Lesson 26 THINK

Coaching for College Students

Lesson 26 THINK

A slight break today. THINKING.

The following comes fro Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_(IBM)

"THINK" is a motto coined by Thomas Watson n December, 1911, while managing the sales and advertising departments at National Cash Register company. At an uninspiring sales meeting Watson interrupted, saying The trouble with every one of us is that we don't think enough. We don't get paid for working with our feet — we get paid for working with our heads. Watson then wrote THINK on the easel.

Watson took the THINK motto to IBM in 1914.  He had desk plaques made for executives that said “THINK”.

As stated before in these lessons, the purpose of college is to THINK. The jobs of the future will require you to THINK.  Thinking is what makes a human a human. 

In college, you are asked to analyze situations and to apply knowledge to solve problems.  Returning to Bloom’s Taxonomy, the higher levels are (4) Analyze; (5) Evaluate and (6) Create.  You want to think and aim for these higher levels of thinking.  (One author called these HOTS – Higher Order Thinking Skills).  

Can you increase your thinking processes?

Most experts suggest working on “Thinking outside the box” – looking with new ways at problems.  Is there an alternate way to approach a situation other than the standard approach?

Some people suggest doing logic problems, word problems, various puzzles to increase thinking. 

I like to picture thinking with three concentric circles.  The smallest, inside circle is labeled "Comfort Zone"; the next larger circle is "Learning Zone"; and the largest circle surrounding the other two is the "Danger Zone". 

All of us have a ‘comfort zone’ – where we function without a lot of thought. Generally we learn little in our comfort zone - going through life without a lot of thinking.

We learn best outside our comfort zone – in the Learning Zone.  Here we are exposed to new ideas and have to adjust our thinking to solve problems.

The farthest zone is the danger zone.  Generally this is far outside your comfort zone.  What if you were dropped in Antarctica with a sleeping bag and a knife.  How would you survive?  (For some people that would be in their learning zone, but for me, that would be in my danger zone.

There is an old adage that you have to leave sight of the shore to find new worlds (by sailing).  We have to leave our comfort zone to learn.  What might that mean to you? 

Assignment:

• Thinking of an example where you ‘thought outside the box’?  What does that term mean to you?  Did you learn?
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• Think of an example where you left your comfort zone – how did that feel?  What did you learn?
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• In college, how might you develop your THINKING skills. 
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• How might a study abroad experience help you get out of your comfort zone?
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• How else might you increase your thinking, analysis, evaluation and creation of new ideas processes?

Quote for today: "Invest a few moments in thinking. It will pay good interest." - Author Unknown