What Are Thinking Skills?

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
What Are Thinking Skills?
WHAT ARE THINKING
SKILLS?
Develop the most valuable modern skill

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Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription
from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train
Learn.
WhatAre
Thinking Skills?
Introduction: Few of us spend much time consciously practising thinking skills. We
believe that thinking is either a natural function or believe that the great thinkers
among us are gifted. Nothing could be further from the truth. All research shows
that each of us has a hugely powerful potential in our brains that lies vastly under-
used. In this topic, we’ll show you 7 key points about thinking skills.

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1. WHAT ARE
THINKING
SKILLS?
Thinking skills are the means by which we
manage information, ideas and innovation. This
means not just having thoughts but developing
them for action: not just data, but information;
not just thoughts, but ideas; not just invention,
but innovation. That's why, today, thinking skills
are amongst the most important skills to possess
at work. They put us in the most resourceful
mental state; help us make decisions and solve
problems; and show us how to be creative about
the world around us.
Put your thinking cap on
Flickr attribution: /southpaw2305/4014747243/

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2. THE
POTENTIAL
OF THE BRAIN
It is believed that we vastly under-use the power
and potential of our brains. This is because we
do not learn and apply the skills of thinking. The
human brain takes up a fifth of all the energy
generated by the body in its resting state. It has
100 billion brain cells, each of which connects to
1000 other brain cells making a total of 100,000
billion connections. There are more cell
connection points in the human brain than there
are stars in our galaxy.
Your brain is the most powerful organ in your body
Freepik

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3. BRAIN
POWER
Although the brain weighs just 3lb, it contains 12
trillion nerve cells. It can process 30 billion bits of
information a second and has enough atomic
energy to build any of the world's major cities
many times over. It has 10 billion neurons and
the range of connections all the neurons in the
brain could make would amount to one with 28
noughts after it. No human being has yet existed
who has been able to use all the potential of the
human brain.
Playing with ideas can be a lot of fun
Flickr attribution: /clementdague/2683750352/

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4. EXPLODING
THE MYTHS
There are many myths about the human brain
such as the following. You are either born bright
or born stupid. Your ability to use your brain is
determined by your IQ. Some of us are naturally
more mentally gifted than others. Your IQ is fixed
throughout your life. Some problems just can't
be solved. You can't change the way you think.
Your brain declines as you get older. These are,
however, false beliefs. None of these
assumptions has any basis in fact.
I failed my exams. Does that mean I’m stupid?
Flickr attribution: /dirkdb/6953891223/

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5.
BRAINWORKS
To understand the complexity and versatility of
the brain, consider the different kinds of thinking
that humans are capable of. We can think both
positively and negatively. We can think about the
past, present, and future. We can process logical
thoughts as well as feeling thoughts. We can be
creative, intuitive, and imaginative. We can think
consciously and sub-consciously. We can analyse
and synthesize. And we can, of course, think
about thinking.
I can go anywhere in my thoughts
Flickr attribution: /aigle_dore/5238574678/

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6.
MANAGEMENT
THINKING
Mike Pedler and Tom Boydell have studied the
qualities needed by successful managers. They
found that at least half of the key skills are those
that relate to how we use our brains. Their top-
ten list includes: relevant professional
understanding; analytical, problem-solving,
decision-taking and judgment-making skills;
creativity; mental agility; balanced learning
habits; emotional resilience; and in the Number
One spot, command of basic facts.
A brilliant mind is still like the rest of us
Flickr attribution: /jurvetson/4930439366/

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7. THINKING
MATTERS
Our record on using the brains of the people in
our organisations is woefully poor. Percy
Barnevik says, "Organisations ensure people only
use 5% to 10% of their abilities at work. Outside
of work, the same people engage the other 90%
to 95%." By contrast, Jack Welch, former CEO of
General Electric, says that encouraging ideas was
one of his top three tasks. One of Welch's typical
approaches was to ask his managers not only
what their ideas were, but who they shared
them with, and who adopted them.
Lost in thought
Flickr attribution: /colinsite/2675495234/

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This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn
AFinal
Word
The research of pioneers into the workings of the human brain suggests that in the normal healthy
person the brain has huge potential. It is not limited; it is not different in different people; and it
does not decline with age. All we have to do is use it.

What Are Thinking Skills?

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