Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The assertion of mastery of a subject without approximately a decade or so of practice and the
pursuit of mastering it.
Following rigidly the letter of procedures without a sense of the purposes and boundaries of the
discipline and the areas were thinking needs to be flexible and conventional wisdom in
appropriate.
Offering apparent innovations that are either superficial variations of long-existing knowledge
or sharp departures that may be novel but are not acceptable so therefore are either dangerous
or false ie Enron proclaimed itself one of the most innovative companies in the world..
Exhibiting mere tolerance without any effort to understand or work smoothly with others
Paying homage to those with more power and status while deprecating, dismissing, ridiculing or
ignoring those with less power
Behaving reflexively towards an entire group without attending to the qualities of specific
individuals
It is relatively easy to act responsibly, ethically, when it is in one's own self-interest. The acid test
comes when one acts as one should act, even when it goes against one's own self-interest. Yet I do not
see how we can survive as a set of societies, nor as a planet, unless ethical behavior is prioritized and
valorized across the globe.
An ethical mind is not
Espousing a good, responsible line but failing to embody that course in ones own actions
Practicing ethics in a small arena while acting irresponsibly in the larger sphere (or vice versa)
Compromising on what is proper in the short run or over the long haul
Gardner's contention is that the five minds are not mutually exclusive of each other and in fact one
mind may be strengthened by the other. Between the five minds, there are tensions however they can
and should work synergistically. The first three minds deal primarily with cognitive thinking and the
last two with our relationships with other people.
In a perfect world when you employed someone they would possess all these minds however we are
rarely that fortunate. Therefore if you have someone deficient in one or more of the minds, the
options are:
1.
Separate the person from the organization as expediently as possible. A person incapable of
respect or prone to unethical acts can quickly poison an entire division or organization
2.
Assign that individual to a niche where the deficiency poses no threat to the organization. For
example, not every worker needs to be a synthesizer or a creator.
3.
Make it clear to the worker that he needs to improve with respect to one or more of these
competencies. Model the desired behavior and create a positive, trusting atmosphere whilst
setting reasonable goals. If progress is not forthcoming, revert to options 1 or 2.
In summary
This is not necessarily a business book but can be helpful to leaders looking to understand the mosaic
of minds required to be successful.
Drawing on decades of cognitive research and rich examples from history, politics, business, science,
and the arts, Gardner writes for professionals, teachers, parents, political and business leaders,
trainers, and all who prize the cognitive skills at a premium for tomorrow.
Importantly, it assists in improving communication skills.
Five Minds for the Future is available in good bookstores, Amazon and also in audible form
(www.audible.com).