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Thinking Skills Model of CPS Cognitive and Affective Skills

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Extracts and definitions below are taken from chapter 2 & 4 of the book Creative Leadership: skills that drive change by Puccio, Mance & Murdock (2011)

 

Let's take a closer look at the cognitive and affective skills in creative problem solving, starting with a few definitions:

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  • Thinking: "any mental activity that helps formulate or solve a problem, make a decision, or fulfill a desire to understand. It is a searching for answers, or reaching for meaning" (Ruggiero, 1998, p.2)

  • Affective: "the ways in which we deal with attitudinal and emotional aspects of learning, including feelings, appreciation, enthusiasm, motivations, attitudes and values" (Butler, 2002, p.3)

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Assessing the Situation is the executive step in CPS - it is the ability to think about your thinking. 

  • Cognitive skill - Diagnostic Thinking: In CPS, this is a twofold skill. The first part involves making a careful examination of a situation and describing the nature of the problem and the second part the ability to use this information to make decisions about appropriate process steps to be taken.

  • Affective skill - Mindfulness: Where Diagnostic Thinking is mainly focused on attuning to the external data associated with the problem, Mindfulness calls on the leader to be self-aware, to observe his or her own thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they unfold in light of the present situation. The second element of Mindfulness reminds us to remain open, to consider one's own feelings as important sources of information. Diagnostic Thinking without Mindfulness can result in empty decisions and regret.

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Exploring the Vision

  • Cognitive skill - Visionary Thinking: This is the skill of articulating a vivid image of what you desire to create. Visionary thinking helps you to imagine future possibilities and describe a lively and concrete picture of the direction you want to take to make them happen.

  • Affective skill - Dreaming: This is the ability to imagine as possible your desires and hopes. Dreaming helps you to be unconstrained in constructing your future. 

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Formulating Challenges

  • Cognitive skill - Strategic Thinking: Identifying the critical issues that must be addressed and pathways that are needed to move toward the desired future. It answers the question: "What do I need to consider to get to my goal?"

  • Affective skill - Sensing Gaps: Becoming consciously aware of discrepancies between what currently exists and what is desired or required. This skill is about how you receive and process tacit information. 

 

Exploring Ideas

  • Cognitive skill - Ideational Thinking: This is the ability to produce original mental images and thoughts that respond to important challenges. A person who is adept at Ideational Thinking can easily generate many, original, and varied ideas.

  • Affective skill - Playfulness: The skill to freely toy with ideas. A playful attitude releases inhibitions and allows you the freedom to explore new or different ideas or angles. 

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Formulating Solutions

  • Cognitive skill - Evaluative Thinking: This skill helps you to assess the reasonableness and quality of ideas in order to develop workable solutions. 

  • Affective skill - Avoiding Premature Closure: In CPS, you intentionally entertain novel approaches to problems, this skill helps to resist the urge to push for a decision. By resisting closure for a time, you give wild ideas a chance to survive and an opportunity to be refined into a solution that becomes revolutionary.

 

Exploring Acceptance

  • Cognitive skill - Contextual Thinking: Understanding the interrelated conditions and circumstances that will support or hinder success. It requires careful and deliberate consideration of your surroundings. You want to notice who, what, when, where, why and how pockets of assistance and resistance can be identified and used.

  • Affective skill - Sensitivity to Environment: This means the degree to which people are aware of their physical and psychological surroundings. This will help you to both hear and be heard by others. 

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Formulating a Plan

  • Cognitive skill - Tactical Thinking: This is the ability to devise a plan that includes specific and measurable steps for attaining a desired end and methods for monitoring its effectiveness.   

  • Affective skill - Tolerance for Risks: Not allowing yourself to be shaken or unnerved by the possibility of failure or setbacks. Increasing your tolerance for risk is about (1) giving yourself permission to fail; and (2) managing your emotions when you do. 

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