Title: The Thinking Effect
Author: Michael Vaughan
Type: Non-Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 220
Rating: 7/10
Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.
The Thinking Effect is yet another excellent publication by Nicholas Brealey, one which is of immense value to business leaders and their subordinates alike. In it, Vaughan tackles the age-old problem that’s plagued managers since they first invested in training – too many courses try to teach people what to think. Vaughan believes that those courses should focus on how to think instead, and I think that’s a noble idea.
Instead of teaching people using stale methods, Michael Vaughan is a proponent of systems thinking and in-depth simulations as a way of deciding how best to act in any situation. Vaughan and his team at The Regis Company found that when people are taught using traditional methods, they revert to their old ways of thinking because reality doesn’t often correspond to what they’re taught in the classroom.
It’s an intriguing concept, and Vaughan does a great job of explaining it – he backs his argument with convincing research that will have you on-side by the end of the book. Now you just have to get management buy-in and get him in to your office!