Category: meta-thinking

In this article, the author proposes structural, rather than behavioral or emotional, measures of team connectivity and introduces the notion of "cognitive" or "structural" systems constellations. These measures are derived from DTF, his Dialectical Thought Framework, a methodology rooted in cognitive developmental research since 1975. In contrast to the contemporary team literature, and in a follow up of an article co-authored with Graham Boyd on Distributed Leadership found in a book forthcoming at Palmgrave Publishers, UK, (#aboutBook), the author focuses on measuring team connectivity based on a team's cognitive behavior graph in real time. The author teaches DTF to both individuals, especially as coaches, and teams, in hands-on workshops in English and German, and with the help of a translator also in Spanish and Italian. TF Constellations 2 Read More...

I propose to strengthen the cognitive processes involved in design thinking, especially for cross-functional teams, both through artificial intelligence techniques and focused cognitive coaching. I take as an example of design thinking the canvas metaphor used by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2014, 2010), selecting its CS (customer segment) component for further scrutiny. Specifically, I introduce an amplified form of design thinking called "transformational" thinking that is grounded in research in adult cognitive development over the lifespan (Laske 2008 [2017b/c]). My approach is rooted in DTF, the Dialectical Thought Form Framework developed at the Interdevelopmental Institute (IDM) since the year 2000. In focus in the blog is the notion of “hidden dimensions” of the canvas that iterative cognitive sprints of a cross-functional team reveal. I see such sprints as based on a combination of “breadth-first” and “depth-first” search, where the former is focused on creating the biggest possible picture, while the second deepens and refines the picture in its details, both in terms of thinking and resulting outcome. I show that the two kinds of searches are mutually reinforcing and that purely logical thinking (and thus algorithmic thinking also) fail in depth-first search, At the end of the text, I demonstrate by... Read More...

This blog introduces the new IDM Program for learning complexity thinking based on critical problems brought forward by the client. Client-proposed problems serve as a procedural and behavioral guideline for a 5-step acquisition of cutting-edge solution approaches that have been tested in previous IDM teaching and are grounded in Roy Bhaskar’s work on dialectic (1993). In contrast to earlier IDM offerings, the present one progresses in clear steps from module to module to facilitate learner progress. Emphasis in the course is put on “doing” over passive listening. Lecturing is kept to a minimum. A progressive sequence of mandatory "meta-thinking" exercises is in place. The program comprises 5 steps taking 9 months to 1 year to complete, depending on the learner’s present level of cognitive development and mental habits. It concludes with three successively higher-level certifications in complexity thinking for use in life and work. Course materials are module-specific and are enriched by IDM publications on sale at www.interdevelopmentals.org under Publications, or taken from recent blogs by Otto Laske. A discount applies to registering for 4 of the 5 modules upfront, after writing to [email protected] to discuss the learner's agenda. In coming months, the program will move from its present test-phase... Read More...

This Spring, the second editions of Laske's Measuring Hidden Dimensions: Foundations of Requisite Organization (2008) as well as its associated Manual of Dialectical Thought Forms (2008) appears under Publications on this site. Both publications can be downloaded for a nominal price at While the first text, referred to as MHD2, introduces crucial concepts for managing the digitization of business and grasp the challenges posed by new, non-hierarchical organization designs, the Manual is a much needed set of tools for "meta-thinking". Meta-thinking, or "thinking about thinking", is not a philosophical past-time but rather a way of thinking critically and complexly. Using Meta-thinking, what is said, the content of a communication, can be reflected upon, critiqued, and elaborated in terms of the quality and complexity of thinking that gave rise it. Imagine you work with a real or virtual team and are focusing on enhancing collaborative intelligence: what better tool could you possibly wish for? For instilling meta-thinking in individuals or teams, it is helpful to know where DTFM comes from. This is spelled out in some detail in the 2017 Acknowledgements recently written by Otto Laske who speaks to the history and relevance of this priceless tool for "agile" and "hyper-"... Read More...