by Joe Lane, Guest Blogger

Both of our kids have been with us this Labor Day weekend, which has prompted some thinking about their growing up. I played catch with my 22-year-old son yesterday. He pitched in high school, but hasn’t for a long time. I was amazed at how his arm continues to gain strength and accuracy. When he was younger, we spent a lot of time working on his throwing motion, helping him get the process right. He has never lost it.

This activity led me to reflect on what happens when we coach kids on their homework. Do we have the same clarity about how we can help them with the process? I’m not sure. In fact, are we even confident that our own learning and problem solving processes are optimal?

Over the past few decades, new assessment capabilities have led to expanded knowledge about the human brain – how it is organized, and more recently, what kinds of activities take place in different parts of the brain. For some time, we have known that the hemispheres of the human brain appear to specialize, although some early generalizations have proven to be a bit misleading.

More recent research has confirmed that the hemispheres do provide differential capabilities, although not as broadly as the initially suggested. The right side appears to be neurologically optimized for attacking novelty – new situations, new stimuli impinging on us that we do not know how to deal with at first. The left hemisphere of the side appears to be built as a repository of patterns that have been recognized and stored. So the right figures out what we’re dealing with, and the left activates the patterns for responding.

Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that. But this neurological evidence seems to be converging with earlier research on innovation and the creative process.

To take advantage of my brain’s capabilities, I have made a change in my own problem-solving process: I attack a new problem in three steps.

Step One: Explore the problem

In this step, I do my best to be a problem “tourist,” soaking in all that I can, creating pictures and images where possible, and staying open to all kinds of alternatives. I want my right brain to look all over and “figure out” what I’m dealing with.

Step Two: Ignore the problem

Whenever possible, I put the problem aside for a while, walk away, and do something else. Creativity models refer to this as “incubation.” I want my brain to bounce ideas back and forth across my corpus callosum while it’s looking for patterns.

Step Three: Solve the problem

Return to the problem with the intention of solving it. My experience has been that about 1/3 of the time, the problem has actually gone away, or I have realized something about it that enables me to no longer view it as a problem. Most of the time, I do have to sit down, consciously understand the patterns involved, and work through alternatives. But if I have done the first two steps, I am in a better frame of mind to take on step three.

These three steps can occur in minutes, or an hour, or a week, depending on the problem and the timeframe available to solve it. Admittedly, some problems require an instant reaction, and don’t allow the time – like dealing with a crisis on the road while driving. But I have found that when I can allow myself the luxury of this approach, I tend to like my solutions a lot better. Just as a fluid throwing motion leverages the power of the body, a brain-friendly thinking process can leverage the power of the mind.

Joe Lane is a writer, director, facilitator, and lifelong learner. After beginning his career as a public school teacher, he has worked for almost three decades in business and non-profit organizations in education and marketing roles. Joe is a published author in trade publications in three industries, and has appeared as a speaker at regional and national conferences. To learn more, visit his blog: Non-Random Thoughts about Thinking