Think "Design" - Think "Tools" - Buckminster Fuller

Another follow-up by Joo Hock to Dr. DeBono's Talk on thinking posted on OIA.

De Bono talked about Design thinking.

In parallel with this idea, Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller, who called himself a CADS, (Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Scientist) talked about "redesigning" our environment in order to change human behavior in preferred ways, for the betterment of total humanity. In other words, instead of trying to reform man, Bucky preferred to "new" form the environment through Design Science Revolution (DSR), rather than watch mankind resort to bloody revolutions.

And DSR is Tools or Artefact Invention, doing more with less, via technology, thus upping the performance of our resources, creating real life-support Wealth.

DSR requires creativity and innovation.

So if you want to learn how to think like Buckminster Fuller?
Think Tools,
Think Artifact Invention.

What can you invent?
Or re-invent? (many years ago I had a friend who say "don't try to re-invent the wheel"? Good thing I didn't take him seriously) Go ahead re-invent the wheel. You might come out with a better wheel, and if not, you would have re-invented yourself, while trying.

Joo Hock on Perspectives can be very empowering

Wow! Edward de Bono posted on OIA's blog. Wonderful. DeBono's is one of those authors whose books I've been reading and recommending to my friends, but some of them tell me that DeBono put them to sleep, hmmm... I'm surprised and I wonder why? Perhaps his style is "dry," but he's substance.

Because I do find that he's really good. What he shares make good sense, especially in the field of creative thinking, lateral thinking, in fact DeBono coined the term lateral thinking, brilliant guy.

De Bono shared that perception is more important than logic.

Nicholas Negroponte (of MIT) said: Most engineering deadlocks are not solve by engineers. Why? Because Perception is more important than IQ!!

I found that his thoughts on thinking parallels Buckminster Fullers practices on thinking.

How so?

Well, Buckminster Fuller (Bucky) saw "things' at many level of perspectives, or put in another way, he has many ways of perceiving a thing.

Take a human being. He described us as a 28 Jointed Biped. Then an Astronaut on Board Spaceship Earth, then subsequently a Unique Behavioral Pattern Integrity.

Now how many other ways can you perceive or describe yourself?

1. A human be....
2. A Spir.... be....
3. A bundle of prog....
4. A bundle of exper.......
5. A cybo...
6. A transcei....
7. A Ver...
8. An Evolut...... Pro....
9. A Func.... of Uni.......
10. As Syntr......
11. As Min..
12. An ener.... eve...
More? What could you add?

Now all these newer ways of seeing ourselves is lateral thinking, for me at least.

But so what?
Well it's very empowering. When we see ourselves differently, we will think differently, and we can do differently.

Otherwise if we keep seeing the same way, well we continue doing the same things. Talk about insanity Ha Ha!

Reminds me of Eliyahu M. Goldratt's TOC (Theory of Constraints) In order to remove the bottleneck, sometimes it's not the physical contraints, it's the policies, the mindset, or the perception, the perspective that has to change.

Edward de Bono on creative thinking and perceptual thinking vs judgemtat and design thinking

Judgment is concerned about the truth (ref the gang of 3 )

Design thinking is constructive not judgemental, it creates values

It is about making things work

Innovation & creative workshop

Innovation and creative workforce
What does it take to foster a creative workforce?
Quick brainstorming:
- Thinking: do we think? how do we think?
What do we allow ourselves to think?

Safe thinking is like following in the path of what has already be thought...
It may lure us into the idea of avoiding mistakes, ... give us a sense of (false?) confidence...
It leads to stereotype, repetition, boredom...
It may be linked with lack of initiative... and always looking for the leader so that I know what to think

A more open form of thinking allow for originality
The Spanish Chef who created the famous restaurant El Buli (now closed) had an epiphany when he heard a French Chef say: Creativity means "not to copy".
It takes courage and possibly some bold moves... you may feel lonely, unsupported...
You could be wrong... but you would not know until you try
You may have to change, adjust, correct, improve...

Creativity starts at the individual level.
A creative workforce is a workforce where creativity can be harnessed from most individual.
What does it take to achieve such a level of being in a group? A creative workforce would imply things like:
- courage to contribute ideas together with a supportive attitude towards such contribution
- willingness to deal with failure together with willingness to accept mistakes from our staff
- willingness and ability to learn from mistake and take action accordingly together with coaching ability to foster reviews and learning
- etc...

When such attitudes and attributes are in place - and maybe a few more - like goal alignment, vision, etc..., the context for innovation is getting in place. Such attitudes and attributes can be called "learning infra-structure". We could draw parallels with the attributes of learning organisations.

Practically I am listing below small steps towards being creative. These practical steps involve things like:
- brainstorming (idea generation)
- games to think out of the box (lateral thinking - inspired by Edward de Bono. For example the Six Hats methodology)
- ability to create consensus in a group using collaborative techniques: group discussion, dialogue, consultation.
- team learning
- appreciation, leading to appreciative inquiry
- and generally, any steps creating the right atmosphere for innovation to take place: developing emotional intelligence, using multiple intelligence

How does creativity comes into place for such aspects as making decision as a group or discussing options or seeking advise...? The point here is that without the ability to tap into each and every one resource, without seeking maximal contributions from each group member, the group is left to the power of a few few or maybe just one... the potential of the group is wasted.

In a positive way, it means that a creative workforce is a workforce where everyone is contributing and involved to the best of his/her ability. It is a fine balance to achieve that while being able to lead the group to success. A creative workforce is a workforce, which as shown in nature - is resilient while flexible, adaptative / adaptive and has the ability to nurture growth and evolution.

Some of the activities that correlate to building creative workforce could involve language, music and art and the ability to co-create. Such activities would involve creating together, listening, ...supporting each other, leading for creation.

Edward De Bono - Atlas of Management Thinking

'I believe that in 100 years' time people will look back with incredulity at the primitive nature of our thinking today'

Recommended reading:
This is the first book to be written deliberately for the right side of the reader's brain.

Research work on the brain has suggested that our usual thinking, dominated by language and logic, takes place in the left side of the brain. The right side of the brain works in images, whole patterns and undefined feelings - all of which cannot be verbalised. This non-verbal type of thinking often works as what is loosely called 'intuition'.

Verbal descriptions of complex management situations are necessarily lodged in the left side of the brain. In order for us to be able to use the right side of the brain we need a repertoire of non-verbal images. That is precisely what this book sets out to provide. The images provided by drawings in this book enrich the perceptual map of the executive. The images allow him to add some right-brain thinking to his usual left-brain thinking. This makes it easier for the executive to recognise situations in a flash instead of having to build them up piecemeal.

Atlas of Management Thinking is another of Edward de Bono's pioneering books, and has become a standard work for anyone concerned with the management of decision making.

With this book as your guide, you pay keener attention to thinking as a skill and gain a clear perception of your surrounding. It is written specifically to stimulate the right -- intuitive -- side of your brain, the side that deals with the abstract and is not logical. Dr de Bono illustrates, then clearly and descriptively defines and gives examples of a vast array of business terms.