Unity or Versatility?
More Creativity Through Different Models of Thinking
Professor Pietschmann, the field subjects that you have handled in your life include a very broad range – from physics, to medicine, group dynamics, and music, all the way to a very intensive concern with philosophical questions. What was the trigger for this very comprehensive and border-crossing thinking and behavior? I have always had great interest in the world, and in life. That is why I wanted to study physics, in order to answer my questions. But I also knew that this also included philosophy, and music has always been my passion. My contact with medicine and group dynamics was initiated more by direct addressing of my person – especially after the publishing of the book »The end of the scientific era« – which I gladly accepted. |
Herbert Pietschmann |
In your publications and lectures you talk about different systems of thinking. What profit can managers, especially those that work in intercultural surroundings, gain from this viewpoint?
Our Western culture is the only one that only accepts one frame of thinking. Others, especially those in East Asia, are conscious of several ways of thinking, from which they can choose. Our narrow-minded frame of thinking therefore inevitably leads to misinterpretation when we are in contact with other cultures – we should always keep this in mind. In this aspect we could learn from other cultures how to expand our possibilities, and how to be conscious of and respect other models of thinking, just like in our cultural circle in earlier ages, in Ancient Greece.
The Western frame of thinking often relies on clearly quantifiable values, analytical approaches, and decisions best without contradictions. In which areas of economic life does this way of thinking most frequently meet its boundaries?
Boundaries can be found everywhere where there are people involved. But also here it is tried to quantify everything as far as it goes. For example, leading positions in universities are filled depending on how often somebody has published something, respectively how often this person is quoted. But in fact, the quality needed in such a position is mainly the ability to lead people – and this is not quantifiable. Once in a speech on the occasion of the 60th birthday of a CEO of a large, German company, it was said why the new board of directors found such broad acceptance. The unionist said: »...already during the first few days, we noticed: he listens! And then it became clear, from now on things are going skywards!«
With which practical problems associated with dialectic approaches are managers confronted most frequently today?
Today there are numerous aporia in our society that actually can only be handled with success dialectically. Due to the success of our Western thinking we unfortunately have forgotten how to handle this. Thus, managers are constantly confronted with the basic aporia »Preserve – Renew« and therefore with avoiding drifting off into one of the two extremes – freezing or loss of identity. Just the same, the aporia »Unity – Versatility« with the extremes »Uniformity – Arbitrariness« is an important issue in every merger. Also the project of a unified Europe must learn constructive behavior in this permanent tension field. My proposal for an independent European philosophy is also to be seen in this context:
1. Strive for unity, without impeding versatility.
2. Strive for versatility, without destroying unity.
3. Always consider the contradiction.
You differentiate between logical, tactical, and strategical decisions. Strategical decisions require a dialectic process. To which extent is this knowledge spread among the management levels in your opinion, and what positive effect could an increased consciousness in this context bring?
Logical decisions are those to which there is a clear answer in the sense of »right« or »wrong«. This type of decisions (but not all!) can be delegated to experts. The majority of the management decisions are so-called »tactical« decisions – here the quality of the decision is less important than its speed. Strategical decisions, as they become eminent for example during fusions, are always based on aporia (for example Preserving – Renewing, Unity – Versatility, Freedom – Order). It is important that managers cannot decide by themselves in such a case, but rather only influence the process in a certain direction. Because such a decision is only sustainable if those involved agree.
Thank you for the interview!
