No Man Is An Island..
The reality is, everyone has
a finite Cognitive Style...and corresponding blind spots
A more 'Complete Vision' is achieved by collaboration of people with heterogeneous Cognitive Styles
......We are not created equal.....
notably different
- Genetic: Set from birth
- Persistent: No Change
- Different than level (IQ,
Education, Experience, etc)
- Measurable
- Consistent
- Predictable
- Participants trained to understand Cognitive Style
- Consideration of style in positioning resources as appropriate or desired
- Active OD effort to define and maintain balance
- Ongoing design to optimize organizational strategies
If You Could 'Clone' Yourself..Would You?
You will find that Cognitive Style is comprised of reliable building blocks that drive much of the response and decision processes
Cognitive Impact
- Communication capability
- Regard for structure
- Problem solving style
- Tolerance of ambiguity
- Response to change
- Risk taking or avoidance
- Collaboration
- Interpretation of 'Future'
Sustainability demands the successful interpretation of the future. Sufficient attention to a Cognitive Environment optimizes the chances of success.
Esprit
Crazy people are crazy... Mean people are mean...
But... professionals of good will can work through Cognitive Style conflict and Synergize the Amazing...
IF They Understand
Why is it that many of the top 10 companies of recent years, if they even still exist, are not at the top today?
Did they fail to interpret the future accurately?
It has been observed that as individuals on a team come to understand the impact of Cognitive Style, they will begin to collaborate at a new level, taking advantage of capabilities in others that are different from their own
Positioning individuals according to their Cognitive Style is not unlike positioning players on a professional sports team
The establishment and growth of a desired cognitive environment will not happen on it's own. The Cognitive Styles follow a normal population distribution indicating the need for planning and execution
Individuals are actually more efficient, productive, and engaged when the job requirements more closely match their Cognitive Style
Adaptive Innovative
We Do Think Differently!
When individuals with different Cognitive Styles were asked to graphically flowchart the process they use in problem solving, the above were the results
Challenges
Paradigms... We all grow up with and are comfortable with our own. With a very large difference on a multitude of dimensions of behavior, actions, perception, etc. present across the different cognitive styles, it is sometimes very difficult for even well meaning people to positively interact with those of a different style. With the normal reaction "I can't believe anyone can think/act that way", unless shown that these traits naturally follow cognitive differences, it is easy to regard and respond to those differences as erroneous or even confrontational
If two people have a homogeneous cognitive style, communication can be virtually seamless and one person can nearly complete each others sentences and thoughts. Since both see things in a very similar way, decisions are made quickly.... sometimes much too quickly. Critical points can be overlooked or not recognized. Evidence indicates this is a major contributor to phenomena known as 'Groupthink'
The normal reaction of two people with a significant cognitive style difference and who do not understand cognitive style impact, is to have conflict
As the cognitive gap between individuals widens, normal communication can be difficult; what one sees as reality can be quite different from the other. Conflict can increase as points are attempted to be established, driven, or solidified, and positions are defended
With the incorrect but normal belief that the difference in perceptions are a difference in level (IQ, experience, training, education, ability, etc.), the conflict can become a defense of ego, objectives can become secondary, and the conflicts become personal
STRESS: The body's physiological reaction to repressing the urge to choke the eyes out of someone who desperately needs it.
When the conflict is due to Cognitive Style differences, 'Pulling the Trigger' is not only tragic....it's just wrong
Population Cognitive Style Distribution
More 'Innovative =>
Paradigm Shift
Extra-Paradigm Innovation
Out Of The Box
'Blue Sky' Orientation
< = More 'Adaptive'
Paradigm Maintenance
Intra-Paradigm Innovation
Structure Compliant
Detail Orientation
95
145
45
Dimensions