Anyone who is interested in thinking, regardless of ability or preference, is welcome in the SOT. Some of the different types of thinkers are listed to indicate the plurality of SOT membership:
– The logician
– The analyst
– The information compiler
– The idea generator
– The lateral thinker
– The detective
– The researcher
– The synthesiser
– The evaluator
– The critic
– The describer
– The clarifier
– The explainer
– The communicator
– The sales person
– The diplomat
– The leader
– The doer
– The observer
– The problem solver
– The problem finder
– The designer
– The explorer
– The organiser
– The system designer
– The group organiser
There is an obvious difference between the researcher who likes to ferret out information in a defined area and the diplomat who is sensitive to changes in people and situations.
There is an obvious difference between the critic who looks at what is and the lateral thinker who looks at what might be.
There is an obvious difference between the problem solver and the problem finder.
It is not just a matter of being better at one type than another–it is a matter of enjoyment.
Which types of thinking do you enjoy most?
DFQ #08:
Choose three from this list and post your thoughts.
_______________________________________________________________
Love of Learning
Since 1977 I have lived in a remote, isolated area with crocodile infested rivers surrounded by awesome Beauty.Gods Country. Over the years, I have achieved my Training and Assesing qualifications by email and face to face. I also taught primary school to my daughter for 5 years by two way radio and later on by telephone. The phone didn’t come for the first 10 — 15 years. I worked on the ground as a volunteer for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was learning!!!LOL Evacuating people through flooded rivers safely. Hmmm
Take it or leave it! This is what I had been telling my staff. I was a middle manager and a queue of people were beating a path to my door to complain about the frequent changes in bosses and the instability of the organisation (3 new big bosses in one year). It seemed like the organisation was using us to experiment with new hires. The troops were not happy and thought they had no way out. They felt trapped as each new boss came in and decided to implement their own system (then passed on). Most frustrating was that I had been told I could not apply for my superior’s position. And every time I tried to broach the problems HQ’s policy was causing I got the same message. Take it or leave it! This was the message that was coming from above. Staff increasing looked to me to lead a full scale mutiny – to be a Fletcher Christian. But we live in a modern economy. We can vote with our feet. This strength and courage is what I decided to show my colleagues and friends. Take it or leave it! Leave it! I left the organisation. You may fall on tough times, But you build your character and try your courage. I nohave lived my life my way and it is excellent. Not always easy – but I now know that any time – I can take it or leave it!
During the 50s, I had a personal situation of being moved from rural to urban areas, and my family needed to learn new skills to deal with another kind of social organizations. Even as a very young person, I leaded that process, guiding my brothers to a University education, and to professional jobs. That was not easy. Many social and psychological forces pulled back. The results have been positive, and the hard efforts have been worthwhile.
Citizenship:
9 years ago, i lived with my grandmom in a city. There was no good infrastructure around where i live, when it’s winter it’s flood when it’s summer there’s much dust. I decided with a couple of young people to go to municipality and claim that things should be ranged. There was no great answer about our request so we decided to take in charge and clean the place ourselves. That what we did.It’s was a real team work there and much new ideas to do like painting walls..
My family fell through bad times when I was in middle school. My late father was a watch repairer and accidently his hands got burnt. At that time I was in 8th Standard. To meet family expenses I joined a Motor cycle repair workshop and continued with my studies. One day the Pricipal of the school came to the shop where I worked to mend the punctured tube of his vehicle. He was amazed to see methere. The last few years of my schooling I was given Scholarship which enabled me to continue my education.
Its pay back time for me and as a Soft Skill Trainer, I conduct free classes for students and I will be involved with a reputed school shotly all Gratis.
It was during my childhood days. I was 15. Then, I used to be very rude,crude,rough and sturbon. I could cause/start up a fight and was always ready to fight and possibly win. My mates were always afraid of me because of my nature and i was proud of myself and always held my shoulders high. This continued untill one day i tried to harras an innocent girl, but unfortunately for me this time, my dear strenght failed/left me. I was thoroughly beaten up by a small little girl to the amazement of my friends who used to take me as their Lord. This news spread tru the neighbourhood even to my school like a raging fire. I was mocked & laughed @. And after that, i (almost) lost my Lordship which was very difficult for me regain. Life was bitter for me to live and the pain and shame was much for me to bear but thank God for the strength to bear. Yes, it was a life changing experience for me. That experience made me think over (all) my irregular behaviours,attitudes and charater which was not favourable to other people.I then decided to channel my negative nature to achieving positive results. So i learnt from my failure(s) and moved on with the lesson till even now
1/4 of a lifetime ago I gave my child up for adoption, as the best choice available for all three people concerned. To sign the adoption papers I held 2 visions — One – the 3 of us together with nooses around our necks — Two – all of us in a field of flowers, free and unencumbered. Reconnecting with my child, as an adult, I found a happy, well balanced person with a clear direction in life. When I brought the father and child together, he, although devastated that I had adopted out our child, agreed that it had been the most appropriate choice.
I work in the finance dept at a Grammar School. I also row. One day a student came into my office and said she was a rower and heard i rowed also but she wanted to compete under the school banner. There was no rowing at the school and i approached the principal and asked if i could help this student. Word spread and very soon I had 10 girls in my office wanting to row. It was a difficult culture to enter being up against schools that have rowed for 50 years.
In our second year we won Div 4 at a very big Regatta. That record time has not been broken yet. That was 5 years ago and now we are running a successful rowing program of 45 students. It is a wonderful sport, rowing early morning, very spiratual watching the sun rays glisten on the water,listening to the birds chortling, a great start to the day.
During my senior year in college studying electronics I had the chance to be in a PLC (Programmed Logic Controller) class and we were allowed to use a couple of GE PLC the school had. I was very curios and started changing program sequences and moving the hardware around. In one of this tests I managed to break an import electronic card. My team was mad and the teacher furious. I talked all of them for a chance to fix or build a new card and ask for my team to work with we. It took us almost 2 weeks to build not one but two cards since we designed and printed schematics to be build the card multiple times. We delivered the cards to the teacher who tested them successfully. we also gave him the schematic we had design for future cases were a card broke. Me team and I received an A as grade for this class.
Following a successful job interview, I was hired to become a public relations manager for a large grain procuring parastatal in Zimbabwe. What a joyful occasion given the perks and working conditions promised. Second week into the job, I received a telephone call from one of the most senior ministers then asking me why a grain depot in his constituency had no grain. It was quite a suprise for me because I did not know that I was suppossed to be coordinating that as well given there was a special manager who oversaw grain distribution. I was learning the ropes of how this organisation operated and this crisis was thrown to me. I told the honourable minister that I will be looking into that pronto. As with politicians in Africa, you don’t say no; in fact when they say jump, you are supposed to ask how high. For me, given the tone of the man on the other end of the phone I visualised that if I did not solve this problem expeditiously, I was going to loose this job only a fortnight into it. After the phone call, I set to work. A few phone calls around to adjacent grain depots and a couple thousand tonnes were on their way to the depot. I made a call to the minister’s office, instead of being thanked for the job, the next thing I heard was that I had to organise a media conference to coincide with the arrival of the grain at the depot. The trucks were not to be offloaded until the television cameras were there. I was also supposed to be there, a distance of 265km from the head office where I was based. Road travel took 3 hours due to the state of the roads. But because the big man was facing an election, this program was to succeed at all costs. The rest I tell you is history!