Tammy-Lynne Moore Columnist EdNews.org
Michael Shaughnessy Senior Columnist EdNews.org
Eastern New Mexico University

Daniel Pink is the author of "Free Agent Nation" and "A Whole New Mind" which discusses what he describes as the rise of the right brained individual. Daniel Pink has been a speech writer for former Vice President Al Gore, worked as an aide to U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and is a frequent lecturer to business, industry and organizations across the U.S. In this interview, he discusses his latest book and offers insights as to future trends.

1. According to your new book, A Whole New Mind, we're shifting from relying on linear, computer programming and contract-building type thinkers to more creative, empathetic, inventive thinkers. Why do you think this is, and how will society be different as a result of this shift?

The reasons are economic – the forces of Abundance, Asia, and Automation. In markets today, so much stuff available that there's now a premium on the aesthetic, emotional, even spiritual aspects of goods and services. Think designer toilet brushes and Whole Foods and Priuses. What's more, today huge amounts of routine white-collar work can be done just as well for a lot less in places like India. And software is now doing to our brains what machines did to our muscles last century. It can do certain kinds of brain work – left-brain, routine, rule-based work – faster than we can. Think Turbotax. All this means that to survive and thrive today, you've got to do something that's hard to outsource, hard to automate, and that satisfies the growing nonmaterial yearnings of a very abundant age.

2. What are the 'six senses' and why are they important to personal satisfaction and professional success?

In the book, A WHOLE NEW MIND, I lay out the economic argument for why left-brain skills, while still necessary, are no longer sufficient and right-brain skills are now the first among equals. Then I describe the six abilities that, according to my research, now matter most. They are: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning. They're abilities that are hard to ship overseas, hard to reduce to computer code, and that deliver significance along with utility.

3. How do we enhance these six senses?

There are all sorts of ways. In fact, the book has more than 75 tools, tips, and exercises for surfacing and sharpening these abilities. The key, though, is that these are things people generally enjoy doing. So the more people pursue their interests and their strengths, the more likely they are to develop these abilities.

4. How might educators enhance 'high touch' and 'high concept' abilities in their students?

It's tough given the environment in which most American schools must operate. The mania over standardized testing and routines and right answers, in many ways, runs directly counter to where the economy is going. But I'd begin first by not cutting arts, music, and drama programs. These are not niceties. They're fundamental to both the human experience and to the sort of thinking that will be required in 21st century labor markets. What's more, I'd put a higher value on intrinsic motivation – let kids follow their interest and curiosity. Teachers and principals get this. They know this is how kids learn.

What's tough is that they're laboring under a set of rules imposed by legislators who often don't understand education or children.

5. You mention Betty Edwards and we have read her book. Her text ' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain " seems to reflect on the use of drawing and art work to enhance the right side of the brain. While I am vaguely familiar with her work, is there any research that proves this is valid?

Well, the entire right brain-left brain concept, as you know, has been around for awhile. And some of what's been written about it is nonsense. This is one of those ideas where the popularization of the idea has galloped far ahead of the science. But in the last decade, thanks to functional magnetic resonance imaging, the science has caught up. Neuroscientists know that while we use both sides of our brain for everything we do, there are differences between the two hemispheres. They have different specialties. And those different specialties offer a powerful metaphor for understanding the contours of our times. But it's just that – a metaphor. As for Betty Edwards' book, I think it's terrific. In fact, in my own book I describe taking a drawing course taught by her son. The results were staggering.

6. In terms of a Whole New Mind, I would think the " new mind of the new millennium" involves more information processing, gathering, integrating and synthesizing. Any thoughts on that?

You're right. We live in a world of ubiquitous and free facts. That means that simply finding facts isn't worth all that much. What matters more is putting facts in context. That's why narrative abilities are now so important – stories are often facts placed in context and delivered with emotional impact. And it's why the skill of Symphony – seeing the big picture, detecting patterns, connecting the dots – has become so valuable.

7. Who has influenced your thinking in this regard and why?

I guess the two academics would be Martin Seligman, who founded the positive psychology movement, and Mihalyi Csiksentmihalyi, who pioneered the concept of "flow." Seligman's AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS and Csiksentmihalyi's FLOW are books every thinking person should read. I'd also point to two popularizers, Alvin Toffler and my old boss Robert Reich, who showed it's possible to write about big economic trends in a way that's accessible to large numbers of readers.

8. I think "A Whole New Mind" also involves the expansion of understanding of chemistry and the chemical realm in medicine. Many left handed physicians that I know seem to possess this " mind ". Your thoughts?

Interesting. I'm not sure what to make of that. Our brains are contralateral – that is, the right hemisphere largely controls the left side of the body and vice versa. So there are lots of artists, architects, and so on who are left-handed. Maybe lefties have a slight advantage!

9. Many years ago, Howard Gardner wrote "Frames of Mind" and introduced his concept of multiple intelligences. How is your work similar and different?

Howard Gardner has done extraordinary work broadening the notion of intelligence. In some senses, he paved the way for this set of ideas. But my work is pretty different. I'm not an academic. And I'm making an economic case for the business value of different set of skills.

10. What question have we neglected to ask ? What are you working on next?

I'm about to start work on my next two books. One is a genre-busting career guide. The other is a long, hard examination of the importance of intrinsic motivation. For the latter book, I'll spend a lot of time talking with educators and students.