Brief
Explore the untapped potential of diverse thinking styles, from visual to verbal, in the workplace. Discover how cognitive diversity fuels creativity, problem-solving, and cohesion, ultimately driving innovation and business success.
Insight
Organisations are making strides in building more diverse workforces in terms of race, gender, and disability. It is now vital to extend these strategies to encompass diversity of thought to foster creativity, problem-solving, and cohesion. It begins with leaders increasing their awareness of different thought processes.
Visual thinkers, for instance, often get overlooked in our predominantly verbal culture. They possess a unique ability to translate thoughts into visual imagery, aiding problem-solving and creativity.
A clear example of the power of visual thinking was seen in the author’s early career when he managed to resolve behavioural issues in cattle simply by observing their environment from their perspective. This unique approach to problem-solving revealed details missed by others.
Moreover, there are different types of visual thinkers: object visualisers and spatial visualisers. While object visualisers, like the author, think in photorealistic pictures, spatial visualisers think in patterns and abstractions. Both are vital for problem-solving and innovation.
The successful partnership between Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at Apple exemplifies the magic that can happen when different types of thinkers collaborate.
Research from organisational psychologists also supports this assertion. A study involving object visualisers and spatial visualisers navigating a virtual maze found that teams with mixed thinking styles outperformed homogeneous teams, demonstrating that cognitive diversity can foster innovation.
To leverage different kinds of thinking, educational and hiring practices need to change. For instance, visual thinkers, who might struggle with abstract mathematics or traditional job interviews, are often excluded from opportunities.
By prioritising visual skills and hands-on experiences, schools can nurture these individuals. Similarly, hiring processes should be reformed to accommodate the strengths of different thinkers. This might mean focusing more on a portfolio of work than on interview performance.
Neurodiverse employees have already been key to the successful implementation of various projects, demonstrating the essential value of diverse thinking in the workplace. Programs have been launched to create job opportunities for all kinds of thinkers, such as a program in California training autistic students to run computerised metal machinery equipment.
The business world needs diverse thinkers. When individuals with complementary skills work together, they can drive incredible results. Therefore, it is imperative for managers to recognise and value different thinking styles within their organisations
Highlight
- There are different types of visual thinkers: object visualisers and spatial visualisers. While object visualisers, like the author, think in photorealistic pictures, spatial visualisers think in patterns and abstractions. Both are vital for problem-solving and innovation.
- To leverage different kinds of thinking, educational and hiring practices need to change.
- When individuals with complementary skills work together, they can drive incredible results. Therefore, it is imperative for managers to recognise and value different thinking styles within their organisations.
READ MORE
Recent Comments