Full-Spectrum Thinking: How to Escape Boxes in a Post-Categorical Future

In this latest book, the third in a trilogy, Dr. Bob Johansen explains that as the future becomes more chaotic, we're still not doing enough to prepare for it. (And this was before the Covid-19 pandemic!)Unlike the other two books, which addressed new skills we needed to add to our repertoire, the author focuses in this book on how we need to disrupt ourselves. He describes what we need to do differently to break from the past and get on a better path for the future. Basically, we need to think more expansively, rather than follow our natural inclination to put people and things into limiting categories. We also need to stop making decisions between binary choices, which are too simplistic. Only then, can we start seeing the world as it is, understand the signals, and start figuring out alternative future paths that can work in our VUCA world.The rationale he presents is compelling, and the actions make sense. However, that's easier said than done because we need to change some deep-seated habits. If you haven't read the first two books, this book will stand alone. The book is a bit repetitive; however, the messages deserve reinforcement. After all, clarity is critical.

we are drowned in information in a fast-paced world. this book is a huge inspiration to have the clarity to take the next steps

with bunch of examples and simple messages the book is proposing very practical and visionary approach to value creation and delivery in today chaotic environment. Great summary of what is important today to make step toward tomorrow with view of the future.

This book is amazing! Highly recommend for anyone that wants to challenge and expand their thinking. Excellent read for Talent Development leaders and highly recommended the author’s other books.

Does a great job in articulating what's going on today and why you need to be doing this.

The biggest achievement of Full-spectrum Thinking is that it helps readers consider a diverse range of cultures, values, and beliefs across different societies and nations. It encourages policymakers to think of distributed governance. It encourages globalism and regionalism simultaneously. Full-spectrum Thinking provides a cross-culture approach by which all nations can invest intellectually in what they have in common and may use it to shape better futures for all. It encourages people to avoid labeling each other by their faith, color, nationality, or any other differentiation than can potentially lead to the widening gaps among societies and nations. It is a call to futures consciousness and unity.

Paraphrasing page 1, “Full Spectrum Thinking” is the ability to seek patterns and clarity across gradients of possibility – outside, across, beyond, or may be even without any boxes or categories – while resisting false certainty. If you are interested in the above, as per my review title, this book will help improve your captioned skills. Readable for sure, but definitely not on a high priority list.p.s. Below please find some favorite passages of mine fyi.The best leaders didn’t recognize others mindlessly. They made you feel recognized and empowered – but not stereotyped. They used appropriate categories to define your strengths and highlight your contributions, rather than pigeonhole you or degrade your efforts. Pg2Our brains love to put new experiences in old boxes. New experiences that don’t fit our preconceptions make us uncomfortable, so we force fit them into a category we think we already understand – even if that old box may be more harmful than helpful. Pg22Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. – Soren Kirkegaard pg35Forecast from Tien Tzuo, CEO of Zuora:-Pricing: from unit sales toward value pricingMarketing: from branding toward experienceSales: from selling products toward selling outcomesFinance: from unit margins toward customer lifetime valueCulture: from hit products toward deep relationships pg102While the humans are generalists, the computers are specialists. Some tasks are automated away and the humans are always augmented by digital resources. Cyborgs are everywhere on a modern US Navy ship. The humans emphasize effectiveness (doing the right things), while the computers emphasize efficiency (doing things right). People with a rich range of life experiences will do best in this world. The challenge is to hold the balance between what humans do well and what computers do well in the midst of the continuing scramble of the external world….the future of HR should be a conversation about human-computing resources (HCR). Pg119Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. – Imitation Game (about Alan Turing) pg128Almost by definition, breakthroughs require serendipity. That serendipity arises from diverse preparedness. It derives from someone noticing and knowing how to interpret strange phenomena….The value and values of diversity must be seeded, nurtured, and grown before they can be harvested. Pg133Faith lives in the space between insight and action, the same space where strategy lives. That’s why it’s called a leap of faith. Pg137

The media could not be loaded.  I am a fan Bob Johansen. His new book is about full-spectrum thinking. Basically, that means fluid thinking and a method to provoke, create foresight, insight and action. Helping you to make better decisions.The book is full of predictions, links to about 14 other books I read that confirm his views, some lessons from the military, a view on shape-shifting (or gymnastic) organisations, meaning and creating a positive future.It all starts with situational awareness or perception pioneering. And that concept is from “Rethinking strategy”. Another great book.Ultimately the book is all about preparing for multiple futures and developing your change muscle.

I have struggled with this book for several reasons - I have come to page 63 and it is hard work to continue. There are so many repetitions of the phrase ‘full spectrum thinking’ that I feel like a subject of a communist state (I lived in one for a while) being bombarded by propaganda material to brainwash - those phrases put together may stretch to 5% of the book. There are examples in the book which are unexplained and whilst perhaps the author has the connections in his mind they remains implicit - at one point he writes about liquids being a (once again) spectrum of fluid possibilities - what on Earth is he about? For someone arguing for more clarity and less certainty in the future, his book does seem to try to sell the certainty of his beliefs. He argues that we are on the way to ‘full spectrum thinking’ at a time when the cancel culture seems to be going in the opposite direction where intelligent and nuanced debate is becoming harder and harder to foster, often instigated by younger generations - he may know the future better than me, but his arguments seem insufficiently grounded. It is a shame because the central tenet of the book is good and he could have used less examples but gone deeper in their exposition to underpin his thoughts. Thus it remains a hard to digest and superficial book.