We explored the concept of strategy as an art rather than a science in another opinion piece (see here) and this raises the question of left and right brain thinking in management. Management guru Henry Mintzberg looks at the role both hemispheres of the brain play in our thinking processes.
‘In the left hemisphere of most people’s brains (left-handers largely excepted) the logical thinking processes are found,’ he writes. ‘It seems that the mode of operation of the brain’s left hemisphere is linear; it processes information sequentially, one bit after another, in an ordered way. Perhaps the most obvious linear faculty is language. In sharp contrast, the right hemisphere is specialised for simultaneous processing; that is, it operates in a more holistic, relational way, perhaps its most obvious faculty is comprehension of visual images.’
In line with this theory, Mintzberg sees the formulation of a strategy as essentially a right-brain activity—creative, intuitive and qualitative. However putting the strategy into action, the planning bit, is a logical, analytical and sequential task—classic left-brained activity. The problem is that we often approach strategy as if it were a left brain activity when, in fact, it is essentially a creative process.
Unleashing your creative thinking and innovative ‘right-brain’ thinking is one of the tools acquired in Superworking, a development program that provides executive and senior managers with the practical techniques, tools and critical knowledge to perform more effectively and achieve more in less time. The next Superworking program in Sydney will be held on four consecutive Mondays from 6 May 2013 and I hope to see you there. See here for more information about the program. If you have any questions on the program and what it involves, feel free to get in touch.
