A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

You and I are living in a new corporate environment. This is a new year; we have begun a new decade; and we are definitely living in a new economy. We have changed.

Whenever there is rampant economic or political change, the requirements for staying relevant as an employee or employer shift. As we look forward, what will employers look for in new employees? The answer is simple. Employers will want employees that will bring value to their organizations. This is always the answer, but what defines that value has changed. Mere technical skill is no longer enough in this economy.

As I read Tabitha’s Woods’ interview with Dr. Beverly Kaye last month, many points resonated with me; the main point, however, was the fact that what we looked for seven years ago (coming out of the last recession) is much different than what we are looking for now. Employers and employees alike are looking for flexibility, creativity and vision. What do these three qualities have in common? They are all traits of “right-brain” thinking.

In A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink details the importance of using both sides of the brain to move ahead into the future. He believes that we have come out of the “Information Age” and are entering the “Conceptual Age.”

Pink asserts that three major factors have caused the Conceptual Age: abundance, Asia and automation:

In Light of Abundance
Today, we have more material goods and higher standards of living than any other generation in time. Most families have multiple big screen HD TV’s in their McMansions, and TiVo that they can program with their iPhones. Yes, we live in abundance, and this has forced companies to design new and more exciting ways to keep consumer-interest growing. As a result, companies have been forced to find and hire more creative employees to meet the demands of abundance.

The Asia Factor
Every day we hear about companies outsourcing their work overseas – accounting, technology and engineering are the fastest growing professions in Asia. An accountant in the Philippines earns less than 10% of what an accountant in the United States earns, yet that wage is still multiple times the average income in the Philippines. In the US, these primarily “left-brained” professionals will have to expand their abilities in order to stay relevant in the United States – they’ll have to add visionary thinking to their analytical abilities.

Automation Nation
Automation is truly creating a large portion of this push into the Conceptual Age. We have created such sophisticated computer systems that most analytical work can be done much faster and more accurately by machines. Do you remember the series of chess matches between Garry Kasparov (arguably the greatest chess player of all time) and a supercomputer created by IBM? This series of six games ended in a draw – one win each for Kasparov and the computer, and four draws. Kasparov himself has said that in the future, computers will win every match and that humans will struggle to win even one game. Keep in mind, though, that computers do not have the ability to show emotion, see the big picture, empathize, or think creatively. This dynamic will continue to open doors for people who can. People who can bring this kind of thinking pattern to their roles will become increasingly valuable in the new economy.

Throughout his book, Pink focuses on right brain attributes, but he is clear that they cannot be effective without the left side attributes enhancing them. People should be prepared to use their analytical thought patterns in tandem with their creative thinking patterns to express the “new mind” that will be in demand.

What six senses are necessary to create the “Whole New Mind?”

1. Design: Think of the last cell phone you bought. Is it just a phone? Would you buy it if it were your least favorite color or if it were bulky? Probably not. Design concepts can distinguish one (phone) product from another making them more desirable in this abundant age. Employers will search for employees that can conceptualize design and merge form with function.

2. Story: Stories are essential to the formation of an effective argument. There is always research that can be done to rebut an argument. What makes an effective argument is the use of persuasion, communication and self-understanding. You can read a book on weight loss, or you can talk to a coach that has lost 80 pounds and traveled the road before you. Which sounds more interesting? The story, of course! Story has the power of inspiration and motivation.

3. Symphony: A symphony is defined as “anything characterized by a harmonious combination of elements.” People are not just looking for black and white – they are looking for shades of grey; they are not just looking for facts and figures – they are looking for the big picture; they are looking for the ability to take the same information they’ve always had and create a new result.

4. Empathy: The main sense that sets us apart from software and automation is empathy – the ability to use reason and logic to understand the feelings of another. We can analyze information on a computer screen all day long, but what makes us human is the fact that we can use that information to find out what drives others to do what they do, or feel the way they feel.

5. Play: What is the easiest way to relieve stress? Laughter! We have so much stress and gravity at work every day that we need a way to relieve tension. Stress is one of the top contributors to illness, and fatigue. Today, some companies are beginning to urge employees to take time out of their days to play games, relax and laugh. Ultimately, they feel, a 30 minute break from the tension can create hours of productivity.

6. Meaning: Today, people want their work to amount to something – not necessarily just monetarily, but emotionally as well. They want to connect emotionally with their profession, and have their work “mean” something. Whether the work has spiritual meaning, or emotional meaning, employees want to connect with their work. They want employers to understand that and support it.

Ultimately, success in the Conceptual Age will boil down to your answers to these three questions:

• Can someone overseas do it cheaper?
• Can a computer do it faster?
• Am I offering something that satisfies the non-material, transcendent desires of an abundant age?

If you answered yes to either of the first two questions, or no to the third, then you are not ready to move forward into the Conceptual Age. The six essential senses are imperative if you are going to be able to change your answers and move into the future successfully.

This is an exciting age. We are all being challenged to move past the drone-like cubicle minds of the technological age and press forward into creativity. This kind of thought used to be reserved only for the greatest minds among us. The best-known minds of our time took part in this kind of thought, and it inevitably set them apart. Albert Einstein said that two keys to his problem solving ability were that he could concentrate on one problem for an extended period of time, and the fact that when he was thinking about a problem, he would reach a state in which he was almost day-dreaming. He was able to combine the concentrated efforts of his analytical mind and marry them to his creative mind. Today, we are being asked and encouraged to think like the best and brightest minds of our time. All of us have the ability and the opportunity to expand the breadth and agility of our minds and excel in this economy. So, be adaptable. Go beyond making decisions based on analytical findings, and call upon your creative mind to understand and interpret information. Be open to seeing the big picture, and changing the way you do things to change results.

Dana Lee, CPC, CTS, is an Executive Recruiter with Delta Dallas. Reach her at 972-788-2300 or dlee@deltadallas.com