Howard Gardner, Harvard Professor and popular author, wrote 5 Minds for the Future. This book focuses on what we will need in the fast-paced future without being overwhelmed by information and unable to succeed in the workplace. He wants people to be equipped to deal with what is expected, as well as what cannot be anticipated.
Gardner says there are 5 minds:
The Disciplined Mind: mastered at least one way of thinking-a specific scholarly discipline, craft, profession. A lot of research says it takes up to ten years to master a discipline.
The Synthesizing Mind: takes information from various sources, understands and evaluates that information objectively, and puts it together in ways that makes sense to the synthesizer and also to other persons.
The Creating Mind: puts forth new ideas, poses unfamiliar questions, conjures up fresh ways of thinking, arrives at unexpected answers.
The Respectful Mind: notes and welcomes differences between human individuals and between human groups, tries to understand these others, and seeks to work effectively with them.
The Ethical Mind: ponders the nature of one’s work and the needs and desires of the society in which one lives; also, conceptualizes how workers can serve purposes beyond self-interest and how citizens can work unselfishly to improve the lot of all.
I believe Gen Y is already on top of these minds. It may be the older generations playing catch-up.
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