Mental Process Paper The mental process is the performance of some composite cognitive activity; an operation that affects mental contents; “the process of thinking”, the cognitive operation of remembering (Farlex, 2008). The mental mindset includes four styles of creative intelligence: Intuitive, Innovative, Imaginative and Inspirational. This paper will compare and contrast the four styles of creative intelligence and their influences on organizational decision making, include examples of how mental models/mind sets might limit the decision making process and explain how these models influence my decision making in the workplace.
Intuitive Everyone is born with intuitive intelligence which is those moments of insight when we see a situation clearly and know exactly what to do; doing something without knowing or those gut feelings. Clear and immediate access to intuition is like having a personal satellite navigation system to help through the numerous choices and demands that persons face day to day. Today, intuition is being touted by management consultants as essential. In a study of 13,000 business executives by Harvard researcher Jagdish Parikh, the executives credited 80 percent of their business success to relying on their intuition (Ammon-Wexler, 2007).
Also, research conducted by Ashley Fields, a senior advisor to Shell Oil, concluded that among Fortune 500 companies, “intuitive information processing strategies are most often found at the highest levels of an organization. ” (Ammon-Wexler, 2007). Intuition can often lead to powerful creative, personal and relationship insights and breakthroughs. Compared to being innovative, having intuition can enhance the ability to rearrange the old into new when working for an organization. In contrast seeing the situation clearly and knowing exactly what to do can go against the process of rearranging the old into the new.
For example being an elementary school teacher. A teacher knows what to do as a type of daily routine; however, the workload would have to shift should the teacher have to rearrange the old into something new. It would require a new concept of doing things when it comes to the children and their assignments. Intuitive compared to being imaginative can work hand in hand. Knowing what to do naturally and being imaginative at the same time and also benefit for the better. In contrast, just as being innovative, the workload could shift just a little because of having to rearrange due to the imaginative process.
Intuition can be a teacher’s inspiration to come to work every day. The teacher is inspired to do what comes naturally as a career. In contrast; however, a teacher could be inspired to move on to other opportunities according to how involved the teacher is his or her career. Innovative Innovation is the making of the new or the rearranging of the old in a new (Maynard, 2008). The key words are making new or rearranging. The product or process has already been created from scratch and has worked reasonably well.
When the product or process is changed to work better or fulfill a different need, the process is innovating on what already exists. In a declining market, an inventive mindset is the key to recharging mature markets and introducing new products. Unless a company pursues product innovation, the company will decline. I University of Illinois study shows that leaders in an industry garner 50 percent of sales from products introduced within the past five years, versus just 11 percent for companies in the bottom third (Matises, 2001). An innovative mindset is a valuable asset for the future growth of any company.
It is the solution for satisfaction regarding new product development, product revitalization and business planning. Managers will either embrace the idea that virtually all consumer product categories possess areas of opportunity for growth, or they will allow the market mindset to accelerate business decline (Matises, 2001). Being innovative compared to being imaginative can go hand in hand. A person can be imaginative and inspirational while rearranging the old into something new; however in contrast again, it could cause for a new concept, which would be a change in lesson planning for an elementary school teacher.
Imaginative Imaginative can be defined as artistic, dreamy, and poetic (WikiHow, 2008). Anyone being imaginative can enjoy life at all events. Innovation involves developing the imaginative mindset. It involves clearing the mind of preconceptions, value judgments and expectations (Halls, 2006). In order for an employee to be imaginative, he or she must be inquisitive, ask questions and learn something new ever minute. It is good to be a good listener as well putting themselves in different situations narrated by different people.
Being imaginative can increase the ability to fulfill any goal or desires by using affirmation techniques. There are no boundaries to imagination, only a limit to the amount of experiences that feed it. In order to be imaginative, people have to position themselves to be imaginative. Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary (Beaton, 2008). Inspirational Inspirational is being inspired to do something.
In the workplace, management problems disappear when employees are truly inspired and motivated to do their best, when they remember why they came in to work in the first place. When it comes to building and sustaining passion in the workplace, it is helpful to have a recipe that includes vision, inspiration, momentum, excellence, camaraderie, control and pride (Favre, 2003). 1. Vision – what are employees work for or toward. What are employees trying to achieve? Nothing is more stupefying than simply showing up for work every day and going through the motions. . Inspiration – Is it worth the employee’s effort and time. Employees seek to know that they are contributing something of value and importance, that coworkers need him or her and that he or she help others to improve their lives. 3. Momentum – employees want there to be a goal out there, but also want to see that the goal is getting closer and that they are not simply running on an endless treadmill. Employees want to feel as though their careers are moving forward. 4. Excellence – employees like to measure themselves both as individuals and as an organization.
Employees want to belong to something that is generally recognized and rewarded. 5. Camaraderie – fun, excitement, friendship, hardships and rewards shared with others. Teamwork. 6. Control – employees desire a level of control over their lives and environment and want to see that their input and advice is wanted and sometimes used. 7. Pride – employees want to be associated with something seen as good and virtuous. It is good for friends and family to know that each employee does is important and that the company is held in high esteem (Favre, 2003).
I work for the State of Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement where I am an administrative secretary. I process DNA appointments whether the custodial parent or non-custodial parent showed for testing or did not show for testing. I also process birth certificates whether they need to be amended or modified according to each particular case, which is normally requested by the caseworker. I also pull court orders as needed and keep spreadsheets of different stats on a monthly base. The most commonly used mental model/mind set that guides my decision-making would be intuitive.
Everything comes naturally for me when handed certain types of documents. For example, if a caseworker hands me a signed DH432 form, this means that the non-custodial parent (usually the father or the gentleman that will take full responsibility of the child) has signed a form agreeing to take full responsibility as the father of the child without taking a paternity test. My office is divided up into different processes and each employee’s position is a process. There is no room for being imaginative or innovative as these decisions are made by higher commands out of Tallahassee.
However, for caseworkers, it would be beneficial to be inspirational as they see custodial parents who are coming into our office seeking support for themselves and their children. References Ammon-Wexler, Jill Dr. 2007. Your Intuitive Intelligence. Retrieved September 3, 2008 from http://resistancetraining. wordpress. com/2007/01/04/your-intuitive-intelligence/ Beaton, Cecil. 2008. Law #52 – Position Yourself To Be Imaginative. Retrieved September 6, 2008 from http://stanleybronstein. com/law-52-position-yourself-to-be-imaginative/ Farlex. 008. The Free Dictionary: Mental Process. Retrieved September 6, 2008 from http://www. thefreedictionary. com/mental+process Favre, Gregory. 2003. Inspiration in the Workplace. Retrieved September 5, 2008 from http://www. poynter. org/dg. lts/id. 34/aid. 14894/column. htm Halls, Jonathan. 2006. Your first step: Imagine. Retrieved September 4, 2008 from http://www. icecreativity. com/Imagine/StepOneImagine. htm Matises, Marvin. 2001. Brand re-building: An innovative mindset benefits poorly performing items. Retrieved September 3, 2008 from
