How to develop flexible thinking at work



Does work ever leave you feeling stuck in a rut with limited opportunities to be creative? To thrive, you might want to increase your brain's flexibility. But is this even possible, and if so, how?



Most jobs require the ability to problem-solve and cope with challenges, at least to a certain extent. Imagine a teacher who has a new and very nervous student in their class. If that teacher is a flexible thinker, they will be able to adapt their classroom management, even if they haven't seen this situation before.



According to Leonard Mlodinow, author of Elastic, flexible thinkers rely on idea generation and imagination – they are willing to experiment and take risks. "Elastic thinking is what you need when the circumstances change, and you are dealing with something new. It's not about following rules." Therefore, instead of following the typical procedure for inducting a new student, the teacher might come up with a tailored response, based on prediction and previous experience.



So, how can you become a more flexible thinker? According to Dr Lisa Feldman Barrett, it's all about exercising the brain. One way of doing this, she says, is through exposure to a variety of experiences which make it easier to adjust to new situations.



A lot of companies now consider flexible thinking in the workplace, especially when it comes to design. Workspaces may have couches where workers can lie down and relax, giving them the space to come up with and process new ideas.



Mlodinow says it's very important to take time to daydream, listen to ideas and concepts you disagree with and spend time doing activities outside of your comfort zone. This will help you understand multiple points of view and therefore blossom in many different aspects of your career.



So, if you want to make a change, you can become a flexible thinker too, with a little practice.



词汇表

flexible thinking [ˈfleksəbl] 灵活思维，弹性思维（指能够适应新情况、多角度思考问题的能力）

stuck in a rut [rʌt] 陷入僵局，一成不变（陷入一种乏味重复、无进展的状态）

thrive [θraɪv] 蓬勃发展，茁壮成长

flexibility [ˌfleksəˈbɪləti] 灵活性，适应性，弹性

flexible thinker 灵活思考者，具备灵活思维的人

idea generation 创意生成

elastic [ɪˈlæstɪk] 有弹性的，灵活的

come up with 想出，提出（主意或计划）

tailored [ˈteɪləd] 量身定制的，针对性的

daydream [ˈdeɪdriːm] 做白日梦，空想，幻想

comfort zone [ˈkʌmfət zəʊn] 舒适区

blossom [ˈblɒsəm] 绽放，蓬勃发展，取得成就



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