Conceptual Thinking is finding effective solutions by taking a holistic, abstract or theoretical perspective.

An employee demonstrating this competency:

• Notices similarities between different and apparently unrelated situations
• Quickly identifies the central or underlying issues in a complex situation
• Creates a graphic diagram showing a systems view of a situation
• Develops analogies or metaphors to explain a situation
• Applies a theoretical framework to understand a specific situation

Conceptual Thinking underlies the judgment required of managers, when deciding what to do in complex situations. Someone with Conceptual Thinking can view the problem from the context of the larger picture of the organization’s overall goals and strategy and can put the elements of the problem into proper perspective. Conceptual Thinking is required for solving problems that affect many departments or processes and for problems that require innovative approaches.

People who possess this competency have the ability to create an overall understanding of problems or situations by linking information or applying theoretical frameworks. You can strengthen your conceptual thinking abilities by studying and understanding the theoretical concepts that apply to your work. You can learn Systems Thinking and find ways to apply it on the job.

Attend meetings of professional and trade associations and identify and habitually read trade and professional journals, the Wall Street Journal, the business section of your local paper, etc., to gain a wider appreciation for the current business environment and trends in your own business, as well as trends that may affect your customers. Apply what you have learned to solve tour own business problems and to provide better customer service. When confronted with a complex issue, think about whether you have dealt with or heard about similar situations in the past. If so, what is similar? What is different? What worked well in the other situation that would work with your current issue? What didn’t work and what can you do to prevent similar problems from occurring in your current situation? Learn about problem-solving decision making tools such as "pros and cons", "costs versus benefits", "return on investment", "strengths versus weaknesses", "opportunities versus threats", and other problem solving processes. Use these processes to help analyze a situation and determine the best course of action. Create graphic diagrams to represent a task or problem.

Ask your manager, co-workers and team mates to review your project plans or time lines to reality test them for orderliness, assumptions, dependencies, etc. Discuss your understanding of job related problems with others who you feel are good at Conceptual Thinking to get their feedback on whether they have come up with the same pictures as you.

Interview someone strong in Conceptual Thinking and ask this person to provide examples of how he/she has applied conceptual thinking in his/her work. Ask for examples of how this person tackled complex problems or decisions. Attend professional conferences in your technical area, to see examples of how others have applied conceptual thinking to problems in your field.

If you are coaching someone who is trying to develop the compentency, you can: Help this person think through a complex problem by considering the problem from the standpoint of issues and changes in the larger organization. Provide assignments offering exposure to persons high in Conceptual Thinking. Provide opportunities such as conferences and courses that will expose this person others doing conceptual work.

By December 1, I will interview Mary Jones and Curt Morrow, to learn how they establish focus in their organizational units. By November 15, I will read The Leadership Challenge, by james Kouzes and Barry Posner, and prepare a written list of ideas that I can implement in establishing my own unit. By November 8, I will obtain and review the business's strategic plan and prepare a list of ideas about how my unit can specifically support the business's strategic plan. By December 15, I will have my Plant Manager speak to my unit about the Plant's strategic direction and what our unit needs to do to support the Plant's strategic direction. By February 1, I will hold a meeting with my direct reports, to develop a plan for the unit, with specific tasks, accountabilities and dates for their accomplishment. By February 15, I will hold a meeting with all unit staff to present and review the unit plan.

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell. 288 pages. Little, Brown and Company, 2007.

Brain Storm: Tap into Your Creativity to Generate Awesome Ideas and Remarkable Results, by Jason Rich. Franklin Lakes, NJ: The Career Press, Inc., 2003.

Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas, by James L. Adams. New York, NY: Perseus Books, 2001.

Creativity, Inc., by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace. 368 pages. Random House, 2014.

Images of Organization, by Gareth Morgan. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. ,2006.

Organization and Management Problem Solving: A Systems and Consulting Approach, by James T. Ziegenfuss, Jr. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2002.

Performance Intervention Maps: 39 Strategies for Solving Your Organization's Problems, by Ethan Sanders. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press, 2005.

Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, by Tetlock & Gardner. 352 pages. Broadway Books, 2016.

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. 366 pages. Random House, 2007.

The Future of Knowledge: Increasing Prosperity through Value Networks, by Verna Allee. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, Inc., 2003.

The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and The Mind’s Hidden Complexities, by Gilles Fauconnier, & Mark Turner. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2002.

WORKSHOPS & COURSES - PUBLIC, ONSITE, ONLINE

Creative, Conceptualizing, and Innovative Thinking. 20+ online courses. Coursera.
https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=creative%20thinking

LinkedIn Learning. 10 online courses.
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=conceptual%20thinking https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=creative%20thinking

Design Thinking Courses. Online. IDEO U
https://www.ideou.com/collections/design-thinking-courses

Innovation and Design Thinking Certificate Program. Two-day classroom or online. American Management Association. Tel. 877 566-9441.
https://www.amanet.org/design-thinking-a-customer-centric-process-for-rapid-innovation/

Lateral Thinking. One day. de Bono Consulting. Tel. 800 278-1292
https://debonoconsulting.com/training-courses/course-in-creativity/

Six Thinking Hats. One Day. de Bono Consulting. Tel. 800 278-1292.
https://debonoconsulting.com/training-courses/six-thinking-hats/six-thinking-hats-six-sigma/

Visual Workplace/Visual Thinking Seminar. Two days. Lean Enterprise Institute. Tel. 617- 871-2900.
https://www.lean.org/workshops/workshopcalendar.cfm

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