Switch Thinking by Dr Ken Hudson is based on an insight watching bilingual people switch languages.
Dr Hudson wondered if you could learn to switch the language you were using perhaps you could switch your thinking.
Being bilingual is a learned skill and hence your switch thinking ability could also be developed via practice Dr Hudson reasoned.
Hence Switch Thinking was brought to life and tested successfully with hundreds of managers and leaders and a wide selection of use cases.
A summary of the Switch Thinking System is outlined below.
1. The two modes of thinking in Switch Thinking are:
a. Box Mode.
This is the usual way of thinking used by adults, professionals, business people etc.
It is often structured, rational, logical and critical.
This mode feels safe, comfortable and has worked before.
Being in Box mode is efficient and is often determined by your previous patterns of thinking and routines.
It is habitual and often your default way of thinking.
It is important to note that this is a mode of thinking not a person.
Much like the same person can one day be in work mode then a few weeks later be in holiday mode.
Being in Box Mode all the time is not desirable when you are faced with a new challenge or if the situation is changing rapidly.
You can become stuck.
What worked in the past might not work in the future.
Box Mode feels safe yet paradoxically this can be. false emotion in an uncertain, unpredictable environment.
b. The second mode of Thinking is Play.
It is represented by a ball.
Remember Box and Ball are metaphors to describe two modes of thinking.
It is not enough to think outside the box but a more imaginative approach is to transform the box.
Why a ball?
A ball is fun, imaginative and dynamic.
It can be rolled, passed and kicked.
There is no right or wrong way to play with a ball.
It often brings about a change in physical energy with participants in Dr Hudson’s courses and workshops.
Being in play mode suggests a more informal, exploratory way of thinking, creating and solving problems.
It’s far less structured than being in Box Mode.
But being in Ball Mode whilst fun can lead to impractical, wild ideas or possibilities.
It might not lead to solutions that are efficient, doable or cost effective.
2. A Switch and Connect Process
Switch Thinking as the name suggests is the process of moving back and forth between these two modes of thinking.
By doing so, you can create new ideas that are actionable, fresh solutions that are cost-effective and growth opportunities that are grounded.
Switch Thinking is a way of leveraging the best of being in Box and Ball Modes.
It also is a way to connect ideas and solutions from either mode.
Much like wind -surfing is a combination of sailing and surfing.
The goal is to think ‘AND’ not ‘OR as’ a way to enhance and connect different ideas to create a better solution.
3. Switches and Prompts
To make the switch from Box to Ball Modes quicker and easier, Dr Ken Hudson has developed a number of Switches and Prompts.
Some of these Switches are:
- Switch the Perspective
- Switch the Focus
- Switch the Goals
- Switch to Emotions
- Switch to Imagery and
- Switch the Rules (i.e. assumptions, beliefs, conventions etc)
There is no right or wrong switch and you can use as many switches as you need to solve a problem.
To go with a switch there are a number of prompts.
For example:
If you selected Switch your Perspective.
The prompts might be;
What is a competitor perspective? (i.e. Box Mode)
Switch
What might a startup perspective be? (i.e. Ball Mode).
Like the selection of switches there is no right or wrong prompt you can use.
The goal is to escape the usual Box like approach and play with new possibilities then switch back to Box Mode to enhance, connect and evaluate the ideas.
4. The new direction – Switch from Human to AI (and back again)
The initial switch Thinking system was tested with people.
Numerous team leaders, coaches, lifelong learners, innovators and trainers all attended a Switch Thinking workshop or course and loved the simplicity and creativity of this breakthrough approach.
However Dr Hudson believe there is a bigger opportunity.
Switch Thinking between humans and Generative AI.
The switch is back and forth between human intelligence and artificial intelligence.
This takes advantage of the processing power of AI chatbot’s like ChatGPT coupled with human ingenuity in a series of collaborative and innovative interactions.
For example:
Let’s imagine the challenge was:
How to get the kids to school on time?
A challenge many time-poor parents face.
The human enters the challenge into a chatGPT type AI interface and asks for say 5 ideas that could address the problem.
ChatGPT or Gemini (Google) then generates 5 ideas.
But both human and AI are typically in Box Mode.
Now Switch
The human then enters a new prompt.
Can you generate 5 new ideas from the perspective of a clown?
Why a clown?
Fun, challenging, disrupts the current Box Mode and it’s a random choice.
ChatGPT then generate 5 completely new and left-field responses.
Note both human and ChatGPT are both now in a playful Ball Mode.
Switch Back to Box Mode.
The human then asks ChatGPT to enhance and connect the initial ideas and the clown perspective ideas to create a bigger, better solution.
Wow!
This is all done in minutes.
The Switch Thinking process can be driven by an individual working by themselves (think freelancer, stay at home or Hybrid employee) or in a group or team situation.
For completeness the human could ask AI for the say the 3 best ideas based on time, cost and practically.
Now imagine the possibilities of the collaboration between humans and AI based on the principles, processes and tools of Switch Thinking.
Bigger, better and faster ideas, solutions and growth opportunities.
Everyone can create and innovate, at any time, on any challenge that they or the team might be facing.
It also means that AI becomes less daunting, its a capability that anyone, of any age can use with immediate effect.
Switching from human to AI might just become the natural way of thinking.
This is the future of Switch Thinking by Dr Ken Hudson.