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Practical Strategies to Expand Analytical, Creative, and Practical Intelligence

Robert Sternberg’s triarchic theory of intelligence informs us that intelligence is three-dimensional and is perhaps best symbolized as a triangle. Just as a triangle has three sides which connect together forming this core geometric shape, intelligence according to Sternberg has three distinctions which also join together assembling a wholistic model of intelligence. Each leg represents a different characteristic of intelligence which are Analytical (thinking systematically), Creative (thinking unconventionally) and Practical (thinking tactically). If we were to fully accept this multifaceted view of intelligence, the implications could be incredibly empowering. I believe that we would recognize and acknowledge that we “ALL have genius within us”.

 

Furthermore, we would feel empowered with the belief that we can develop the other aspects of intelligence as well. Just like how a triangle is fundamentally vital to advancing our knowledge of geometry, mathematics, engineering, construction, trigonometry, physics and mechanics, what would it look like if we pursued mastery of each side of the intelligence triangle? What could we truly accomplish? What would we dare to take on?  In this blog, my goal is to give my readers pragmatic examples of what we can do in our daily lives to develop each component of the triarchic model of intelligence. Please keep in mind that what I recommend is only a small sampling of what you can do to improve each aspect of intelligence.

 

Triarchic Theory of Intelligence Illustration

 

I am a big believer in Kaizen, which is a Japanese term for “continuous improvement”. Part of my personal philosophy in embracing the kaizen spirit is that if I can consistently improve my internal software – AKA “my intelligence” on a daily basis, the dividends yielded in the future (both near and far) will be richly positive; thus, making the daily investment (and effort) worthwhile. I can honestly day that I have experienced this firsthand professionally, personally, and relationally and in having done so, want to pay it forward by encouraging others to do the same.

Before we plunge down the rabbit hole of this Blog Post, I suggest reading my article labeled ‘Navigating Intelligence Through Purposeful Engagement: Insights from Robert Sternberg‘ by clicking on this link [NAVIGAITING INTELLIGENCE] as it may give you additional context for the remainder of the article.

 

 

Before We Continue, a Few Disclaimers…
  • I am not a psychiatrist, psychologist, neuroscientist, medical professional or licensed counselor. Any information I share is based upon my research of the experts within those fields…and my interpretation of their material. Anything I suggest in terms of reframing your thinking or “calls to action” is strictly my opinion/perspective and should not be construed as professional or medical advice.
  • My wife and I are co-authoring a series of children’s books on having a victorious mindset; however, we believe that adults of any age can benefit from the material. Basically, we are creating books we wish we would have read when we were growing up. As such, our research takes us down many “proverbial rabbit holes”.  As such, some of the knowledge we discover or stumble upon causes us to have enlightening “A-HA” moments and paradigm shifts that I believe are worthy of further exploration. I believe these golden nuggets of wisdom are not only worth studying; but more importantly, sharing with others through this medium of blogging because I wholeheartedly believe that the material can help empower and transform people’s lives.
  • I am NOT a Guru whatsoever, but I do consider myself to be scholarly and writing on topics such as this is fulfilling to me. Furthermore, it allows me to internalize the information I study and apply it as wisdom within my own life.
  • This blog post does contain affiliate links; however, any product (mostly books) I recommend directly correlates or resonates with the content expressed herein. Additionally, I only promote products I personally use and/or believe in.

Photo by Meghan Hessler on Unsplash

 

Expanding Analytical Intelligence

Analytical intelligence is defined as higher-order cognitive skills such as critical reasoning, problem-solving, and the ability to analyze and evaluate information You can develop analytical intelligence through these practical steps:

  1. Solve Puzzles and Brain Teasers: Challenging your brain with puzzles and brain teasers is a fun way to increase your analytical intelligence. Doing these type of brain exercises sharpens your problem-solving skills as well as develops logical and critical thinking.
  • Sudoku And Crossword Puzzles: While I am assuming most if not all of my readers are familiar with crossword puzzles, Sudoku puzzles may be a little more foreign. Merriam-Webster defines Sudoku as “a puzzle in which missing numbers are to be filled into a 9 by 9 grid of squares which are subdivided into 3 by 3 boxes so that every row, every column, and every box contains the numbers 1 through 9″. You can take a deeper dive on Sudoku by clicking on this Wikipedia link [SUDOKU INFORMATION]. Whether your cup of tea is Crossword Puzzles or Sudoku, I encourage you to try these type of puzzles for 15-30 minutes a day. Puzzles of this kind usually appear in newspapers, apps, or in books. CLICK THE PIC BELOW FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON SODUKU BOOKS.

 

 

 

 

  • Logic puzzles: Logic puzzles are also another wonderful test for your analytical mind. They involve a scenario you need to decipher using logical deduction. Websites like Brilliant.org [BRILLIANT.ORG LINK] have a good selection of such logic puzzles.

 

 

 

  1. Engage in Continuous Learning: Learning should never end when it comes to developing analytic intelligence. Regularly studying the “how and why” behind unfamiliar concepts and novelle ideas or enhancing current skills sets and learning new abilities can give you an edge in life. The beautiful thing about continuous learning is that it doesn’t need to begin or end in a formal educational setting.  Here are a couple recommendations to engage in continuous learning:
  • Online Courses: Register for online classes through Coursera and similar sites. Coursera and other similar platforms offer courses, certifications, and even degrees in a variety of subjects from credible instructors. Pick topics that appeal to you or can help with your profession. I have personally used Coursera to enhance my career in Commerical Real Estate Development and have earned certifications in Project Management and Construction Finance by way of Cornell University through the Coursera platform. Click this link to learn more about Coursera [COURSERA LINK].
  • Books and journals: Studying books and academic journals is one of the best things you can and should do on a daily basis. I use the word “study” versus “reading” because I study books by way of Audiobooks – through Audible specifically which I highly recommend. Depending on my work assignment for the day, I can be on the road for 1 to 1.5 hours per day. I use my drive time as an opportunity for continuous learning through the Audible app. I also encourage subscribing to journals in your area of discipline to keep up to date with the most recent findings of your specific industry. Also consider going a little “old school” and joining your local library. I joined my local library recently and it was one of the best decisions I made to date – As part of my morning routine, I like to prime my mind by reading 5-30 minutes a day depending on what my schedule looks like. If you need some recommendations on good reads that can help empower your life, please check out my Blog Post, ‘The Essential Library for Those Seeking to Empower their Lives: Insights and Recommendations‘ by clicking on the pic below:

 

 

  • Podcasts: I have to admit that I am a recovering Podcast Junkie (HA-HA). All jokes aside, if there is a particular topic that I need to become knowledgeable about quickly, I will find the top two or three podcasts around the subject matter and listen obsessively. As mentioned above, my career is in Commerical Real Estate Development and as of this post, my recent project was converting an old hotel into a Senior Living Retirement Community. I knew nothing about Senior Living at the time but felt it prudent to understand the industry as were developing our asset. As a result, it broadened my knowledge on Senior Living where I could have intelligent conversations with the Industry Experts. Furthermore, by discovering the experts on the podcasts, I was able to connect and network with many of them through Linked In.

 

  1. Practice Analytical Reflection: Analytical Reflection is reviewing a situation or situations objectively and honestly while discerning what could have been done differently for a more favorable outcome. Practicing this exercise can boost your analytical process.
  • Personal Daily Reflection: Devote 10-15 minutes per day to reflect on your own behavior. Review the decisions you made during the day. What happened as a result of your choices? What choices should you have made differently? What did you learn from each experience?
  • Solicit Relational Feedback: Warren Buffet once said that “Feedback is a Gift“. Once you understand that, accepting constructive criticism is much more palatable. The key here is in embracing a humble attitude and dropping your ego as you receive feedback from the other party. I personally had to do a lot of work in this area within my life. I used to view constructive feedback as an attack on my intelligence and abilities; however, as I gained emotional maturity and a desire for wisdom, I have learned the benefit from honest and sometimes very raw feedback.

 

 

 

  • Professional Problem Solving: One of my favorite books on leadership is Captain D. Michael Abrashoff’s, ‘It’s Your Ship‘. One of my favorite takeaways from this book is how he brings his team together to discuss missions once they are completed and how the crew could have performed better as a whole. By going through this analytical exercise from a variety of vantage points, and then implementing improvement on process,

 

Enhancing Creative Intelligence

Creative intelligence involves coming up with new ideas and being able to respond to new situations creatively. Here are some strategies for increasing your creativity:

 

  1. Cultivate a Creative Environment: Your environment is important in stimulating your creative intelligence. If you create an environment where you can think in a creative way, then you can draw out your creative hands.
  • Empower Your Workspace: You should know yourself better than anyone so what inspires you? What causes you to tap into that creative part of your brain? Can you create an environment which stimulates that? For me, my home office is where I tap into that creative part of my brain. As I write this blog, I am listening to Gregorian Chant in the background and my office is dimly lit. My workspace albeit private is large and spread out. My walls are lined with tokens of past achievements, and I have a cabinet bursting with superhero memorabilia. This environment is my place of creative power. For you, it may look a lot different. My wife for example finds her creative power in our living room space, devoid of people and yet full of background noise with her favorite TV re-run playing in the background while simultaneously jamming to alternative music; furthermore, she is usually surrounded by piles of research spread through the living room while writing feverishly from her laptop.
  • Change of Scenery: Try working from different places. If you can, spend 30 minutes or an hour working in a coffee shop, your local library or in a park. A change of scenery can help you see things from a different perspective and be more creative. If you plateau with your creativity, consider going for a walk while recharging the creative side of your brain.

 

Photo by Pablo Heimplatz – Unsplash

 

  1. Engage in Creative Activities such as:
  • ARTS AND CRAFTS: Spend some time doing something artistic, whether that’s painting, drawing, or some other creative hobby of yours. The idea is to allow yourself some creative space to think new thoughts and express yourself.
  • Writing: Keeping a journal or writing can keep your creative muscles flexing. Find time to put pen to paper and report on your experiences, ideas and thoughts.

 

  1. Embrace Curiosity: Curiosity is fuel for the creativity muscle. Consider the following:
  • Ask plenty of ‘How & Why?’ questions: Asking “How” allows you to dive deeper into developing or understanding processes while asking the question “Why” allows you to understand the logic or lack thereof on a topic.
  • Learn about more than your field: Creative solutions can be discovered by going outside your field of study. Take classes, read books, or attend workshops on skillsets you don’t use every day. The more you know outside your field, the more different associations you can make.

 

Building Practical Intelligence

Practical intelligence, or “street smarts“, refers to an ability to use one’s knowledge in practical ways. Here are a couple examples of how to develop Practical Intelligence:

 

  1. Real-World Problem Solving: Engaging in real-world problem-solving builds practical intelligence as it forces you to deploy your knowledge and skills. Consider the following:
  • Hands-On Projects: Dive into a DIY project that demands practical problem-solving. For example, try repairing a household appliance, building a piece of furniture, planting a garden, or assembling something using an instruction manual.
  • Volunteer Work: Volunteer for positions that require quick, creative solutions to problems on the go. For example, work at a local shelter, community center or with a disaster relief organization and get exposed to new situations and acquire practical problem-solving skills.

 

  1. Social Skills Development: Other important factors for practical intelligence, such as social skills can be developed as well.  Learning to read and connect with people is an important life skill personally and professionally. Here are a couple suggestions to build social skills:
  • Attend Networking Events: Consider attending mixers, conferences, or meet-ups. Practice introducing yourself to strangers, understanding social cues (body language, tonality, and eye contact), asking intelligent open-ended questions, and listening intently. I personally am a little shy, so I prefer to attend such social events with a colleague or friend which helps give me confidence in conversing with strangers and feel a little less awkawrd. I also make it a goal to connect with 3-5 people I’ve never met before attending said event. Having a goal such as this almost gamifies the experience.
  • Building Listening Skills: Engage in active listening which involves listening more than speaking in a conversation. In focusing on what the other person is saying, you can build a mental list of topics which will help you ask open-ended follow-up questions to purposely engage in the conversation.

 

Photo by Anastasiya Badun on Unsplash

 

 

  1. Adaptive Learning: Adaptive learning is when you are able to adjust your thinking in navigating unfamiliar situations. participating in Adaptive Activities such as recommended below can increase Practical Intelligence:
  • Athletics: As an example, I train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), a Martial Art that emphasizes throws, takedowns, groundwork, and submissions.  BJJ is often considered a physical chess match as you have to think several moves ahead of your training partner or opponent. Also, there tends to be live problem-solving that occurs often during a sparring session or match. This forces you to think through a dilemma and employ an effective strategy our counter strategy while under a degree of duress.
  • Simulation Exercises: Practice dealing with very real scenarios with ‘simulations’, using role-playing for instance. You might practice negotiating and role-playing a challenging scenario with a friend or colleague. I use this strategy often at work. If I have a challenging meeting coming up, I may role-play that meeting from a “worst case scenario” context ahead of time with a colleague so that I am adequately prepared for the actual meeting.

 

Tips for Busy Professionals

As a busy professional, finding time to incorporate these practices can be challenging. Here are some tips to make it easier:

  1. Set clear and realistic goals: Setting clear goals that can be accomplished for each intelligence leg. Here are my personal examples – I will physically read a minimum of 5-30 minutes every day; I will write one blog post on a topic that stretches me every week; and I will train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) a minimum of two times per week.
  2. Leverage Technology: Use technology to make learning more accessible – play puzzle apps on your phone or enroll in online courses. For me, I use Audible to study books on my drives to and from work.
  3. Weave learning it into your existing schedule: If you’re anything like me, you probably have little to no room in your schedule so adding one more thing can feel overwhelming.  Consider maximizing your time by weaving learning into your already existing schedule. As mentioned above, I listen to audiobooks via audible on my drive to and from work. I also read during my morning coffee and listen to Podcasts during my workouts.

 

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

 

Final Thoughts

Increasing your analytical, creative and practical intelligence is a worthwhile pursuit. By incorporating some of the above-forementioned recommendations into your daily life, you increase the probability of growing your intellectual capacities each and every day. Consider that intelligence is much more than a trait you’re born with – It is a dynamic quality you can continuously cultivate.

 

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