“Current problems cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created them.”
                    —Albert Einstein

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At the turn of the 20th century, when Wilbur and Orville Wright were struggling to develop a workable airplane, one of the biggest challenges they faced was how to get the plane to turn. One day at their bike shop, Wilbur was absentmindedly twisting a box in his hands as he talked with a customer. Suddenly he realized he could do the same thing with an airplane wing that he was doing with the box. He could warp it. At the same time, he recognized that this wing warping was exactly what he had seen buzzards do to navigate stably in the wind.

It was the answer to the mystery of controlled flight. Wilbur and Orville soon developed control wires to warp their plane’s wings, giving them the critical roll control they needed. Wilbur’s associative leap from box to bird to airplane wings not only solved a problem that had stumped everyone before him, it also signaled a way of thinking differently that has particular meaning for us today. Associational thinking takes seemingly unrelated bits of information and connects them to make powerful creative breakthroughs.

It’s been estimated that 2 trillion pieces of critical information are created each year— everything from photographs to songs, formal documents to e-mail. It’s also estimated that in the US, knowledge workers spend thirty percent of their time looking for this important information. That’s not surprising to any of us who have searched frantically for a file while we’re trying to get to yet another meeting. What may be surprising is that the cost in lost productivity for all that searching runs to $5.4 trillion.

Such is the legacy of the Information Age. Clearly we are able to amass a staggering amount of data. But as we evolve beyond the Information Age, the question of how to manage all those bits and bytes—what to make of them—becomes a central issue. The fact is, it takes a new kind of thinking to come up with solutions that are far-ranging enough and fast enough for the speed at which change is occurring every day in the marketplace. The sheer volume of information we have at our disposal creates extraordinary complexity. At the same time, it shrinks the world, and that proximity stimulates faster and faster change. So the very forms of thinking that made us adept at acquiring information are now being outpaced by the blur of changes they’ve set in motion.

We may long for slower, simpler times, but they’re not coming. The days of standardization and specialization, if not over, are changing. When the Romans ruled Europe, they made every cart axle exactly 4 feet 8 and a half inches wide. That way they could standardize the size of the roads they built throughout their empire. That standardization allowed them to move armies rapidly, transport goods efficiently and govern a huge area effectively. Later, during the Industrial Revolution, specialization came to the fore. People began to do just one specific task. This allowed engines, machinery and products to be manufactured in quantities that could serve and sustain large markets. A similar specialization continued in the Information Age, with entire large buildings filled with computer programmers writing code to support technology.

The main thinking approaches that were needed and rewarded from the time of the Caesars to the heyday of Silicon Valley were linear, sequential, logical and analytical. Good factual memory and accuracy were prized. The challenge we face now is that these proven approaches in more stable times are proving ineffectual in times of great complexity and rapid change.

Linear, logical thinking processes are good for solving problems caused by a change in one or two variables. However, when multiple variables are involved we need to shift our thinking processes to keep pace. Inclusion of non-linear thinking, and in particular associational thinking, helps us to navigate in the unstable air of rapid change—like Wilbur Wright’s lesson in wing warping.

Of course, every thinking approach has its strengths. Linear thinking, which includes sequential, logical and analytical approaches, is invaluable when accuracy and operational processes and maintenance are of prime importance. Non-linear thinking includes brainstorming, visual and creative thinking and connecting similar things. It supports creative ideas, visioning and doing things differently. Associational thinking is also non-linear, with the addition of visual-spatial awareness and the connection of seemingly unrelated elements. Especially in this latter regard, it has the potential for increasing exponentially the number and significance of creative breakthroughs.

Historically, associational thinking has been recognized more in the sciences, engineering, architecture and design where visual-spatial elements and complex, intangible thoughts need to be understood or communicated. Entertainment, the arts and sports groups have tended to favor non-linear thinking. Law, politics, finance and insurance have attracted people with good linear thinking.

But these trends are changing. We are already seeing that graphically oriented technologies and modes of analysis are being used to understand and communicate today’s complex problems and massive amounts of information. Interactive computing, data visualization and computer-aided design are rapidly becoming standard operating procedure. Non-linear, visual, and visual-spatial thinking are also gaining prominence as the more traditional, non-visual methods are often found to be too slow. The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is taking on new meaning with the advent of computer graphics. Ten minutes in a real-world simulation can provide more knowledge than a 60-page descriptive report.

The bottom line is that when our thinking repertoire is expanded, incredible things can happen. Associational thinker James Clerk Maxwell is a good example. Acknowledged by many as the most important physicist of the 19th century, Maxwell was an outstanding mathematician and scientist who also relied on his talents as an artist and sculptor. He said, “If you can visualize the shape, you can understand the system.” Maxwell used to shape in sculptor’s clay what he saw in his mind’s eye as he worked on a problem. Imagine how his talent for making connections among seemingly unrelated things, along with his curiosity and wit would play out today if his clay were a laptop computer. What Maxwells are sitting down the hall from us right now, waiting for their opportunity to shine?

Businesses that want to thrive today are using associational thinking to generate direction when there appears to be none. They are using it to produce measurable and sustainable results. Knowledge work is thinking work. The companies that leverage their thinking skills and know how to use those skills will grow.

We are on the verge of an era when we will be required to develop a very different set of skills and talents. Associational thinking with its visual-spatial orientation is essential as we strive for both understanding and clarity in our dizzyingly complex and rapidly changing world.

Fortunately, people are amazingly adaptable. Change, as confusing as it is, also creates an environment that’s full of opportunity. It stimulates growth, new ideas, innovation and the intuitive leaps of faith that have always marked the great moments in human evolution. It is just such an environment in which associational thinking is at its best. Switching from a predominantly linear, sequential thinking model to a spherical associational thinking model is itself a profound change. But it’s a natural one. In the process of making that change, we may find the craftsperson, the designer and the artist in us all.

CereCore® Institute, Bellevue Washington, is an organization that provides programs and training in applied thinking processes for leaders, teams and individuals.