, because there is usually
little or no pressure to find an immediate solution.

37
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Decision-Making
When we face a challenge, we get the best results when
we know what thinking skills are needed. As this illus-
trates, the thinking skills associated with decision-making
are present in every challenge you face, whether in the
form of problem-solving or opportunity-seeking.

INTERACTION OF IJUNKING SKILLS

I Decision-Making I

Decisions are usually made on the basis of Yes, No, or

No Decision. That is, when you make a decision, you judge
the correctness of the decision based on whether it solves a
problem. Does it? Yes? No? If you don't have enough infor-
mation, you can decide No Decision. For instance, when

38
 Problem-Solving, Opportunity-Seeking and Decision-Making

you buy a new car, you may know what you want. Suppose
you want a new car that gets 30 miles to the gallon and has
cruise control and air conditioning. As you look at each
model, you decide Yes or No. However, if you are merely
looking through a showroom window, you might see a car
you like, but you don't have enough information because
you can't see what options it has. So you may decide No
Decision. Problem-solvers and opportunity-seekers can
work in both reactive and proactive climates. The thinking
skills used depend upon the climate as well as the activity.

Personal Life Career

Identify the paradigm.% Identify the paradigms,
frames and anchors that frames and anchors that
affect your personal life. affect your career or your
workplace.

Identity the paradigms, ' Identify the paradigms,

frames and anchors that frames and anchors that
affect how you solve affect your personal and
problems. career growth.

Problem-Solving , Growth

39
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Framing, Anchoring and Decision-Making

We are often forced into making decisions in our per-
sonal lives and careers based on emotions rather than
logic. Your child says, "You love me; so you'll let me have
the car." Your supervisor says, "You get along well with
your associates, so help them out and work next weekend."
When emotions are added to the decision-making process,
we may react immediately rather than make a conscious
effort to think out the situation.
When we examine the logic behind people's requests,
however, we find that many requests are illogical, and we
are better able to focus on the issue at hand. For example,
loving your child is only vaguely related to the car, and get-
ting along well with your co-workers doesn't logically mean
you're the only choice to work this weekend. The logic is
flawed. If you recognize you're being anchored by your
emotions, you realize that the possession of your car has
nothing to do with how much you love your child, and you
can then make a rational decision based on facts rather
than an emotional anchor.
The same is true of the request to work next weekend.
Your supervisor has tried to use your compassion for your
associates as an anchor for your decision-making. Rather
than basing your decision on that emotional anchor, use
your thinking skills to make the decision. Is it appropriate
for you to work next weekend or not?

Avoiding the Rut

Some decisions are made out of habit. For example,
most of us rarely make a conscious decision to answer the
phone when it rings. We do it out of habit.
Similarly, while you're engrossed in a writing project,
someone tells you the copy machine isn't working. You

40
 Problem-Solving, Opportunity-Seeking and Decision-Making

make a decision to call the repair service without much

thought. Because you were busy with a more important
project, you may have neglected to get all the information
you needed before making the decision to call for repair,
including checking to see that the machine is plugged in.
Yet item number one of the troubleshooting guide for the
copy machine clearly states that you should check the
power source before calling for service. Without such fore-
thought, the stage is set for a potentially embarrassing and
costly situation. The next time the copy machine fails to
work, you'll probably take a moment to think through your
decision before calling the repair service.

Postponement of Judgment
Whether you're making a decision, solving a problem or
seeking opportunities, it's important to have as much in-
formation as possible at hand. The necessary information
may be available through traditional sources—company
manuals, files, the library, etc.—or from experience. You
may need to use your imagination to think of more options.
Regardless of your thinking style, the guiding principle
to follow when trying to come up with options is postpone-
ment of judgment. Don't decide what you're going to do un-
til better options are available. By delaying, you increase
the likelihood that you'll make the correct decision.
For example, suppose you have to pick a travel agency
to handle your company's airline reservations. When you
talk to the salespeople from one agency, they offer you a
10-percent discount on air miles over 50,000 each month. If
you accept this offer, you'll never know what other good
deals are out there. However, when you decide to look at
more options, you might find that the 50,000-mile offer is
the industry standard and that a good deal is to get a re-
bate on hotel charges as well.

41
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

You can force yourself to postpone judgment by setting

a minimum for the number of options you will look at. For
example, you'll interview at least seven applicants for a job
before deciding on the best one. Or you'll talk to no less
than four vendors before making a buying decision.

Positive Judgment
When moving toward a goal, you'll probably need to
make a number of decisions. In doing so, follow the princi-
ple of positive judgment, which means looking for the best
alternatives.
By using positive judgment—selecting the best alterna-
tives from among a sometimes overwhelming number—
you will usually find three or four acceptable choices. This
smaller group represents good alternatives from which you
can select a best option. The remaining good alternatives
can be saved for the future or serve as gateways to new op-
portunities. You used a lot of mental energy when you pro-
duced all those alternatives. Although many of them can't
be used this time, keep them handy so that when similar
problems come up, you won't have to start from scratch.
This strategy will help you be more productive.
For example, when planning to buy a new phone sys-
tem for your office, you look at all the systems available. At
decision time, you choose the one that best meets your
needs instead of rejecting the others. This way, if the phone
system you picked is no longer available, or if the vendor is
no longer in business, then you still have a list of good
phone systems.
Most people are familiar with the "process of elimina-
tion." When faced with a number of possibilities, some peo-
ple choose by eliminating the worst alternative, then the
next worst, then the next worst and so on, until they are
left with the least worst of the alternatives. Some choice!

42
 Problem-Solving, Opportunity-Seeking and Decision-Making

By looking at the negative characteristics of the available

options, and therefore labeling all other options as poor,
the process of elimination is the opposite of positive judg-
ment, which saves all available options for future use.
In general, adaptive thinkers are usually better at se-
lecting alternatives than innovative thinkers because they
enjoy direct, structured decisions. Innovative thinkers, on
the other hand, like to look for options. Therefore, they
need to use adaptive thinking tools and techniques to more
quickly find successful results.

Personal Life Career

Identify times in your Identify times in the
personal life when you workplace when you should.
should-
1. postpone judgment 1. postpone judgment
2 use positive judgment 2 use positive judgment

Identify times in problem- Identify times in your

solving when you should- personal growth when you
should-
1. postpone judgment 1. postpone judgment
2. use positive judgment 2. use positive judgment

Problem-Solving Growth

43
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Friends and Frustraters Tool

When you apply thinking skills to a problem, you will
encounter situations, objects, events and people who will
encourage you to think in new ways and help you in your
endeavors. At the same time, you will also discover situa-
tions, objects, events and people that intentionally or unin-
tentionally get in the way. To improve your chances of suc-
cess, you need to identify not only friends who will help you
but also those around you who will and who should frus-
trate you. The Friends and Frustraters Tool provides a way
to identify your helpers and hinderers.
Prepare a list of people, things, places and situations
that can influence your thinking and encourage you to im-
prove your abilities. Then prepare a second list of people,
things, places and situations that are likely to hinder your
development by tossing unwanted anchors in your direc-
tion. Depending on the circumstances, you may find that
some items will appear on both lists. The chart on page 45
presents the Friends and Frustraters Tool.

Practice or Rehearsal?
Throughout this book, you will see references to prac-
tice and rehearsal. Practice means repeatedly performing a
drill or exercise to become good at a particular skill. The
end result is usually a habit that allows you to perform an
activity with little or no thought. Rehearsal means pre-
paring for the performance or presentation of a particular
activity. When you rehearse an activity, you plan for slight
changes along the path to your desired results.
For example, a word processor learns keyboarding
skills through extensive practice because it is essential that
the motor skills involved become automatic. No thought
should be needed to strike the correct keys when speed is
required.
44
 FRIENDS AND FRUSTRATERS FRIENDS AND FRUSTRATERS

Thinking Tool, Technique, or Strategy: Thinking Tool, Technique, or Strategy:

Postponing Judgment

Friends Fru straters Friends Frustraters

Who will help me? WHO Who will frustrate my Who will help me? WHO Who will frustrate my
progress? progress?
My sales manager Kelly My co - worker. Pat

What objects or events WHAT What objects or events will What objects or events WHAT What objects or events will
will help me? hinder my development? will help me? hinder my development?
Fhpchart and easel When customers want delivery NOW

What times are appropriate WHEN What times are inappropriate What times are appropriate WHEN What times are inappropriate
for rehearsal or practice? for practice or rehearsal? for rehearsal or practice? for practice or rehearsal?
Before meeting the customer When problems must be solved NOW

What events or places are WHERE What places or events are What events or places are WHERE What places or events are
appropriate? inappropriate? appropriate? inappropriate?
My office Customers' places of business

Why would friends and WHY Why would frustraters offer Why would friends and WHY Why would frustraters offer
associates help me? resistance to my success? associates help me? resistance to my success?
To increase company's profitability Pat wants my job

How can I be sure I am HOW How will I know when How can I be sure I am HOW How will I know when
making progress? frustraters are slowing making progress? frustraters are slowing
my progress? When customers call with a problem and I my progress.I
have more than one answer to choose from When I fall back into old habits. such
as jumping to conclusions
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

A sales representative rehearses a sales presentation.

During the rehearsal, the sales rep anticipates questions
and objections a customer may have so that the presenta-
tion is flexible.
You should rehearse rather than practice the tools and
techniques you learn in The Power of Innovative Thinking.
Because no two situations are exactly the same, when you
rehearse new tools and techniques, you learn how to adapt
them to any challenges you meet.

Summary
In this chapter you learned about:
• The characteristics of reactive and proactive
climates.
• How strategies, techniques and tools differ.
• The relationship among problem-solving,
opportunity-seeking and decision-making.
• How to avoid thinking "ruts."
• The principles of postponement of judgment and
positive judgment.
• The Friends and Frustraters Tool.
• The differences between practice and rehearsal.

46
 Chapter 4

The Rethinking
Model

"Inside each person there is a wonderful capacity

to reflect on the information
that the various sense organs register, and to
direct and control these experiences."
— Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Many companies do things in similar ways. For example:

• The long-range planning committee writes a
broad statement that tells everyone where the
company is headed.
• Company leaders and corporate trainers motivate
employees to do better.
• The research and development department
creates new products.
• Managers make decisions inside the company and
customer service reps take care of problems
outside the company.
Similarly, as individuals, we may have followed the
recommendations of time management experts and allo-
cated blocks of time in our already busy schedule for:
• Long-range planning.
• Personal development and motivational reading.
47
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

• Listening to co-workers' suggestions on new ways

to do things.
• Making decisions on how to meet company goals
and how to spend the rest of our time.
We need to rethink how we work! The competition is
getting stronger and smarter, our customers are more
educated, and we are expected to do more with less. When
we make decisions, we need to have a broader view of how
we think and what happens as a result of our thinking. In
the past, we learned to separate our tasks and respon-
sibilities. Today, in order to work smarter, we need to learn
how our thinking abilities are related and how to think our
way to producing more with less.

THE RETHINKING MODEL

48
 The Rethinking Model

We can no longer say, "I'm going to plan for the future,

so I'll think strategically." Or "The boss wants new ideas.
I'll take a few minutes to think imaginatively." Each of the
types of thinking skills is connected to the others, and
when we are faced with a challenge, we need to employ all
the types of thinking at the same time in order to be
successful.

Types of Thinking Skills

Each of the thinking skills and specific tools and
techniques will be discussed in the following chapters of
The Power of Innovative Thinking However, to whet your
appetite, here's a preview of the four types of thinking
skills:

1. Strategic thinking is the thinking skill we use

when we are thinking about planning for the
future. It connects today with tomorrow in an
organized way and sets a course of action.

2. Power thinking concentrates on the positive

ingredients of any situation and helps us get
around barriers on our way to planning for the
future and making correct decisions.

3. Creative thinking gives us a way to look at the

future and solutions from a fresh angle. It's a
thinking skill that will get us out of the always-
thinking-the-same-way rut.

4. Analytical thinking is necessary for us to stay

organized while we look for the answers that will
make us successful.

49
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Connecting the Types of Thinking

Because the different types of thinking skills work
together to make "right" decisions, we need to be aware of
them no matter what problem we are trying to solve.
For example, if we need to develop a long-range plan,
our strategic thinking skills are needed to develop a plan of
action. Power thinking skills will help us defeat negative
roadblocks. Creative thinking skills give us many possible
solutions, while analytical thinking skills help us come up
with the best possible plan of action.

Summary
In this chapter, you learned the four types of thinking
skills and how they are related. You also learned that it is
necessary to use all four at one time. In the next chapter,
you will learn in detail about strategic thinking and the
tools and techniques to use.
 Chapter 5

Strategic
Thinking

`Discovering what you want in life

can be facilitated
by the process of setting goals."
—Shakti Ga wain

What Is Strategic Thinking?

"Strategic" means planning for the future, and strate-
gic thinking is thinking about planning for the future.
When you know where you're going, why you're going and
how you're going to get there, you will get there, success-
fully—and strategic-thinking tools will give you the where,
why and how. Successful people learn to use their think-
ing skills so that their actions will not go astray, but will
lead to desired goals.

The Four Drivers of Strategic Thinking

To some people, strategic planning means to set a goal
and go for it. When you know what makes strategic think-
ing happen, you can not only "go for it," you can success-
fully achieve your goals.

51
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

The drivers of strategic thinking are:

• Vision

• Resources

• Values

• Assumptions—yours and your organization's

52
 Strategic Thinking

Vision
Your picture of the future may be very clear to you. You
might see yourself obtaining a tangible asset—a new com-
pany car. It might even be something you can't see, feel or
touch, such as high employee morale. You need to state
your vision in clear, concise terms that you can measure so
you can tell when it has become a reality. Good physical
health is a marvelous goal. However, you need a way to
know when you are in good physical health. For example,
you might say that you are in good physical health when
you can run two miles in 10 minutes, do 50 sit-ups or
maintain your ideal weight for three months.
Case Study: 5 1
-

Steve senses frustration and a poor attitude among the

people in his department. He knows that something needs
to change, so he envisions his department as a place with
high employee morale. His mental picture includes smiling
faces, friendly people having a good time and everyone
willing to go that extra mile to keep customers happy.
Although Steve's vision is very clear to him, the vision
is difficult to attain because he hasn't stated it in terms
that can be easily measured. Steve needs to include a stan-
dard that will tell him and those in his department when
morale has improved. For example, he might include the
following in his vision statement: no tardy employees dur-
ing the next month, 100-percent participation in the com-
pany picnic or a 5-percent increase in the productivity and
quality of his product with no customer complaints.
Your vision gives you direction. It needs to be stated so
that others will understand the goal or the plan. A fuzzy
cloud wandering through the sky without a solid border
will break up and disappear. Your vision needs to be con-
tained before you can grab it.

53
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Resources
The resources available to you also help drive your
thinking. The resources could include
• Money. Is money available so you can get to your
vision? Is money in the budget? Can you add it
to the budget? Are there other sources for the
money?
• Time. Is there enough time to reach your goal?
Can you, your associates or employees accomplish
the vision without wasting time?
• People. Are there enough people available to
make the plan happen? Are people willing to work
on the plan?
• Equipment. Do you have the necessary equip-
ment to work on and achieve the plan? Does
the vision require updating or purchasing new
equipment?
• Skills. Do you, your co-workers or employees
have the necessary knowledge and training to
work toward and reach the vision? How much
training will people need?
All of these factors need to be looked at before you can
move toward your vision. Strategically looking at these re-
sources expands your thinking and helps you move from a
rut to an opportunity.
Case Study: 5-2
Mary is in charge of the medical claims department for
a growing corporation. She supervises four employees who
can process 1,000 claims with a turnaround time of eight
days. Because the corporation is growing, Mary sees the
54
 Strategic Thinking

need for processing 2,000 claims with a turnaround time of

five days by the end of the year.
Mary's vision is clearly stated. Now she needs to ex-
amine her resources.
• Is there enough money in this year's budget to
handle additional costs? Will there be enough
money in next year's budget? What can she do to
make sure there is enough money? (Resource:
money)
• Is one year enough time to accomplish her goal?
(Resource: time)
• Can the people in Mary's department handle the
increased workload, or will she need to hire more
people? (Resource: people)
• Is the present equipment capable of processing
more claims, or will she need to purchase more
equipment? What kind of equipment will be
needed? (Resource: equipment)
• Does Mary have the knowledge to make all the
necessary decisions along the way? Can the other
people in her department learn new skills before
next year? Are there other people in the company
who are willing to help? (Resource: skills)
When you consider all the resources, you're thinking
strategically. Each time you find a satisfactory answer to
one of your questions, you've taken another step forward—
and you did it by using your strategic-thinking skills.

Values
As we discussed earlier, values are located in frames, or
frames of reference. Therefore, when you become strategic

55
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

in your thinking, you need to examine your frames and an-

chors to see how your personal values—the "rightness" and
"wrongness"—influence your vision and the resources.

Case Study: 5-3

Michael is an adaptive thinker who enjoys making de-
cisions quickly. His company supplies fresh fruits and
vegetables to supermarkets and wants to add restaurants
to its customer base. Michael was given the task of finding
out if fruits and vegetables could be delivered to new res-
taurant customers on time. He had a mental picture of
what his company wanted to do and thought it was a great
idea. He immediately began to work out delivery schedules
using ZIP codes. Proud of his ability to make sound deci-
sions quickly, Michael presented the new delivery schedule
to his manager within four hours.
Michael's values filtered out much of what was needed
to do the job correctly. He was "hung up" or anchored on
quick performance because his values encouraged him to
make quick decisions. At the same time, his values pre-
vented him from seeing the big picture. The task was
broader than Michael's plan. Influenced solely by his val-
ues, Michael neglected to find out what resources, for ex-
ample, were available—money for new trucks, delivery
people, sales staff, advertising programs, etc. This knowl-
edge would have made his plan better and more realistic.
When you are faced with a task that affects the future,
you need to think about all the strategic-thinking drivers—
vision, resources, values and assumptions—before writing
the plan.

Assumptions
When you and I think about the future, we make
assumptions. We might assume, for example, that all

56
 Strategic Thinking

changes are good. We might assume that our company will

continue to grow simply by selling more of our product. Or
we might assume that the only way for our company to
grow is to move into other markets or to add more prod-
ucts to our line. We might develop a plan and assume that
everyone in our organization will buy into the plan.
Case Study: 5 4
-

Ray was hired as a payroll clerk in 1977 by a large in-

surance company. He had the mechanical ability to fix
manual typewriters and adding machines when they broke
down, and even though it didn't fit his job description, he'd
fix the broken machines, saving his company thousands of
dollars by reducing the number of service calls. When
management realized Ray's skills and abilities, they cre-
ated a position for him and encouraged him to take ad-
vanced training in machine repair. He became very good at
what he did and was the only one in the company who
could fix the machines. Ray assumed that he would be set
for life with the company. In 1985, the company installed
electronic equipment. In 1986, Ray was without a job be-
cause of his incorrect assumption.
Because he was the expert, Ray assumed that his job
would be there forever. When his skills were no longer re-
quired, Ray was no longer required. When using strategic
thinking, you need to be sure that your assumptions are
correct.

Engaging the Gears

The four drivers of strategic thinking are like four
gears in a machine. All four gears must move together if
strategic thinking is to work well. If one of the gears
doesn't move, then strategic thinking will not occur. As
with any machine, the gears need to be lubricated so they

57
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

can move smoothly together. You need to know where the

friction points are located and what kind of "oil" to use to
prevent "burn-out."
Case Study: 5-5
Laurie, the senior maintenance supervisor, was asked
to write a long-range training program for all the plant
maintenance people. The first thing Laurie did was to in-
terview the company's management team members to find
out why they wanted the training program and what re-
sults they expected. She then wrote a list of all the re-
sources she thought she'd need and contacted the responsi-
ble managers and directors. The budget director told her
how much money was in the budget. The training coordi-
nator gave her a list of training rooms, instructors, and
audio-visual equipment. She asked the shift supervisors
what kind of training they thought everyone needed, both
now and two years from now, and what were the best times
to hold training sessions. She also found out what the
maintenance workers thought would be the right kind of
training. Rather than write down her own ideas about
training, she took the time to find out what kind of training
everyone wanted.
Do you think Laurie's way of putting together the
training program will succeed? YES!!
• She has a clear understanding of the vision.
• She knows what resources are available.
• She has listened to how others value training.
• Because of her talks with managers, supervisors
and employees, Laurie has a good idea of their
assumptions about the training program.

58
 Strategic Thinking

Laurie's training program has yet to move forward be-

cause she took the time to use strategic thinking before
doing the strategic planning. When Laurie begins writing
the training program, she will do it efficiently and success-
fully. When you follow Laurie's example, you too will be
successful.

Personal Life Career

Identify the drivers of Identify the drivers of
strategic thinking in your strategic thinking in your
personal life: workplace:
1. Vision 1. Vision
2 Resources 2. Resources
3. Values 3. Values
4. Assumptions 4. Assumptions

Identify the drivers of Identify the drivers of

strategic thinking that strategic thinking that
influence how you solve influence your personal and
problems: career growth:
1. Vision 1. Vision
2. Resources 2. Resources
3. Values 3. Values
4. Assumptions 4. Assumptions
Problem-Solving Growth

... ..... ... ...

59
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Connecting Strategic Thinking with

Strategic Planning
When you actually prepare a strategic plan, you can be
assured of success if you use the four drivers of strategic
thinking to examine each step of the planning process. The
first couple of times you use this technique, it will take you
longer than more traditional reactive thinking. The results,
however, will be well worth your time investment. The
Strategic-Thinking/Planning Checklist on pages 62 and 63
will help you stay on track and prompt you to use your
thinking skills at each planning step. You will keep your
strategic plan and your strategic thinking connected when
you complete the checklist.

Anchoring Tools
There are tools you can use to build an anchor for stra-
tegic thinking. When you create an anchor, you establish a
starting point or place from which to do your thinking.
Sometimes the problem you're about to tackle is not clearly
defined. To help you solve the problem properly, you need
to find the real problem. You can do so by using three an-
choring tools: "Why? x 5," the "Care-Its" and the Reality-to-
Ideal Ladder.

"Why? x 5" Tool

The "Why? x 5" Tool will move you from something that
is unclear to something that is concrete. After you have
asked "Why?" five times, you will be able to identify a spe-
cific anchoring point.
Case Study: 5 6
-

Jason: I need a new service truck!

Wendy: Why do you need a new service truck?

60
 Strategic Thinking

Jason: The truck stops running every time it

rains.
Wendy: Why does it stop running when it rains?
Jason: Well, the service foreman thought that the
ignition wires get wet.
Wendy: Why do the wires get wet?
Jason: Because the insulation is cracked
Wendy: Why is the insulation cracked?
Jason: Because the wires are old
Wendy: Why would you drive a truck with old
ignition wires?
Jason: I don't have time to get them replaced

Jason wants a new truck simply because the ignition

wires need to be replaced! When you rephrase what the
other person has said and reflect it back to him in the form
of a "Why?" question, you get to the meat of the problem.
The questioning process moves from a general statement to
a specific statement.
Five "Why?s" aren't always necessary. You may be able
to find the real problem after only two or three questions.
Case Study: 5 7
-

Betsy: My computer isn't working right!

Bryce: Why isn't it working right?
Betsy: When I try to get into the database of
emloyees, it asks for my password I enter
my name and the screen goes blank.
Bryce: Why do you enter your name?
Betsy: Because I don't have a password
Bryce: Why don't you have a password?
Betsy: Because access to the database is limited
to only a few people.

61
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Strategic-Thinking/Planning Checklist

Strategic-Planning Steps Strategic-Thinking Drivers

Vision
1. Determine the
purpose Resources
Values
Assumptions
Vision
2. Establish a vision
Resources
Values
Assumptions
Vision
3. Assess the external
environment Resources

Values
Assumptions
Vision
4. Access the internal
environment Resources
Values
Assumptions
Vision
5. Establish long-range
objectives Resources
Values
Assumptions

62
 Strategic Thinking

Checklist continued
Strategic-Planning Steps Strategic-Thinking Drivers
Vision
6. Establish short range
-

objecives. Resources i

Values

Assumptions

Vision
7. Prioritize objectives
Resources

Values

Assumptions

Vision
8. Analyze objectives in
terms of who will help Resources
and what obstacles
may be encountered Values

Assumptions

Vision
9. Develop step-by step
plans for reaching Resources
objectives
Values

Assumptions

Vision '
10. Monitor the progress
of your plans Resources

Values
Assumptions i

63
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

The "Why? x 5" tool requires you to listen carefully to

the other person. Between the first and fifth "Why?," a
statement emerges that will point out the anchor. We can
solve Jason's problem, not by buying a new truck, but by
figuring out how he can make time to get the ignition wires
replaced. Similarly, Betsy's problem is not with the com-
puter. Instead, she needs to find another source from which
to get her information or obtain a password.

The "Care Its" Tool

-

When you need to anchor yourself in values, you can

use the "Care-Its" tool. With this tool, you can discover how
people's values are related. It will let you use your thinking
skills to look through filters that may interfere with your
thinking. The "Care-Its" tool asks you to answer three
questions. Look at your answers and find values that are
the same and values that are different. You can use this
information to build on the similarities and bring the dif-
ferences together.

The "Care-Its" Tool

WHAT DOES MY WHAT DO MY WHAT DO I REALLY

ORGANIZATION CUSTOMERS CARE CARE ABOUT?
REALLY CARE ABOUT?
ABOUT?

64
 Strategic Thinking

For example, you might find that your organization,

your customers and you all really care about serving the
community. Because all three parts of the tool have the
same "Care-It," you can use this as an anchor. As a result,
your thinking can be concentrated on how to involve your
organization and customers in a fund raising event for
-

needy children.
On the other hand, when you see differences in values,
you may need to develop a plan to bring people's values
closer together. Say, for instance, that your organization
really cares about increasing profits, your customers really
care about reducing costs, while you care about making a
decent wage. The "Care-Its" seem to be heading in opposite
directions. To bring them closer together, you might think
of ways by which your organization can help customers re-
duce costs and build a base of loyal customers who will con-
tinue to buy from your organization. Increased profits, in
turn, may mean a raise for you. Incidentally, some insur-
ance companies are doing this now. Instead of just selling
insurance, they help clients reduce risks so they can keep
their insurance premiums low.

The Reality to Ideal Ladder

- -

This tool can be fun because you get a chance to play

with a magic wand that lets you have anything you want.
Use your imagination! Wave your magic wand and choose
your ideal goal. At the top of the ladder, write a description
of your ideal goal. At the bottom of the ladder, write a de-
scription of the way things really are. Start with the first
rung and write one thing that needs to change so you can
get closer to the top. On the next rung, list one more thing
that needs changing, and so on up the ladder. If the ideal is
not too far from reality, you can take some rungs out. If the

65
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

ideal is far away from reality, add as many rungs as you

need.
Each rung of the ladder becomes an anchor for steps-
objectives—that lead to your ideal goal. Each rung forces
you to think through barriers that may have kept you from
moving toward your ideal goal.

Reality to Ideal Ladder

- -

Ideal

Reality

For example, suppose your ideal goal is to get a college

degree in marketing. In reality, you have about three se-
mesters of college credits. The top rung would read, "Get
my degree." The bottom rung on the Reality-to-Ideal Lad-
der might be labeled "How many more courses do I need?"
The next rung up could be labeled, "When can I take the
courses I need?" The third rung, "What's available to help
me pay tuition?" The last rung before the top could read,
"When do I register?" When you have answers to your
questions, you have moved closer to your ideal goal.

66
 Strategic Thinking

Personal Life Career

Identify situations in your Identify a situation in your
personal life when you will work life when you will use
use these tools: these tools -
• "Why? x 5" • "Why? x 5"
• "Care-Its" • "Care-Its"
• Reality-to-Ideal Ladder • Reality-to-Ideal Ladder

Identify how you will use Identify how you will use each
each of the strategic think ng of the strategic thinking tools
tools to help you solve to help you grow personally
problems• and professionally:
• "Why? x 5" • 'Why? x 5"
• Vare-Its" • Vair-Its"
• Reality-to-Ideal Ladder • Reality-to-Ideal Ladder

Problem-Solving Growth

67
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Summary
In this chapter, you learned about:
• Strategic thinking
• The four drivers of strategic thinking
• Vision
• Resources
• Values
• Assumptions
• Connecting strategic thinking with strategic
planning
• Anchoring tools
• "Why? x 5" tool
• "Care-Its" tool
• Reality-to-Ideal Ladder

Strategic thinking lets you think about planning long-

range goals. Using the drivers of strategic thinking gives
you a chance to "think" rather than "feel" when you are set-
ting goals. Anchoring tools help you avoid the pitfalls oth-
erwise often placed before you by your filters. When you
use the tools presented in this chapter, you are more likely
to achieve your long-range plans.

68
 Chapter 6

Power
Thinking

`If you expect the worst,

you'll get the worst, and if you expect the best,
you'll get the best."
—Norman Vincent Peale

Power thinking may be considered a new Olympic

event in which competitors think through weighty prob-
lems with ease. While you may not win a gold medal at
power thinking, you can be successful when you learn how
to use the power-thinking tools and techniques that will be
discussed in this chapter.

What Is Power?
"Power" is being able to influence people or situations.
It's not reserved only for people in authority or those with
the biggest stick. Power is something we all have and
should be seen as neither good nor bad. When we abuse
power, it is bad; but when we use power to turn a vision
into a reality, it is good.
The amount of power or influence you have is deter-
mined by how much power other people let you have. For
example, people are cheated by con-artists because they

69
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

accept the power that the swindlers claim they have. If you
tell someone to do something and she does it, you have
power. If she doesn't do it, you don't have power.
Other types of power come from a person's job title,
skills or knowledge, which we will briefly look at before
going into the specifics of power thinking.

Job Title
The president of a corporation is seen by many as hav-
ing a lot of power. Teachers are seen as having power in
the classroom. Similarly, if you are a shift supervisor, you
have power over the people on your shift. However, you
probably don't have power over people on another shift or
in another department. The power you have goes with the
job title. Because people expect you to act in a certain way,
given your title, it is important for you to have strong
power-thinking skills to capitalize on this power. When you
do, people will listen to you and follow your lead.

Skills and Knowledge

If you're good at what you do or know more than others
about a certain job, you have the potential for a lot of
power. How you use your skills and knowledge will deter-
mine how much power you have. For example, the "show-
off or braggart has very little power because people dislike
this kind of behavior. Instead, people prefer to find out for
themselves how much you know.
Case Study: 6-1
Debbie graduated at the top of her class with a degree
in medical office skills from a local junior college. The office
manager of a medical clinic was impressed with her skills
and hired her for general office work. The office manager
told Debbie that, because of her excellent school record, she
70
 Power Thinking

would add a lot to the office and that she looked forward to
learning the new things that Debbie brought with her.
Debbie was confident about her ability to handle almost
any task given to her and showed initiative. When she saw
something that needed doing, she did it. She had the po-
tential for promotion and looked forward to regular pay
raises. However, when other people in the office asked the
office manager for advice or instructions, Debbie would of-
ten butt into the conversations. She knew what was sup-
posed to be done and wanted everyone else to know she
knew it. As a result, co-workers began closing the office
manager's door when they had questions. They avoided
Debbie and didn't accept her knowledge as power.
Debbie had the potential to assume a lot of power in
the office; however, she chose to grab power from the office
manager and her co-workers by telling everyone how much
she knew rather than using her knowledge for the good of
the office. People don't care how much you know until they
know how much you care. If people first had the chance to
know how much Debbie cared about sharing her knowl-
edge, then they might have cared about how much she
knew.
When you use your skills and knowledge so that other
people benefit, you have true power. People respect your
talents and usually look forward to learning something
from you. You have the power to influence their decisions.

What Is Power Thinking?

"Power thinking" is thinking about how to create suc-
cesses by using your positive-thinking abilities and devel-
oping your self-esteem. In other words, power thinking
means using your power-thinking skills to achieve your
goals. Power thinking is related to positive thinking and
self-esteem because you are confident you can reach your

71
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

goals. When you use positive thinking, you are strength-

ening your power-thinking skills.

Steps to Power Thinking

In order to influence people and situations, you need to
use your power-thinking skills. In a given situation, use
the following steps to ensure that you are using power
thinking:
1. Recognize what's right.
2. Go with the positive.
3. Keep your eye on the negative.
4. Turn the negative into a positive.
The emphasis in power thinking is on using a positive
approach in every situation. This does not mean you
should just ignore the negatives—this can be disastrous.
Acknowledge their presence, and do what you can to
change negatives into positives.
When you take a positive approach, you can influence
people and situations. Your power-thinking skills will keep
you on track and reward you with successful results.

The ABCs of Power Thinking

The ABCs of power thinking are Action, Benefit and
Commitment. When you follow the guidelines that follow
for developing your power-thinking skills, you can make
good decisions and successfully reach your goals.

Action
To develop your power-thinking skills, you need to act.
The first step is to prepare an improvement plan that will
make you a better power thinker. Remember the four driv-
ers of strategic thinking from Chapter 3—vision, resources,

72
 Power Thinking

values and assumptions? Improving your power-thinking

skills means setting up a long-range plan for self-
improvement.
• Create a vision of yourself using your power-
thinking skills.
• Determine the resources available to you.
• Look at your values to see if they line up with
your vision.
• Think about your assumptions and your
organization's assumptions.
To get started, you might want to complete the inven-
tory following on page 74. Be specific about your vision.
Your statements should be clear and concise so that you
will know when you have accomplished your vision. Find a
friend or two whom you can trust, and ask them to help
you complete some of the information.
You may need to reexamine your filters (subconscious,
survival and social) to see if they are helping you or pre-
venting you from working in a positive attitude frame.
Maybe certain experiences have created a negative anchor.
For instance, because you hated English grammar in high
school, every time someone helps you with your writing
skills, you get angry. When you consciously identify the
anchor, you can use power-thinking tools to remove the
anchor or change it to a positive anchor.
Case Study: 6 2
-

Carlos is a good worker and is liked by his co-workers

and his supervisor. However, whenever he gets a message
to call his boss, he puts it off until the last possible minute,
thinking he has done something wrong or that the boss has
bad news for him. Carlos has had bad experiences at his
previous two jobs. At the last job, the boss left a message
for Carlos to stop in for a talk. When Carlos went to see his
73
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

My Power-Thinking Improvement Plan

Vision Resources Values Assumptions.

I see myself Mine:

developing my
power-thinking
skills by:

1. Concentrating
on the positive
approach.

2. Using words
that are positive.

3. (Continue with Theirs:

your own visions
of what you will do
to improve your
power-thinking
skills)

boss, he was told that the company was going out of busi-
ness and that his job no longer existed. At another job, his
boss was overbearing and blamed Carlos for mistakes that
other workers had made.
When Carlos becomes aware of his negative anchor, he
can see it is a result of bad experiences. He can consciously
respond to his boss's request more quickly and neutrally.
"See the boss" can mean good news, too.
You can build a positive attitude frame by creating posi-
tive anchors that focus on what's good about a situation.

74
 Power Thinking

Benefit
When you use your power-thinking skills, you have a
clear idea of how your actions will benefit you and the peo-
ple you work with. Doing something merely for the sake of
doing it may have an accidental benefit. However, effective
power thinkers have a purpose for doing something.

Case Study: 6-3

Nick was recently promoted to team supervisor. He
knew he had a lot to learn if he was going to do a good job,
so he began to read everything he could on how to super-
vise people.
Nick is learning how to think like a supervisor. He
knows his increased knowledge will benefit him and his
company. He is taking action so all will benefit.

Commitment
Power thinking requires a commitment—a commit-
ment to act in a positive way so that the greatest number
of people will benefit. When you decide to improve your
power-thinking skills, you are making a commitment of
your time and energy. You are saying that you will act in a
way that you and others will benefit from. By acting on the
visions in your Power-Thinking Improvement Plan that
require the least amount of effort, you are taking the first
step toward a larger commitment. And after you complete
the first few steps, the rest become easier.

Positive Thinking
Positive thinking is usually done by people who have a
positive attitude. We can't see an "attitude," but we can see
how people behave and hear the things they say. For ex-
ample, "Yes!!" gives you a different message than "Yeah,
sure...well, maybe." Or one of your employees promises to
75
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

get to work on time, yet shows up late the next day. The
words and actions people use give you an idea of their atti-
tude. While we can't see how a person thinks, we can see
the actions and hear the words associated with a positive
attitude.
The positive attitude is a frame in which positive
thinkers work. When you use positive thinking as an an-
chor inside the positive attitude frame, you have put to-
gether a powerful strategy—a strategy that will lead to
success for you, your co-workers and your organization.
Thomas Edison, who holds the record for patented in-
ventions, had over 6,000 failures before finding the right
material for the electric light filament. He kept going even
though he met with failure many times. To Edison, those
failures were discoveries. He was getting closer to the right
filament because he had discovered another material that
didn't work! Edison was "framed" in a positive attitude and
"anchored" with positive-thinking behaviors—those be-
haviors that looked for the good in apparent failures.

Barriers to Positive Thinking

In the workplace, we encounter barriers that keep posi-
tive thinking from taking place. When these barriers are
present, we automatically react to situations without
thinking about the poor logic in our responses.
Definitive: `if I'm not a winner, I'm a loser. "This bar-
rier allows only for "right" or "wrong" responses. The per-
son thinks that there are only two reactions and is unable
to see that a less-than-perfect answer can also be "right."
• Positive-Thinking Response: "I may not be a
winner, but I sure learned a lot."

76
 Power Thinking

Minimization: 'It was no big thing I was just lucky."

It's okay to "blow your own horn" once in a while and take
credit for your accomplishments.
• Positive-Thinking Response: "I didn't realize it
was that important. Thank you for the kind
words."
Negatives can '/positives don't: 'Sure, I did okay
this time, but... "Positive thinkers rarely keep score when
it comes to successes and failures.
• Positive-Thinking Response: "I did okay this
time. It shows me that I'm capable."
Comparison: "Compared to Pat, I'm nothing."Each of
us is different. Each of us has strong points and weak
points.
• Positive-Thinking Response: "Pat sets a good
example for us to follow."
Incorrect assumptions: I know you're thinking the
worst." We may try to read other people's minds and as-
sume their response will be negative.
• Positive-Thinking Response: "What are you
thinking?"
Fortune teller: 'There's no use even trying. I know
what's going to happen."If we expect the worst, we'll get
the worst. Positive thinkers think the best will happen.
• Positive-Thinking Response: "I'll give it a shot.
We'll succeed this time."
Critics are always right: 'They're right. I do act im-
mature." Critics express opinions, and often the opinions
are not based on fact. Positive thinkers consider the source
and think through the opinion.
77
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

• Positive-Thinking Response: "In their eyes, I

may be immature. Everyone else thought my
actions led to the correct decision."

Personalization: We didn't like my report; therefore,

he doesn't like me. "Just because the result of our efforts is
less than perfect, it doesn't mean that people have the
same feelings about us. We all have made incorrect deci-
sions during our careers, and we have survived.
• Positive-Thinking Response: "He didn't like
the report, but he still respects my judgment."

I feel; therefore, I am: "I feel stupid; therefore, I am

stupid" Instead of using our thinking skills, we let our
emotions create a barrier for us. This incorrect logic lets
our emotions rule over our thinking ability.
• Positive-Thinking Response: "That was a
dumb thing to do. I need to think before I act the
next time."

The "Shoulda's:" "You should always keep your desk

neat and clean." The "shoulda's" come from our value fil-
ters. We may have been taught that cleanliness is impor-
tant. Although it may be important to personal hygiene,
there may be more important things than cleanliness when
it comes to our desk and work priorities.
• Positive-Thinking Response: "If I want to
succeed, I need to continually adjust my
priorities."
Do some of the barriers sound familiar? Make a check
mark next to them so you know which ones you need to
work on. When you identify the barriers that are familiar
to you, you have taken the first step on the road to im-
proving your power-thinking skills.

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 Power Thinking

Personal Life Career

What barriers to positive What barriers to positive
thinking in my personal life thinking do I need to
do I need to eliminate? eliminate in my workplace?

o`66

What barriers to positive What barriers to positive

thinking prevent me from thinking hurt my personal
solving problems effectively? and professional growth?

Problem-Solving Growth

Changing Negative Patterns to

Positive-Thinking Anchors
When we are anchored in negative patterns, we ap-
proach situations from the wrong side. For example, when
a job opens up that leads to a promotion, you can work to-
ward that promotion in one of two ways. If you use a nega-
tive anchor, you'll think of all the reasons why you won't
get the promotion. When you build a positive anchor, you'll
think of all the things you can do to get promoted.
Karl Wallenda, the famous tight-rope walker, fell to his
death in 1978. When his wife was interviewed later, she

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

said she had noticed a change in Karl before his fatal acci-
dent. He had begun to think about not falling, whereas in
his previous attempts, he thought about getting to the
other side. He had changed his positive anchor into a nega-
tive anchor—with disastrous results.
When we build positive-thinking anchors, we build
starting points for using our positive-thinking skills that
lead to success.

• From Adversity to Opportunity. Adversity is

seen by some as disaster, misfortune or hardship.
Opportunity, on the other hand, can be seen as a
chance or an opening for something better. When
faced with what appears to be a failure, the posi-
tive thinker adjusts toward the positive and builds
an anchor on the positive points.

Case Study: 6-4

At the age of 40, Rusty, a parts designer for the aero-
space industry, was laid off because of the reduction in
military spending. He secretly thanked his previous em-
ployer for helping him make a decision that he had been
thinking about for a long time. Rather than look upon his
job loss as an adversity, he jumped at a chance to do some-
thing he had always wanted to do—help others. He is now
a licensed practical nurse and is looking forward to be-
coming a registered nurse.
Rusty found a way to work toward his vision. Not
wanting to quit his job because he'd lose steady income, his
thoughts of becoming a nurse were only a dream until he
turned adversity into opportunity.
When you anchor yourself in opportunity, the number
of times you face adversity will decrease. And when you

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 Power Thinking

seek opportunities, your positive-thinking skills become

stronger.

• From Negative Beliefs to Positive Alterna-

tives. When we are anchored in negative beliefs,
we fail to see the positive alternatives in situa-
tions. Our negative anchor magnifies the failure
in a situation. By contrast, when you look for posi-
tive alternatives, you learn from failure and build
on the things that you have accomplished.

Case Study: 6 5
-

Jamie was a likable guy who believed that meetings

were a waste of time and resented having to work with
strangers on the newly organized quality team. At the first
meeting of the quality team, Jamie listened to the others,
but didn't take part in any of the discussions. He met peo-
ple he didn't know from other departments who were ex-
cited about the work of the team. At future meetings, they
asked Jamie questions about the work that went on in his
department. He was good at his job, and the other team
members respected his opinion. Jamie began to look for-
ward to the meetings. He liked the people on his team, and
they saw him as a useful member. When a supervisory po-
sition opened up in another department, one team member
suggested that Jamie apply for the promotion.
In the beginning, Jamie's negative belief about meet-
ings produced an anchor that could have prevented him
from being a valuable member of the quality team. When
Jamie began to see the benefits of the meetings, he was
rewarded—he increased his opportunity for promotion and
increased his circle of friends.
Negative beliefs close the door on future success. Posi-
tive beliefs lead to success.

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

• From Reactive to Proactive. Instead of anchor-

ing yourself in a reactive climate, think proactive.
When faced with a problem, use your strategic-
thinking skills to look for answers that not only
solve the immediate problem, but also prevent the
problem from happening in the future. At least
you'll be prepared to take on future problems
when they occur.
Case Study: 6-6
Bill was in charge of the shipping department for a
manufacturer of industrial machinery. He knew when or-
ders were scheduled for completion and always notified the
trucking company in plenty of time to arrange for pick up
and delivery. On the day he had several important ship-
ments ready for pick up, the trucking industry went on
strike. Bill grabbed the telephone book and began looking
for other ways to ship the machinery.
If Bill had been proactive instead of reactive, he would
have had other shipping alternatives planned. By prepar-
ing for the worst, Bill could very easily have handled any
situation that came his way. Plan for the worst, and work
toward the best.
When we are anchored in a proactive climate, we pre-
pare for future problems. If you are CPR-trained, you have
learned a skill that you hope you will never have to use.
Learning how to perform CPR is being proactive. You are
prepared for the future so that you can work toward suc-
cessful results when the situation arises.
• From a Negative Energizer to the First Ac-
tion Step. When faced with a can't-be-done situa-
tion, some people spend a lot of energy worrying
about defeat—"If I don't succeed, something bad
will happen." Turn that negative energy into the
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 Power Thinking

first action step. "What can I do that will turn this

situation around and lead to success?" When the
underdog football team wins, people ask, "How did
they do it?." The usual response is, "One play at a
time." Being the underdog is a great motivator.
Case Study: 6 7
-

Susan was transferred to another branch office and

promoted to office supervisor. When she arrived at her new
office, the place was in a shambles—files were everywhere,
employees were doing each other's work, the telephone sys-
tem was outdated and the office staff was "putting out
fires" instead of serving customers. Rather than panic, Su-
san surveyed the situation and used her strategic-thinking
skills to develop a plan to get things in shape. She identi-
fied the first step toward getting things on the right
track—everyone would concentrate on customer service
while she put out the fires. Susan put her energies into
making the office a smooth-running operation by using her
power-thinking skills.
Susan could have accepted the negative situation and
let things continue as they were. Instead, she chose to be-
come anchored with the first action step.
Ray Kroc didn't decide 40 years ago that he was going
to open a fast-food restaurant in Moscow. He started by
perfecting a milk shake machine used by the McDonald
brothers in California. The McDonald's Corporation took a
well-thought-out first step before creating a worldwide de-
mand for its fast foods.
To succeed at a seemingly enormous task, identify the
first step so that you can create a starting point—a positive
anchor. Place your energies into completing the first step,
and then each step that follows until you reach your goal
successfully.

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Self-Esteem
Power thinking is also affected by your own self-
esteem. In order to maximize your power-thinking skills,
you need to be positive about yourself and your abilities.
Self-esteem is determined by your self-expectations and the
expectations of other people. How you see yourself and the
confidence you have in your ability to be successful will in-
fluence your power-thinking skills.
When we see ourselves as successful, we will be suc-
cessful. The power of positive mental pictures has been
recognized for a long time. Athletes and public speakers
are some of the people who practice their skills with posi-
tive mental images of success. Studies now underway are
showing that basketball players who add mental pictures
of scoring baskets to real practice actually score more bas-
kets than the players who only practice making baskets.
Public speakers are learning to overcome stage fright by
rehearsing in front of imaginary audiences. The audience is
imagined as excited and glad to hear the presentation.
When the mental rehearsal is finished, the speaker re-
ceives an imaginary standing ovation.
Athletes are developing the expectations they have of
themselves. Public speakers are building on what other
people expect as well as their own expectations. When you
create mental pictures of success, you develop positive ex-
pectations in yourself and in others. Creating positive ex-
pectations will allow you to unleash the force of your
power-thinking skills.

Improving Self Esteem with Successes

-

One way you can improve your self-esteem is to recog-

nize your past successes. When you see what you have
done, you are telling yourself that you are good, that you

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 Power Thinking

can be successful. You are creating positive expectations

for yourself.
Use the following plan to look at the past and improve
on your self-esteem. In the first column, list those things in
your personal life and career that you can honestly say
were successes. It might be raising your children, selling $1
million in real estate, or getting to work each day on time.
In the second column, list those things that you see as
failures—getting a speeding ticket, missing out on that last
promotion or losing that sale last week to a competitor.
You can start by listing one or two of your successes
and failures, or you can dig right in and list a whole bunch
of them. The important thing is to be able to recognize the
success or failure. In the third column, identify some part
of the item in the failure column that was a success. To
complete this column, you may have to use the positive-
thinking tools you just learned. Chances are, when those
failures occurred, you had not yet created positive-thinking
anchors. What's done is done, and the power thinker
knows that the past is filled with good learning experi-
ences! Here is an opportunity to apply those tools in a non-
threatening way.
The plan includes an example to help get you started.
When you find success in failure, your self-esteem is
boosted, and you can find opportunities that you didn't
know existed. Each failure can lead to success if you
use the proper framing tools and create positive-thinking
anchors.
Control of your self-esteem means that your self-
expectations will be realistic and easily acquired. You will
understand that the expectations others have of you are
less important. Then you can begin to show others that you
are using your power-thinking skills to be successful.

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

A LOOK AT MY SUCCESSES

• Successes Failures New Successes!!!

Host the sale of ' 1. I met the pur-

100 gallons of chasing manager,
sealer to Star Dennis.
Track Enterprises.
2 I discovered they
will need weather-
proof paint for their
new outdoor track
next month.

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 Power Thinking

Summary
In this chapter, you learned about power thinking and
what it takes to move a situation to success. To develop
your power-thinking skills, you need to:
• Understand the role of positive thinking.
• Recognize barriers to positive thinking.
• Change negative patterns into positive-thinking
anchors.
You also learned how self-esteem influences power
thinking, and you discovered how to improve your self-
esteem by looking at your successes.
The ABCs of power thinking are action, benefit and
commitment. You learned that commitment to a long-
range improvement plan is important.
Good luck on the road to building your power-thinking
skills, to becoming all you are capable of becoming!
 Chapter 7

Creative Thinking

Teal constructive mental power lies in the

creative thought that shapes your destiny."
—Laurence J. Peter

What Is Creative Thinking?

"Creative thinking" is using your thinking skills to
make new and useful connections—creative solutions from
information you already know. Aristotle said that some-
thing comes from something, and that is the purpose of
creative thinking—to make something new, unique or dif-
ferent out of something old.
All people are creative, but in different ways. You may
be creative when it comes to putting words on paper while
an associate is creative in designing buildings. Once you
recognize that you are creative, you can apply your think-
ing skills to come up with new solutions to problems.

The Creative Process

We often think of a creative solution as something that
just happens. In fact, the opposite is true. The mental proc-
ess that gives us creative answers happens in four stages:
1. Getting ready.
2. Mulling it over.

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

3. The Aha.
4. Checking it out.

Getting Ready
To exercise your creative thinking, you need to get
ready to look for new connections:
• Recognize when there is an opportunity for
creative answers.
• Understand the problem or the opportunity for
future problems to occur.
• Gather information about the problem.
For example, suppose you work for a plumbing supply
company that wants to keep dirt from collecting in pipes.
You need to find out if there is already a problem or if you
need to prevent a problem. You look for all possible infor-
mation. You might interview workers in the field to see
what has been done in the past. Under what conditions do
pipes collect dirt? Have other companies prepared for the
same problem?
The information gathered can be facts or feelings.
When you are in control of your thinking, it is okay to rec-
ognize feelings and emotions. Experienced workers often
have a gut feeling about a situation. Their intuition about
the rightness or wrongness of a situation comes from years
of working at their job.

Mulling It Over
This stage in the creative process can be the most frus-
trating. In a reactive climate where time is usually impor-
tant, getting away from the problem to mull it over is often
difficult because it takes time. However, scientists have
proven that the best solutions occur after we take a mental

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 Creative Thinking

break from the problem. In other words, let the problem

and all the information germinate in your mind for a while.
The subconscious mind has ways of connecting unre-
lated information. Some of the tools you will learn later in
this chapter speed up this stage and enable you to use your
conscious mind to make new and useful connections.

The Aha!
The third stage in the creative process that leads to
new and useful answers is the Aha. Here we connect in-
formation that has been stored in our memory, and the
solution we are looking for comes to us like a flash of light!
It can occur within a few minutes after meeting the prob-
lem, or it may be longer.
In Chapter 1 of The Power of Innovative Thinking, you
learned about communicating in the Aha Zone. That is
when you communicate with others about information that
you didn't know you knew. When you realize you know
more than you thought you did, you have a feeling similar
to the Aha.
We have all experienced this step. Can't remember
someone's name? And when you walk away, or some days
later, for no reason the name comes to you—in a flash. Or
you solve a problem right away, and afterwards you think
of a better solution.

Checking It Out
When the solution comes to us, we need to check it out
to see if it will really work. Some solutions are too costly or
impractical. Some solutions are so new and different that
the technology needed is not yet available.
For example, safety on our interstate highways is a
problem. One solution to improving safety is to place mag-
netic fields under the pavement and equip cars so that they
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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

can ride on the magnetic field—all in the same lane and at

the same speed. The technology is available. However, the
cost of putting this system into place is extremely high.
Business travelers face another problem—the time
spent in traveling. Wouldn't it be nice if travelers could
step into a capsule and instantly be transported from New
York City to Los Angeles? Or from your home to a vacation
spot? While this may be a great solution to travel problems,
the technology is not yet available.
Solutions may be good ones, but they need to be exam-
ined before we can use them. If none of the solutions work,
then gather more information and look for other solutions.

Guidelines for Creative Thinking

Even if your workplace is not representative of a crea-
tive climate, you can control your creative thinking skills
and offer creative solutions. The basic procedure in creative
thinking is to allow your thoughts to diverge—to go in
many different directions. When you do what you've al-
ways done, you get the "same old" results. When you follow
the guidelines for creative thinking, you'll get something
new and get out of the rut.
Innovative thinkers enjoy divergent thinking because
they can let their minds go anyplace. Sometimes they
think inside the paradigm, sometimes outside the para-
digm. Adaptive thinkers are also creative thinkers. Be-
cause they would rather find an immediate answer, adap-
tive thinkers usually rely on creative-thinking tools more
than innovative thinkers.
The four basic guidelines for increasing your divergent
thinking are:
1. Postpone judgment.
2. Generate large numbers of ideas.

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 Creative Thinking

3. Accept the ridiculous.

4. Form new links.

Postpone Judgment
Each of the four guidelines is important. However, un-
less you delay judging your ideas and solutions, the other
guidelines cannot operate. When you postpone judgment as
each idea is generated, you can think of twice as many
ideas in the same amount of time. Also, some people are
more willing to throw in ideas if they know they won't be
judged right away. Finally, when you build lists of many
potential solutions, you are more likely to come up with the
right ones.
It may be hard for you to get others to refrain from
judging each idea as it is presented. This is where you need
to use your power-thinking tools to your advantage. Influ-
ence others to follow your lead when they need to make
decisions. For example, if you know that others want new
answers, use the value they place on newness to sell them
on postponing judgment. You can say, for instance, "You
said you wanted some new suggestions. Well, do I have
some for you!" Or maybe they're bored with the problem-
solving process. When you use creative-thinking tools, you
will create a fun atmosphere on the way to the correct solu-
tion, and others will see how important it is to postpone
judgment.

Generate Large Numbers of Ideas

It has been proven that the best solutions to problems
come only after many solutions have been generated.
When you use your creative-thinking skills, make a con-
scious effort to look for as many ideas as you can. Quantity
breeds quality. The more ideas you can think of, the
greater the likelihood of finding a gold nugget.

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

When you are shooting for large quantities, 50 is not an

unreasonable number to start with. For example, as an
exercise in problem-solving, a group of Air Force personnel
were asked to solve a problem for which there was already
an answer. In the early 1950s, it was feared that long-
distance telephone lines in the state of Washington would
break because ice crystals had formed along hundreds of
miles of long-distance wire. The Air Force people were
asked to find a solution to this problem. If they had stopped
after generating 35 solutions, they would not have found
the correct answer. Their 36th solution turned out to be the
way the problem had been solved.
When you are coming up with many solutions, the first
third tend to be the usual answers. The second third are
usually from outer space, while the final third usually con-
tain the most creative and best solutions—ones that are
new and useful.
(Incidentally, the long-distance telephone company flew
helicopters over the wires. The down draft from the heli-
copter blades shook the ice off the wires. Why didn't Air
Force people think of that first?!)

Accept the Ridiculous

When you accept only logical ideas or solutions, you
never stretch your imagination. You need to get through
the ridiculous solutions before you can hit upon one that
may be connected to reality. Ridiculous ideas are outside
the business-as-usual rut and lead you to think of solutions
that are unique or different.
When asked to think of many uses for a bathtub, a
group of people came up with more than 100 ideas in only
15 minutes. One idea was to use the bathtub as a pot for
plants. You might consider this idea to be ridiculous, but
that's exactly what a gardener in eastern Kansas has done.

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 Creative Thinking

Unable to bend over because of back problems, he has col-

lected more than 20 bathtubs for his vegetable garden. He
has placed the bathtubs on concrete blocks and can still
work in his garden because the bathtub gardens are now
the right height.

Form New Links

In the previous example, the gardener linked a bathtub
with his back problem in a new and useful way. When you
are creating lists of options, it is perfectly okay to build on
other ideas. If something seems ridiculous, link it with an-
other ridiculous idea. It may prove to be more useful than
originally thought.
An employee with the 3M Company created a glue that
wouldn't stick permanently. When he put the glue between
two pieces of paper, one of the papers was easily lifted off
the other. The employee was a member of his church choir
and used the "useless" pieces of paper to mark the pages in
his hymnal. The "useless" product is now a multimillion
dollar seller for 3M. Post-it Notes® are the result of linking
a failure with a need.
The number of combinations you can create is limited
only by your imagination. When you use your creative-
thinking skills, you can generate many more options than
you have problems. In a creative climate, many of those
options lead to solutions for future problems. Also, many of
the options give birth to new and unexpected products and
new ways of doing things.

Creative-Thinking Tools and Techniques

There are a number of creative-thinking tools and
techniques for you to use in searching for new and useful
connections.

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Brainstorming
You've probably heard of this technique. In fact, in
some organizations brainstorming has been overworked.
Basically, brainstorming means using the guidelines for di-
vergent thinking—postponing judgment, generating large
numbers of ideas, accepting the ridiculous and forming
new links. The goal in brainstorming is to write down as
many options as the group can think of in a given amount
of time.
Brainstorming works best with a group of people who
are not directly involved in the problem. You'll get different
viewpoints that will generate more potential solutions.
You'll need flipchart paper and someone to write down all
the options that are generated. People should give their
ideas in a voice loud enough for all to hear. When people
hear other ideas, they use them to form new links.

Idea Writing
You can improve your thinking skills by using another
variation of brainstorming, "idea writing," which also in-
volves coming up with many ideas. Only people now write
down three possible solutions and pass the paper on to
someone else. If the group is not in one location, you can
use idea writing for a chain letter or send it through elec-
tronic mail (e-mail).

Mind Mapping
Mind mapping is a way for you to build a word picture.
Start by writing a brief statement of the problem in a circle
in the center of a blank sheet of paper. Around the circle,
list all the words you can think of to describe the problem.
Around each of the describer words, write other words that
may be connected with the describer words. When you are

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 Creative Thinking

done, connect the words that look like they might be part of
a solution.
The diagram below shows part of a mind map. The
problem that is mapped deals with relocating a growing
business. There are a number of things to consider in this
problem: good parking, green space (space for lawn and
trees), close to truck facilities and staying in the same
town. Good parking led to the old race track that offers
truck ramps and good buildings. The desire to stay in the
same town and to have green space is also met in this op-
tion. In this example, the solution is only one of many. Re-
member, this is a tool used to find possible solutions.

Example of Mind Mapping

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

ANGLES
You can come up with large numbers of new and useful
options when you look at a problem from many different
"ANGLES." ANGLES stands for:
• Add.
• Not in order
• Generalize
• Lessen
• Eliminate
• Substitute
By changing one thing about a problem, you get a dif-
ferent view of the problem. For example, let's say you work
for a company that makes electric golf carts. The sales of
electric golf carts are decreasing because most of your cus-
tomers have bought your golf carts and now they only buy
replacements. Therefore, you need to find other uses for
your electric golf carts.
• Add. Add something to the golf cart, preferably
nothing that has to do with golf. When you make
the addition, you might think of another use for
the electric carts. For example, add a refrigerator.
It looks ridiculous, but that's okay. (Remember
the third guideline for divergent thinking: Accept
the ridiculous.) You now have an electric cart that
can carry cold things around. How about an elec-
tric ice-cream cart for use where there are lots of
ice-cream buyers—parks, ball games, picnic areas,
the beach, the boardwalk? Put something else in
place of the refrigerator, and you'll have other
possible uses.

• Not in order. Change the order of the parts on

the electric golf cart. Put the steering wheel in the

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 Creative Thinking

back. Now you have a place for the driver to stand

and the passengers to sit. The electric cart can be
used for moving people. It's already being done in
airports; however, don't reject an idea because it's
already being used. (Remember the first guideline
to divergent thinking: Postpone judgment.) Your
electric carts might be used to give people tours
through museums or for rides through beautiful
parks on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
• Generalize. Expand the problem and make it
bigger. Think of the electric golf cart in broader
terms, such as an electric vehicle—not just a golf
cart. It could be used to move cargo instead of
people. The cargo might be newspapers, mail,
auto parts or baggage. Look at all the new possi-
ble customers!
• Lessen. Make the problem smaller. If the electric
cart were smaller, you could put something on it.
Maybe a sign that advertises daily lunch specials,
or even advertises the cart itself. The cart is now a
moving billboard.
• Eliminate. Take something away. Remove the
motor from the golf cart and you have a seat for
two that won't go anywhere. The "cart" can be
used as a place to sit outside the clubhouse.
• Substitute. Substitute a part or a word that de-
scribes the problem. We could replace the regular
tires on the cart with large balloon tires. Now the
cart can travel on sand. Lifeguards could use the
carts to patrol beaches. And speaking of patrol,
substitute "police" for "lifeguards" and "city parks"
for "beaches." Another use is created!

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

ANGLES is a very powerful tool that strengthens your

creative thinking skills. When you look at a problem from
different ANGLES, you come up with options that no one
else ever thought possible. You will be successful at creat-
ing new and useful connections.
A worksheet will help when you are working with
ANGLES because it keeps a statement of the problem in
front of you. It also allows you to concentrate on each of the
things you want to change. When you become stumped on
one word, leave it; go to another word, and return to it
later. The object is to write as many changes as you can
think of. The following is a completed worksheet for the
golf cart problem.
ANGLES
Statement of the Problem:
What other uses are there for an electric golf cart?

Add: (Add something)

Add a refrigerator

Not in order: (Change the order)

Put the steering wheel in the back

Generalize: (Expand—make something bigger)

An electric vehicle

Lessen: (Make some part smaller)

Real tiny so it can carry a small billboard

Eliminate: (Take something away)

Take away the motor

Substitute: (Substitute a part or a word)

Balloon tires for regular tires

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 avative Thinking

Following is a worksheet for you to use when you have

to work on your next problem. Check to be sure that the
problem has been defined correctly.

ANGLES
Statement of the Problem:

Ex: What other uses are there for an electric golfcart?

Add: (Add something)

Not in order: (Change the order)

Generalize- (Expand—make something bigger)

Lessen: (Make some part smaller)

Eliminate- (rake something away)

Substitute: (Substitute a part or a word)

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Forcing New Connections

When you need new and different solutions, use your
creative-thinking skills to make new connections from un-
related information. While you concentrate on the problem,
look at an unrelated object. Write down the features of the
object and then connect those features to your problem.
For example, you might need to cut your budget by 10
percent. As you look around the room, you see a light bulb.
The features of the light bulb include: It's round, made of
glass and runs on electricity. Force a connection between
each of these features and your budget problem. Are the
projected figures rounded up? Could your requests be more
real? The glass might make you think of broken glass. Does
your budget have an account for the estimated costs of
vandalism? Is that account too high? The light bulb runs
on electricity. Can you decrease your utility costs through
an energy-saving program?
Pick any object you can see. Practice forcing new con-
nections even when there isn't a problem. In a creative cli-
mate, the notion of forcing new connections is at work all
the time. People make new connections with old products
to create new products and new ways of doing things.

Visual/Audio Relaxers
The use of pictures and music as a creative-thinking
tool will help you through the second stage in the creative
process: Mull it over. Total concentration on a problem re-
sults in fewer creative solutions. The harder you try to be
creative, the less creative you will be.
After you have done the groundwork for your problem,
you need to take a break so you can put the information in
the back of your mind. Force yourself to take a mental
break by looking at pictures or listening to music.

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 Creative Thinking

The pictures can be nature scenes, people, food or ma-

chinery. The only condition is that the picture must not
contain any words. Your mind doesn't need to see words, it
just needs to look at pictures. Good sources for such pic-
tures include magazines with good photography—National
Geographic or travel brochures.
Use music that is relaxing to you. While classical music
is preferred by most, use music that makes you feel com-
fortable. Listen to music that has no words—just instru-
ments playing music.
Use the visual/audio relaxers long enough to force your
mind away from the problem. People with strong creative-
thinking skills need from 5 to 15 minutes before returning
to the problem. When you return to the problem, you may
see a new solution immediately.

. '
Personal Life Career
Select an activity in your Select an activity at work
personal life where you can where you can use creative-
use creative-thinking tools. thinking tools.

The.•
-------------•----------•----

Thinking
Box
Select a creative-thinking Select a creative-thinking tool
tool that you will use to solve that you will use in your
your next problem. i personal growth plan.

Problem-Solving . Growth
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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

Using Creative Tools and Techniques

The following suggestions will help you be successful
when you use your creative-thinking skills:
• Practice in Personal Situations. Use new tools
in personal situations before using them in busi-
ness settings. During the learning process, there
is always a chance that you will make mistakes,
so do it privately first.
• Document Usefulness. When you successfully
use a creative-thinking tool or technique, make a
note of when and where. Some tools work best in
particular situations. When similar situations
come up, you'll know which tool to use, because
you'll have a record of your successes.
• Use It Soon. A new tool can only work when you
use it. If you have a new tool in your bag, you'll
remember it better if you use it soon. You will
have more opportunities to use the tool once you
can see how it works for you.
• Start with Low-Risk Situation& Use your new
creative-thinking tools and techniques in situa-
tions in which there will be little risk if the tool
doesn't work for you. Deciding where to go for
lunch is a low-risk situation; picking a new direc-
tor of planning is high-risk. Use situations in
which the solutions will have the smallest effect
on the least number of people.
• Use Tools and Techniques Frequently. Use
creative-thinking tools in all parts of your life.
When you find a tool that works well for you, use
it in your personal life and on the job. Make crea-
tive thinking a part of everything you do.
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 Creative Thinking

• Find Safe Teams. Try out some of the tools with

friends before using them with your work group.
Your friends will forgive you faster than your
manager. For example, use creative-thinking tools
to plan a picnic or vacation before you figure out
how to buy more computers for your department.
Finally, you'll be more creative if you "warm up" before
using a creative-thinking tool. For example, take 15 min-
utes and see how many uses you can find for a paper clip. If
you can get a group together—seven to 10 people works
best—you can find lots of ideas. This warm-up has been
used with other groups, and they often find well over 50
uses for a paper clip. Many uses are ridiculous and that's
fine—they followed the guidelines for creative thinking.

Summary
You are a creative person, and you can improve your
creative-thinking skills when you use tools and techniques
from this chapter on your path to successful and creative
solutions.
In this chapter, you learned:
• The definition of creative thinking.
• How to use the creative process to be more
creative.
• Creative-thinking tools and techniques that will
get your creative juices flowing.
• Guidelines to help you produce new and useful
ideas and solutions.

105
 Chapter 8

Analytical
Thinking

"Two roads diverged in a wood,

and I—I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."
—Robert Frost

What Is Analytical Thinking?

"Analytical thinking" is the mental activity that helps
us make correct decisions. We can use our creative-
thinking skills to come up with hundreds of solutions to
our problems, but we need to use our analytical-thinking
skills to select the best solution.
As we have seen, all of our thinking is influenced by
our anchors, frames and paradigms. When we use avail-
able analytical tools, we get rid of the obstacles that are put
in front of us by our anchors, frames and paradigms and,
thereby, become better able to make good decisions and
build plans that will work.
For example, when you need to make a decision about
promoting people in your department, analytical tools give
you a way to find the most qualified person without letting
friendships, for example, get in the way of your decision.

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

The Role of Positive Judgment

The basic rule for analytical thinking is to force your
thoughts to converge, to make them come together. This is
the opposite of creative thinking where you want your
thoughts to diverge, or go in different directions. When you
use analytical-thinking skills to converge your thoughts,
you need to be guided by positive judgment, the same posi-
tive judgment discussed in Chapter 3. The guidelines for
positive judgment are:
• Go for the best.
• Stay organized.
• Think about the new and different.
• Keep your eyes on the objective.

Go for the Best

When you start looking at the negatives in a solution,
you'll find that all your solutions have negatives. Stay posi-
tive. Go for the best. Use your power-thinking skills to find
the best possible solutions. You could end up with more
than one solution. If you are the decision-maker, you can
then look more closely at the available solutions. If some-
one else is the decision-maker, you can present a list of
the best solutions rather than the one best solution. The
decision-maker is the one who benefits from the correct
solution and suffers the consequences when a poor decision
is made.

Stay Organized
When you close in on the best solution, use strategic-
thinking skills to follow an organized plan. You might be
looking at 20 possible solutions to your problem. The quick
way to get answers is to throw darts or roll the dice. But

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 Analytical Thinking

when you want the best answer, you need to use logical
tools and techniques, and sometimes, just plain common
sense.

Think About the New and Different

You spent a lot of time and energy when you used your
creative-thinking skills to find new and useful ideas. And
one of the reasons you used your creative thinking was to
get out of a rut—always making the same decisions in the
same way. You will sabotage all your work so far if you ig-
nore the new and different. "It's always been done that
way" means it is time to change. When you think of the
new and different, your decisions will result in positive
change.

Keep Your Eyes on the Objective

Remember the purpose for using your thinking skills.
While "new and different" is important, make choices that
apply to the problem. Stay in tune with your goal. If your
problem is to find new customers for electric golf carts,
don't go into the business of supplying security guards for
parks and beaches.
Case Study: 8 1
-

Robyn, the corporate security chief, was looking for a

good alarm system for her company's offices and received
offers from all the alarm companies in town. When it was
time to make a decision, some of the people in her office
made comments about the alarm system—Betsy didn't like
the looks of one of the sales reps, Michael didn't like the
sound of another alarm and Casey knew another company
that wasn't happy with a third alarm system. Robyn lis-
tened to what everyone had to say and let the people in her
office sway her decision. She began to eliminate the alarm

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

systems that people commented about and chose the one

disliked by the least number of people rather than select-
ing the best alarm system.
Robyn based her decision on the negative feelings of the
people around her. She failed to go for the best, and she
failed to stay organized. As a result, she lost track of her
objective—to buy a good alarm system. She relied on nega-
tive comments to make her decision.

Pitfalls When Thinking Analytically

We can very easily fall into traps and old habits when
we think analytically. When it's decision time, step away
from the problem and plan your strategy. Decide what
tools and techniques you are going to use to be successful.
Avoid the following:
• Frame blindness
• Lack of frame control
• Overconfidence
• Shooting from the hip
• Failure to stay on course

Frame Blindness
Frame blindness means not knowing that a frame is
there. You may step into a situation that is loaded with
filters—yours and those of others. When you know that
frames are present, you can use your thinking skills to
overcome the barriers they put up. For example, you start
work for a new company and your boss invites you to din-
ner on Saturday night. There may be a hidden frame in the
company that says all good employees accept an invitation
from their boss. To avoid embarrassment—and make your
job easier—you need to discover the hidden frames by

110
 Analytical Thinking

asking your co-workers about the "unwritten rules." Your

decision on whether to accept the invitation can be influ-
enced greatly by a hidden frame.

Lack of Frame Control

You may know that frames are present, but do nothing
to overcome the barriers they have created. When the bar-
riers are built by other people, you need to call "time out"
and check out the reasons for the barriers. When you do,
you are in control. For example, you may have given the
job of putting the work schedule together to someone else.
After the schedule is made out, you notice that the person
who made it out always starts and leaves work one hour
early in order to miss the rush-hour traffic.
No one else works a different schedule. Unless you find
out why the schedule is different, you have lost frame con-
trol and could be letting someone else's frames create a
barrier among your staff.

Overconfidence
When you successfully use analytical-thinking tools
and techniques, you will become confident in the results.
However, using tools and techniques automatically is a
sign of overconfidence. Just because it worked before does
not mean it will work again. Take the time to plan your
work and work your plan.

Shooting from the Hip

Shooting from the hip means not taking aim at your
objective; and it can be a sign of overconfidence. It can also
show that you may not have a clear picture of the objective.
Shooting from the hip is just like firing a gun blind. You
hope your aim is close and that you hit the target. To avoid

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

shooting from the hip, be sure you have a clear under-

standing of the objective.

Failure to Stay on Course

To use your thinking skills successfully, you need to
stay on course. When bombarded with distractions from
many sources, it is difficult to stay on track. Create a de-
tailed plan and avoid distractions—this will keep you
headed in the right direction.

Tools for Analytical Thinking

To stay organized in your search for the best answers,
you can use the following tools and techniques. They will
help you go for the best, stay organized, think about the
new and different and keep your eyes on the objective.

The Priority Grid

When you have a number of options that you want to
compare, you can use the Priority Grid. It helps you build
an anchor so that you can use your analytical-thinking
skills effectively. The grid is used to rank options according
to their importance. The options must be stated in the
same form. For example, one option might read: "Spend
more money on advertising." If a second option reads,
"Save money on maintenance," the two options are not ex-
pressed in the same form. One is positive and the other is
written as a negative. The second option needs to say,
"Spend less money on maintenance." The options must also
be written concisely. Instead of "spend money," use "spend
$110,000," or whatever is appropriate.
1. Write the options to be weighed in the column
labeled "Options." You are not limited to five op-
tions. You may have more or fewer.

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 Analytical Thinking

The Priority Grid

SUM OF
SCORES OPTIONS CHOICES

A. A.

B. B.

C. C.

D. D.

E.

Scale:
1 = More Important
2 = A Little More Important
3 = A Lot More Important

My No. 1 Option is

My No. 2 Option is

My No. 3 Option is

My No. 4 Option is

My No. 5 Option is

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

2. Work down the first row under the column la-

beled "Choices," and decide which is more impor-
tant, Option A or Option B. Write the letter of
your choice in the top left box.
3. Decide which level of importance to give to your
choice, and write the number from the scale at
the bottom of the Priority Grid.
4. Continue to go down the first row on the left,
then down Row B, and so on, until you have
filled in all the boxes.
5. When you are finished, find all the boxes
marked "A" and total the scores. Write the total
on the line under the column labeled "Sum of
Scores." Do the same for all the other options.
You can also use the Priority Grid to get agreement
within a group. Now each group member completes a Pri-
ority Grid and all the "Sum of Scores" are put on one group
Priority Grid to come up with a "Group Sum of Scores."
An example of how the Priority Grid works follows on
page 115. In this case the Priority Grid is used to help pri-
oritize tasks that need to be done tomorrow. When the Pri-
ority Grid is completed, you can see how the tasks are
listed in order of importance.
Make a Priority Grid for yourself and watch how it
keeps you organized and on track. If something comes up
tomorrow that you didn't expect, just make it fit into your
Priority Grid and reorganize.

The Ps 'n Qs Tool

The Ps 'n Qs tool looks at the Positives, Negatives and
Quirks in an idea or solution. It helps you stay organized
when you need to look deeper into an idea or solution.

114
 Analytical Thinking

The Priority Grid

SUM OF
SCORES OPTIONS CHOICES

7 A Ship package by Air Express A.

4 B Call Human Resources B2 B.
0 C. Finish expense report A3 B2 C.
8 D. Meet with staff Al D3 D3 D.
6 E Schedule vacations AS E3 D2 E3

Scale:
1= More Important
2 = A Little More Important
3 = A Lot More Important
My No. 1 Option is Meet with the staff.
My No. 2 Option is Ship the package by Air Express.
My No. 3 Option is Schedule vacations.
My No. 4 Option is Call Human Resources.
My No. 5 Option is Finish the expense report.

The Ps 'n Qs tool gets you started by letting you use

your power-thinking skills to look first at all the positive
features—the strong points—of a solution. You may have
to stretch your mind and use your creative-thinking skills
to come up with all the positive features, but this tool lets
you look at solutions that are new and different.
Not every solution is going to be 100-percent perfect,
however, so there may also be some negative features that
you need to think about. List the negative features in the
form of questions. When you can answer the question, you
may be able to turn a negative into a positive. For example,
you see a negative feature that tells you that the solution
will cost too much. Change your writing to read, "How can

115
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

I afford to pay for this?' If you can answer the question, the
feature is no longer a negative.
Quirks are twists, oddities or variations. When you look
at the quirks, you force yourself to look for new and differ-
ent solutions. You are intentionally asking yourself the
question, "What is there that makes this solution different
from others?' This step will help you stay out of that
"same-decision-every-time" rut.
Deciding on a restaurant for dinner is a nice, safe place
to use the Ps 'n Qs tool the first time. You will probably
find yourself enjoying a new dining experience!

The Ps 'n Qs Tool

POSITIVE:
What are the strong points and positive features of this
option?

NEGATIVES:
What are the negative features of this option? (Remem-
ber to word your responses in the form of a question.)

QUIRKS:
What makes this option different from other options?
What are the variations or oddities?

The Options/Criteria Worksheet

When you have a number of options that you need to
match with a number of criteria, you will find the Options/
Criteria Worksheet very helpful on the way to making cor-
rect decisions. The worksheet allows you to select the stan-
dards against which to compare your options.
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 Analytical Thinking

THE OPTIONS/CRITERIA WORKSHEET

CRITERIA Totals

OPTIONS
1.
2.

3.

4.

5.

6.
RATING SCALE: 1= POOR 4 = VERY GOOD
2 = OK 5 = OUTSTANDING
3 = GOOD

If you are unsure of what criteria to use, apply your

creative-thinking skills to find appropriate criteria.
Criteria can come from a number of places and may apply
to only one situation. Criteria are used to rate and select
the best options so that you can be successful in your
decision-making.
After you have selected your options, write them in the
first column of your worksheet. Then write the criteria in
the blank spaces across the top. You can use as many or as
few columns as you need. Be sure, however, that the crite-
ria are written in the same form. "Increased productivity"
is not in the same form as "a decrease in customer com-
plaints." You need to change the negative statement into a
positive, such as "increased customer satisfaction."
Complete the worksheet by going down each column
and, using the rating scale, rate all options against one cri-
terion at a time. Complete the criteria for all options before
moving to the next column. Otherwise, if you have a fa-
vorite option, it will get a higher score if you go across the
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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

worksheet. By going down the columns, you will get more

honest ratings.
You can use any rating scale that works for you. One
has been provided, but you may already have one with
which you are familiar. After filling in all the boxes, total
the scores for each option. You are using a tool to keep you
organized and help you make correct decisions.
A sample Options/Criteria Worksheet follows. Suppose
you need to pick one of the people on your staff to serve as
your assistant. The qualities you are looking for in your
assistant are "loyal, capable, never late, likable and crea-
tive." Notice that all the qualities are stated in a positive
way, except "never late." You need to change it to a positive
trait, such as "on time." Enter the employees' names under
the Options column and put the qualities under the Crite-
ria column. Then rate the employees for loyalty before
rating how capable they are.

THE OPTIONS/CRITERIA WORKSHEET

CRITERIA Totals
Loyal Capable On Likable Creative
OPTIONS Time
1. Wayne 5 4 3 5 5 22
2. Florence 4 3 2 5 2 16
3. Ryan 2 2 5 3 1 13
4. Rick 3 4 5 1 2 15
5. Louise 1 5 4 5 3 18

6. Sally 5 5 2 3 2 17
RATING SCALE: 1= POOR 4 = VERY GOOD
2 = OK 5 = OUTSTANDING
3 = GOOD

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 Analytical Thinking

As you can see from this example, everyone received at

least a 5 rating for one of the criteria. When you rate each
individual against one criterion at a time, you get a better
overall picture of the person you want as your assistant.

Selecting the Right Tool

Sometimes the hardest job is finding the right tool. The
chart on page 120 will help. Determine which statement in
the first column matches your need, then select the right
tool from the second column.

Personal Life Career

Select activities in your Select activities at work
personal life where you can where you can use each of the
use each of the analytical- analytical-thinking tools.
thinking tools.

Select a problem that you Select one of the analytical-

have solved and rehearse thinking tools to make a
how to use each of the decision about your personal
analytical-thinking tools. or professional growth.

Problem-Solving Growth

119
 The Power of Innovative Thinking

??? What Tool to Use When ???

When you have... Use...

to prioritize your options the Priority Grid

many options that need to the Options/Criteria

meet certain criteria Worksheet

one or a few options the Ps 'n Qs Tool

Summary
In this chapter on analytical thinking, you learned:
• When to use analytical thinking
• The importance of positive judgment when you
need to converge your thoughts
• Pitfalls to avoid when thinking analytically
• Analytical-thinking tools and techniques
o The Priority Grid
DThe Ps 'n Qs tool
. The Options/Criteria Worksheet

120
 Chapter 9

More Than Thinking

About Thinking

"You know you are both good and ready when you
can beat an opponent on pure, business-like terms
without getting hot and bothered about it."
— Jim Valvano

The Rethinking Model brings together the four types of

thinking skills you need to be successful in your personal
life and your career—Strategic Thinking, Power Thinking,
Creative Thinking and Analytical Thinking. Each is not
separate from the others, but rather part of the whole
model. Most people are familiar with each of the types, but
the key to success is to use all types of thinking at the
same time. When you use the Rethinking Model, you will
have the answers you need to Who, What, When, Where,
Why and How. You will make the right decisions, and the
right decisions will make you successful!
When you finish reading The Power of Innovative
Thinking and put it on your bookshelf, your thinking skills
will not magically improve—unless you want them to! You
are in control of the way you think.
Powerful thinking skills put you in control of situations
instead of allowing situations to control you. Take the time

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

to think, and after reading this book, take the time to

think about thinking. You will stay in control.
When you are in control, you no longer handle prob-
lems in a reactive way—a crisis every time. Instead, you
can concentrate on being proactive—ready for any situa-
tion. When you are proactive, you know that your solutions
will lead to correct decisions. Your results will be positive
and, therefore, you will be positive.
Once you accept the power of positive thinking, you can
achieve any goal you set for yourself. You will continue to
learn. And whether you continue to learn in a formal set-
ting or each and every day in an informal way, you'll dis-
cover that knowledge can be a powerful tool.
If you want to be successful at your job and in your
personal life, you must continually seek to improve your
thinking skills.
You have the power of choice, and the choice
is yours!
• Think.
• Think about thinking.
• Be proactive.
• Choose to be positive.
• Continue to learn.
When you use your thinking skills to get to your goals,
you'll be successful. "Success" is not "reaching a goal"—it is
the pathway to the goal. And the pathway to the goal gets
easier, not by thinking harder but by thinking smarter!
May your successes be a result of thinking smarter.

122
 Index

A B
Adaptive thinking Brainstorming, 96
style, 29-30
C
Aha zone, 19
"Care-its" tool, 64-65
Analytical thinking, 49,
definition, 107 Challenges at work, 36-37
objectives, 109 Climate
pitfalls, 110-112 proactive, 34-35
role of positive reactive, 33-34
judgment, 108-110 Connecting types of
tools for, 112-120 thinking, 50
Anchoring, 17-18 Creative thinking, 49, 89-105
and power thinking, 79-83 accepting the
and strategic ridiculous, 94-95
thinking, 60-61 and postponing
for successful results, 21 judgment, 93
Assumptions, 56-57 and the creative
Avoiding the rut, 40-41 process, 89-90
angles, 98-101

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 The Power of Innovative Thinking

definition, 89 Interaction of thinking

forcing new skills, 38-39
connections, 102
generating ideas, 93-94
J
guidelines for, 92-93 Judgment
tools and techniques, 95-97, positive, 42-43
104-105 postponement of, 41
visual/audio relaxers, M
102-103
Mental conflict,
D resolving, 8-10
Danger zone, 19-20 Mind mapping, 96-97
Decision-making, 38 0
and framing and
anchoring, 40 Opportunity-seeking, 37
Option/criteria
F worksheet, 116-119
Filters
P
social, 15-16
subconscious, 10-13 Ps 'n Qs tool, 114-116
survival, 13-15 Paradigms, 21-24
Framing, 16 Positive thinking, 75-76
Friends and frustrators barriers to, 76-78
tool, 44, 45 changing negative
patterns, 79-83
I self-esteem and, 84-85
Idea writing, 96 Power thinking, 49, 69-87
Identifying your thinking ABCs of, 72-75
style, 27-29 and positive thinking, 75-83
Innovative thinking definition, 71-72
style, 30 improvement plan, 74

124
 Index

power and, 69-71 Strategies, 35

steps to, 72 Subconscious filters, 10-13
Practice or rehearsal, 44-45 Survival filters, 13-15
Priority grid, 112-114
T
Proactive climate, 34-35
Techniques, 35-36
Problem-solving, 37
Thinking about
R thinking, 7-25
Reactive climate, 33-34 definition, 7-8
Reality-to-ideal emotions vs., 8-9
ladder, 65-66 Thinking box, the, 24, 39,
Resources, 54-55 43, 59, 67, 79, 103, 119
Rethinking model, 47-50, 121 Thinking skills
interaction of, 38-39
S types of, 49
Self-esteem, 84 Thinking styles, 27-32
improving with adaptive, 29-30
success, 84-85 balance with, 30-31
Social filters, 15-16 identifying your, 27-29
Strategic thinking, 39, 51-68 innovative, 30
anchoring tools, 60-61, pitfalls, 31-32
64-65 V
checklist, 62-63
connecting with strategic Values, 55-56
planning, 60 Vision, 53
definition, 51 W
four drivers of, 51-52
"Why? x 5" tool, 60-61, 64
organizing drivers
of, 57-59

125