B Thinking Tools

Bayer R&DQ

Steering Into The Future 2020

”The Future belongs to those who

believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

― Eleanor Roosevelt

B Thinking Tools

1. Fertile Question and Thinking Communities

2. PNI/STA

3. The 4 Types of common thinking mistakes

4. Brain Dominance Model

B1 Thinking Tools Fertile Questions and Thinking Communities

Why ask questions?

Since questions are not only a good way for getting answers, but also:

• Questioning is a creative activity;

• Questioning is a special elaboration of previous knowledge;

• Questioning awakens motivation;

• Questioning fashions the answer.

In our program, the main technique we will learn and use is the

generation and articulation of a Fertile Question.

Fertile questioning is a major step toward transforming a learning

culture characterized by an answering pedagogy; however, fertile

questioning is not sufficient in and of itself. A community of thinking is

a team effort to create the question, and to answer it.

This program will teach participants how to create and answer a fertile

question, how to identify additional thinking skills that are missing from

a team setting, and how to look into the Culture of Thinking and its

characteristics.

B1 Fertile Questions and Thinking Communities

We will learn and experiment with a new model, designed to create synergies and depth to the way we think in teams.

Thinking Communities is a method developed by Dr. Yoram Harpaz in

the late 1990’ and early 2000 as a new pedagogy, aiming to enrich

students’ thinking tools and abilities. This model has been applied (and

still is) successfully in numerous schools and organizations around the

world.

The ability to pose questions in order to understand ourselves and our

world is at the heart of what it means to be human. By adapting some

of the key elements of this approach to todays’ ‘thinking needs’ we

expect teams and individuals to be able to think better, and enjoy the

process.

B1 Fertile Questions and Thinking Communities

Fertile questions will include all of the following characteristics:

• Open — they have no single, definitive answer, but rather several

different and possibly competing answers.

• Undermining — they cast doubt on individual assumptions or

‘common sense’. Changing the status quo is not considered

an undermining change; We are looking for something that can

challenge fundamental assumptions.

• Rich — they require research and grappling with information and

ideas.

• Connected — they are relevant to the team and the world in which

they live, and to particular disciplines and fields. Look for more than a

functional or operational connection. Identify major involvement

and/or dependencies with the topic.

• Charged — they have an ethical dimension, with emotional, social

and/or political implications. Something that helps you understand

why it is so important and that justify your time and enthusiasm.

• Practical — they are researchable within the world of the

thinker/learner.

B2 PNI/STA

Many people are femiliar with the PNI tool created by Edward De

Bono. When learning, evaluating and debating an idea or a topic, we

may look at the idea from the following angles:

Positive Negative Interesting (PNI)

In order to ensure we have a fuller, less biased view of the matter at

hand, we ask three questions:

1. What is positive about this idea, concept or argument?

2. What is negative about this idea, concept or argument?

3. What is interesting (insightful, but not positive or negative) about

this idea, concept or argument?

B2 PNI/STA

To strengthen the thinking process, and to help in creating more

meaningful questions, you can also use the

Seeing – Thinking – Asking (STA) tool.

Ask:

1. What do you see?

2. What do you think about it?

3. What questions does it raise?

B3 The 4 Types of common thinking mistakes

As humans, when introduced to a problem, or when dealing with

one, we tend to fall into one of the following ‘thinking mistakes’:

We often have a tendency to offer the first solution we come up with,

without carefully and responsibly examining the data and the context,

and without creating a process for control and review of the decisions.

1. Haste/Rashness

B3 The 4 Types of common thinking mistakes

2. Vagueness

The difficulty of defining, framing and isolating the problem or the topic,

as well as creating broad, nonspecific or general assumptions or

solutions.

B3 The 4 Types of common thinking mistakes

Jumping from topic to topic, being “all over the place” and not setting up

an organized systematic thought process.

3. Disorganization

B3 The 4 Types of common thinking mistakes

4. Being Uni-Dimensional

Ignoring relevant information or resources, or only looking at things from

one angle.

When thinking in a group, these obstacles tend to be more acute (if not

recognized), but at the same time, if team members are aware, they are

easier to notice and correct.

B4 Brain Dominance Model

In his Brain Dominance model, Herrmann identifies four different modes of thinking:

The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) is a system to

measure and describe people’s thinking preferences, developed

by William "Ned" Herrmann while leading management education

programs at General Electric's Crotonville facility.

It is a type of cognitive style measurement and model, and is often

compared to psychological assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type

Indicator, Learning Orientation Questionnaire, DISC assessment, and

others.

Analytical

thinking

Sequential

thinking

Interpersonal

thinking

Imaginative

thinking

B4 Brain Dominance Model

Analytical thinking

Key words:

Auditive, logical, factual, critical, technical and quantitative.

Collecting data, analysis, understanding how things work, judging

ideas based on facts, criteria and logical reasoning.

Preferred activities:

B4 Brain Dominance Model

Sequential thinking

Key words:

Safekeeping, structured, organized, complexity or detailed, planned.

Following directions, detail-oriented work, step-by-step problem

solving, organization and implementation.

Preferred activities:

B4 Brain Dominance Model

Interpersonal thinking

Key words:

Kinesthetic, emotional, spiritual, sensory, feeling.

Listening to and expressing ideas, looking for personal meaning,

sensory input, and group interaction.

Preferred activities:

B4 Brain Dominance Model

Imaginative thinking

Key words:

Visual, holistic, intuitive, innovative, and conceptual.

Looking at the big picture, taking initiative, challenging

assumptions, visuals, metaphoric thinking, creative problem.

solving, long term thinking

Preferred activities:

B4 Brain Dominance Model

Which Thinking Roles will you have in your Team?

Analytical thinking

Knows how things work Knows about money Likes numbers Is realistic Is critical Is logical Quantifies Analyzes

Sequential thinking

Plans

Timely

Is neat Organizes

Is reliable

Gets things done

Establishes procedures

Takes preventative action

Interpersonal thinking

Feels Talks a lot Is emotional Is expressive Is supportive Touches a lot Likes to teach Is sensitive to others

Imaginative thinking

Infers Imagines Is curious/plays Likes surprises Breaks rules Speculates Is impulsive takes risks