Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Opposable Mind and Getting Things Done
I just finished reading a terrific book by Roger Martin called The Opposable Mind. Using a series of case studies, Martin, the Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, breaks down the concept of integrative thinking and looks at those who have successfully navigated in between opposing ideas to come up with a creative and effective solution.
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I just finished reading a terrific book by Roger Martin called The Opposable Mind. Using a series of case studies, Martin, the Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, breaks down the concept of integrative thinking and looks at those who have successfully navigated in between opposing ideas to come up with a creative and effective solution.
This book is important for those trying to come up with holistic solutions to issues - whether in business, community or government. In Martin's words, "the most common failing of conventional thinking is the tendency to lose sight of the whole decision. It may be easier to dole out pieces of a decision to various corporate functions, but that ensures no one will take a holistic view of a particular problem." In a world where issues, people and decisions are increasingly connected, the art of integrative thinking will be a most valued trait.
Throughout my reading of this book, I continually thought of one person: Barack Obama. There are a number of admirable characteristics about President Obama, but his ability to not fall prey to the oversimplified view of either end of the political spectrum has really stood out for me. One of the most impressive examples of this is his speech in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008. Rather than selecting a side on racial polarization, he addressed the complexity of the issue with honesty and eloquence. As Martin points out in his book, it is this ground in between the poles that real discussion can happen and where the most effective solutions are found.
In addition to having a current, high profile individual that exemplifies integrative thinking, the good news coming out of Martin's book is that the ability to use integrative thinking is a process that can be learned and improved upon. At Intelligent Futures, this is something we try to bring to our work all the time and The Opposable Mind is now a tool that we can share with those we work with.
- John, October 1, 2009
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