Right Brainy

Lately I have been reading a book called "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink. In it he contends that the next evolution in American workplace economics is the "Conceptual Age". As the "Information Age" has peaked and is now spreading to other cheaper labor pools, Americans are now enduring a season of watching their occupations shift to India and China. Previously, this was limited to manufacturing positions, though now MBA's and engineering grads are being cranked out of India, China, and the Philippines. American's are enduring a glut of excess wealth. The American dream in no longer contained in a basic three bedroom home and single car lifestyle. As we mastered the use of logic and repetition, we have become wealthy. Pink argues that the ability to use logic is no longer enough to hold the American workforce at the peak of the global economy.

This is particularly interesting due to the recent speculation about a global recession. How is the American workforce going to endure another shift in how they contribute value added activities to the global economy? Will we slump? Will we lead? Are we prepared to grow?

Pink argues that the step beyond logic is defined by the ability to create, empathize, and understand the big picture. This is next set of skills require to move the economy beyond the Information Age. This set of skills is controlled by a relatively under-utilized portion of our brain, the right hemisphere. While logic is still necessary, it is not enough. When programmers in India can perform repetitious code writing for a quarter the cost of an American programmer, it is only a matter of time before those repetitious tasks align themselves with the most cost effective labor pool.

Pink also believe that Americans, in the face of so much excess wealth, now ache for transcendence in their daily life. This harmonizes with a long term ache that I have felt. Putnam's Bowling Alone presents a portion of this ache as a consequence from a society that has lost the value of social capital. I believe it will be particularly interesting to see if new quasi-communal businesses and non-profits emerge in the next decade. I have nursed a business plan in my mind for a number of years for one such quasi-communal business. As generation Y emerges as the greatest spending generation ever, agencies that are able to blend solid business techniques with an artist's soul will emerge as new contenders.

I hope that this does not stop at designer consumerism... the same stuff, just a prettier package. I hope that we see a new creative force emerge that manages with excellence and passion. I am interested and excited to see what "right brain" directed communities and businesses would be like. If we can be holistic, spiritual, and artistic while also being logical, professional, and strategic... that would truly be a better way to think and live.