What Does it Mean to be Smart?

Do your people manage complexity effectively?the information required to solve a problem, and yet
Do your people respond to challenges with practical,we're expected to take action and make the right
creative and productive solutions?decision.
Once upon a time, when society was stable and thingsAnimals enter this world better prepared for survival
didn't change very often, repetition was an acceptablethan the human species. If humans had to rely solely
substitute for thinking, and experience was theon instinct and physical strength, we'd be lower on the
predictor of success. But now, things are morefood chain than Timon & Pumba from The Lion
complex, and experience may only mean that aKing. Lions have strong jaws to devour their prey,
person has learned how to do the wrong thing veryalong with soft feet so that their prey is unaware of
well. In the past, organizations were more hierarchical,the danger until it's too late. Deer are able to move
and only a few people did the thinking for everyoneswiftly through heavily wooded areas to elude the
else. Things are different today. It's the companies thatwolf. Porcupines and tortoises move slowly enough for
are able to harness the intellectual capital of their entireany predator to catch them, but make for unappealing
organization that hold the competitive advantage.conquests because of the physical penalty and the
In the past, decision-making trees and moral codesinvestment of time. Even butterflies are born with
were established to help people with their thinking, butbetter self-defense mechanisms. Most butterflies have
the validity of these methods has disappeared as thethe same coloring as bark or leaves that leaves them
pace, the change and the complexity have increasedunidentifiable to their predators. The most colorful
exponentially. The reality is that business will becomebutterflies aren't likely candidates for prey due their
more volatile because the rate of change, fuelled byhighly acidic taste. Birds actually spit them out. But
technology and social aspirations, continues tohumans have none of these advantages. All we have
accelerate.to account for our survival and dominance is the six
In a complex world, the need for enhanced thinkinginches that lies between our ears. Yet over tens of
skills is greater than ever. We each have morethousands of years, we've actually done very little to
freedom to make decisions. Each decision is andevelop our one strength. Learning how to think is the
opportunity to be smart and creative; to actuallyonly way in which we further develop the human
THINK. Powerful substitutes for thinking such as habits,species.
doctrine, dogma and letting someone else doing theTeaching People How to Think
thinking have not only been weakened, but actuallyThinking can be taught, and the key is to treat thinking
replaced by empowerment--but empowerment ofas a skill that can be improved by attention. The result
what and by whom? Today, people have to thinkof learning how to think is the increased production of
more and make more decisions, but are limited by thealternativesolutions, then choosing the best possible
habits of past generations. Most people simply lack thesolution. A practical and personal approach is applied to
cognitive skills to manage the challenges they're facedthe teaching of thinking, but it can be a very intimidating
with on a consistent basis. It's unrealistic, even immoral,subject to teach. Thinking is the ego and criticizing
to ask people to accomplish tasks for which theythinking threatens the ego. It may involve
clearly lack the prerequisite set of skills required forresentment--thoughts such as "Someone is better",
success."My thinking is not what it should be", or "My thinking is
What it means to be smart is the willingness to learn;better" create learning obstacles from the beginning.
to look for alternatives and select the best possibleThe key is to reduce the intimidation factor by
option; then demonstrate the competencies required todepersonalizing how people think. Everyone can see
execute the plan--to think. Our society adequatelythinking flaws in other people but are unable to see
develops the required technical and intellectual skills, butsimilar shortcomings in themselves.
we've missed the mark on developing essential thinkingAnother learning obstacle is that most people see
skills that help people manage complexity.thinking as automatic and involuntary, similar to hearing,
Informationseeing and breathing. When people understand that
The Information Age has proven that knowledge andthe act of thinking is actually a choice and voluntary,
thinking are two different things. The process ofthen they begin to understand that the teaching of
acquiring information is not the same as the processthinking is the learning of perception. We have a choice
of acquiring thinking skills and competencies. Informationin how we want to perceive situations. An important
only enables people to reach the introductory level ofeducational principle states that perception and insight
thinking. Nowadays, information is presented at such aincreases performance. Perception is how we look at
dizzying pace that people are actually limited in theirthings and thinking knows no boundaries--so the
opportunities to learn valuable thinking skills.applications are infinite. The "Doers" in your
Information is currently perceived as a panacea--if weorganization--the people who use their thinking to bring
have more information, then doubt, indecision andsomething about--will gain the greatest benefit from
problems will disappear. Information is piled on becauselearning how to think. The goal is to enlarge the
it's easy to teach and acquire. With perfect andperception of the collective whole. As the collective
complete information, there would be no need forperception enlarges, people see things more clearly, as
thinking; the answers would be simple and clear. Yetif you've received the right eyeglass prescription for
this level of knowledge is unattainable; all decisions areyour organization. Companies that see the reality of
based upon imperfect and incomplete information. Untilthe marketplace with greater clarity and speed hold
we reach the point where we have perfect andthe competitive advantage.
complete information, we need to learn how to think inHuman capital is about people, and it's people who
order to take advantage of the opportunitiescreate productivity. "A country's ability to improve its
presented by the information we do have.standard of living over time depends almost entirely on
The Logic Modelits ability to raise its output per worker," said Princeton
Logic and mathematics can be highly effective thinkingeconomist Paul Krugman. World War II veterans
systems and, thanks to these methods of thinking,doubled their productivity over a 25-year span and
people have walked, driven and even swung a golflived better than their parents ever imagined. Vietnam
club on the moon. As remarkable as theseWar veterans, on the other hand, raised productivity
accomplishments are, they're easier than increasingonly 10% over a 15-year period and found they were
market share, increasing productivity while cutting costsliving no better, and in many cases worse, than their
or getting people to do things that they don't reallyparents. Krugman concluded that productivity isn't
want to do and have them enjoy it. Out in space, theeverything, but in the long run it's almost everything.
variables are fixed and predictable, and follow the lawsProductivity begins with a thought, a vision of might be.
of physics but back here on earth, we have to dealIt takes thinking skills to turn visions into reality.
with people and relationships. Performance situationsLearn what it means to be smart through Dr. Long's
are vague but interrelated, subjectively defined, withnew book, Level Six Performance: A Gold Medal
erratic principles dependent on human emotion andFormula for Achieving Professional & Personal
ambiguous value systems. Very rarely do we have allSuccess published by Champion Press.