How to think better at work | Chris Thomason | TEDxReigate
Summary
TLDRThe speaker explores how we can upgrade our brain's 'operating system' by focusing on better ways to think. Through research, they reveal that our best ideas often emerge during undemanding tasks, not traditional brainstorming sessions. The talk contrasts fast, reactive thinking (system one) with slower, more reflective thinking (system two), encouraging the latter for deeper problem-solving. Practical tips include using moments of reflection, like walking or showering, to develop ideas, and allowing time for proactive procrastination before meetings to enhance creativity and decision-making.
Takeaways
- 🧠 We frequently update our devices and software, but rarely take time to upgrade our 'brain operating system' or the way we think.
- 🚿 People tend to do their best thinking during undemanding activities like showering, walking the dog, or driving on quiet roads.
- 🔍 A 2012 study from the University of California showed that engaging in undemanding tasks between creative tasks improved performance significantly compared to taking no break or doing nothing.
- 💡 Brainstorming, despite its popularity, has been shown by decades of research to be less effective than individuals thinking alone and then pooling their ideas.
- ⏳ Daniel Kahneman’s concept of 'system one' and 'system two' thinking emphasizes the value of slow, reflective thinking (system two) for solving complex problems rather than quick, reactive responses (system one).
- 🧛 Vampires are used as a metaphor for people who offer fast answers without reflecting, showing that we often jump to conclusions without deep thought.
- ⏸️ In meetings, introducing a 10-second pause before answering important questions can shift participants from system one to system two thinking, leading to better ideas.
- 🤔 Instead of traditional brainstorming sessions, proactive procrastination can be used: giving participants a question to reflect on in their own time, allowing for deeper thinking.
- 🐕 People can take advantage of their best thinking moments, such as walking or other undemanding activities, to reflect on important work issues.
- 🔄 By adopting these techniques, you can upgrade your thinking patterns to tackle bigger questions and achieve more meaningful, impactful results.
Q & A
What is meant by a 'brain operating system upgrade' in the context of the speech?
-A 'brain operating system upgrade' refers to improving one's thinking patterns and approaches, leading to better problem-solving and creative thinking. It is about taking time to reflect on how we think and finding ways to enhance it.
Why do people tend to have their best ideas in places like the shower or while driving?
-People often have their best ideas in places like the shower or while driving because these activities are considered undemanding tasks. These types of tasks allow the brain to wander and think creatively without being overwhelmed by the complexity of the environment.
What were the four groups in the University of California study, and what were they asked to do?
-The four groups in the study were: one group that took no break between tests, one group that rested for 12 minutes, one group that performed a demanding task (identifying if the preceding number was odd or even), and one group that performed an undemanding task (identifying if the current number was odd or even).
Which group performed the best in the second test of the study, and why?
-The group that performed the undemanding task during the break performed the best, with a 40% improvement. This suggests that engaging in undemanding tasks allows the mind to relax while still processing information, leading to better creative thinking.
What is the significance of Alex Osborne's 'brainstorming' technique, and why is it criticized?
-Alex Osborne's brainstorming technique was designed to generate creative ideas in groups, but research shows that individuals working alone often generate more ideas than groups. The technique is criticized for being outdated and less effective than individual idea generation.
What is the difference between 'system one' and 'system two' thinking according to Daniel Kahneman?
-System one thinking is fast, intuitive, and reactive, useful for quick decisions or quizzes. System two thinking is slower, more reflective, and deliberate, focusing on considering multiple solutions and deeper problem-solving.
How does the speaker relate 'vampire thinking' to system one thinking?
-'Vampire thinking' is a metaphor for people who respond too quickly without reflecting, relying on system one thinking. In workplace settings, this behavior hinders deeper, more thoughtful system two thinking.
What technique does the speaker suggest to counter 'vampire thinking' in meetings?
-The speaker suggests introducing a 10-second pause of silence before answering an important question in meetings. This allows participants to engage in system two thinking, producing more thoughtful and considered ideas.
What is 'proactive procrastination' and how does it benefit idea generation?
-'Proactive procrastination' involves intentionally delaying brainstorming in meetings and encouraging participants to think about the issue on their own time. This allows people to generate ideas in their own conducive environments and return with more thoughtful solutions.
What impact does upgrading one's thinking have on both personal and professional life?
-Upgrading one's thinking leads to better problem-solving, creativity, and decision-making. It allows individuals to tackle bigger, more complex issues, resulting in personal growth and improved outcomes in professional settings, positively influencing the world around them.
Outlines
🧠 Upgrading Your Brain's Operating System
This paragraph introduces the concept of upgrading our brain's operating system, similar to how we update software. The speaker encourages the audience to think about when they do their best thinking, emphasizing that it rarely happens during work or brainstorming sessions. It discusses the importance of undemanding tasks, like walking or driving, in facilitating creative thinking. The University of California study is cited, showing that people perform better in creative tasks after undemanding activities rather than no breaks or demanding tasks.
📚 The Problem with Brainstorming
This paragraph discusses the origins of brainstorming, introduced by Alex Osborne in 1953, and highlights that while brainstorming has persisted, it's not as effective as we think. Research by psychologist Keith Sawyer, including a meta-analysis of several hundred studies, shows that individuals come up with more ideas when they work alone compared to brainstorming in groups. Despite this, brainstorming is still commonly used in workplaces, even though better alternatives might exist.
🧛 Beware of Vampire Thinking
This paragraph introduces the concept of 'vampire thinking,' comparing quick, reactive responses (system one thinking) to a vampire’s lack of reflection. It suggests that in workplaces, people often rush to answer questions without deep thinking. The speaker proposes a solution: ask for 10 seconds of silence before responding to give participants time to shift from reactive thinking to reflective, thoughtful answers. This technique can improve the quality of ideas by encouraging system two thinking.
⏳ Proactive Procrastination and Better Thinking
This paragraph offers an alternative to brainstorming: proactive procrastination. Instead of brainstorming on the spot during meetings, participants should take time between meetings to think deeply about important issues, preferably during their best thinking times (e.g., walking the dog). By giving people time to reflect and come back with well-developed ideas, meetings become more productive. The speaker encourages individuals to embrace their best thinking moments to address important questions effectively.
🚀 Embrace the Brain Operating System Upgrade
In the final paragraph, the speaker concludes the session by encouraging the audience to embrace the brain operating system upgrade. By adopting techniques like proactive procrastination and avoiding quick, reactive thinking, people can address bigger, bolder questions in a more thoughtful way. The speaker hopes that this 'freaky thinking upgrade' will positively change the way people think and approach challenges, both for themselves and for the world around them.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Brain Operating System
💡Creative Thinking
💡Undemanding Task
💡System 1 Thinking
💡System 2 Thinking
💡Brainstorming
💡Proactive Procrastination
💡Vampire Thinking
💡Alex Osborne
💡Thinking Environment
Highlights
We frequently update apps, antivirus software, and operating systems, but rarely upgrade our 'brain operating system'.
We think all the time, even when we sleep, and it's crucial to reflect on our thinking habits.
The best ideas often come when performing undemanding tasks, such as showering, walking the dog, or driving.
In a 2012 study by the University of California, participants who engaged in undemanding tasks during a break generated 40% more ideas compared to others.
Brainstorming in groups has been shown to produce fewer ideas than individuals thinking alone, as confirmed by decades of research.
Despite its ineffectiveness, brainstorming remains widely used in workplaces because of its longstanding history, dating back to 1953.
Daniel Kahneman's 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' proposes two types of thinking: System 1 (fast and reactive) and System 2 (slow and reflective).
System 2 thinking is more suited for workplaces, where deep reflection and multiple solutions are required.
The concept of 'vampire thinking' is introduced—people who respond quickly in meetings without reflecting deeply on the question.
A technique to avoid 'vampire thinking' is asking participants to take 10 seconds of silence before responding to important questions.
Proactive procrastination is proposed as an alternative to brainstorming, where issues are presented at the end of one meeting and participants reflect on them individually before the next meeting.
The best thinking occurs in one's personal 'special spaces' rather than in formal brainstorming sessions.
By encouraging personal reflection during undemanding tasks like walking or exercising, participants can bring their best ideas to meetings.
Introducing these thinking methods can lead to more thoughtful and innovative solutions in workplace settings.
Embracing these opportunities for deep thinking will allow individuals to address bigger and bolder questions, leading to more effective outcomes.
The goal is to disrupt normal thinking patterns and enhance creativity, ultimately changing both personal and organizational thinking for the better.
Transcripts
[Music]
we update the apps on our
phone we update the antivirus protection
automatically we upgrade the operating
system but how often do we upgrade our
brain operating system how often do we
spend time thinking about our thinking
because we all think all the time
even when we sleep in our
dreams for the next few minutes I'd like
to offer you a brain operating system
upgrade a freaky thinking
upgrade something that will positively
disrupt the way you think from this
moment
on to start I want you to think where
are you when you do your best thinking
what are you doing
I've asked this question widely across
the UK's largest bank and the answers I
get most often are in the
shower walking the dog exercising at the
gym or driving in the
car rarely does anybody say they get
their best ideas at
work and nobody has yet to say to me
they get the best ideas in a
brainstorming session
while this may seem quite surprising
what is surprising is the truth behind
why this
is in 2012 the University of California
performed some research and they used
some unusual thinking techniques unusual
usage techniques where people have to
come up with ideas for an everyday item
in a two-minute period they've got to
try and find as many unusual uses for
say a toothpick or a rubber band or a
paperclip in 2012 the University of
California run some research with groups
to actually understand the way people
think creatively they used unusual uses
techniques to try and identify the
greatest number of ideas in a two-minute
period that people could for an everyday
item such as a toothpick rubber band or
a paperclip
they run the test for 2 minutes and then
they run the test again for another two
minutes but they split the 145
participants into four
groups one group they didn't give any
break at all between the two tests do
the first test then do the test
again the other three groups they gave a
12 minute break between the two
tests one group was told to to sit there
and relax do nothing for 12
minutes another group was told to watch
a monitor where numbers would flash up
and they had to say whether the
preceding number had been odd or even
that was deemed to be a demanding task
and the final group had to again watch a
monitor where numbers flashed up but
they had to say whether the number
currently on the screen was odd or even
and that was deemed to be an undemanding
task the researchers then compared the
performance between the first and the
second
test well the group that had no gap
between the test fared really badly in
the second test compared to the first
one the group that just sat there and
relaxed they did marginally worse on the
second
test the group that had the demanding
task they did marginally better on the
second test but the group that had the
undemanding task they did over 40%
better on the second test way ahead of
the
others now if you think where you are
when you get your best ideas you do your
best thinking if you're in the shower
that's an undemanding task if you're
walking the dog if you're
exercising and if you're driving the car
if you're driving down a nearly empty
Motorway or you're cruising along a
winding Country Road that's probably
quite conducive to good
thinking but be in the center of a city
where you've got bus lanes and no entry
signs and traffic lights and pedestrians
and cyclists and other cars it takes all
your attention just to drive never mind
think so it seems that to do good
thinking we should also be doing some
kind of undemanding task at the same
time and if that's where we do our best
thinking then we actually do our best
thinking in that time so maybe should
you should save your important issues
for those
times in
1953 advertising executive Alex Osborne
wrote a book called applied
imagination in the book there was quite
an extensive process how to work with
clients to develop new ideas and within
this extensive process there's one
little tool that he
called
brainstorming now the rest of the
process seems to fall into dis disuse
but what has stayed with us is
brainstorming whenever we seem to need
some new ideas what do we do we do some
brainstorming over time academics have
likeed to study brainstorming to compare
the ways we
think now a few years ago
Kevin Sawyer sorry Keith Sawyer a
psychologist at Washington University
did a meta analysis on brainstorming now
a meta analysis is the way you do a
study of all the studies that have been
done before he had to look at several
hundred studies his conclusion was that
Decades of research on brainstorming has
conclusively shown that brainstorming
groups think of fewer ideas than do the
individuals who when they think alone
and later pool their
ideas so the question is why are we
using brainstorming if it doesn't work
I'm sure you use this tool in your
workplace it's over 70 years old and we
use it when we actually have a need to
overcome a major problem or to develop a
new opportunity which other tools in
your business or your workplace do you
use for important things that are over
70 years
old I don't think very
many but potentially it's because we
don't know of any
alternatives Daniel
caraman a Nobel prizewinning Economist
wrote the book thinking fast and
slow in the book he proposes two generic
types of thinking system one and system
two system one is fast responsive or
reactive who Bing King Charles I when
Bing 1632 where Bing on a boat on the
English
Channel really good for quiz CHS really
good for the pub
quiz but work the workplace is neither
of these it's not about speeding
answering in the
workplace system to thinking is
different it's more
thoughtful more
considered more reflective in
nature it's not about coming up with the
answer it's about coming up with an
answer and then an other answer and then
yet another answer always looking for
that better answer that provides a
better solution to the issue that you're
considering let me deviate for a moment
I I'd just like to talk to you
about vampires
you may be aware that vampires generally
generally living castles in
Transylvania only coming out in the
evening to Howl at the full moon but
actually there's something else about
vampires that you may not know a little
known
fact that vampires don't see a
reflection in a
mirror if I was with my best buddy who's
a vampire we could take a selfie of
ourselves but if we happen to be
standing inside in front of a big mirror
what I could do is take a photograph of
ourselves the reflection the
mirror this is what the photograph would
look like you wouldn't see my buddy he's
no
reflection now over the centuries the
vampires have changed their ways they've
adapted they now live in our cities and
in our towns they walk along the High
streets with us they've learned to hide
their characteristics that gave them
away in the past there is only one place
that a vampire will show their true
colors and that is in workplace
meetings because when somebody asks an
important question that needs some deep
thinking they will not
reflect they will answer straight away
they are system one responders to a
system
question I'm sure you've seen it
something difficult but it's how quickly
can you get your answer in there they
are the vampires That's What I Call
vampire thinking and it's probably quite
prevalent in your
workplace now a disclaimer here you've
got to be careful it isn't politically
correct to drive a stake through
somebody's heart in a
meeting there is an alternative approach
you can use this symbol
that if you
pose an important question that requires
a bit of
thinking when you've paused it just say
would you all mind just taking 10
seconds of Silence to think about it
before you
speak because the those vampire thinkers
the system one thinkers they'll come up
with the idea straight away but they
hold it back because you've told them
not to speak and they'll come up with a
second idea
and then they'll come up with an even
better third idea by holding them back
you've converted them from system one
thinkers into system twoth
thinkers so try this
technique ask for 10 seconds of Silence
in
meetings but what else can you do if if
brainstorming doesn't work in meetings
and you've got a whole regular meetings
are there any alternative alternative
approaches
a lot of our meetings have a regular
Cadence they are weekly two weekly
monthly an alternate approach is to use
something called proactive
procrastination wait isn't that a
paradox how can you proactively put
something
off well rather than say in the next
meeting we're going to do a
brainstorming session on this topic now
we all know that brainstorming aren't
the best places to do our thinking and
we also know that we do our best
thinking in our own special
spaces rather than say that's what's
going to happen at the end of one
meeting you can simply say this is the
important question that we want to
consider now I'd like you all to think
about this in the space until the next
meeting because during that time a lot
of us are actually doing hybrid working
at the moment we have time at home why
not take half an hour off of that
time and take your dog for a walk and
take your issue with you take yourself
for a walk just take your issue for a
walk because you know that might be
where you do your best thinking if it's
an important issue it's worthy of your
valuable thinking time so know where and
when your best time
is and take your issue into that time
and then at the start of the next
meeting you can just give your best
ideas you're not doing the actual
thinking
you're just presenting the ideas where
you can discuss them and actually build
on them and develop them into something
tangible for you to
deliver this brings us to the end of our
brain operating system upgrade and if
you adopt and embrace some of these
opportunities for your thinking you'll
find you're able to address bigger
Bolder questions and to answer them in a
better way in a way that will disrupt
your normal thinking to change the world
around you for yourself but also for the
world of those around you as
well so this is the end of our freaky
thinking upgrade we must now exit the
application and I just hope that from
this day on your thinking is never the
same
again thank you
[Applause]
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