Want to be a better professional?
Nine
brain-sharpening strategies guaranteed to prod you to think
THINK
TANK WEEK
If you think a stressed and noisy urban environment is not conducive to focus and think, we suggest you take off to quieter areas. Spend time with your thoughts. Ask yourself where they are coming from. Are they mindless, or recurring? Those that recur are important. Try and see if you can act on them. Take inspiration from Bill Gates. The former chairman of Microsoft Corporation is known to take off for a week, twice a year, all alone, poring through reports, leafing through articles and suggestions by employees. from Bill Gates. The former chairman of Microsoft Corporation is known to take off for a week, twice a year, all alone, poring through reports, leafing through articles and suggestions by employees.
If you think a stressed and noisy urban environment is not conducive to focus and think, we suggest you take off to quieter areas. Spend time with your thoughts. Ask yourself where they are coming from. Are they mindless, or recurring? Those that recur are important. Try and see if you can act on them. Take inspiration from Bill Gates. The former chairman of Microsoft Corporation is known to take off for a week, twice a year, all alone, poring through reports, leafing through articles and suggestions by employees. from Bill Gates. The former chairman of Microsoft Corporation is known to take off for a week, twice a year, all alone, poring through reports, leafing through articles and suggestions by employees.
PUT THE CAP ON
This concept, developed by psychologist and trainer, Edward de Bono, involves six roles for brainstorming used to look at ideas from all sides. The tool involves six coloured hats that will help you play six different roles. These are: Information (White) — take into account what information is available to you. Emotions (Red) — this includes intuition or gut instinct or statements of emotional feeling (without justification). Discernment (Black) — this is logic applied to identifying reasons to be cautious and conservative. Optimistic response (Yellow) — this is logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmony. Creativity (Green) — refers to statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goes. Process control (Blue) — when running into difficulties because ideas are running dry, they direct you to one of the other five hats.
USE MIND MAPS
Like thinking hats, Mind Maps are also effective. Sit down with a pen and paper or software and trigger your brain to rake up all the things it has been holding back. Looking closely at these, and the relationships between them can give you a clearer view of what’s going on around you, and what’s in the offing.
SWOT ANALYSIS
SWOT, a common tool applied by several companies, stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats — what’s good and bad about your current situation — and what can improve or worsen the situation. Identify these and keep going back to this framework to deal with the issue at hand. It will leave you with clarity.
ACT UPON IDEAS
Once you are struck by a good idea, don’t sit around and wait for it to flesh itself out. Work towards it. It’s foolish to waste time or resources on an idea that won’t work, but it usually takes a small start in the real world to see if the idea is reasonable. Not taking the initial steps means it’ll remain on the drawing board. Even if the idea doesn’t work, you’ll know it doesn’t and can move on to another.
BRAINSTORM LIKE JOBS
While not everyone agrees with Steve Jobs’ style of brainstorming, he did offer some clear takeaways: Jobs kept the brainstorming on track, with very specific goals or what was to be accomplished. Off -topic ideas were quickly struck off the list, and at the end of the session, there were clear action steps. We say, run a brainstorming meeting like any other meeting.
PAUSE AND PONDER
We suggest you take time out every day to stop work and think. To some, this may sound a ridiculous waste of working time. In reality, thinking is one of the most important things we can do. Putting your head down and producing great work is a part of every job, sure, but you need to take time to step back and look at the big picture. Problem solving, strategies and ideas all start in the head.
CAPTURE IDEAS INSTANTLY
It could be just before hitting the sack, or when you are in a shower — ideas occur anytime, more often than not, when we least expect them. That’s why you want to be able to quickly capture ideas. Whether it’s a pen and paper or your phone, keep a tool handy for recording what comes to your mind. Maintain an ideas book or file and keep referring to it when you are planning your next plan of action.
LEADERS ARE READERS
Many of the world’s most famous CEOs and world leaders are also voracious readers. If the captains of industry and government make time to read, you certainly can. The US President Barack Obama is said to be a greedy reader. Actor Aamir Khan, considered a thinking actor, says his library is his Alma Mater. He has a collection of books that runs into thousands. Make time to fill your head with quality information — you’ll be amazed at how feeding your brain improves the way it runs.
This concept, developed by psychologist and trainer, Edward de Bono, involves six roles for brainstorming used to look at ideas from all sides. The tool involves six coloured hats that will help you play six different roles. These are: Information (White) — take into account what information is available to you. Emotions (Red) — this includes intuition or gut instinct or statements of emotional feeling (without justification). Discernment (Black) — this is logic applied to identifying reasons to be cautious and conservative. Optimistic response (Yellow) — this is logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmony. Creativity (Green) — refers to statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goes. Process control (Blue) — when running into difficulties because ideas are running dry, they direct you to one of the other five hats.
USE MIND MAPS
Like thinking hats, Mind Maps are also effective. Sit down with a pen and paper or software and trigger your brain to rake up all the things it has been holding back. Looking closely at these, and the relationships between them can give you a clearer view of what’s going on around you, and what’s in the offing.
SWOT ANALYSIS
SWOT, a common tool applied by several companies, stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats — what’s good and bad about your current situation — and what can improve or worsen the situation. Identify these and keep going back to this framework to deal with the issue at hand. It will leave you with clarity.
ACT UPON IDEAS
Once you are struck by a good idea, don’t sit around and wait for it to flesh itself out. Work towards it. It’s foolish to waste time or resources on an idea that won’t work, but it usually takes a small start in the real world to see if the idea is reasonable. Not taking the initial steps means it’ll remain on the drawing board. Even if the idea doesn’t work, you’ll know it doesn’t and can move on to another.
BRAINSTORM LIKE JOBS
While not everyone agrees with Steve Jobs’ style of brainstorming, he did offer some clear takeaways: Jobs kept the brainstorming on track, with very specific goals or what was to be accomplished. Off -topic ideas were quickly struck off the list, and at the end of the session, there were clear action steps. We say, run a brainstorming meeting like any other meeting.
PAUSE AND PONDER
We suggest you take time out every day to stop work and think. To some, this may sound a ridiculous waste of working time. In reality, thinking is one of the most important things we can do. Putting your head down and producing great work is a part of every job, sure, but you need to take time to step back and look at the big picture. Problem solving, strategies and ideas all start in the head.
CAPTURE IDEAS INSTANTLY
It could be just before hitting the sack, or when you are in a shower — ideas occur anytime, more often than not, when we least expect them. That’s why you want to be able to quickly capture ideas. Whether it’s a pen and paper or your phone, keep a tool handy for recording what comes to your mind. Maintain an ideas book or file and keep referring to it when you are planning your next plan of action.
LEADERS ARE READERS
Many of the world’s most famous CEOs and world leaders are also voracious readers. If the captains of industry and government make time to read, you certainly can. The US President Barack Obama is said to be a greedy reader. Actor Aamir Khan, considered a thinking actor, says his library is his Alma Mater. He has a collection of books that runs into thousands. Make time to fill your head with quality information — you’ll be amazed at how feeding your brain improves the way it runs.
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