The Idea in Brief
Successful innovation relies on people—and people have different cognitive approaches for assimilating data and solving problems:
• So-called “left-brain” thinkers tend to approach a problem in a logical, analytical way. “Right-brain” thinkers rely more on nonlinear, intuitive approaches.
• Some people prefer to work together to solve a problem; others like to gather and process information by themselves.
• Abstract thinkers need to learn about something before they experience it; for experiential people, it’s just the opposite.
Cognitive differences are often subtle; people don’t naturally appreciate their significance. Managers who dislike conflict or who value only their own approach often fall victim to the comfortable clone syndrome, surrounding themselves with people who think alike and who share similar interests and training. Even managers who value intellectual diversity may not realize how difficult it can be for people with different styles to understand or respect each other. But to achieve creative abrasion, you have to make the different approaches rub together in productive ways.
Read the entire article at BusinessWeek.
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