A Whole New Mind

Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Daniel H. Pink

In the opinion of Daniel Pink, we are entering a whole new era due to “The 3 A's” - Abundance, Asia, and Automation. And while living standards have drastically increased, people are not happier....the pursuit of purpose and meaning has become an integral part of our lives.”

For most in the developed world, material things are freely available, and inexpensive in some form. The young, educated population from Asia, particularly India, stands ready to take jobs which people in the developed world do – many could be outsourced, and they could be done at a fraction of the cost.

In an “Age of Abundance” the skills most in demand will be:

High Concept – things that create artistic and emotional beauty, to detect patterns and opportunities, to craft a satisfying narrative, and to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into a novel invention.

High Touch – “involves the ability to empathize, to understand the subtleties of human interaction, to find join in one's self, and to elicit it in others, and to stretch beyond the quotidian, in pursuit of purpose and meaning.”

While competition used to be based on price and quality, for most products, decent quality at a reasonable price is freely available. The just get you to the market. According to a London Business School Study, for every 1% of sales invested in product design, profits increase 3-4%.

“Businesses are realizing that the only way to differentiate their goods and services in today's overstocked marketplace is to make their offerings physically beautiful and emotionally compelling.”

In organizations, the most effective leaders are funny.

The 6 essential Right brain directed aptitudes are:

• Design-as well as being functional, a product must be engaging

• Story: The essence of persuasion is to fashion a compelling narrative. Stories are how we remember.

• Symphony: Putting the big picture together, in contrast to focus and specialization

• Empathy: to understand what makes people tick, forge relationships, and care.

• Play: Will be important in work and life. Playing video games uses a lot of right brained skills like pattern recognition. Role playing games can deepen empathy.

• Meaning: people will pursue purpose, transcendence, and spiritual fulfillment.