July Read/3

Title: Styles of Thinking: Strategies for Asking Questions, Making Decisions, and Solving Problems

Authors: Harrison, Allen F.; Bramson, Robert M. Ph.D

Call Number: 153.42 H318S

Subjects: Thought and Thinking; Questioning; Decision-Making; Problem Solving

Number of Pages: 202

ISBN: 0-385-15763-0

Book Description (from the inside flap):

            This is a book about how to make fewer stupid decisions.

            When we approach a problem or decision, we employ a set of specific strategies that are characteristic of a certain Style of Thinking. Each of us has a preference for one of the five Styles, and while each can be catastrophic if overused or used inappropriately.

            By reading this book, you will understand your own Style of Thinking, the Styles of other people who are important to you, and the differences between them. You’ll learn to recognize the errors into which your preferred Style is likely to lead you, and the kinds of situations in which they occur. You will learn how to use your existing strengths more positively, and learn a number of practical methods of expanding your Style. And finally, you’ll learn specific methods of influencing others in the most effective way.

My Read:

            “What kind of thinker are you?” At the back cover, this book challenges the readers to ask themselves this question. In the beginning of the book, the authors ask the readers the basic question: “How do you think about things?” As I read this part I wondered what kind of thinker I am and how I did my thinking. Well, to be honest, I didn’t have any answer for the two questions. But I would like to know what kind of courses the authors have had for their readers.

            I took the 15 questionnaires the book provided to see what kind of thinking style I belong to. From there I took the journey to self-acquaintance and learn about how my brain did the thinking and what the other four styles of thinking did their own. The messages delivered from the chapters reinforce what I have learned about who I am and what I am over the years. It’s a joyful reading experience.

            Here is the epitome of the five Styles of Thinking (from the back cover):

1-The Strange Ways of Synthesists:

            Motto: What if. Synthesists seek likeness in apparent unlikes; seek conflict and synthesis; interested in change; speculative; to whom data is meaningless with out interpretation.

            Apt to say: “On the other hand..”-page 98

            Strategies: grand strategy-the dialectic: #1 open argument and confrontation; #2 asking dumb-smart questions; #3 participating from the sidelines; #4 suspending opposing ideas; #5 speculation and fantasy; #6 proposing “far-out” solutions; #7 negative analysis.

            Strengths and liabilities (page 30):

S-they are willing to look at things from odd points of view, to take substantial risks in their thinking. They might produce penetrating and unusual solutions to problems.

L-they are sometimes nicknamed troublemakers. They might appear lack in personal commitment, lack of follow-through and attention to details.

2-The Wholesome Ways of Idealists

            Constantly asking: “What’s right?” Idealists welcome broad range of views; seek ideal solutions; interested in values; receptive; values data and theory equally. (back cover)

            Apt to say: “Don’t you think that…”-page 98

            Strategies: grand strategy-assimilative thinking; #1 focus on the whole; #2 the long-range view; #3 setting goals and standards; #4 receptive listening; #5 search for aids to agreement; #6 humanizing the argument.

            Strengths and Liabilities

S-they are future-oriented; they welcome a diversity of views and they are interested in quality of life. They pride themselves on their high standards and their intuition.

L- they are nicknamed “bleeding heart.” Sometimes they are unable to recognize how high their standards are. So idealists tend to suffer two related pangs-guilt over disappointment in themselves and hurt feelings over disappointment in others. (page 41-42). When others fail to appreciate or acknowledge their efforts to achieve goals they would feel resentful and ill-used.

3-The Piecemeal Ways of Pragmatists

            Motto: “Whatever works” Pragmatists seek shortest route to payoff; interested in innovation; adaptive; use any data or theory that gets us there. (back cover)

            Apt to say: “I will buy that…”-page 99

            Strategies: grand-the contingency approach; #1 moving one step at a time; #2 experiment and innovation; #3 looking fro quick payoff; #4 tactical thinking; #5 the marketing approach; #6 contingency planning

            Strengths and liabilities:

S-they excel at finding new ways of doing things with the materials that lie at hand. They are interested in getting from here to there, in looking for the shortcut and the quick payoff. They have a grasp of what people will buy, what will sell. (page 13-14)

L-Pragmatists tend to be less predictable and less managed if their great strength, adaptability is overused or used inappropriately.

4-The Orderly Ways of Analysts

            “Logical,” ”reason,” ” scientifically” are terms often used by the analysts. Analysts seek “one best way”; seek model and formulate; interested in scientific solutions; prescriptive; take data over theory and method. (back cover)

            Apt to say: “It stands to reason…”-page 99

            Strategies: grand-search for the one best way; #1 systematic analysis of alternatives; #2 the search for more data; #3 conservative focusing; #4 Charting the situation; #5constrctive nit-picking; #6 deductive reasoning

            Strengths and liabilities:

S-Analysts’ strategies would be clear-cut, specific, visible, and logical if they are applied appropriately.

L-Analysts might seem dry, disciplined, even humorless and dull. They might become rigid and bulky if the analysts had never spent a day in the field therefore their well-formulated strategies might be applied inappropriately.

5-The No-Nonsense Ways of Realists

            Motto: Facts are facts.

            Favorite expressions: “It’s obvious to me…”; “Everybody knows that…””Let’s look at the facts in the situation..”-page67

            Strategies: grand-empirical discovery; #1 setting hard objectives; #2The resource inventory; #3 getting to specifics; #4simplification; #5 using expert opinion; #6incisive correction

            Strengths and liabilities:

S-Once they learn to really face the facts they find practical ways to achieve their goals.-page 77

L-They might seem stubborn and unimaginative for they are people of strong opinions. Once they got perceived facts they are quick to form opinions of other people.-page 77

            The most helpful part for me personally from the book is landed on page 98 and page 99. The two authors composed and listed a chart/table for the readers to have a glimpse of the 5 Styles of Thinking. It’s called “Behavioral Clues to Styles of Thinking.”

            Reading this book reminds me of and warns me not to judge a person based upon what s/he had done. At least, not to do it too quickly or hastily. In a family or at the workplace the mix and combination of members and staffs serves some or certain level or degree of meanings and purposes. Everything happens with certain reasons, known or otherwise. If harmony has to be installed and maintained at any place or situation then we had better respect every plays at present. Even the weakest link serves its meaning and purpose to ask us to work together, to focus and work on the greater good.

            Harmony is the air everyone deserves to breathe in and take home with.