Transforming strategic thinking into embodied knowledge

Though the cold days of December continue, here's an off-season announcement. We've introduced Yamataka Foods from Gunma Prefecture several times before. They've consistently developed sweets worthy of an egg artisan, like "Heavenly Pig (Pudding) " and " Heavenly Butarina (Egg Tart )". Their latest creation is "Heavenly Cold Pig ". It's an ice cream released for a limited time, oddly enough, during this cold season. Its most impressive feature is undoubtedly its appearance. Of course, what looks like the yolk is the ultra-rich egg pudding, the Heavenly Pig.

One more out-of-season introduction.

I contributed about 8 pages to the practical business training magazine " Think! " (Issue No. 55), published on November 5, 2011. Even though I knew it was an autumn issue, oh dear! The interview took place on September 1st, a scorching hot day. Completely caught off guard, I had my photo taken in short sleeves. Working in this industry and still showing my complete amateur status. How embarrassing!

The title of my article was "Physical Thinking for Concept Creation: Using the SECI Model and Circular Thinking to Generate 'Current Ideas'." And opening the special feature "Returning to the Roots of Thinking Power" was Mr. Yoshinori Saito's piece, "Cultivating Strategic Vision: The Advantages of Opposite Thinking – Making Thought 'Bodily Knowledge'."

Mr. Saito is a renowned consultant who also served as the supervising translator for management scholar Henry Mintzberg's "Strategic Safari." I read with great interest why two manuscripts centered on the keyword "body" appeared side by side at this time.

I believe the issue is still available in bookstores, so for details, you'll have to read " Think! " yourself. However, I felt Mr. Saito's core message was encapsulated in the following words:

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Fundamentally, just as knowledge, mind, and body cannot be severed, strategic thinking and practice are inseparable. The Cartesian mind-body dualism that separates knowledge and body—"I am the thinker, you are the doer"—is utterly incompatible with becoming a strategic person. Symbols from the brain move the body, but conversely, signals born from the body's natural reactions to situations activate and strengthen the brain itself.

From "Cultivating a Strategic Eye: The Recommendation for 'Reverse Thinking' – Transforming Thought into 'Body Knowledge'" by Yoshinori Saito, Think! (Toyo Keizai Inc.), page 15

 

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I wholeheartedly agree with this assertion. And I resolve to refine "circular thinking" into a more precise practical methodology for integrating bodily experience into the thought process! Yet, another thought also came to mind.

In the past, advertising presentations involved marketing proposing strategy and creative proposing expression. It was crucial that marketing's strategy be "correct," properly grounded in data. Meanwhile, creatives were expected to actually craft the advertising expression and move people's emotions. Frankly, marketing wasn't interested in expression, and creatives were indifferent to strategy. While there were certainly many exceptions, there was a clear line drawn: "Marketing is for thinkers, creatives are for doers."

Now, the advertising industry seems to have changed significantly. But how often does marketing actually write their own copy, face the embarrassment, and then use that experience to build the next strategy? How often does creative feed back "signals born from the body's natural reactions to situations" into strategy? With a sense of self-reflection, I realize there is room for improvement.

Thanks to Yamataka Foods' sincere dedication, we always conduct numerous tasting sessions during new product development. Yet I still haven't stood in the store where new products are displayed. I haven't visited the manufacturing site either. The sheer number of things I must experience physically is dizzying.

Anyway, "Heavenly Cold Pork" is delicious (laugh).

Please, enjoy!