Yesterday will come Next Year

A CEO of an MNC office (product development) in Bangaluru told me "yesterday" - thinking he was being smart - to my question on "when does he want the new product?" ~ I commented," So we have exactly one year, as yesterday will not come this year, it will come next year". I think he was taken aback.

We never got to work with that company as well.

BUT the higher the position people get to, they tend to act smart and actually totally predictable. They also have a problem of responding to unpredictable responses and situations! ~

Accepting diversity and creating diversity should be the responsibility of managers who go higher up the pyramid!

INNOVATION CO-CRAFTER - Simpleton, Scientist and Saint!

CRAFTING NEW CHOICES - INNOVATION and DECISION-MAKING in the Globalizing World

Crafting New Choices –

Innovation and Decision-Making in the Globalizing World

Introduction

That the world is changing is no brainer. That it is changing rapidly is also becoming painfully clear. However, what is shocking and difficult to comprehend is that the world is changing rapidly in multiple dimensions, in multiple ways from multiple directions impacting each dimension. This is unprecedented. The scale of change and the speed of change are conspiring to make it exceedingly difficult for us to respond to the new – as the new arrives rapidly, more frequently and from unknown directions, these days. What further compounds the problems are our existing methods of responding to these challenges are failing – failing miserably. We need new ways. These may be evolved from the existing known ways to solve problems, imagine a new future or improve an existing system. This evolution may lead to new set of tools, techniques, methodologies and frameworks for us to think, imagine and execute the new or ways of responding to the new. Alternatively, these methods may be radically different from the existing ways.

Whatever these new ways and whatever their origins be it is becoming painfully clear that we have to understand the new reality of globalization and complexity. We have to respond to continuously emerging new reality in ways that are not fathomed so far. As it has happened in the past, humanity has responded to new challenges by application of mind. Time has come to integrate the disparate capabilities of human mind – creativity, decision-making and innovation – into an integrated framework. Only through an integrative approach incorporating all key dimensions of human thinking – developed over past many centuries – can we respond to the new challenges. Before we move further, we will take a moment to describe few words for this paper so that we are on common grounds.

S.No.	Term	Definition/ Description
1.	Creativity	Generating/Imagining/Re-imagining New Alternatives/Options/ Choices (May be Purposeless/Purposeful)
2.	Decision-Making	Selecting a subset of available choices for going into future to achieve an objective (Purposeful)
3.	Innovation	Creating successful change through ideas (Purposeful)
4.	Invention	Successful technical solution to a problem (Purposeful)
5.	Ideas	Those thoughts that bring in the genesis of change – many times fundamental. (May emerge through imagination, problem solving or improving a working system)
6.	Crafting	A process of giving shape, form and structure to an abstract concept or idea in such a manner that it performs specific functions or behave in specific ways under a range of environmental conditions and situations.

In this paper we propose and articulate a new framework to respond to the globalizing complexity. The framework is based on integration of five thinking dimensions – Analytical, Logical, Value, Inventive and Systems Thinking – the ALVIS thinking. It also proposes tools and techniques borrowed from existing methods besides proposing some of its own. The key learning and message, if one may say so, from this integrated framework of thinking and responding to the new challenges, is to amalgamate creativity, decision-making and innovation, as a comprehensive capability by empowering ideas together.  

The paper is organized in following sections. Section 2 describes the globalizing complexity and need for innovation. In Section 3, key fundamentals of the world are articulated. This gives us a new model of the world called STEMIC-TCP, where space-time and energy-matter, the two main fundamentals of the physical-machine era are integrated with the third fundamental, i.e. information, of the current era of information. We also integrated the fourth fundamental – the mind and its constituents – thought, consciousness and power in this model to explain the working of the world in the emerging era of Mind. The STEMIC-TCP model proposes that Change in STEMI through mind, i.e., thought and consciousness is the basis of evolution in the new world. In Section 4, shift from machine era to information era leading to the era of mind is described. In this section, we also propose the ideal function and objective of technical systems. Section 5, describes the law of increasing intelligence of technical systems. In Section 6, the new framework is described in brief. We call this framework “Crafting New Choices”. The framework has three key phases of explore, ideate and empower. It invokes a set of tools, techniques and methodologies that seamlessly integrate to create continuous flow of change to make the change successful. The paper concludes with Section 7 with further work and direction on what this framework can become.

2. The Globalizing Innovation Complexity

The world has changed radically in last two decades. Three key dimensions of these changes are – increasing globalization, increasing complexity and increasing innovation. The Globalizing Innovation Complexity is impacting us in multiple dimensions through foreseeable events and/or Black Swans that keep on impacting us at much more regular intervals nowadays. From 1991-2011, a brief study of three key events, albeit with very violent results, will give us a view of the interplay of the main trends of the new world.

EVENT	YEAR	DESCRIPTION	IMPACTS
Gulf-War/ Desert Storm	1991	·      The unprecedented interplay and cohesion obtained by integration of precision technologies, networks, and information technologies ·      A remarkable demonstration of extent to which new military operations will depend upon knowledge and networking. ·      A shocking surprise to military commanders who were still indoctrinated in the old ways of mass destruction and mass combat power to defeat massed armies.	·      Application of a Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). ·      Massive rethinking in all military forces of the world to study the impact of technology in the modern warfare.
9/11 Attack on US	2001	·      “Have-nots” attacked the very seat of economic power represented in the twin-towers of the world trade center reducing it to rubble. ·      Power of knowledge and networks can be utilized by anyone. ·      Innovating to master complexity can lead any one to create global impact.	·      Creation of a Homeland Security organization in US ·      Massive war on terror
Operation Geronimo	2011	·      Searching, Tracking and Killing – a person – Osama Bin Laden ·      In an extremely secret manner without involving the host country at all	·      Display of massive integration of globalization, complexity and innovation ·      Pin-point accuracy of destruction under extreme constraints

From 1991 to 2011, the three events described in table above shows us three important trends and capabilities that are increasing – globalization, innovation and complexity.

Yet, it all started about 14 billion years ago – when space and time had no existence and the universe was what is called a singularity – a compressed dot of extreme density that exploded with such a force that it not only created sub atomic particles but a universe as per existing scientific evidence is still expanding. The chronology of events that resulted in the massive explosion Cosmology theorists combined with the observations of their astronomy colleagues have been able to reconstruct the primordial chronology of events known as the big bang.

The three violent events starting with Gulf-war, 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden neutralization are just a sample, albeit with very violent results, of the interplay of the three capabilities of the new world. This world is based on the ability of each one of us to leverage and exploit knowledge and connectivity. Success in this new world requires ability to search for knowledge, create new knowledge, identify the knowledge pieces, convert these pieces into creating new value in terms of solutions, and flow it through the networks of globalizing world in an efficient manner so as it reaches the site of the problem in space and time in a least wasteful manner. The massive pace of globalization, innovation and complexity that we are seeing in last 20 years indicates a new big bang – a massive change – we would call it the GIX (Globalizing Innovation Complexity) Bang world.

The characteristics of world in the increasing Globalization, Innovation and Complexity are:

Global Real-time Awareness – The increasing real-time awareness of what is happening across the globe to an individual enables the individual to form his/her own opinion very quickly, and respond. This capability and knowledge available to an individual in real time creates a speed up in actions that is unprecedented.

Barriers Demolished – Technological advances have demolished the shackles imposed by time, trade, space, geography, culture, language, societies and even history - as people realize the power of connections or networks. This is creating a Global village where everyone seems to know about every event in all parts of the world. This is a tremendous capability to have in a world of positive energy. However, these networks can drag the world into negative arc of destruction and demolition if the “have-nots” of the new world start leveraging the new found freedom to form networks of destruction. The disconnected in the globalizing world are left out. These disconnected may become disgruntled and either may die out or may resort to disruptions. Enterprises that remain disconnected need to quickly connect and become part of the change rather than the victims of the change.

Power shifts to Knowledge Based Real-time Actors – Power, i.e., ability to affect a change, has become more knowledge-based rather than based on violence or wealth alone. However, speed is the new Mantra in the globalizing world. Coupled with a bias for action, indicates that Power is shifting to actors who act in real-time and base these actions in knowledge. This is a complex feature of the new world. Actors who manage this complex interplay of knowledge, action and speed to affect or adapt to changes, are creating the success stories in the new world.

Collaboration with Competition - This is the age of simultaneous collaboration and competition. Many a times synergy in value creation is possible when one starts collaborating with one’s competitors and sometime one may need to compete with one’s collaborators. Collaboration is a much higher activity involving cooperation and elaboration rather than cooperation alone. It is the age of co-creation.

A Fully Connecting World – The new world is characterized by network form of organization, which is favored by the information revolution. It is the most modern form of organization structure, successor to tribes, hierarchies and markets. However, multiple organization structures compete for their adoption in the globalizing world. Hence the networked form is integrated with other forms to create hybrid organization forms. The new world needs an organization structure more closely mapped to the network form. Many large enterprises are struggling to come to grips with this change, which requires fundamental shift in the organization structure. Although many enterprises have successfully made this transition, however, the thinking of the people/leaders continues to be hierarchical rather than networked. The new world will need a rapid shift to networked thinking in the organizations.

Embracing Complexity - We do not understand complexity. This is an inherent property of reality and the nature shows umpteen examples of the complex behavior as exemplified in the emergence of order in various seemingly simple, local interactions with limited rules in various natural systems. Complexity emerges from dependencies – informational, control, decisions, structural and material dependencies. Connections create complexities as well. Multi-dimensional dependencies create higher order complexities. How can one embrace complexity rather than thinking or working for reducing complexity? How can one invent or innovate to leverage the boundaries rather than always focusing on the core? It is at the boundaries that value capture will have maximum returns. Value capturing and value creation are interrelated phenomenon that one needs to maximize.

Artificial and Natural Complexity - Complexity is not necessarily natural; in fact most prevalent form of complexity impacting human-beings is artificial. The artificial things are synthesized by human beings. The world around us is full of more artificial things than natural things. Starting from our morning alarms, newspapers, radio music, television images and computer chat rooms – we work through artificial things till the night when we sleep in artificially heated rooms and beds. The design of artificial things, even though playing such an important role in our life, does not consider the complexity these things create in our life. The artificial has become more of a norm than natural for human beings (at least in the so called developed world) thereby creating layers of complexity that get enmeshed and intertwined in our life that we cannot separate the artificial from us without seriously jeopardizing our so called civilized existence.

Further unlike natural systems that may evolve because of specific constraints or available paths, the artificial systems are designed at least in principle, with a specific goal or function in mind. Further as Herbert Simon, in his book “Sciences of the Artificial”, describes, an artifact to be an interface between inner environment and the outer environment. The artifact tries to accomplish a goal or provide a function in the outer environment. This artifact can have one of many possible internal environments to accomplish the same desired function in the same environment. This is an important fact, as it indicates that theoretically infinite ways exist to construct or design an artifact to accomplish specific function in specific environment. This is important; because this fact creates an uncertainty and unpredictability, in the artificial world that we are living-in as it leads different actors to design different artifacts to achieve the specific function in multiple environments. This is a dimension of complexity that needs to be understood and grappled with.

The interplay of natural and artificial is another area that comes under the realms of complexity. Natural objects evolve through natural selection and based on the environment in which they operate. The observations based on how the natural phenomena occur led humans to fields of natural sciences. The industrial revolution started a clear direction towards the artifact sciences where suddenly man-made objects became prevalent and useful with specific functions or goals to be achieved in specific environments. Modern world characterized by artificial environments, virtual reality and synthetic materials, has become more man-made than natural. Yet nature has not been tamed fully – in fact nature’s fury keeps on giving clear messages of the journeys that humankind has yet to perform, in the form of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, volcanic eruptions and multiple natural disasters that happen in many parts of globe.

The increasing complexity – either natural, artificial or a combination of both – is an important fact of the new world. The increasing globalization is creating more complexity as is evident in multiple dependencies, connections and unknown network effects the globalization pace is creating for humankind. Yet there is hope – it is remarkable how much human mind is able to create and synthesize especially in last 100 years or so. In fact, there is no gainsaying that artificial future is more likely than a natural future – at least next 50 years or so. This is possible and thinkable only because of the human mind which has proven to be an extremely robust and comprehensive factory of new ideas, new thoughts and new memes that are successfully implemented to create artifacts, synthetic environments, and robust global artificial systems. This is the dimension of Innovation – which we defined as successful creation of change through ideas.

Innovation - Innovation is the key. Further it is not Innovation in your home, your country or your organization. It is Innovation through open collaboration with the whole world. This requires a monumental mind shift by all. The inertia of what we have learned through multiple centuries requires a rethink to wash away the legacies of disjoined, protected, war ravaged, holocaust ridden, race-exploited, and hatred filled memes that our minds have inherited. This requires counter-intuitive tools, methodologies and frameworks coupled with new strategies and vision to make the new world a success. We need frameworks as a coupled blue print to craft and leverage innovation by co-creation. This is the fundamental need of the new world and basic component of success in rapidly globalizing world.

World is changing through increasing globalization, complexity, and, innovation. Yet there are fundamentals of the world that remain.

3. Fundamentals – The STEMIC-TCP Model

There are key fundamentals of the world – at least of the conscious world that we have deciphered so far – that remain, despite the changing world. First fundamental is Space-Time which integrates space and time. Space and time were considered two separate fundamentals but modern physics integrated them as space-time. Space and Time make up the Physics of the seen while Space-Time the physics of the very tiny and very large. The second fundamental is Energy-Matter. If one look at the world around us, the universe itself, is an organization of Energy-Matter in Space-Time. The systems thinkers have talked about Matter, Energy and Information. If we look at the basic building blocks of universe we have Space and Time (Space-time), Energy and Matter (Energy-Matter), and Information. It is information that organizes matter and energy in Space-time. We call these the STEMI. The STEMI can organize or change its organization on its own, based on principle of maximum entropy or can be orchestrated by Thought and Consciousness, i.e., the Mind of the "Matter" - the artificial. The ability to reorganize matter and energy in space-time using information is the ability of the Man. This requires Thought and Consciousness. This is the fourth fundamental which we call Mind. The ability to create these changes in matter and energy to organize into structures, we call the Power. The mind thus has Thoughts, Consciousness and hence Power (the TCP). The orchestrated changes in STEMI and changes in TCP due to observations from STEMI are driving the world towards increasing capability, evolution and design.

At the basic level of this framework lies a conceptual construct called a System. When we define of a System - from fundamental principles point of view – a System can be defined as a set of elements (Energy-Matter organized in Space-Time) working together (exchanging energy and/or information) and with the environment to achieve an objective or perform a function (create Change - in matter, energy and information in space-time). When the system is achieved/changed by thought and consciousness we make systems artificial. The ability to create and control change is Power. We call this the STEMIC TCP Model. We need to leverage the new methods in the light of these four fundamentals.

4. Three Eras – Machine, Information and Mind

From the era of machines – dominated by automobile, we are rapidly moving in the era of information. Our understanding of “information” – its nature and its deeper manifestations – is increasing day by day. Human beings by collectively evolving their technical systems, are trying to make each technical system as close to a human being as possible – or at least a model of human being and its environment based on the current understanding of the world (for example, understanding of laws of physics and chemistry in making an automobile) and the current understanding of the system called the human being. As man understands the world around itself as well as its body and its mind, it wants to create an “ideal man” or at least an idealized human of all technical systems it is creating.

When we started embedding information in the technical systems, the machine era gave way to information era. The more we understand information and the related capability to process it, i.e., computing – the more we are embedding it in the physical systems. In the era of information, technical systems started becoming “smart” and “brilliant” – the adjectives usually reserved for predominantly human faculty, i.e., intelligence. Further, as we understand and realize the era of information which emerged under the shadow of era of machines – we need to see how the integration of third fundamental – that is information – to STEM making it STEMI – is impacting the evolution of technical systems.

Information is rapidly becoming all pervasive, all embedded, and all penetrated. We realize the ideal technical system today, not only need to perform certain pre-defined functions, but also process information for example, to choose the function it needs to perform at a particular moment. In fact, system should behave as an information processing system before they actually perform their physical functions in reorganizing/manipulating STEM. The STEMI interactions in technical systems, indeed has made the modern systems closer to human beings in their ability to process information, to create, re-organize, self-organize into new structures, control and manage precision of physical effects.

Further, we realize, since we have what some observers describe as the law of accelerating future, the fourth fundamental, i.e., mind, will be integrated into technical systems sooner than later. Even though information era is still continuing, with the STEMI integration, we have already started a deeper quest into the emergent phenomenon of complexity called the mind. The mind is now being thought of to be reflected in our future technical systems. We believe, when we integrate the ability to process thoughts and in fact create “inventive” technical systems, we will enter the era of Genius Systems.

5. Law of Increasing Intelligence of Technical Systems

Despite its discovery by Darwin, 150 years back, acceptance of evolution by natural selection as a possible model of explanation of progress of cosmos is a relatively recent phenomenon. One of the earlier recognition of evolution due to ingenuity of human mind reflected in the successful inventions described in patents and technological knowledge was discovered and explained by the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). This resulted in discovery of laws of evolution of technical systems which became the basis of classical TRIZ. The purpose of evolution of technical systems was to achieve the “Ideal system”. Technical systems exist or are created to perform a function. The ideal technical system describes the fulfillment of the function with reduction in number of the elements of technical system that actuates the function. TRIZ and its laws of evolution of technical systems explained in the era of physical systems – the era of machines – explained the fulfillment of function in an ideal way.

The “natural selection” articulated and sold incorrectly as “survival of the fittest” has created immense problems in our history. Evolution, in fact, doesn’t support it. Nature prefers to retain as much variety as possible. The evolution progresses by “elimination of the weakest”. This is visible in evolution of technical systems as well. Technical systems however, have been chosen/developed/progressed through investment of immense material and intellectual resources of humanity. The evolution of technical systems in the STEMI era – driven by faulty “survival of the fittest” guidance, has created extreme competition in men, societies, countries and civilizations to control evolution. Whether it was designed by nature to speed-up evolution or was an innocent error of nature? The arguments can be created with same passion and logic by the proponents of the counter model to evolution, i.e., the intelligent design of the universe, vis-à-vis the evolutionary model. Yet Genetic algorithms, cellular automata and game of life in 1970s and 1990s showed us that “self-reproducing” systems are a reality and we can discover the laws/principles underlying these systems. We need to reach specific level of complexity to be able to “self-reproduce” besides achieving other emergent properties of complex systems. The argument is strengthened by the emergence of mind in and due to complexity of brain.  

From the era of machines – dominated by automobile – which incidentally became the model for classical TRIZ – we are witnessing the era of information. Our understanding of “information” – its nature and its deeper manifestations – is increasing day by day. When we started investigating the applicability of laws of system evolution as described by TRIZ in the current era of information, we realized that TRIZ, understandably missed the key ingredient, i.e., information, embedded in technical systems.

We discovered that human beings by collectively evolving their technical systems, are trying to make each technical system as close to a human being as possible – or at least a model of human being and its environment based on the current understanding of the world (for example, understanding of laws of physics and chemistry in making an automobile) and the current understanding of the system called the human being. As man understands the world around it as well as its body and its mind, it wants to create an “ideal man” or at least an idealized human of all technical systems it is creating. This is an unexpected discovery and may take the readers used to classical TRIZ, sometime to accept it.

We propose that the technical systems emerged due to increasing understanding of two key fundamentals of universe and their interactions – these are Space-Time and Energy-Mass (the STEM). Every technical system in the physical era is a reflection of organization and reorganization in higher and higher order structures of mass-energy organized in space-time. We propose, based on our recent and deeper understanding of “information”, that information itself is one of the fundamentals just like space-time and mass-energy. We need to understand the concept of ideal system in the light of this proposal of making information itself as fundamental. This increases the complexity of technical systems, however, with three fundamentals – space-time, energy-matter and information – we get new lens to view the evolution of technical systems.

The machine era gave way to information era, when we started embedding information in the technical systems. The more we understand information and its related processing capability – computing – the more we are embedding it in the physical systems. In the era of information, technical systems started becoming “smart” and “brilliant” – the adjectives usually reserved for predominantly human faculty, i.e., intelligence.

We are in the era of information today. This is an era that has replaced the era of machines that started with industrial revolution. This era of information is giving us systems that are becoming increasingly intelligent. From the dumb systems that were responding to inputs to perform specific functions, we have evolved to guided systems and smart systems of the information era. The next stage of evolution of technical systems is increasingly becoming clear as we are seeing emergence of brilliant systems which we predict will become genius systems. By 2050 AD, the world will have technical systems with more intelligence than biological intelligence – predicted as the Singularity. From information era we are now entering rapidly into the era of mind. This process of evolution we call as the law of increasing intelligence of technical systems.

Given our understanding of the current information era and how technical systems are evolving from their predominantly physical characteristics into information enriched technical systems, the law of increasing intelligence of technical systems, is a logical deduction. Further, as we understand and realize the era of information which emerged under the shadow of era of machines – we need to see how the integration of third fundamental – that is information – to STEM making it STEMI – is impacting the evolution of technical systems. Information is rapidly becoming all pervasive, all embedded, and all penetrated. We realize the ideal technical system today, not only need to perform certain pre-defined functions, but also process information for example, to choose the function it needs to perform at a particular moment. In fact, every system should behave as an information processing system before they actually perform their physical functions in reorganizing/manipulating STEM. The STEMI interactions in technical systems, indeed has made the modern systems closer to human beings in their ability to process information, to create, re-organize, self-organize into new structures, control and manage precision of physical effects.

Given the GIXBang world with its globalizing innovation complexity, STEMIC TCP model and law of increasing intelligence of technical systems as we race towards the era of mind from the era of machines through current era of information, how do we respond to the new challenges? Is there a framework to solve problems? Is there a framework to think through these challenges?

6. Crafting New Choices - Framework

We identify five key dimensions of thinking. The Analytical and Logical thinking developed over many centuries have stood the test of time. However, three other relatively dormant dimensions of human thinking need to be brought to the forefront and integrated with these established thinking dimensions to respond to new challenges. These are – Inventive Thinking, Value Thinking and Systems Thinking.

These five thinking dimensions need to be integrated and applied in a manner so as to create new solutions to problems and meeting the current and emerging needs of the new world. We propose an integrated thinking framework to respond to the new challenges. Further, the manner of applying this framework requires understanding the world and the needs of the new world. We need new or different lenses to understand the world. Our lenses need to evolve to go deeper and go wider in the world around us. We need to explore our world faster and at a scale that we have not accomplished before. Only when we have understood the world – or at least have some semblance of working of the world can we apply our thinking to create the needed change.

Therefore, the first phase is really to understand the world around us. Understand the needs of the changing world. We name the first step as Explore. Second phase is to generate ideas. We name it Ideate. This requires application of integrated thinking combining the five dimensions of analysis, logic, value, inventions, and systems to invent, design, create or engineer new concepts/solutions to the new needs. For each of these needs, we may generate many different solutions. However, these ideas may not propagate much in the world which normally doesn’t welcome the new. Ideas need to be given enough shape, form and strength not only to live, but to strive and thrive in the world. Empower is the third phase. Objective is to empower ideas. Here, we focus on Craft. We define crafting as a process of giving shape, form and structure to an abstract concept or idea in such a manner that it performs specific functions or behave in specific ways under a range of environmental conditions and situations. Also, crafting distinguishing itself from engineering – where a repeated process creates a repeated replica or similar/same product or system. We realize, when we are crafting, variation/variability is not only not-bad but is essential to create the new or respond to the new. Further, crafting is essential to propagate the new concepts and solutions rapidly so that they are used and implemented by many. The conceived set of solutions or the new system conceptualized to achieve specific function, need to be communicated to existing users and potential users. The new solutions need to be related to their context. They should be allowed to use these solutions. Their use of new solutions should be studied with a follow-up. With these inputs from the experiences of the users, solutions should be adjusted in various contexts to turn-around the users to the new solutions.

We propose 4 key steps to understand the world - See, Observe, Understand and Live (SOUL). Seeing requires focusing the attention to specific subset of the world around us. This may emerge from our interest, scope of exploration and focus. Key is to shift our focus on specific dimensions of the world that may impact us and our business. This requires making our model of the world explicit. This is specifically true for businesses. To make our model explicit we look at a conceptual construct that has stood the test of time and variety in analysis. That is concept of a System.

A set of elements interacting together and with the environment to perform a function(s) or achieve an objective (s) is defined as a system. Conceptual construct of a system gives us a lens to identify key dimensions of the world for our understanding and action. Further it gives us a framework to view the world as a hierarchy and/or network of systems, that can be studied through analytical, logical, value, inventive and of course systems thinking, i.e., all five dimensions of thinking that are explicitly included in our framework.

Everyone and every business exist in the world which undergoes continuous changes in social, technological, economic, ecological, political, human values and legal dimensions. Our model of the world should consider the world as a super system for our business, our city, our country, etc. which may be considered as the key system. How do we understand a world that is impacted by forces and mechanisms we do not have much chance of comprehending?

We call this framework Crafting New Choices. This is the framework that combines three key human capabilities – Creativity, Decision-Making and Innovation. The framework integrates multiple techniques, methods and methodologies, and is an open-framework with three key phases for responding to new challenges of globalizing complexity. As mentioned, we are living in a rapidly globalizing world. The new globalizing world is characterized by rapid change. One may argue that change is the only constant in our world anyway, however, the pace of change in the globalizing world enabled by technological advances in multiple dimensions, requires understanding and responses that are unprecedented. In this changing world, rules of the game can change anytime; success will come to those who adapt quickly to the new rules. And as is common understanding, the best way one can adapt to the new rules is by writing these rules. In these highly evolving times, with extreme uncertainties and time compressions, it is the successful creation of changing through ideas, i.e., Innovation, can be the only competitive advantage. The Crafting New Choices framework gives an integrated solution combining creativity, decision-making and innovation.

7. Further Work

In this paper, we have proposed a new framework for integrated thinking combining multiple thinking dimensions. The thinking dimensions are analytical, logical, value, inventive and systems thinking. We propose an integrated thinking framework is essential in the wake of increasing globalization, increasing complexity and increasing innovation in the world. Further, the machine era is being superimposed by the information era which will give way to era of mind. In these changes, we also have proposed a law of increasing intelligence of technical systems. Given these trends, we have identified the key fundamentals of the world that need to be considered for creating change. The crafting new choices, framework described in this paper, is an initial framework that we have used in many real life cases to solve complex problems, imagine new systems and improving existing system performances. We look forward to developing this framework to solve new and emerging problems and also expand this framework for the new world.