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.

Intro to Robert Fritz and his ideas

Discovering Robert Fritz and his ideas. I guess the next best thing I could do is to read his book "The Path of Least Resistance"

Tension seeks resolution

A basic principle found throughout nature is this: Tension seeks resolution. From the spiderweb to the human body, from the formation of the galaxies to the shifts of continents, from the swing of pendulums to the movement of wind-up toys, tension-resolution systems are in play.

'I call the relationship between the vision and current reality structural tension. During the creative process, you have an eye on where you want to go, and you also have an eye on where you currently are.

There will always be structural tension in the beginning of the creative process, for there will always be a discrepancy between what you want and what you have. Why? Because creators bring into being creations that do not yet exist. Structural tension is a fundamental principle in the creative process. In fact, part of your job as a creator is to form this tension.'

From 'Creating' by Robert Fritz
http://www.robertfritz.com/index.php?content=principles

Ghost in the Machine

Rene Descartes, a seventeenth-century French scientist and philosopher proposed the concept of dualism in view of the mind and the brain. Descartes viewed the brain as an organic substance whereas the mind was a mysterious cloud of consciousness. The theory was later dubbed as the Ghost in the Machine. The analogy came from the idea that the carbon based machine we call the human body is operated by a nebulous mind that is not rooted in the material world. The question then lies on how do thoughts, ideas, feelings and emotions materialize into reality and impact our life on a daily basis.

The average person has approximately 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day which means that a thought is generated every second of our waking life. The world we create begins in a place where we seldom venture due to many reasons. Fear, anxiety, ignorance and apathy could all substantiate our belief in why we should not tread in the domain of the mind. The thoughts that spring up every second most often try to convince our body into believing that the rule of life revolves around fight or flight. We have conditioned our nervous system to react to the external environment instead of creating our reality from within.

The bio-skeletal body seeks to satisfy its needs through addiction that is rooted in thought. Present day situations around the world clearly indicate that the majority of the thoughts that past through the mind are manifested into a reality that begins in negativity. A higher consciousness seeks to address what the lower reptilian brain does not. Though the brain is equipped with a driver, we fail to realize that its on auto pilot heading down into a chasm that we choose to ignore.

Movement throughout history has its beginning through collective consciousness. When the majority of the populace believes that a brighter future lies in their hands, it sets the stage for change. Change begins with individuals who bypass the fear generated by the lower brain and seek to enlighten the mind with possibilities. E=mc2, Mona Lisa, iMac, Space Shuttle Discovery all began with a thought that was harvested from the courage of great men and women. Unlimited great thoughts are waiting to be materialized into our world, one that is seeking an answer to our survival.

Knowing that our thoughts create our reality, how do we rein in our mind when its bucking like a wild horse and nurture it to choose a path of unlimited potential. A simple 10-step solution will not suffice in this ongoing battle. A concentrated effort must be utilized. A process that can bring us nearer to our optimum latent capabilities resides in ideas that will only become visible through our genuine desire for positive change.

Read the Manual

The deluge of information in this century more often confuses and desensitizes the recipient. Over stimulation has created a stressed out society ready to engage in battle on any front. The office, home, countries, earth, all have become battlefields for this. The seeker of truth has to sieve through mountains of information only to be faced with an onslaught of theories, concepts and coping strategies.

If we believe that we have a say in our life, there should then be a manual that gives us an understanding of how the outer world affects our inner reality. The manual is stylized and personalized by the owner himself. He decides on how his life should be. However beyond the uniqueness of the individual lies a constant desire to reach that place of understanding, the owner needs to be aware of how he operates in this world.

Awareness begins by listening to your thoughts and making the realization that they have an affect on your life. Take note of the thoughts that go through you every day. Separate the thoughts that have potential for your growth and those that might cause your downfall. Understanding your own unique manual and mode of operation through your thoughts will steer you towards the life you desire.

Being in the Moment

Life is constantly created in the present. However the past and future intertwine into a mangle that we constantly relive. Getting out from its clutches begins by being still. The eye of a hurricane is where stillness resides compared to the chaos that surrounds it. Take time to be still and let the chaos surrounding you subside. A hurricane loses its energy as it goes further inland and like life, grounding oneself increases your tenacity to survive the chaos that surrounds you. Take time everyday to meditate or just reconnect with yourself through observing your breath. Every breath we take is an opportunity to create a life we desire and reminds oneself of the beauty of life.

Focus on Infinite Growth

Like the bamboo whose beginning might be slow and arduous, once it reaches its potential it climbs toward the heavens in leaps and bounds. Research has shown that the mind and the brain have infinite potential and capabilities. We have yet to utilize even a fraction of what it holds. With our endless stream of thoughts, we are capable of attaching and rooting it down to be manifested into reality. Begin your day by affirming your worthy thoughts and declare your intention to grow as a person. Chart your own growth in all areas of your life and address the areas that are stagnating.

Decide on Life

The negative mindset that we unknowingly cultivate siphons away the very life we are trying to build. The choices we make in life have an affect on our future generations and not taking responsibility for our actions will accumulate in suffering in the future. Question yourself; are you are existing or living in this world right now. What constitutes a life and what does that life resemble? We seldom ignore the fact that we are not making full use of our gifts to create change but succumb to the dreary idea that we have no choice in life. Make a choice today to Live.

Expect a Struggle

Going back to an undesirable routine and self-destructive habits is always a way out from pain. The comfort of knowing that there is a safe place that we can go back to prevents us from reaching the other side of the bridge. When the moment seems unbearable, we source for alternatives to take the pain away, even though the methods we use inflict more pain than we realize. The struggle with the Gremlins in our mind will always be there and expect that it will be a continuous battle. The negative self talk at times seems more favorable without taking a step back to reflect on the consequences of the action.

The journey towards understanding the mind and its power begins with the desire to change and evolve. It’s a long road, filled with wonders and excitement and at times, pain and suffering. No matter what it brings, it’s a life lesson. Take control of the Ghost in the Machine.

Culture, Believes, Vision, Stories - Some thoughts and theories

'A shared vision is not an idea...it is rather, a force in people's hearts...at its simplest level, a shared vision is the answer to the question 'What do we want to create?' Peter Senge


'Too many young people are being taught to give up their dreams before they have any experience attempting to pursue them'. Robert Fritz 'The Path of Least Resistance'


'It is not so much about to see what no one has seen before but to think what nobody has yet thought about that which everybody sees.' Schopenhauer


'We can no longer stand at the end of something we visualized in detail and plan backwards from that future. Instead we must stand at the beginning, clear in our mind, with a willingness to be involved in discovery... it asks that we participate rather than plan.' Margaret Wheatley and Kellner -Rogers.


'Positive images of the future are a powerful and magnetic force... They draw us on and energize us, give us courage and will to take on important initiatives. Negative images of the future also have a magnetism. They pull the spirit downward in the path of despair..' William James


'A belief is not a belief until you can visualize it, unless you can create a picture of it in your minds eye, especially if you have no doubts that reality can be - or is - possible.' Hedley Beare Aust Educationalist


'There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth - not going all the way, and not starting.' Buddha


'You see things and say 'Why'? But I see things and say 'Why not?' G.B Shaw


No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it. We need to see the world anew.' Albert Einstein


'If we always do what we've always done, we will get what we've always got.' Adam Urbanski


'Anecdotes, personal stories, reminiscences, like biblical parables, are the medium through which faith is restored. Stories are a form of poetry, and give us a saving image to personally relate to.' Peter Block Business Philosopher


"There are many definitions of organization culture. We view culture from the ideational perspective (Martin, 2000), and thus define it as the shared beliefs and values of members of an organization that provide meaning to and influence daily work life. Similar to Louis (1985) and Schein, (1992), we understand these beliefs and values affect work behavior in tacit and nuanced ways. These shared beliefs and values are expressed in organizational life through various more visible manifestations including business strategies, performance targets and metrics, management practices, formal and informal rules that govern behavior, traditions, stories and other symbols. While these different cultural expressions are based on the underlying beliefs and values (Schein, 1992), once established they serve to confirm and reinforce those beliefs and values. What results is forceful reciprocal chain of influence that resists disruption and change. We also do not view culture as a monolithic construct where all beliefs and values are shared strongly or entirely across the organization. Instead, we acknowledge that most large organizations are comprised of diverse sub-cultures. Yet we also believe that these sub-cultures share fundamentally similar ways of thinking about things and doing things that distinguish one organization culture from another." from Realigning Organization Culture for Optimal Performance: Six principles & eight practices
Organization Development Journal, Winter 2009 by Levin, Ira, Gottlieb, Jonathan Z

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5427/is_200912/ai_n42858880/

From wiki

One of the strongest and widely recognised criticisms of theories that attempt to categorize or 'pigeonhole' organizational culture is that put forward by Linda Smircich. She uses the metaphor of a plant root to represent culture, describing that it drives organizations rather than vice versa. Organizations are the product of organizational culture, we are unaware of how it shapes behaviour and interaction (also recognised through Scheins (2002) underlying assumptions) and so how can we categorize it and define what it is? Organizational communication perspective on cultureThe organizational communication perspective on culture is divided into three areas:

• Traditionalism: Views culture through objective things such as stories, rituals, and symbols
• Interpretivism: Views culture through a network of shared meanings (organization members sharing subjective meanings)
• Critical-Interpretivism: Views culture through a network of shared meanings as well as the power struggles created by a similar network of competing meanings

There are many different types of communication that contribute in creating an organizational culture:

• Metaphors such as comparing an organization to a machine or a family reveal employees’ shared meanings of experiences at the organization.
• Stories can provide examples for employees of how to or not to act in certain situations.
• Rites and ceremonies combine stories, metaphors, and symbols into one. Several different kinds of rites that affect organizational culture:

Rites of passage: employees move into new roles
Rites of degradation: employees have power taken away from them
Rites of enhancement: public recognition for an employee’s accomplishments
Rites of renewal: improve existing social structures
Rites of conflict reduction: resolve arguments between certain members or groups
Rites of integration: reawaken feelings of membership in the organization

• Reflexive comments are explanations, justifications, and criticisms of our own actions. This includes:

Plans: comments about anticipated actions
Commentaries: comments about action in the present
Accounts: comments about an action or event that has already occurred. Such comments reveal interpretive meanings held by the speaker as well as the social rules they follow.

• Fantasy Themes are common creative interpretations of events that reflect beliefs, values, and goals of the organization. They lead to rhetorical visions, or views of the organization and its environment held by organization members.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_culture

Culture is represented in a group’s:

language,
decision making,
symbols,
stories and legends, and
daily work practices.

Dialogue, an activity that might well prove vital to the future health of our civilization. Dialogue and leadership

Bohm Dialogue

"Dialogue resembles a number of other forms of group activity and may at times include aspects of them but in fact it is something new to our culture. We believe that it is an activity that might well prove vital to the future health of our civilization."

"...it is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces society, and indeed the whole of human nature and consciousness today. Moreover, it may turn out that such a form of free exchange of ideas and information is of fundamental relevance for transforming culture and freeing it of destructive misinformation, so that creativity can be liberated." 

Dialogue and Leadership

A Dialogue is essentially a conversation between equals. Any controlling authority, no matter how carefully or sensitively applied, will tend to hinder and inhibit the free play of thought and the often delicate and subtle feelings that would otherwise be shared. Dialogue is vulnerable to being manipulated, but its spirit is not consistent with this.
Hierarchy has no place in Dialogue.
Nevertheless, in the early stages some guidance is required to help the participants realize the subtle differences between Dialogue and other forms of group process. At least one or, preferably two, experienced facilitators are essential. Their role should be to occasionally point out situations that might seem to be presenting sticking points for the group, in other words, to aid the process of collective proprioception, but these interventions should never be manipulative nor obtrusive.
Leaders are participants just like everybody else. 
Guidance, when it is felt to be necessary, should take the form of "leading from behind" and preserve the intention of making itself redundant as quickly as possible.

 some extract are from: http://www.david-bohm.net/dialogue/dialogue_proposal.html

Fragmentation of thought, overspecialisation ... Are we aware? and then? Deadliest poison in town!!

A theme that is also dear to Buckminster Fuller - though maybe coming from a different perspective - though may be not... ;-) It is not indifferent that both Bohm and Buckminster come from the world of Science and both talk about higher level of conscienceness and the collective implication of raising to these... the individual is limited in scope and power, but the scope and power of what individuals can achieve together is de-multiplied when collaborative strategies are unveiled, unfolded and put into practice...

About fragmentation of thought: P359 - The Fifth Discipline Filedbook - Team Learning
"The theory of dialogue suggests that breakdown in the effectiveness of teams and organisations are reflective of a broader crisis in the nature of how human beings perceive the world. As a natural mechanism to develop meaning, people learn to divide the world into categories and distinctions into our thoughts. We then tend to become almost hypnotized by these distinctions, forgetting that we created them. "The economy is falling apart," or "The people are corrupt," becomes our reality, with a seemingly independent power over us.

... As Bohm has suggested, fragmentation of thought is like a virus that has infected every field of human endeavor. Specialists in most fields cannot talk accross specialties. Marketing sees production as the problem. Managers are told to "think", while workers are told to "act". Instead of reasoning  together, people defend their "part", seeking to defeat others. If fragmentation is a condition of our times, then dialogue is one tentatively proven strategy for stepping back from the way of thinking which fragmentation produces."

Exploring thoughts and dialogue with David Bohm

David Bohm's approach is meaningful to Peter Senge's theory of dialogue - in the section concerning team learning of the Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. As stated p359 of the Fieldbook: "As Bohm conceived it, dialogue would kindle a new mode of paying attention, to perceive - as they arose in conversation - the assumptions taken for granted, the polarization of opinions, the rules for acceptable and unacceptable conversation...the group would have to learn to watch or experience its own tacit process in action. Dialogue's purpose, as we now understand it, would create a setting where conscious collective mindfulness  could be maintained." (inspired by Unfolding Meaning by David Bohm 1985)

David Bohm - on Meaning, Purpose and Exploration in Dialogue
(Extracted from a webpage - see below - where it had been edited with permission from tapes of an August, 1990 conversation)

Communication has been ailing in the human race for a long time and Dialogue is concerned with that. But the primary purpose of Dialogue is not to communicate. It is much deeper. It addresses the blocks in communication, not merely to understand them, but to meet them directly. It is aimed at seeing resistances to communication. In Dialogue we are ready to raise topics serious enough to cause trouble. But while we are talking we are interested in being aware of what's going on inside us and between us.
The word "dialogue" has many meanings and we are giving it a particular meaning. In this Dialogue we are not trying to make our points prevail or, if we are, we need to look at that. Our challenge is to see when each of us is trying to prevail, because if anybody prevails it means the dialogue has failed. Or, if we simply agree, the dialogue may also have failed because this means that we haven't gone deeply enough into the process or into the consciousness behind it. What begins to transform culture into something quite different is that ultimately the frustration or anger or rage or hatred that arises can lead to a crisis in which these feelings are transformed giving rise to impersonal fellowship - to thinking together and participating as if we were one body - by establishing a common consciousness. The group then becomes a kind of instrument of consciousness which can function differently.
It is essential to state the theory that this is what is possible. What I am saying is that a particular kind of dialogue is needed. But, as we talk together the question of what, if anything, its purpose is keeps arising. Sometimes we say that it should not have a purpose and sometimes we seem to say that it should. If we restrict the purpose too much it is clear we are going to be in trouble. None of the purposes is fixed because we find that as we go further into it the purpose begins to change; we discover a new purpose, and so on. So really, when we set a purpose, we set it only as a beginning, as a point of departure, not as a purpose we hold to. This is the crucial point. We may at any moment have to have a purpose, but we are not holding to that purpose. Purpose flows out of significance and value and that's what we're exploring. We expect that meaning is going to change through our learning as we go along and therefore purpose changes naturally.
In Dialogue or in our own meditation, or whatever, the attitude is one of exploration and emptiness - that is, not having fixed assumptions but rather an empty space where there is the possibility of exploring all sorts of things. This is a proposal for exploration. But even this is not final. It too has to be constantly open to exploration - seeing whether the proposal, as made, is coherent. In other words, we're not even saying exploration is the answer. The purpose is constantly changing and flowing out of the meaning.
But we can't give the meaning in a nutshell. If everybody knew the meaning, we wouldn't need the Dialogue. The dialogue is not aimed at settling anything. We explore meaning together - the creative perception of meaning - thinking together and feeling together. But meaning is active. It is not merely sitting there. The consideration of this meaning may act - or it may not. The whole point of having the Dialogue is that we're not trying to produce a result. That's very important. It may never do it. Or it may do it at some moment when we least expect it. The seed has been planted. And the meaning is naturally, spontaneously active and transformative.

http://www.david-bohm.net/dialogue/dialogue_exploration.html
Copyright © 1990 by Sarah Bohm
Use only with prior permission.