Daniel Pink on the Right Brain Imperative

Noted author and former chief speechwriter to Al Gore Daniel Pink’s keynote address examined three economic factors changing the workforce and how government professionals can take advantage of their skills to achieve success in this rapidly shifting environment.

Pink used the human brain as a metaphor for his central argument that today’s economy puts a premium on different skills and abilities than yesterday’s economy:

Yesterday = Left side of the brain
Today and Tomorrow = Right side of the brain

Abilities that are characteristic of left side of the brain—logic and analysis, spreadsheet and SAT talents, remain absolutely necessary for today’s workers. But those skills are no longer sufficient. All of us in the workplace now need skills associated with the right side of the brain—artistry, empathy, and big-picture thinking.

Pink cited three trends as support for his thesis (which all happen to start with the letter “A”):

- Abundance – By historical standards the United States is doing very, very well, very deep into the middle class. Pink acknowledged that we have a poverty problem, which he called a “moral disgrace,” but cited these factors to bolster his argument for abundance:
* Citing Dept of Transportation statistics, Pink noted that there are more vehicles in the US then there are eligible drivers. In less than 50 years, the car has gone from rare luxury to commonplace (and then some).
* The self-storage industry: This is a $17 billion industry—more than the motion picture industry. And while homes have grown larger, families have shrunk—but our amount of stuff has still expanded, and we need a place to put it all. As Pink noted, there was no self-storage industry during the Depression.
* Even the most mundane products and services have been turned into objects of desire. Pink exhibited a toilet cleaner and a fly swatter, both elegantly designed. He cited basic rule of industrial engineering—utility and significance—in making the case that while utility has remained constant, we have infused even the most ordinary objects with new significance.
* The United States is roughly three times wealthier than fifty years ago (based on GDP) but not a bit happier (according to various surveys). Pink displayed a chart with two plotted lines—the rising wealth and constant level of happiness. The gap between them he called “the Abundance Gap,” which he attributed to the “democratization of self-realization.”

- Asia – Pink argued that offshoring is massively over-hyped in the short term but actually under-hyped in the long run. The key, Pink said, is that routine work is beginning to go away, and will continue to disappear. What side of the brain is routine? The analytical left side.
- Automation: Software can replicate routine white collar work. Before, law school could rightly be considered a degree (skill) to fall back on, but there are online divorce sites which will be your divorce lawyer for a much cheaper price. Or online diagnosis (Your Diagnosis). Or your taxes (Turbotax).

Based on these trends, Pink concludes that “right brain abilities are first among equals.”

For example, high-tech is increasingly becoming a commodity, as opposed to high concept and high touch, which are not. Here are Pink’s six abilities for the new economy:

- Design – not just function. Pink exhibited the 2000 Presidential ballot in Florida as an example of how design can change the world, suggesting that Gore’s loss was more due to the visually confusing ballot than to the Supreme Court’s decisions in the case.
-Symphony – not just focus. Symphony is the “killer app” for organizations. Seeing the big picture and putting it all together are more important than being able to focus on one thing.
- Empathy – not just logic.
- Play – not just seriousness. Pink cited GoArmy.com, a downloadable video game for recruits, and FoodForce.com, a public relations tool of the United Nations.
- Meaning – the search for meaning has been democratized, and we are transitioning from material want to meaning want. At its best, the federal government delivers meaning because of its transcendent purpose.

Pink closed his address by saying that managers/leaders in the federal government already do many of these things, have these abilities, etc. Now is the time to put them to use.