Problem Solving Right Brain and Left Brain Thinking

How Do You Interpret Information? People interpret the same thing or event in many different ways

How Do You Interpret Information? For example, how many squares do you see in this figure?

How Do You Interpret Information? A person may count each of the 16 squares seen in the grid

How Do You Interpret Information? Others however, may combine squares to count larger ones as well

How Do You Interpret Information? In fact, there are 30 squares within this grid!

More Than One Solution Smart entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs do not stop thinking when they find one right answer — they look around for more.

How To Find More Answers Change your routines Change your routines Talk to and listen to people Talk to and listen to people Make lists and don’t be afraid to change them Make lists and don’t be afraid to change them Write down all your new ideas before you forget them Write down all your new ideas before you forget them Daydream Daydream Try to look at things from different perspectives Try to look at things from different perspectives Read something you’ve never read before Read something you’ve never read before Try something you’ve never tried before Try something you’ve never tried before

Left Brain and Right Brain Thinking The human brain is divided into two hemispheres — the right brain and the left brain

Left Brain and Right Brain Thinking Research shows that each half functions differently

Left Brain and Right Brain Thinking

Left Brain – Right Brain Thinking Left Brain Thinking Logic: Drawing conclusions based on logic: one thing following another in logical order. Linear: Thinking in terms of linked ideas, one thought directly following another, often leading to a convergent conclusion. Right Brain Thinking Intuitive: Making leaps of insight, often based on incomplete patterns, hunches, feelings and visual images. Holistic: Seeing whole things at once, perceiving the overall patterns and structures, often leading to divergent conclusions.

Left Brain – Right Brain Thinking Left Brain Thinking Verbal: Using words to name, describe, define. Temporal: Keeping track of time, sequencing one thing after another. Right Brain Thinking Nonverbal: Awareness of things, but minimal connection with words. Non-temporal: Without sense of time.

Left Brain – Right Brain Thinking Left Brain Thinking Rational: Drawing conclusions based on reason and facts. Analytic: Figuring things out step by step and part by part. Right Brain Thinking Non-rational: Not requiring a basis of reason or facts; willingness to suspend judgment. Synthetic: Putting things together to form wholes.

Left Brain – Right Brain Thinking Left Brain Thinking Abstract: Taking out a small bit of information and using it to represent the whole thing. Symbolic: Using a symbol to stand for something. Digital: Using numbers as in counting. Right Brain Thinking Analogic: Seeing relationship between things, understanding metaphoric relationships. Concrete: Relating to things as they are at the present moment. Spatial: Seeing where things are in relation to other things, and how parts go together to form a whole.

Left Brain – Right Brain Thinking The Left Brain Sees Parts The Right Brain Sees Wholes

Left Brain – Right Brain Thinking The Left Brain Sees Numbers The Right Brain Sees Patterns

Left Brain – Right Brain Thinking The Left Brain Sees Words The Right Brain Sees Images

Left Brain - Right Brain Conflict Look at the chart below and say the color of the word - not the word itself. The right side of the brain tries to say the color while the left side tries to say the word. Can you do it?

Practice Your Thinking Skills People can improve their left brain and right brain thinking skills with practice

Practice Your Thinking Skills Did you notice how it became easier to read the names of the colours on this chart as you went along?

Working Together The two brain hemispheres work together, supporting each other and producing results that neither could attain on its own.