Thinking skiils: Using Your Brain in the Information Age

Eric Garner & Ventus Publishing ApS, 2012. - 53 p. Thinking Skills are some of the most valuable skills you can learn today. The reason is simple. While in the past, people went to work for their manual skills, today they go to work for their mental skills. We live in an Information Age, no longer an Industrial Age. That’s why brain has replaced brawn, and strength in thinking has replaced strength in muscles. No matter what kind of business you work for, nor what kind of job you do, today you are expected to apply a range of thinking skills to the work you carry out. This includes using your judgment; collecting, using, and analyzing information; working with others to solve problems; making decisions on behalf of others; contributing to ideas to innovate and change; and being creative about how your job can function better. This book covers all of these skills. It will show you that, whatever you think about your mental abilities or the level of your IQ or your formal education, your brain is the most powerful organ you possess. It is the tool that, if used skillfully, can help you perform better in your job, better in your team and better in your organization. By developing your thinking skills to meet the needs of the modern world, you are guaranteed to succeed. Preface 1 What Are Thinking Skills? 1.1 The Potential of the Brain 1.2 Brain Power 1.3 Exploding the Myths 1.4 Brainworks 1.5 Brain not Brawn 1.6 Management Thinking 1.7 Thinking Matters 1.8 Key Points 2 Positive Thinking 2.1 Untrained Thinking 2.2 Distorted Thinking 2.3 Catastrophising 2.4 Confusion 2.5 Distraction 2.6 Yo-Yo Thinking 2.7 The Self-Image 2.8 Positive Re-Framing 2.9 Expecting the Best 2.10 Your Brain Wants Success 2.11 Key Points 3 Improve Your Memory 3.1 Synaesthesia 3.2 Landmarks 3.3 The Peg System 3.4 Rhymes 3.5 Mnemonics 3.6 Remembering People’s Names 3.7 Repetition 3.8 Key Points 4 Blocks to Thinking 4.1 Assumptions 4.2 See Things from Other Points Of View 4.3 Thinking and Doing 4.4 Get Rid Of Lazy Thinking Habits 4.5 Think like A Child 4.6 See the Detail As Well As the Big Picture 4.7 Think For Yourself 4.8 Time to Think 4.9 Key Points 5 Logical Thinking 5.1 Left-Brain Thinking 5.2 Right Brain Thinking 5.3 Managerial Thinking 5.4 Logical Thinking 5.5 SMART Goals 5.6 Systematic Planning 5.7 Using Information 5.8 The Limits of Information 5.9 Key Points 6 Creative Thinking 6.1 Think like A Child 6.2 Be More Curious 6.3 Play with Ideas 6.4 Make New Connections 6.5 Be A Little Illogical 6.6 Laugh More 6.7 Think Outside Your Limits 6.8 Key Points 7 Brainstorming 7.1 Brainstorming 7.2 A Brainstorming Session 7.3 An Example of Brainstorming: The Honey Pot 7.4 Brainwriting 7.5 Key Points 8 Decision-Taking 8.1 Time Them 8.2 Align Them 8.3 Balance Them 8.4 Act When You Have To 8.5 Use a Decision-Making Model 8.6 Instinct 8.7 Don’t Decide Without Acting 8.8 Keep Your Decision under Review 8.9 Key Points 9 Problem-Solving 9.1 The Problem with Problems 9.2 The Classical Approach 9.3 Do Nothing 9.4 Take Your Time 9.5 Sleep On It 9.6 Attack the Problem 9.7 Two Heads are Better than One 9.8 Occam’s Razor and the Five Whys 9.9 Key Points 10 Innovation 10.1 Create an Innovative Climate 10.2 Keep Your Eyes Open 10.3 Dreams and Daydreams 10.4 Develop Washing-Up Creativity 10.5 Make New Connections 10.6 Necessity is the Mother of Innovation 10.7 Test, Test, Test 10.8 Adopt and Adapt 10.9 Take Lessons from Nature 10.10 Key Points 11 Web Resources on “Thinking Skills” Sisältö What Are Thinking Skills? The Potential of the Brain Brain Power Exploding the Myths Brainworks Brain not Brawn Management Thinking Thinking Matters Key Points Positive Thinking Untrained Thinking Distorted Thinking Catastrophising Confusion Distraction Yo-Yo Thinking The Self-Image Positive Re-Framing Expecting the Best Your Brain Wants Success Key Points Improve Your Memory Synaesthesia Landmarks The Peg System Rhymes Mnemonics Remembering People’s Names Repetition Key Points Blocks to Thinking Assumptions See Things from Other Points Of View Thinking and Doing Get Rid Of Lazy Thinking Habits Think like A Child See the Detail As Well As the Big Picture Think For Yourself Time to Think Key Points Logical Thinking Left-Brain Thinking Right Brain Thinking Managerial Thinking Logical Thinking SMART Goals Systematic Planning Using Information The Limits of Information Key Points Creative Thinking Think like A Child Be More Curious Play with Ideas Make New Connections Be A Little Illogical Laugh More Think Outside Your Limits Key Points Brainstorming Brainstorming A Brainstorming Session An Example of Brainstorming: The Honey Pot Brainwriting Key Points Decision-Taking Time Them Align Them Balance Them Act When You Have To Use a Decision-Making Model Instinct Don’t Decide Without Acting Keep Your Decision under Review Key Points Problem-Solving The Problem with Problems The Classical Approach Do Nothing Take Your Time Sleep On It Attack the Problem Two Heads are Better than One Occam’s Razor and the Five Whys Key Points Innovation Create an Innovative Climate Keep Your Eyes Open Dreams and Daydreams Develop Washing-Up Creativity Make New Connections Necessity is the Mother of Innovation Test, Test, Test Adopt and Adapt Take Lessons from Nature Key Points Web Resources on “Thinking Skills” Obsah What Are Thinking Skills? The Potential of the Brain Brain Power Exploding the Myths Brainworks Brain not Brawn Management Thinking Thinking Matters Key Points Positive Thinking Untrained Thinking Distorted Thinking Catastrophising Confusion Distraction Yo-Yo Thinking The Self-Image Positive Re-Framing Expecting the Best Your Brain Wants Success Key Points Improve Your Memory Synaesthesia Landmarks The Peg System Rhymes Mnemonics Remembering People’s Names Repetition Key Points Blocks to Thinking Assumptions See Things from Other Points Of View Thinking and Doing Get Rid Of Lazy Thinking Habits Think like A Child See the Detail As Well As the Big Picture Think For Yourself Time to Think Key Points Logical Thinking Left-Brain Thinking Right Brain Thinking Managerial Thinking Logical Thinking SMART Goals Systematic Planning Using Information The Limits of Information Key Points Creative Thinking Think like A Child Be More Curious Play with Ideas Make New Connections Be A Little Illogical Laugh More Think Outside Your Limits Key Points Brainstorming Brainstorming A Brainstorming Session An Example of Brainstorming: The Honey Pot Brainwriting Key Points Decision-Taking Time Them Align Them Balance Them Act When You Have To Use a Decision-Making Model Instinct Don’t Decide Without Acting Keep Your Decision under Review Key Points Problem-Solving The Problem with Problems The Classical Approach Do Nothing Take Your Time Sleep On It Attack the Problem Two Heads are Better than One Occam’s Razor and the Five Whys Key Points Innovation Create an Innovative Climate Keep Your Eyes Open Dreams and Daydreams Develop Washing-Up Creativity Make New Connections Necessity is the Mother of Innovation Test, Test, Test Adopt and Adapt Take Lessons from Nature Key Points Web Resources on “Thinking Skills” This eBook will cover all kinds of thinking skills and will make you see that your brain is the most powerful organ you possess. It is the tool that, if used skillfully, can help you perform better in your job, better in your team and better in your organization. By developing your thinking skills to meet the needs of the modern world, you are guaranteed to succeed. You can download the book for free via the link below.