"I wonder if this is a return to the ‘renaissance man’ concept ?"
Some may refer to this era as the Age of Intuition. Or the Shift in consciousness. The business world uses the term The Conceptual Age or The Creative Age or The Age of Imagination.
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The term Conceptual Age is used because conceptual thinking is expected to be key. One definition of conceptual thinking is, "the ability to identify patterns or connections between situations that are not obviously related, and to identify key or underlying issues in complex situations. It includes using creative, conceptual or inductive reasoning." A simpler definition is, "the ability to perceive and imagine, predict and hypothesize, and to conclude and reflect."
- A shift in thinking -
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Pink (author of "A Whole New Mind") stated that right-brainers will rule. Artistry, empathy, inventiveness, big-picture thinking will be the top skills of business. He explains that one of the trademarks of the Conceptual Age is the outsourcing of traditional white-collar jobs such as law, accounting, and engineering to less-expensive overseas workers, particularly in Asia. But as he points out, you can't outsource creativity.
- The new economy -
According to author Cookie Tuminello, the 3 trends that will dictate the Conceptual Era are:
1. Heart versus Head Spending. No longer will people choose the cheapest, easiest or fastest way to getting what they want. They're going to want to conduct business with people who sell from a place of integrity. In short, the new consumer wants to be able to place 100% of their trust in YOU and your business. They want to know what your values are, how you operate your business, and what practices you have in place to ensure that your customer will leave your place of business feeling as if they've just made a 'new' best friend.
2. Right Brain versus Left Brain Business. Left brain selling is going to fade away like the dinosaurs. Appealing to people's logical and mathematical senses in order to make a sale is going to disappear. The left brain or analytical part of your thinking is not going to make your final buying decisions. This shift in thought patterns will allow your right brain, (or emotions), to dictate your ultimate choice of whom you'll conduct business with. Remember the old saying from the '60's that went, "If it feels good, do it?" Well, that way of thinking is going to make a comeback in a BIG way.
3. Manipulating, High Pressure Tactics versus Selling with Integrity. The days of slick talking salespeople are coming to a close. The new consumer wants to be able to ask questions and get real answers, not hear huff and fluff about why Brand "X" is simply THE best thing since sliced bread. These new consumers are capable of doing their own research thank you very much, and they already know what they want before they set foot in your store. They're not going to tolerate up-selling, cross-selling, or any kind of 'hype' selling as they view that as an insult to their intelligence, and rightfully so. They want to be treated as equals by you, the owner. They want you to acknowledge their requests, take their interests to heart, and provide them with the best possible solution to their buying excursion. In short, they want to 'see' your level of integrity and honesty. If you try to pull the proverbial wool over their eyes, they're going to be on you like white on rice. ²
- Work skills for the new age -
Lisa Bodell (founder and CEO of futurethink and author of "Kill the company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution") identifies the skills that she thinks will be important in this new Conceptual Age:
In the Conceptual Age, right-brain skills will be key. Given the velocity of change and the complexity that results from this, we need to go beyond just knowledge or expertise. The best employees of the future will excel at creative problem solving and different ways of thinking -- synthesizing seemingly diverse things together for better solutions, using metaphors to explain new ideas for which no context yet might exist.
1. Strategic Imagination refers to "dreaming with purpose." Today's employee is so mired in busywork that their ability to think long-term has waned. But employees of tomorrow must learn to actively imagine future possibilities and create scenarios to act on them.
2. The ability to ask smart and often unsettling questions is known as Provocative Inquiry. Transformative power lies in asking questions that make us rethink the obvious. In the healthcare industry, for example, it can be seen in the shift from curing illness to preventing it via wellness services.
3. The quick and obvious strategy will not survive the fierce competition of the Conceptual Age. Employees will need to continually exercise their Creative Problem Solving skills, the application of best practices from unexpected sources to create fresh solutions.
4. Keeping pace with change is a challenge, yet meeting unexpected situations with quick thinking and resourcefulness is the very definition of Agility. In a world where change is the only constant, a Plan B -- and C, D, and E -- is truly critical.Building on agility, employees will also need to demonstrate Resilience, which translates to tenacity and courage in the face of obstacles.
From HubPage. Selected & edited by SoCientists. Click ' here' for full article.
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