Daniel Pink rocks. All of his books are insightful and A Whole New Mind is certainly no exception. As with Drive and To Sell is Human (reviews of which can both be found in these here archives), he takes rather mundane topics – in this case, the human brain – and, withthe perfect balance of art and science, spins an entertaining read. Given how radically our world has changed in the Internet age, the left side of our cranial mush has ceded more and more control to the right. Right-brained thinking, Pink writes, “is suddenly grabbing the wheel, stepping on the gas, and determining where we’re going and how we’ll get there.” Simply put, last century we were largely driven by sequence, text and details; today, we must add to the stew the simultaneous appreciation of context and the big picture. Whew! It ain’t easy.
Pink challenges the reader to reflect on his/her given career and consider if someone overseas can do it cheaper, if a computer can do it faster, and/or if demand for it is wavering in this age of abundance. While it might be easy to think of what you do at work in the context of off-shoring and automation, perhaps less obvious is in the realm of what the author calls satisfying “the aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual demands of a prosperous time.” To no one’s surprise, counselors and nurses are in high demand these days, which is in line with the theme here. And if you feel like your doctors have gotten a bit less arrogant in recent times, they apparently have. Pink cites 20+ year-old videotaped studies that show on average Dr. Knowitall would interrupt the patient at 21 seconds into the interview. In recently updated tests, he/she waits 23 seconds. Ah, it’s the little things that build comfort and rapport, no? (What’s funny is those two additional seconds likely do help with creating the feeling of actually giving a rat’s behind about what some has to say.)
So we need right-brain directed aptitudes which are both high concept and high touch. Pink calls these the Six Senses: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning. The mission of the Book Report is to try and sum this sort of stuff up in three paragraphs and fewer than 600 words, so here goes nothing: we must connect with those around us. It’s predicted in A Whole New Mind that the most successful managers will be those who create comfortable work environments bathed in natural light (literally). These bosses will also have learned to lighten up a bit in recognition of the power of laughter, coming both from themselves and their people. Henry Ford would doubtlessly roll over in his grave if he were to hear about jovial workplaces and modern day laughter clubs which suffice it to say, didn’t exist under his no-smiling-and-get-back-to-work reign over the auto giant he founded. So enjoy a belly laugh or two today, faithful reader. Turns out it’s good for your health, ratchets up your emotional intelligence, and makes you more enjoyable to be around. Hell, go set up Twister in the break room. Right brain, red.