We talked about whether it was fair to generalize about these styles on a gender (male left-brain, female right-brain) or political (conservative left-brain, progressive right-brain) basis, and concluded, I think, that such generalizations were too simplistic. And none of us is entirely left-brained or right-brained: We sometimes use styles and approaches from each column, depending on the circumstances.

We also agreed, I think, that these styles aren’t limited to the workplace — they manifest themselves in relationships with family and styles in which activities at home are carried out as well.

Cyndy digested this down to a catchphrase for right-brainers (which we both are) to use in managing: Observe, Ask, Offer. Here’s how she put it:

Since then we’ve been playing around with this (we even got into Eliot’s What The Thunder Said in our musings on how it relates to the Upanishads), and I’ve tried to expand it from a catchphrase for managing into a mantra for living — something right-brainers could use to guide all of their day-to-day activities. Something that would work along with a daily workflow management process like Getting Things Done, and focus your mind on actually doing the various tasks you do, once Getting Things Done had helped you decide which to do. Or maybe I’m being a bit schizophrenic here — does it make sense to be using a rigorous process for organizing your “stuff” and your activities, when your approach to those activities is decidedly relaxed, flexible, interactive and improvisational?

Here’s the mantra that has evolved out of this for me. I’ve been using it for the last few days and it’s got me through some challenging business meetings, a personal family crisis, and a couple of stressful situations, with flying colours:

Sense, Self-control, Understand, Question, Imagine, Offer, Collaborate

(or, in French, where the words are more nuanced yet less ambiguous: Sentir, Se Commander, Comprendre, Poser, Imaginer, Offrir, Collaborer).

I know, it sounds like a Buddhist homily. Tedious. Pretentious. But it’s also natural, the way things are done by creatures not burdened or enlightened by man’s double-edged capacity to rationalize and moralize. When I think about applying these seven steps to every situation I face, it’s not like I’m imposing something, it’s more like I’m liberating myself from a lot of bad, very human habits that I need to unlearn.

All I know is that, for me, it works. Thanks, Cyndy.