Book written by David Sumpter
Four Ways of Thinking
Have just put down David Sumpter‘s brilliant Four Ways of Thinking. It make sense of all the ‘facts’ we are fed on a daily basis. If you want to get behind how ‘facts’ are created then please read this book this summer. To make sense of our world we rely on others to inform us of what we can’t physically see ourselves. This book delves into the four ways we think and create ‘fact’. It is both entertaining and challenging. The book will leave you questioning how people have arrived at what they believe in. It will make you question how you think AND this is a good thing.
Making sense of the world
David offers 4 ways of thinking from statistical to interactive to chaotic to complex. He shows how each way of thinking can help explain how things happen. At the same time he shows the inbuilt fallibility of each way of thinking. More importantly (to me) he shows how these ways of thinking can be manipulated. Please read his class on statistics and then listen to your politicians. Then read his class on interactive thinking and revisit your management or leadership style.
Moving forward
Four Ways of Thinking uses statistical and interactive thinking to observe groups and individuals. Chaotic thinking helps to understand the randomness that is created when individuals interact with groups. This is really useful when you start to look at strategic plans.
Complex thinking allows us to accept what we can and can’t influence. The book is just a joy.
Thinking through change
If you don’t really know where you are and don’t know what you want , then you become a victim of change. If you understand where you and the people around you are, then you can start to see what you or the people around you want to change. At the same time you can start to plan how you might change what needs changed. That’s what we (Thomas Jardine & Co) and other change agents aim to do. With authors like David Sumpter we can continue to learn how to better support you.
