A Whole New New Mind: Why Right –brainers will Rule the Future is a book authored by Daniel Pink. In the book, Pink argues that the future of the global business world depends on the right brainers. According to Pink, the right brainers refers to the people, not with different brains, but who are creative to go beyond the regular thinking of being technologically perceptive or informed. The right brain is encapsulated in the six fundamental human abilities that mark the distinction between success and failure. These senses include design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. In addition, Pink highlights three core factors that could determine the success or failure of future business. These reasons include abundance, Asia and Automation.
The three reasons are functional in that abundance accrues from the availability of a variety of choices for consumers and the continued lack of scarcity on common goods. The second reason argues on the potential of Asia an emerging market and the ability of the new Asian workers to get work done in an efficient and quick ways. Because of the Asian efficiency, companies are now looking towards out sourcing as an alternative way of making a profit. The third aspects called Automation argues for the computerization and the use of technology instead of people to get work down. In view of Pink, these three new approaches bring the challenge of deciding whether computers can replace human kind in terms of efficiency and cost. Companies also need to ask if what they offer is demanded in the market or if it is abundance and third if out- sourcing would be ideal for the business. Pink’s argues that in order for companies to solve these problems, they will need to adopt approaches that are comprehensive instead of rigid. Flexibility in approach would be required for the success of any business in the global system.
Pink argues that the world is full of people with two kinds of thinking aspects, the L-directed thinking, and the R-directed thinkers. The L-directed thinking is a form of thinking that encompasses sequential, literal, analytical, and textual processing. It originated from the left hemisphere of the brain and was developed in the information age. According to Pink, L-directed thinking led to the development of computer programs, successful disciplined corporations because of its strong emphasis on education and logic. On the other hand, there is the R-directed thinking that is the opposite of the L-directed thinking. Unlike L-directed thinking, R-directed thinking accrues from the right hemisphere of the brain and is characterized with instantaneous actions. It also employs aesthetic and contextual thoughts instead analytical thinking. The R-directed thinking was underemphasized during the information age and was for the most part, undervalued. Pink’s arguments present a critique of the modern approach that over value abundance while underestimating the strength of creativity. I think that Pink is calling people to see the reason why the right part of the brain will play a key role in the success of the world in the future. His general argument is that people should embrace creativity to be able to stay afloat in the daily changes that shape the business environment. Creativity will make it possible for business to have a niche in a highly competitive market.
Drawing on research from around the world, Pink highlights six human abilities that he thinks are essential for professional success while suggesting how to implement them. According to Pink, a successful implementation of the strategy calls for “humanity to create things with a high emotional level and understand the subtitles”. Like Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, Pink calls for an outward oriented thinking instead of an inward oriented thinking. While individual intellectual abilities can be instrumental in facilitating success, it is not only thing that is required. Emotional adeptness and mental creativity are necessary for successful operation in the new business paradigm. In the following paragraphs, I highlight how Pink’s paradigm is employed in my organization.
How Pink’s Reasoning can be applied in an Organization
I work for a Dental School. The school is a tertiary institution that teaches dentistry to prospective dentists. The graduates from this school acquire two degrees in Doctor of Dental Surgery and Doctor of Dental Medicine. Because this is a medical school, it requires a high level of academic achievement, knowledge and of biology and dedication towards the service to the people. Unlike many careers, the Dental School does not subscribe completely to Pinks ideas. While the school accepts that creativity and innovation are essential to success, it also emphasizes the traditional modus operandi in medical practice. Dental practice, like any other career in the medical field requires a greed deal of level headedness. There is limited flexibility. However, people have invented technology that makes dentist work less hard and more customers friendly. Because of the nature of Dental profession, the question becomes how our organization can position itself as a leading Dental Institution globally. Pink’s ideas bring some new opinions that bring interesting perspectives.
Design
According to Duncan (2010), design is a classic whole-minded aptitude that combines utility and significance. Right-brain thinking requires the utilization of the design for effective maximization of profit and potential. Pink has written about design as a necessary tool of fighting the ubiquity of goods and services that has come out because of abundance of commodities. Pink argues that left-brain analytical skills made people in the western world successful in the past are now more accessible and available abroad in countries such as India, China, Brazil, and other developing countries. In our Dentistry school, we realize that while left-brain thinking is critical, it is not all that is required for a successful career. Our school fosters the development of the idea right-braining thinking simultaneously with the left-brain thinking. We realize that creative thinking and impromptu actions can sometimes be very helpful while in the dentist profession. Because dentistry is a rapidly changing and expanding profession, we make dentistry more of an art than a medical profession. We encourage our dentists to create an esthetic sense to their style such that they remain competitive in the competitive dentist global job market.
Story
Pink argues that stories are more emotive and evocative than pure facts. In his argument, contexts and emotions are important ingredients for the ability to do things. For that matter, a good story is just as good as an advert in the mainstream media. Moreover, Pink adds that stories “exist where high concept and high touch intersect.” Similarly, the story becomes a concept because it shapes the understanding of one thing by putting it into perspective (p. 103). In our dentist school, we understand the value of the story. The reason we have adopted modern technology to tell our story is that it captures a broader market than the word of mouth. Social media has become a way of telling our school’s story. In addition to emphasizing creativity, our school aims to reach its online customer base by employing online media. Because the majority of the target market is online, our school feels that online marketing would be an effective method of reaching its customer base. Some of the reasons why our dental school uses social media are because social media groups such as Facebook enables the school to target specific customers by age, interests, location and education level. Apart from telling the good work of desntists, we work towards building the idea of community, care, and good citizenship. This the story that the school tells online
Symphony
Pink writes that Symphony entails putting together everything that entails professional work. It embodies the mixture of creativity, design, story, and meaning. In our Dental school, we exercise symphony by advocating for relationships of people and their connection their work. We look at our business like a good piece of music; it becomes even better with better coordination and teamwork. While preparing future practitioners in dentistry, we encourage them to exercise judgment, proficiency, and understanding of every work environment.
Empathy
Empathy entails putting yourself in someone’s shoes. It comprises understanding of people’s needs, welfare, and economic wellbeing. While we appreciate Pink’s ideas on empathy, we do not find it directly practical in the field of dentistry. In clinical medicine, empathy makes it hard to create a solution to the problem. The patient is the object of the dentist’ scrutiny in medical practice and this makes it difficult to exercise sympathy. The practitioner ought to be distanced from personal feelings. If the patient feels pain, the doctor should assess the problems in the most objective manner. Exercising sympathy jeopardizes the ethics of medical practice. Our organization disagrees with Pink’ ideas about empathy.
Meaning
Meaning has become a central aspect to our work and lives in our organization. We understand that meaning is the central reason for work. Pink writes that meaning involves the ability to emphasize with others to understand the nature of human relation and to find joy in life (p.3). In our dentist school, we understand that behind the peevish and cynic nature of work, the longing desire to find meaning life drives every worker. We give our workers meaning my creating time for developing talents, being paid to meet the families demand and striving for happiness. We believe that a dentistry career is a personal call and thus an avenue for personal success. We understand that dentists execute an central public service to help people maintain their health and appearance.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Pink asserts that people with a different kind of mind (right thinkers) will capture the future of business. This new thinking draws from a combination of both talent and creativity. Business that seeks to exist in the new paradigm will need to change focus and accommodate the new holistic approach that deepens skills.
Pink proposes a radically different approach to business people and workers. Because of the nature of the new business environment, business should realize that traditional consumers and workers do not operate the same way; this requires a completely different approach. This approach calls for an approach that takes advantage of the laxity in the business environment. An L-directed thinking that is old school creates this laxity. L-directed thinking is not old school because it is not effective, but because it emphasizes stiff-necked approaches to ways of doing business. The new strategy should embrace a strategy that honors the worker by promoting quality, creativity, innovation, and talent. In addition, businesses must demonstrate empathy and desire for genuine pursuit of meaning for workers.
References
Duncan, K. (2010). Business Greatest Hits: A Masterclass in Modern Business Ideas. New York: A&C Black.
Pink, D. H. (2006). A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Penguin Publishers.
