One of twelve projects at the Minciu Sodas virtual laboratory.

Reasons for Thinking

The kinds of thinking, and what each kind yields. Corporations are valuing knowledge as an asset that they need to manage wisely. Our moral duty, however, is not to manage what we know, but to manage what we think. We control or at least influence what we think by choosing our manner of thinking: defining, guessing, doubting, calculating, and so on. Our study of the implications of various kinds of thinking will lead us to think more consciously and willfully. Of special interest to: Knowledge workers, knowledge managers.

Facilitating

A facilitator's purpose is to open up new possibilities for the group by freeing themselves from obstacles that get in the way of their objectives and goals. Their role is neutral regarding the content of the discussion, avoiding making judgments, taking
sides on an issue, or responding to a comment based on whether they agree or disagree with it. Their focus is on group dynamics and whether or not they are on track to achieve their goals. This is a managment process that calls for:

Defining a clear agenda that establishes a shared set of ground rules for all involved individuals. To keep in line with the agenda, the facilitator must display (on overhead/or flip chart), discuss, and refer back to the agenda in order to keep the focus. This is very helpful as each group member will come to the meeting with differenct perceptions, beliefs, values, cultures, etc. Establishing ahead of time what we aim to accomplish gets everything out on the table - there is no hidden agenda.
Asking questions. A facilitator takes on an "air of curiosity." This should not be confused with a problem solving technique, but elicit responses from members that focus on relationships within the organizations. For example, the questions can focus on differences between things: "How is your reaction to the situation different that Steve's reaction?" They can encourage empathy and perspective: "How do you think Andrius would respond to what you just said?" Realizing that the way the questions are posed and how they will impact the discussion can move members out of "ruts" they might find themselves in, and move them forward towards new possibilities.
Summarizing. This step is important as it serves several roles: reviewing/clarifying important concepts/ideas anmd calling to the group's attention the progress they have made. It also allows for clarification of ideas, and making sure everyone is in agreement.

Without a facilitator, or 3rd objective party, individuals may listen to one another but only for the purpose of finding a flaw in their argument. Facilitators allow for different possibilities to happen. Facilitators guide the process; group members control the content. [1/00, Kathleen Raiff]

Lateral Thinking

Dr. Edward de Bono developed the concept of lateral thinking more than 25 years ago and has written several books on it. According to current literature, lateral thinking is:

seeking to solve a problem by apparently illogical means.
a process and willingness to look at things in a different way.
a relatively new type of thinking that complements analytical and critical thinking.
a tool to help solve tough problems and create new ideas, new products, new processes and new services.

[KK Aw, 7/98, Lateral Thinking Revisited: A Comparison between the Multicentric Concept and Lateral Thinking]

Kong Koy Aw, inventor of InfoMap, has written an incisive paper Lateral Thinking Revisited: A Comparison between the Multicentric Concept and Lateral Thinking showing how the techniques of lateral thinking can be used within the context of a multicentric information mapping system such as InfoMap. As a member of our laboratory, he shares with us excerpts on the various kinds of thinking. The full paper can be found at http://www.multicentric.com/cat.htm [7/99, Andrius Kulikauskas]

Caring Thinking

Caring Thinking: The new intelligence by Jan Brunt of Flinders University, South Africa considers the importance of Caring Thinking as part of a curriculum for gifted children acknowledging the concern they show for moral issues. Caring Thinking is thinking with the heart and with personal values. Matthew Lipman introduced the term Caring Thinking at the 6th International Conference on Thinking in Boston in 1994. He argued that Caring Thinking, Critical Thinking, and Creative Thinking together comprise Complex Thinking. He observes Caring Thinking to have four aspects:

Valuational Thinking: To value is to highly appreciate or prize.
Affective Thinking: To experience strong emotional and cognitive response to an offence.
Active Thinking: To passionately care about and be involved with a cause.
Normative thinking: To compare the actual with what could be.

Giftedness: The view from within by Morelock, M. J., in Understanding Our Gifted, 4 (3), 11-15, 1992, defines giftedness as overexcitability arising from differences exposed by the independent development of intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and moral areas. K.Dabrowski, in his Theory of Positive Disintegration in higher intelligence (emotional development) wrote about five kinds of overexcitability: psychomotor, sensual, intellectual, imaginationial, emotional. He describes his theory in his books: Personality-shaping Through Positive Disintegration, Little Brown, Boston, 1967, and Psychoneurosis is Not an Illness, Gruf, London, 1972. Jan Brunt considers the different kinds of overexcitability evident in each of the four aspects of Caring Thinking. [http://www.nexus.edu.au/teachstud/gat/brunt.htm, 8/99, Andrius Kulikauskas]