THE HUMMINGBIRD PHENOMENON

Hummingbirds are capable of moving up to 100 km per hour, epitomising perpetual motion. They seem to always be on the go. Even seem to always be on the go. Even when one one feeds, it frequently does so while winging it; it doesn't hoard food to eat later.

When flying, the bird's body works like a high precision race car motor pushed to the limit. The hummer's heart pulsates more than 600 times a minute; its wings beat about 75 beats per second. The bird is a model of nature's finest machinery.

For this feathered whirly bird to keep itself aloft, it must constantly eat because it rapidly burns what it consumes. The principal food for hummers is nectar, a high calorie, instant energy fuel. They flap this sugary liquid from the base of preferred flowers with their long, slender tongues.

In addition, the birds pluck small insects and spiders from flowers. Whereas nectar feeding is done to provide energy, protein comes from bugs.

Although hummingbirds take their name from noise created by their fast-moving wings, quarrelling canaries would also be appropriate. Male hummers stake out their feeding areas and chase, bluff or harpoon other males entering their domain.

Females, on the other hand, are permitted to trespass at will. Although you may frequently see fights at or near feeder in someone's backyard, rest assured the birds rarely hurt one another, even when they collide in midair and grapple in a feather-flying free fall to the ground.

Lesson to be Learned:

The world has changed from the slow, easy pace of yesterday, to the whirlwind that engulfs us today. Much like the frenetic hummingbird, we too need to be in real time, at all times. Blink and you might have missed something important.

But unlike the hummingbird, simply eating for the sake of nutrition is not enough. We also need to slow down and pace ourselves, for though what we eat matters much, what is eating us matters much more.

[Excerpted from 'Surfing the Intellect: Building Intellectual Capital in a Knowledge Economy', by Dilip Mukerjea.]

Even the 'Mind Map' now gets into the world of fashions! Apt use or Abuse?

ANOTHER INTERESTING & YET PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE ABOUT READING

Educator Nancie Atwell, writing in her book, 'The Reading Zone', argues that, to be a skilled, passionate, habitual, critical reader, we need:

"... to learn how to make of reading, 'a personal art'... "

"... to become comfortable with the 'P' word — comfortable with 'pleasure' as a motivating force in reading... "

"... to read for pleasure, but not for idleness; for pasttime but not to kill time; to seek, & find, delight & enlargement of life in books... "

ONE OF DILIP MUKERJEA'S LATEST PROMOTIONAL POSTERS FOR THE EDUCATIONAL DOMAIN

[All digital images in this post are the intellectual property of Dilip Mukerjea.

Digital images from the author - in high resolution, vector graphics; hand-crafted but digitally enhanced, & arranged in different library categories, to suit both corporate & educational domains - are readily available for outright purchase.

Please contact the author at dilipmukerjea@gmail.com for more information about pricing & delivery.

Requests for custom engineering designs to suit clients' particular requirements are also welcome.]

ONE OF DILIP MUKERJEA'S LATEST PROMOTIONAL POSTERS FOR THE CORPORATE DOMAIN

[All digital images in this post are the intellectual property of Dilip Mukerjea.

Digital images from the author - in high resolution, vector graphics; hand-crafted but digitally enhanced, & arranged in different library categories, to suit both corporate & educational domains - are readily available for outright purchase.

Please contact the author at dilipmukerjea@gmail.com for more information about pricing & delivery.

Requests for custom engineering designs to suit clients' particular requirements are also welcome.]

AN INTERESTING & YET PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE ABOUT READING

"The process of reading is not a half sleep, but in highest sense, an exercise, a gymnast's struggle: that the reader is to do something for him or herself, must be on the alert, must construct indeed the poem, argument, history - the text furnishing the hints, the clue, the start, the framework."

~ Walt Whitman, (1819-1892), American poet, essayist & journalist;

READING THE LINES

[continued from the Last Post:]

'Reading the lines' or 'Reading on the Lines' is generally considered the most basic level, when it comes to reading comprehension or information gathering at its crudest & simplest level.

I would consider 'Surface Reading' as another apt term to describe it, since our primary interest in the reading process is just the facts.

In most instances, I would say expositional & informational writings would fall under the category.

This is in fact the level at which most of us as readers can function quite easily, as one can quickly understand the reading material at hand.

In other words, one can understand what the author is actually talking about because all the needed information is there, just as the author has said it.

To put it in another perspective, one can, with a quick glance of the eye, easily point one's finger at the text where the information is located,

In the academic context, the "answers" to the "questions" are right there in the text.

More specifically, for a student, this is the reading level that tackles most common tests like 'Objective Tests', 'Multiple-Choice Question Tests', 'Fill-in-the-Blank Tests', as well as 'True or False Tests'.

Therefore, "retelling" of the captured information when needed is also quick & easy, especially in terms of Who? When? What? Where? How many?

Reading experts like to term this aspect as "literal comprehension".

[to be continued in the NEXT POST:]

WHY THE NEED FOR CREATIVITY?

Dilip Mukerjea writes in his book 'Taleblazers: Imagination to Imprint':

"Ideas built the pyramids of Egypt, the gardens of Japan, the cathedrals of Europe. The megacorporations like Disney, Microsoft and Sony were propelled into existence by the high-octane component of ideas.

NO IDEAS, NO FUTURE!

Never before in the history of the human race has there been a period such as now... where ideas have been recognised as the prime component of Intellectual Capital, the new currency of commerce.

Today's winners emerge ONLY from with creative organisations. They are distinguished by their superiority in being more productive, effective, efficient, and agile.

Their capacity for thinking in new ways about old probelms, empowers them to outperform their competition. In the final analysis, they have no competition!

The vital catalyst for creating wealth, excitement, and fun is... CREATIVITY!

Points to Ponder:

- How creative are you?

- Can you afford NOT to do anything about it? If NO, why NOT?

- As Dilip puts it, "Creativity is the crucial variable that transforms knowledge into value". How best can you do about it?

- As Dilip often exhorts in his writings, "Innovation is the bridge to the Future!". What's the connection with Creativity? How would you chart your course in order to leverage on both?

Please stay tuned!

A WISE QUOTE FOR MONDAY MORNING

"... On the most aggregate level, failure is, in a sense, a consequence of success: no business models live forever... there's always a gale of creative destruction... disruption is the order of the day...

... In a sense, every success is built upon an assemblage of failures. The challenge would be to detect them...

... Map out a failure strategy..."


~ ragtag snippets from the writings of Dr Bengt-Avne Vedin, Professor Emeritus in Innovation Management, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, in Sweden;

[Source: Innovation Management;]

THE RATIONALE FOR READING

Dilip Mukerjea writes in his book, 'Taleblazers: Imagination to Imprint':

"Research indicates that the average CEO of an organisation does not finish reading one book a year!

The average corporate executive needs to read over 5 milion words per month, or 60 million words a year.

Information anxiety has arrived! How are we to keep pace with the high-velocity world?

The average reading speed opf most people is about 240 words per minute (wpm), well below the rate stipulated by the United Nations for functional literacy, 400 wpm.

Today, knowledge doubles every year. We have received more information in the last 50 years than in the last 5000. There is a dire need for us to deal with 'information anxiety'.

The answer lies in learning to read a range of materials, at a range of speeds, enhance comprehension, acquire skills in writing and speaking, and boost overall mental literacy - all vital components for developing intellectual capital.

READERS MAKE LEADERS! and LEADERS ARE READERS... of books, people, situations, and possibilities."

Points to Ponder:

- Currently, how fast are you reading?

- How much do you know about the characteristic traits of a proficient reader?

- Proficient readers never use only one strategy, rather they fluidly coordinate a number of strategies to ensure maximum comprehension of their daily reading materials. Do you like to know more about their strategies?

- In essence, proficient reading necessitates three levels of reading comprehension: 'reading on the lines', 'reading between the lines', & 'reading beyond the lines'.

Dilip Mukerjea has highlighted them in his book, 'Unleashing Genius, with the World Most Powerful Learning Systems'.

Dilip has nonetheless concurred with me that a fourth level is even imperative, especially in today's world of accelerating change, increasing complexity & hyper-competitive marketspace: 'reading outside the lines'.

Game to know more?

Please stay tuned.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER: 7 ANTI-STUCK QUESTIONS FROM DUDLEY LYNCH

Thinkologist Dudley Lynch is one my most favourite authors, especially within the realm of brain-based, change-oriented, future-focused, technologies.

[When I talk about "brain-based", I am essentially referring to self-mastery, in terms of understanding my own brain, & also the brains of others, as well as mastery of the immediate environment by making it conducive to learning, or brain-friendly, so to speak.]

He is the founder of Brain Technologies Corporation, a consulting, training & publishing outfit on brain change, thinking skills upgrade & world handling tools.

Among his many excellent books, & not discounting his many equally excellent proprietary profile instruments, 'Your High Performance Business Brain' & 'Strategy of the Dolphin', plus 'The Mother of All Minds', have been most influential in my being today.

I have in fact gathered many of his excellent thoughtwares (books, instruments, quotes, etc.) in my 'Optimum Performance Technologies' weblog, where readers can go & read about the stuff.

Here, I like to take the opportunity to highlight his famous 7 anti-stuck questions (from his personal weblog): [I often use these provoking questions to poke & probe myself!]

1) My brain thinks I'm who?

2) So, what am alive to do?

3) What does my mind keeps turning my blind eye to?

4) How can I become a wiser, savvier winner?

5) Can my brain learn to avoid its bigger error?

6) Where's the real total story about me?

7) Where's the next level & how do I get there?

The questions, plus Dudley's teachings, have certainly made me realised that developing and sustaining a future-savvy mind requires the ongoing work of a personal lifetime.

I like to equate the foregoing, in some ways, with what psychologist Prof K Anders Ericsson first called "deliberate practice", which was subsequently popularised by marketing strategist Seth Godin in his 10,000-hour-challenge.

It is pertinent for me to point out Dudley's published thoughwares were generally not easy to read at first reading. They often required few deep readings, plus deliberate marginal annotations to flesh out his new-sprung ideas.

During my early years of learning pursuit, what I had like most was the author's disciplined & yet artful blending of cognitive sciences, psychology, physics, sociology, & business strategy in his writings.

On hindsight, I have also realised that most of author's work were often far ahead of the conventional mass-market business writings.

In fact, I am proud to say, much of his writings, despite the transpiration of time, are still relevant today.

Best of all, to my pleasant delight, the author had always offered me with a plethora of elegant choice-seeking strategies to think & act at the future edge.

To paraphrase the author,..."to think audaciously, live strategically & act wiseheartedly".

DILIP MUKERJEA'S INGENIOUS PORTFOLIO (EDUCATIONAL DOMAIN)

I like to give readers a quick virtual tour of Dilip Mukerjea's colourful catalog - latest edition - of his portfoilio of products & services under the InGenius program targetted at the educational domain, including parents & home schoolers.

DILIP MUKERJEA'S BRAINAISSANCE PORTFOLIO (CORPORATE DOMAIN)

I like to give readers a quick virtual tour of Dilip Mukerjea's colourful catalog - latest edition - of his portfolio of products & services under the Brainaissance program targetted at the corporate domain, including entrepreneurs, professionals & managers.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES GALORE

This is an updated - as well as extended - version of our 'Business Opportunities Galore' presentation, showcasing a menu of business possibilities with the unique intellectual thoughtware as conceived & developed by Dilip Mukerjea, while working in close collaboration with me over the last two years or so... specifically for visionary investors, or transformation architects or possibility coagulators.



We invite you to take a close look.

Business enquiries are certainly welcome. Please contact Dilip Mukerjea via email dilipmukerjea@gmail.com or Lee Say Keng via email saykeng@gmail.com.

[All the images in the slideshow are the intellectual property of Dilip Mukerjea. They are originally hand-crafted & computer-enhanced productions, not the commonly available clip arts.

For any purchase requisition of the proprietary digital image libraries, please write to Dilip Mukerjea.]

BRAINFORCE: AN EXPLODED VIEW OF KEY PAGES - in high resolution, vibrant colours!

[Just click on the 'Lotus Blossom Map' to get a sneak preview via close-up view of the key pages!

This particular book is targetted at upper primary, secondary & junior college students, plus parents & teachers. Its principal focus is helping students to navigate school life with finesse, & become future-savvy in the Learning Economy.]

PRIMARY GENIUS: AN EXPLODED VIEW OF KEY PAGES - in high resolution, vibrant colours!

[Just click on the 'Lotus Blossom Map' to get a sneak preview via close-up view of the key pages!

This particular book is targetted at primary (as well as lower secondary) school children, plus parents & teachers. Its principal focus is helping children to embrace all-rounded, self-efficacy skills, thus becoming self-directed, life-long learners.]

BRAINCHILDREN: AN EXPLODED VIEW OF KEY PAGES - in high resolution, vibrant colours!

[Just click on the 'Lotus Blossom Map' to get a sneak preview via close-up view of the key pages!

This particular book is targetted at upper primary & lower secondary students, plus parents & teachers. Its principal focus is developing thinking (especially critical & creative), learning & commumication skills.]

THE BUZAN TECHNIQUES: BUILDING BRAINPOWER SEMINAR, by Dilip Mukerjea

Dilip Mukerjea is scheduled to conduct the next session of the foregoing popular seminar at the Royal Plaza on Scotts from 28th to 30th April 2010, under the auspices of the Singapore Institute of Management.

The seminar synopsis is outlined as follows:

Introduction:

It is said that the human brain is like a computer, but unlike a computer, “Hard Drive Full” is something your brain will never experience. With its unlimited capacity to learn, the brain is seemingly infinite in power and capabilities.

The thing is, how do you tap into this unlimited source of power?

Benefits to You:

Mind Mapping®, Speed Reading and Power Comprehension, and Memory Enhancement train your brain to:

- convert information into usable intelligence
- attain simple solutions to complex problems
- understand that true TQM equates effective brain usage

It will also:

= Significantly enhance your information processing capabilities
- Boost individual and group mental literacy
- Become an intellectual power pack.

Programme Outline:

- Checking your Brain
- Test your memory
- Measure your creativity - how good a problem solver are you?
- Thought organisation - disentangling clutter
- Leading through thinking
- Reading speed and comprehension
- Are you a positive thinker?
- Mind Mapping®
- Dramatically increase memory and concentration via Mind Maps®
- Stimulate creativity in yourself and others via Mind Maps®
- Applying Mind Maps® in note-taking, note-making, problem solving, speech writing, meetings, planning and studying
- Distil immense amount of information or materials onto one sheet of paper
- Speed Reading
- How to immediately increase your reading speed
- Boosting comprehension to merge with the increase in reading speed
- Equate speed reading via power browsing, to Mind Mapping®, and achieving a high-speed thought organisation
- Boosting your Memory
- Stretch your memory with advanced memory techniques for a tremendous improvement in recall and retention of names and faces, data and numbers
- How to use your memory before/during/after learning
- How to improve access to your memory when under stress

Learning Features:

Fast-paced but with ample opportunity to develop these skills for future use. Emphasis will be on practical applications.

Who Must Attend:

Executives at all levels and from any discipline.

Venue : Royal Plaza on Scotts (for 28/4-30/4/2010 class only)
Time : 8:30 - 18:00
Fee : S$1,605.00 (SIM Members)
(Inclusive of 7% GST)
Enquiries : 62489407 exec@sim.edu.sg

For registration, please proceed to this link at the Singapore Institute of Management.

CAN ASIAN CREATE? THE INVENTION OF ZERO BY INDIANS

What follows is certainly an interesting fact, which I had found on the net, in continuation of my earlier blogpost, 'Can Asians Create?'.

"The invention of zero has had a tremendous impact on the history of mankind because it made the development of higher mathematics possible.

Right from the beginning of the civilization man has tried many different methods to write the numbers.

For this purpose, Greeks used letters of their alphabet and Egyptians appropriate pictures.

Romans used a complicated system. They used X to represent 10; 'C' to mark 100 and M for 1000. For one they used I, for 5 - 'V', for 50 - 'L,' for 500 - 'D'. They represented 4 by 'IV'. If they had to write 1648, they wrote 'M13CXLVIll'. This was indeed a complicated method.

However, long before the birth of Christ, the Hindus in India had invented a far better number system but without zero at that time.

Later zero was invented. It was brought to Europe about the year 900 A.D. by the Arab traders and is called the Hindu-Arabic system.

In this system, all numbers are written within the nine digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and the zero '0' (sunya). Here each figure has a value according to the place in which it is written.

The Romans didn't have a zero in their system.

Zero has some peculiar properties.

When it is added to or subtracted from any number, the result remains the same. When any number is multiplied by zero it becomes zero. It is the only number which can be divided by another number but it cannot divide any other number.

The expression 0/0 is neither meaningless nor meaningful. In fact, it is indeterminate. Zero is similar to all other natural numbers.

The invention of zero became the turning point in the development of culture and civilization - without which the progress of modern science, industry and commerce was inconceivable."

Just out of curiosity: Is there anybody who wants to dispute this interesting fact?

Nonetheless, the following quote from Albert Einstein said it all:

"We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made."

[Source: www.4to40.com/science;]

MY FAVORITE PICTURE FOR THIS WEEK: Visual Human Anatomy Visualisation

Wow! What a wonderful visual masterpiece, with the human anatomy visualised in the form of an extended MRT route map.


[Source: The Sam Loman Portfolio on the BehanceNetwork, a free platform for the world's leading creative professionals;]

CAN ASIANS CREATE?

"... The Muslim world gave us something we continue to use to this day – soap – because of the religion’s emphasis on cleanliness.

Soap was manufactured in the Middle East for centuries before the West knew about it.

Muslims invented algebra and worked out the angle of the tilt of the earth. They built the first windmill, pioneered the concept of the crank rod and designed the first ever torpedo.

Muslim creativity also led to numerous other inventions that are still in use today, hundreds and thousands of years later.

Their pursuit of knowledge led them to build the world’s largest libraries which they simply called “houses of wisdom”.

From Egypt came the mysterious Pyramids that until today baffle scientists and engineers – a feat that cannot even be copied today. The Egyptians also built the first dam.

The Chinese invented paper around the year 105.

Gutenberg is officially credited with inventing the printing press in the 1440’s. But the Chinese created a type of printing press long before that – around 200 B.C. By 1000 A.D., the Chinese had introduced books to replace scrolls – a good 450 years ahead of Gutenberg.

When the tsunami hit in 2004, we all learned of its power based on the Richter scale, which was invented in 1935. But in the 132 A.D., the Chinese developed the first earthquake sensor, 600 years ahead of the first western sensor from France.

As you know, the Chinese also invented the suspension bridge, gun powder and the first steam propelled cart hundreds of years before the first steam-propelled engine car was built in the West.

And well before Texas Instruments, China had developed the first calculator, the abacus.

The Indians were weaving cotton and wearing comfortable cotton attires 3,500 years before the West got to know about it. The Indians invented the spinning wheel of course – something the Europeans did not catch up with until the Middle Ages.

The world’s first planned cities were found in India. Every house had its own bathroom and toilet 5,000 years ago!

This list goes on.

The East and the Middle East were centres of ancient inventions; they were leaders of innovative thinking and inventive creativity for a thousand years.

So all these excuses that being Asian or Malaysian make us incapable of creative thinking can only come from people who do not do much thinking..."

~ from a beautiful speech by Professor Emeritus Dato' Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing, Founder & President of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia;

[Here's the link to the original speech, entitled 'Creativity: Heartbeat of an Innovative Economy', from which the above has been extracted;]

A WISE QUOTE FOR MONDAY MORNING

"It all lies in how high a person wants to fly because with creativity the sky is the limit & those who are adventurous can mingle with the stars."

~ from the corporate website of Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Lim Kok Wing, the Founder and President of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia;

LOTUS BLOSSOM MAP OF 'UNLEASHING GENIUS' in high resolution, vibrant colours!

This is a 'Lotus Blossom Map' of Dilip Mukerjea's earlier book, 'Unleashing Genius with the World's Most Powerful Learning Systems', targetted at students of all ages, including parents, teachers, entrepreneurs, managers, & professionals.

The book's principal focus is building intellectual capital & strategic agility.

Together with the forthcoming trilogy of learning books, comprising 'BrainChildren', 'Primary Genius' & 'Brain Force', it will serve as a complete compendium for learning in the 21st Century.


Just click on the 'Lotus Blossom Map' to get a sneak preview via close-up view of the key pages!

The book is already available at Kinokuniya Bookstores.

Alternatively, you can preview &/or order it from the author's corporate website.

A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE LEARNING TRILOGY via 'LOTUS BLOSSOM' MAPS

Dilip & I have jointly developed a variation of his 'Splash Map' to show an exploded view of selected pages from his new trilogy of books, comprising 'BrainChildren', 'Primary Genius', & 'Brain Force', targetted at students from primary to junior college students, as well as parents & teachers.

Tentatively, we have designated the maps as 'Lotus Blossom Maps', with selected pages revolving around central images of the book's respective front cover & tapestry of contents.

In preparation of the pending book launch, the maps will be printed on speical fabric from South Korea, in large poster size, probably A1, with high-resolution & full-colours format.

For this weblog, I have appropriately reproduced the 'Lotus Blossom Maps' in low-resolution.

MY FAVORITE PICTURE FOR THIS WEEK: Thinking Big Picture

[Source: 'A Powerful Learning Process' presentation from slideshare.net;]

A BRILLIANT INNOVATION FROM CHINA: GETTING ON & OFF THE BULLET TRAIN WITHOUT THE TRAIN STOPPING

A good friend of mine, David Tang, who visits China quite regularly, has sent me the above videocast about a very cool concept from China:

It's certainly a brilliant innovation - getting on & off the bullet train without the train stopping.

No time is wasted. The bullet train is moving all the time.

If there are 30 stations between Beijing and Guangzhou, just stopping and accelerating again at each station will waste both energy and time. A mere 5 min stop per station (elderly passengers cannot be hurried) will result in a total loss of 5 min x 30 stations or 2.5 hours of train journey time!

The passenger at a station embarks onto to a connector cabin way before the train even arrives at the station.

When the train arrives, it will not stop at all. It just slows down to pick up the connector cabin which will move with the train on the roof of the train.

While the train is still moving away from the station, those passengers will board the train from the connector cabin mounted on the train's roof.

After fully unloading all its passengers, the cabin connector cabin will be moved to the back of the train so that the next batch of outgoing passengers who want to alight at the next station will board the connector cabin at the rear of the train roof.

When the train arrives at the next station, it will simply drop the whole connector cabin at the station itself and leave it behind at the station.

The outgoing passengers can take their own time to disembark at the station while the train had already left.

At the same time, the train will pick up the incoming embarking passengers on another connector cabin in the front part of the train's roof.

So the train will always drop one connector cabin at the rear of its roof and pick up a new connector cabin in the front part of the train's roof at each station.

My immediate comment is that, if China could conduct a manned spaceflight, build the fastest train in the world - from Wuhan to Guangzhou; next in the works, Beijing to Shanghai - & engineered the largest dam in the world - 'The Three Gorges Dam' - it's only a matter of time that the foregoing concept would become a commercial reality.

A SNEAK PREVIEW OF BRAINFORCE

This is a sneak preview of 'THE SUPERBRAIN STRATEGY LIFESCAPE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' in one of Dilip Mukerjea's newest trilogy of intellectual masterpieces for kids & teens, aptly titled 'BRAINFORCE'.

It has been specifically designed & beautifully illustrated to help them chart out their future - visually - in school as well as beyond school.

Please stay tuned for more information!

BRAINDANCING: CREATIVITY & INNOVATION IN ACTION, scheduled for 12 to 13th May 2010 @SIM

Dilip Mukerjea is scheduled to conduct his foregoing popular seminar at SIM in early May 2010.

The synopsis is outlined as follows:

Introduction

Creativity is controlled chaos, or so you’ve heard but yet to experience. Then get ready to enter the eye of the creative storm with this mind-blowing programme that explores the creative process and teaches you how to make sense of this little understood and
unpredictable process.

Benefits to Participants:

Apply a range of creativity techniques in your work and personal life. Acquire expertise in converting breaks into breakthroughs.

Enhance your creative abilities, as well as boost your group intelligence. You will be able to apply the skills immediately in your life. This seminar is extremely valuable for idea generation and invaluable for enhancing flexibility in thinking.

Programme Outline:

- Generate ideas through a range of brilliantly simple but formidably-proven tools and techniques
- Prioritise powerfully in the creative decision-making process
- Dismantle mindsets and attain fluency, flexibility, and fluidity in confronting competitive creativity in a chaotic marketplace
- Learn how ideas emerge to create the advances we take for granted today
- Break out into areas of relevance and significance
- Work on the system, instead of in the system. Create constructive chaos for achieving 'chaordic' (chaos + order) relevance
- How many know about the latest software for their laptop computers but don't have a clue about the latest software for their cranial computer? Get the know-how here
- How many can surf the net but don't know how to surf their heads? Consider InterNet versus InterHead

Learning Features:

Fast-paced, interactive, and with ample opportunity to develop your skills for future integration in the workplace. Emphasis will be on practical applications.

Who Must Attend:

Executives at all levels from any discipline.

Venue : TO BE ADVISED.

Time : 8:30 - 18:00

Fee : S$963.00 (SIM Members) (Inclusive of 7% GST)

Enquiries : 62489407 exec@sim.edu.sg

For registration to the seminar, please proceed to this link.

BRAINCHILDREN AT THE ASIAN PARENTS FORUM 2010

Dilip Mukerjea will be a keynote speaker at the Asian Parents Forum 2010, one of four major events held in conjunction with the inaugural Asian Festival of Children's Content 2010, scheduled from 6th to 9th May 2010 at The Arts House.

The organisers are The Arts House and the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS).

Dilip's one-hour session is aptly titled 'BRAINCHILDREN', scheduled for 10-11am in the Play Den of The Arts House.

The session synopsis is as follow:

"This session addresses the truth that the first wonder of the world is the mind of a child. All children are capable of performing learning miracles. Parents and teachers can enable their children to become able, to be future-ready via diverse aspects of the brain's artistry, virtuosity and sense of play! Brainchildren is the affirmation that children need to live a LIFE with wisdom from L = Leadership, I = Imagination, F = Fellowship, and E = Entertainment!."

More information about the festival is available at this link.

For registration to Dilip's session, please proceed to this link.

A SNEAK PREVIEW OF BRAINCHILDREN

This is a sneak preview of 'The Assembly Line of the 6T Creative Thinking Process' in one of Dilip Mukerjea's newest trilogy of intellectual masterpieces for kids & teens, aptly titled 'BRAINCHILDREN'.

It has been specifically designed & beautifully illustrated to spark curiosity & wonder among kid readers.

Please stay tuned for more information!

A WISE QUOTE FOR MONDAY MORNING

"The fact is if something irritates you it is a pretty good indication that there are other people who feel the same. Irritation is a great source of energy & creativity. It leads to dissatisfaction & should prompt you to begin asking yourself the types of question that can lead to a good business idea."

~ Anita Roddick, founder of the Bodyshop business empire;

QUESTIONS TO DISCOVER NEW IDEAS

Here's an excellent approach from Annette Moser-Wellman, innovation consultant & author of 'The Five Faces of Genius':

[Her 'Five Faces Model' is quite interesting. According to her proposition, we need the five different perspectives - 'Seer', 'Observer', 'Alchemist', 'Fool' & 'Sage' - from which to creatively tackle today's business challenges.

From my point of view, it has more or less a broad parallel to Prof Howard Gardner's 'Five Minds for the Future', who argues brilliantly that we need five kinds of mental abilities - 'multi-disciplined', 'synthesising', 'creating', 'respectful' & 'ethical' - to achieve success in the 21st century landscape of accelerating change & information overload.]

For Individuals:

1) What solutions do you see in your mind’s eye?

2) What do you notice –details, hunches, intuitions – that lead to a solution?

3) What does this challenge remind you of? What ideas come from this analogy?

4) What happens if you invert this challenge? What about absurd solutions?
What if you persevered?

5) What’s the simplest solution for you to create? What ideas do you have when you look to the history of your challenge?

For Groups:

1) Ask each member to describe the wildly successful outcome they see in their mind’s eye. Build on the images to see what solutions arise.

2) Ask each participant to share what makes them curious about the problem. What are the things they don’t know, but would like to?

3) Have the group members think of similar problems in different businesses or industries. How did they solve the problem?

4) What if you approached the problem with a sense of humor? Have member share ideas from this perspective.

5) Ask each member to be the “complexity police”. Have them describe the complex parts of the issue and practice creating simple solutions.

[Source: The Genius Workout: Questions to Discover New Ideas';]

A GLIMPSE OF RAW IDEAS FROM 'INNOVATION LIFESCAPE'

One of Dilip's newest books in his thought pipeline is, tentatively titled, 'Innovation Ecosystem Lifescape'. In many respects, it's a work-in-progress.

Below, I have taken the liberty of giving readers a glimpse of one of his many raw ideas:

There are four 'Interconnected Pathways to Innovation', as follows:

(1) Seeding: Ideas arrive ready to refine … after initial market sensing (*).

This is where sensations of fun, frolic, and free-spirited, freewheeling, freethinking, ideation are encouraged. Creative conversations are sparked through toys, puzzles, random images and objects, merging and morphing through a sense of purposeful play. This is a birthing stage, where idea seeds emerge as raw materials for prototyping, to be followed in subsequent stages by options for development into products, services, processes, systems, or relationships.

(2) Growing: Ideas arrive ready to develop.

This is a what-if? stage, where the prototype (physical or virtual) is created. Serious play involves experimenting with options and ideas, converging on, for example, experimental design concepts, service layouts, risks and uncertainty analysis, resource planning, technological acquisitions and development, and deeper project scaling.

(3) Harvesting: Ideas arrive ready to use.

This is the how? stage, where focus is directed at a successful realization of innovation objectives. For example, some items on the agenda might include development and testing of system functionality, beta-prototype trials in the market, pre-production/service trials and feedback, specifications and documentation, and qualification and certification.

(4) Reaping: The invention becomes an innovation through commercialization of the original idea.

This is where focus is placed on market penetration and revenue generation. Procedures might include identifying specific markets, distributors, and retailers, defining and determining point(s) of sale, sourcing and selecting commercial partners, defining financial accounting systems, and deciding on a commercial marketing strategy (profit, place, position, and promotion).

The process is highly dynamic, fuzzy, ambiguous. Chaos eventually gives birth to order to chaos to order, inspired by nature, where multiple systems run in parallel.

Thus, we have all four stages interacting with one another, and not always sequentially as described above. The trick is to remain focused on real-world results in real-time. Only then will the emergent innovations be timely, relevant, and profitable.

[According to Dilip, 'The Stages of Innovation' runs as follows:

(1) Market Sensing (*)
(2) Idea Generation
(3) Idea Sorting & Focusing
(4) Idea Development
(5) Piloting & Prototyping
(6) Rolling Out & Distribution
(7) Receiving Feedback, Measuring, & Analysing
(8) Scaling Up, or performing Creative Destruction;]

Say Keng's personal comments:

Dilip is absolutely right on the ball with regard to putting 'market sensing' as a prelude to innovation.

I always hold the view that enhancing perceptual sensitivity to the environment - marketspace, to be precise - is not only the vital key to creativity & problem solving, but also to innovation & entrepreneurship.

Perceptual sensitivity (or sensory acuity) - to express in more specific terms, acute perception, fluidity of perception & multiple perceptions - empowers one's ability to recognise opportunities.

Some food for thought:

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

~ Marcel Proust, (1871-1922), French novelist;

"You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence & success. The problem is, you just don't see them."

~ Jay Abraham, marketing strategist & author of 'Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got';

"Everyone is surrounded by opportunities. But they only exist once they have been seen. And they will only be seen if they are looked for."

~ Edward de bono, creativity guru & author of 'Opportunities: A Handbook for Business Opportunity Search';

To share one great example from the real world:

When Walt Disney took his young daughter to play in a park, he noticed the details around him: the adults were bored, the rides were run-down, & the ride operators were unfriendly.

He thought: "Wouldn't it be fun if there was a place where kids & adults could play together?

From those initial observations, he hatched the idea of his famous theme parks.

MY FAVORITE PICTURE FOR THIS WEEK: CHANGE PERSPECTIVE

"When you look beyond the obvious, you open up to alternative ways of seeing things. As you gain a different perspective on the world, you also bring a certain attitude to everything you do... "

[Source: SAAB]

KNOWLEDGE DEFINED

This is my favourite definition of knowledge:

“Knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information. It originates and is applied in the minds of knowers. In organizations, it often becomes embedded not only in documents or repositories but also in organizational routines, processes, practices, and norms.”

~ Thomas Davenport & Laurance Prusak, writing in 'Information Ecology: Mastering the Information and Knowledge Environment' (1998);

HABITS OF A SYSTEMS THINKER

[Source: Waters Foundation]

A WISE QUOTE FOR MONDAY MORNING

"Innovation is a team sport and a big part of what we are trying to manage is the innovation social system and when we get the system right, when we get the culture right, when we get the right leaders leading the right innovation projects, we have a little bit more success."

~ A.G. Lafley, CEO of Procter & Gamble, in an interview by BusinessWeek;

MAKING DISTINCTIONS: DATA, INFORMATION & KNOWLEDGE

I thought the following interesting exposition from Natalie Michon is worth sharing with readers:

Knowledge is considered as the personal appropriation of information. In order to better understand this notion, let us explain the terms data and information.

A data is an objective description of a fact: it describes what we can observe, without specifying context or justifications. It is limited to a precise instant and does not mean anything if alone.

"Data are facts, observations, or measures that have been recorded but not put into meaningful context. A single musical note is data." (Hunter)

Then data becomes information as soon as it is put into a context, and linked to an object.

"Information is data that has been arranged in a systematic way to yield order and meaning. A series of notes arranged into a tune is information." (Hunter)

The process of transformation of data into information involves five processes: Condensation, Contextualisation, Categorisation, Calculation & Correction (attributed to 'The Knowledge Management Toolkit' by Amrit & Tiwana).

After this process of transformation, information can be absorbed by an individual and became thus knowledge.

"Knowledge is information in the mind, in a context which allows it to be transformed into action. A musician is able to play a tune because of his knowledge." (Hunter)

There is thus a relation of anteriority between data, information and knowledge.

Knowledge appears in individual mind, and evolves with experiences, successes, failures and learning; it must entail an observable behaviour, in answer to a precise context, that is to say it must be “actionable”. But afterward, an individual knowledge can be integrated into a collective one.

[Source: Natalie Michon, 'Impact of Knowledge Management on the Innovation Process in Companies';]

For me, I have a slightly different perspective: Data is always raw & neutral.

Information is the significant meaning we attach to it, drawn from our prior knowledge & past experiences. In other words, we "shape" the information.

It is pertinent for me to point out that "significant meaning" implies initially a personal interest in the data on our part, followed by a personal "understanding" of the data.

From all the disparate streams of information coming our way, we generate useful ideas through the creative process of recombinination or reorganisation, or both, using our ingenuity & imagination.

The ability to generate ideas empowers us with the ability to discern masses of information.

With ideas, we can then know how to make ready use of whatever information. Hence, it is important to realise that, WE THINK WITH IDEAS, NOT INFORMATION!

That's to say, IDEAS ALWAYS COME FIRST!

This is a valuable lesson I have learned from Nobel laureate Arno Penzias as well as creativity guru, Edward de bono.

Then, we put the best ideas to work.

That gives us the opportunity to know what ideas work & what don't. In the process, as action has consequences, we gain valuable experience.

Cummulative experience generates as well as hones our knowledge, which gives us the capability to solve many problems & tackle global challenges.

Over time, cumulative knowledge builds & extends our repertoire of expertise, thus enhancing our breadth & depth of understanding the world in general.

For me, cumulative expertise generally implies a broader & deeper understanding about human interactions, in light of our seasoned experience, so to speak.

Ultimately, the discerning use of our acquired expertise - usually over an extensive period of time, i.e. age counts! - creates wisdom, which allows us to make finer distinctions about the ways of the world, coupled with a good grasp of human nature.

In the end analysis, I reckon the resultant wisdom equips us with the exceptional ability to make more effective use of data, information, & knowledge.

That's how I see the vital connection.

MY FAVORITE PICTURE FOR THIS WEEK

[Source: A 'Creativity Thinking' presentation by Dr Ekaterina Khramkova, Russian Design Research Consultancy Lumiknows, 24 April 2009, International Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship;]

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU SEE THIS GRAPHIC RENDITION?

If you are stuck, go to this link.

[All images in this post are the intellectual property of Dilip Mukerjea.]

THE PATH TO LEARNING LEADERSHIP

[All images in this post are the intellectual property of Dilip Mukerjea.]

NEED HELP IN FINDING YOUR NEXT CAREER MOVE?

Try answering the following questions:

1) what activity makes my heart sing?

2) what talents do I have that are still untapped?

3) what dreams are unfulfilled?

4) what natural gifts do others repeatedly see in me?

5) what training have I always wanted to pursue but have not yet started?

6) what career choices do I regret not making?

7) is it really too late to get the training I need to live my dreams?

8) what would I do if I knew I could not fail?

[adapted from psychologist Terry Paulson's 'The Optimism Advantage: 50 Simple Tools to Transform Your Attitude & Actions into Results';]

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN UNUSUAL BUT SOLID BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY?

If you are, especially when you already have a keen interest in exploring the educational marketspace, you are welcome to write to Dilip Mukerjea via email: dilipmukerjea@gmail.com.

The foregoing trilogy of intellectual masterpieces for kids & teens can readily serve as your initial springboard.

With ingenuity & imagination, you can even explode it into multiple streams of possibilities. Dilip will be most happy to ride shotgun with you.

Besides coaching & writing, Dilip's unique forte is churning out innovative as well as original ideas about learning, creativity & innovation.

He is seriously looking for a visionary investor, &/or transformation architect, &/or a possibility coagulator to create & build long-term businesses out of those ideas, so that he can continue to concentrate & excel on what is good at.