You Majored in What? (8 page)

Remember: you’re thinking all the time, and the thoughts you choose can propel you forward or hold you back. Take a moment and refer to your Wandering Map. Look at some of your achievements and successes. What thoughts were behind the positive actions you took? What thinking skills did you need to be successful at what you did? If you can name them, write them down on the back of your map or on a separate piece of paper. If you’re not so sure, you’ll have a chance to process this more thoroughly later in the chapter.

ACTION: THE CORNERSTONE OF WISDOM

There is no try. There is only do.

—
YODA
IN STAR WARS

A comedian once described discovering a magazine totally devoted to running. He said he could understand the first couple of issues—maybe some articles about the best running shoes, suggestions for warm-ups and cooldowns, and maybe even the most scenic places to run. But after the first couple of issues, he asked, “Shouldn’t the magazine just say ‘Run!’ ”

He has a point. We can go on and on about knowledge, wisdom, and mindsets, but without taking action with each mindset, we’re wasting time. We have a saying in Texas: “I’m fixin’ to do that.” It’s a joke, of course, based on the premise that we all have lots of things we plan to do but haven’t done yet. Thinking is the first step, but to get results you have to take action. In the next section of this chapter, as you focus on the ten key mindsets employers are seeking, start considering which mindsets you have already put into action and which ones you want to start using.

Music at Work:

THE MUSIC MAN

In the musical
The Music Man
, con man bandleader “Professor” Harold Hill promotes the “Think System” to his pupils. Not wanting to let on that he doesn’t know how to play an instrument, he tells his students they don’t need to practice; they only need to “think the Minuet in G and you will play the Minuet in G.” Recent psychological research says he may have been on to something: visualization is an important factor in the learning process. Visualizing yourself successfully making foul shots in basketball leads to a greater percentage of successful shots. And visualizing yourself acing the interview helps as well. The successful job search starts in your head.

The easiest way to start taking action is to start
paying attention.
Teach yourself to develop a cycle of action and reflection throughout the day. Try observing your behavior:

• What would you like to do?

• How much do you talk about doing rather than doing?

• Is there a disconnect between what you think (or say) and what you really do?

• What is the first step you could take toward doing?

• Who or what could help you take action?

• How will you feel when you start taking action?

• Imagine that you have taken the action you wanted—how do you now look or feel?

GOOD THINKING WORTH CULTIVATING: TEN MINDSETS EMPLOYERS ARE SEEKING

So you get the message that thinking is vital to your success in life. But what mindsets would be most helpful? Let’s examine ten of them that will ensure your success in the job market and beyond. The mindsets may look intimidating, but in truth you will find that you already know about and practice many of them. You just haven’t paid attention to them or thought about mentioning them specifically to employers.

Psychologists and researchers have identified innumerable kinds of “thinking” above and beyond the ten described here. If you have developed other thinking skills or mindsets, by all means note them and be ready to explain to employers how they would make you the best candidate for the job.

The mindsets described here are simply a starting point: a top ten list, if you will, based on years of conversations with employers who are seeking the best talent for their organizations, whether in a profit, nonprofit, education, government, or entrepreneurial setting. Numerous books have been written about these mindsets and others, so in the interest of time, only the elements related to the job search will be covered here. If you want to read more about each mindset, see References and Resources located at the end of the book.

For each of the mindsets presented you will find questions that will help you develop and strengthen your thinking. As you read through these different mindsets, consider how each one becomes more valuable when combined with action. If you find they overlap with one another as in the diagram above, good for you. They do overlap and the best thinkers use them all and more. And don’t forget to get out your Wandering Map to look for the mindsets you used in the past. They must be presented linearly in a book, but it’s best to think of them as all part of a whole with no one mindset taking precedence over the other.

ARE YOU READY TO GET WISE?

MINDSET 1: THE SYSTEMS MINDSET

The systems mindset can also be called Big Picture thinking. It says we have to take different points of view into account to solve a problem or develop an idea, and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The systems approach allows an organization to see how each component contributes to the strength (or weakness) of a situation. Systems thinking says to connect the dots, because everything is connected. Some key systems thinking questions to ask are:

• What do these things have in common?

• How can they work together?

• How does each piece influence the whole?

• What is the perspective of each piece?

• How does the overall structure influence the behavior of its components?

• What is the consequence of a decision in one part of the system on the rest of the system?

A baseball team, for example, can be considered a “system.” How does the performance of one player affect the performance of the team? How important is it that they work together? How does each player view the game? How important are the fans to the team? Does the name of the team help its popularity or perhaps cause controversy? And what about the location or quality of the stadium—not to mention unions, salary negotiations, community issues, and so on. Systems thinking will help create the best possible baseball team by considering all the elements in relation to one another.

Why Would an Employer Care About Systems Thinking?

• Workers who use a systems approach are more likely to see connections between divisions and develop stronger relationships.

• A systems mindset is vital to an organization’s survival. As customers become more concerned about environmental issues, for instance, the company’s “good citizenship” in the world can influence the company’s bottom line.

• If organizations focus only on one factor or perspective, their decision making is compromised and limited. Systems thinking results in creative problem solving.

• Internal effects: organizations are comprised of networks of internal relationships between divisions and departments. The systems approach pulls divisions together so that the human resources department is aware of the sales department, which becomes more aware of the manufacturing process, and so on.

• External effects: organizations have to consider outside forces as well. For instance, a company like Benetton can’t just focus on buying and selling clothes. It must consider environmental impact and related issues; labor conditions for employees, including their standard of living; the source of its products, including whether and how animals are used; geographic locations and climate; political conditions; shareholders; customers, and so forth.

How You Can Develop or Use the Systems Mindset

•
You have already begun using a systems mindset
: you used it when you created your Wandering Map in Chapter 2. Chaos theory is an example of a systems perspective.

•
Begin noticing connections
. How do seemingly disparate parts of your life connect to and influence one another? How do your classes connect? Why is what you learned in psychology helpful in your history class? How did observing your coach settle a rivalry within the team teach you a way to settle a conflict in your residence hall? Why is it important for you to understand someone else’s perspective or viewpoint?

•
Look at the systems surrounding you
. What organizations do you belong to or where have you worked? What kind of systems interact at your college or university? How many different departments or groups exist within the system? What are the outside influences? How could you apply a systems approach to better explain and understand conflicts or problems as well as apply new solutions?

•
Take courses that allow you to study complex systems
such as anthropology, economics, sociology, or political science, or interdisciplinary courses such as American studies, Asian studies, women’s studies, and so on, where you will examine societal problems like poverty or immigration. You know that topics like these can’t be studied from only one perspective and why it’s silly when a politician proposes a “simple” solution to a complex problem.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank your use of the systems mindset?

If you were going to tell an employer about your strength in systems thinking, what example(s) would you use?
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MINDSET 2: THE CREATIVE MINDSET

Quick—answer this question: Are you creative?

How did you answer?

Why?

When I ask this question in classes, about 50 percent to 75 percent of the students raise their hands. When I ask the others why they don’t think they’re creative, they usually mention their lack of talent in music, writing, or the arts. But this is a myth and an extremely limited view of creativity. The truth is everyone is, and can be, creative. Creativity like any other mindset can be cultivated. You may recall the quote about creativity in Chapter 2 that said, “Creativity connects the unconnected.” Creativity is not only talent in the arts, it’s also the ability to view circumstances in a new way, to see what others don’t see, find a new solution to a problem, or develop a new product or idea. People who are creative question the status quo and wonder how it could be changed or improved. They ask questions such as What if . . .? or What else . . .? or How can we . . .?, any of which can lead to new ideas.

Another myth about creativity is the belief that we have to have unlimited time and/or money to be creative. We conjure up notions of the wonderful creative projects we could do if only we had all the time and money we needed. But research has shown that creativity actually thrives with moderate limitations (like deadlines or budgets) and decreases when unlimited resources of time and money are provided.

Why Would an Employer Care About Creative Thinking?

• Organizations need to grow and move forward to keep up with change, and creative people are invaluable to growth.

• Creative thinkers will help organizations stay ahead of the competition.

• Creative thinkers are the greatest source of innovation and new products.