High Concept, High Touch
The chapter starts by illustrating the following evolution:
Agriculture Age -> Industrial Age -> Information Age -> Conceptual Age.
Pink then defines the terms of High Concept and High Touch, which will be present throughout the rest of the book. He then highlights that the artistic areas are gaining a more relevant role in the business world, with the diminishing importance of the MBA. Nowadays more and more people that have MFA’s (Master of Fine Arts) are in key positions in many companies. Like the author says, MFA is becoming the new MBA.
IQ shouldn’t be the only measure of a person’s potential, with EQ (Emotional Quotient) gaining more importance, as Right-Brain capabilities become more relevant.
The big question Pink poses is “What are we supposed to do?” He came up with six specific high-concept and high-touch aptitudes, essential in this new era: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning. Each of these concepts will be dealt with in the next 6 chapters of the book.
This is part of a series of posts I’m doing while reading Daniel Pink’s book A Whole New Mind
Other Chapter summaries:
Chapter 01 – Right Brain Rising
Chapter 02 – A Whole New Mind
[...] Other Chapter summaries: Chapter 01 – Right Brain Rising Chapter 02 – A Whole New Mind Chapter 03 – High Concept, High Touch [...]