Behind every successful business stands a concept introduced and implemented by a person who employed conceptual thinking. In highly competitive business environment, it is conceptual thinking that provides much desired edge. Proof comes from social network media where Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and so on are soaring in sales and revenue because each brought out a new concept that became instantly popular. Whether it is an existing business or a new one conceptual thinking can improve its prospects and performance.
1. It is all question of perception in the first place. When you are presented with a situation, conceptual thinking trains you to spot the missing link or information that is needed to solve a puzzle. You are not looking at facts and figures but for a hidden concept, a big picture, and a skill that marks you from others. You quickly read in-between lines and focus on a single aspect that can ultimately solve the issue and make your business a success
2. Flexibility is proven boon from conceptual thinking; your mind traverses from one point to another searching for a breakthrough. You think vertically and in the next moment laterally; use critical or reflective method of analysis; adopt structured or un-structured mode of approach; decide on the basis of deductive or inductive method of reasoning. The entire range of thinking and analytical styles is within easy range of a conceptual thinker
3. Configuration is a key benefit conceptual thinking affords to a business. A conceptual thinker can use abstract notion to be morphed into a concrete idea; likewise he can wade through in concrete measures to form an abstract principle. Aviation is the result of this combination; from Icarus who flew on wax wings to Wright Brothers who invented a flying machine, configuration has contributed to what we see as cosy planes today
4. Integrate and disintegrate is not only a mantra of the mathematicians but actively used for results by a conceptual thinker who has the ability to break a complex problem into small workable pieces. He goes on to understand the cause and effect and what must be done to get a sense of insight. This is referred to as mapping of concepts. By the same token, conceptual thinking can integrate parts into whole. Professor Gunapala Nanayakkara considers this as: “Holistic Thinking” where many un-related issues can be brought into a single all-embracing concept. A good example is framing a mission statement for a business entity
5. Delving into underlying relationship is a key measure in conceptual thinking. Searching for new and existing elements, surveying individual elements, setting how these elements go for backward or forward integration, set patterns and trends in order to understand connection and relationship are some of the processes performed by a consummate conceptual thinker. More often than not, a conceptual thinker lands on a connection between the factors that was never perceived to exist previously. The evolution of various packing materials for milk, liquor, and drinks is a vivid example
6. Issue recognition is yet another feature of conceptual thinking that contributes immensely to a business. A conceptual thinker moves in tandem by listing all variables even checking on for un-fathomed ones, identifying important or critical variables and go deeper into find out how these could be examined to bring about resolution of a matter. Recent actions by air travel industry in solving unrest among air pilots is a good example
7. Solution is the final embodiment of success in a given business. Achieving solution requires finding out the common concept that is woven around different alternatives. For example, employee compensation can take various types of incentives hygienic to self-actualization. But the fact remains that attractive take-home salary is the common factor in any such alternatives. Framing a compensation package taking into considerations of competing and conciliatory challenges from management and employee unions would finally depend on a single conceptual anchor: corporate well-being. This concept acts as an over-awning arch and eggs on the employees, management, owners and other stakeholders of a business to select a compensation package that magnifies this concept and without any divisions, really.
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