Latest news with #MattChurch
CTV News
02-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Staggering steel swan sits poised along Highway 169 in Washago
A staggering, steel statue of a wing-spread swan is now poised gracefully along Highway 169 and Muskoka Street in Washago, Ont. (Courtesy Michael Eddy) A staggering, steel statue of a wing-spread swan is now poised gracefully along Highway 169 in Washago. This long-anticipated art piece is the result of years of dedication and fundraising efforts. Spearheaded by Washago Art Club members Jan McKnight, Doug Cooper, and Glenn Hudgin, the 'Swan Project' was inspired by the natural beauty of the area particularly the annual arrival of over 100 swans that winter nearby. Club members say they hope this art piece becomes a memorable landmark for the Wahago community and visitors to the area. Steel statue A staggering, steel statue of a wing-spread swan is now poised gracefully along Highway 169 and Muskoka Street in Washago, Ont. (Courtesy Michael Eddy) Sanctioned at Highway 169 and Muskoka Street, the long brown wings point towards the Wye Marsh which is a subtle nod to the birds' natural habitat. Doug Cooper designed the sculpture, which has been brought to life by local ironworker and sculptor Matt Church. Church has been working on the piece since the fall, constructing the large structure from steel. The complete statue stands approximately eight to 10-feet tall and is elevated on a rock base near the busy Washago intersection. The swan was unveiled on Tuesday following the community parade, which drew several hundred residents and visitors. Among those in attendance were the Warden of the County and the Deputy Mayor of Severn, marking the occasion.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Four ways to sharpen your mind and stay relevant in the age of AI
Here are four simple yet proven methods to do better thinking. As an author of two books on high performance, I've used these methods to improve my own thinking. I've also seen great results when using these methods with leadership teams to overcome challenges and create new strategies. Full spectrum thinking Loading Full spectrum thinking is a concept created by Matt Church and Peter Cook in their 2018 book Think. Full spectrum thinking encourages us to flesh out an idea by scoping it from four different angles: from 'left brain' rational view to 'right brain' creative view, and from big picture 'conceptual' view down to detailed 'concrete' view. For example, to flesh out an idea like 'culture drives performance', incorporate the research and statistics that support the idea, share a story that brings it to life, frame it with a model or method, and add a metaphor for clarity and interest. By fleshing out an idea in full spectrum, you add both substance and appeal to your idea by making it accessible to people with different preferences for absorbing information. Yes and, yes but This is another thinking strategy shared by Church & Cook in Think. When you hear a concept or idea that you either agree or disagree with, use this method to build upon the idea with your unique perspective. 'Yes, and' asks you to elaborate on why you agree with an idea or concept. 'Yes, but' asks you to consider the opposing idea, or provide a contrary view. Yes is different to no. Yes suggests we are building concepts. No suggests we are debating concepts. Examples are: How can we grow both revenue and margin at the same time? How can we improve both productivity and engagement? How can we gain market share and consolidate our offerings? These questions seem paradoxical until they are considered as opportunities for radical change. Scientific thinking Loading The main premise behind scientific thinking is to treat opinions simply as hypotheses to be tested as either true or not true. Scientific thinking wards against cognitive biases getting in the way of the truth. For workers, adopting a scientific approach to thinking is about being willing to test ideas and let them go when they don't work out. The smart people at Google X have designed a whole innovation factory around scientific thinking. They are the team behind self-driving cars, self-flying delivery vehicles, smart glasses, smart contact lenses and balloon-powered internet. They see failure as a positive because in the words of one of their employees, 'killing a good idea, makes room for truly great ones'. Design thinking Design thinking was a concept introduced by Hasso Plattner and David Kelly in 2004 as a revolutionary way to transform problem-solving. This approach encourages individuals to identify and tackle problems through three unconventional ways: Empathise – understand the problems and challenges from the perspective of the 'user' or customer Work together – recognise that creativity sparks from collaboration – that working together can and does produce a better result than individuals working alone Fail effectively – work fast to build a minimum viable product (MVP) and test it. Adopt a 'fail fast' mentality, seeing continuous improvement, or iterative improvement over perfection. Applying design thinking, in just about any context, quickly evolves their thinking. It also helps people better respond to feedback and improve.
The Age
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Four ways to sharpen your mind and stay relevant in the age of AI
Here are four simple yet proven methods to do better thinking. As an author of two books on high performance, I've used these methods to improve my own thinking. I've also seen great results when using these methods with leadership teams to overcome challenges and create new strategies. Full spectrum thinking Loading Full spectrum thinking is a concept created by Matt Church and Peter Cook in their 2018 book Think. Full spectrum thinking encourages us to flesh out an idea by scoping it from four different angles: from 'left brain' rational view to 'right brain' creative view, and from big picture 'conceptual' view down to detailed 'concrete' view. For example, to flesh out an idea like 'culture drives performance', incorporate the research and statistics that support the idea, share a story that brings it to life, frame it with a model or method, and add a metaphor for clarity and interest. By fleshing out an idea in full spectrum, you add both substance and appeal to your idea by making it accessible to people with different preferences for absorbing information. Yes and, yes but This is another thinking strategy shared by Church & Cook in Think. When you hear a concept or idea that you either agree or disagree with, use this method to build upon the idea with your unique perspective. 'Yes, and' asks you to elaborate on why you agree with an idea or concept. 'Yes, but' asks you to consider the opposing idea, or provide a contrary view. Yes is different to no. Yes suggests we are building concepts. No suggests we are debating concepts. Examples are: How can we grow both revenue and margin at the same time? How can we improve both productivity and engagement? How can we gain market share and consolidate our offerings? These questions seem paradoxical until they are considered as opportunities for radical change. Scientific thinking Loading The main premise behind scientific thinking is to treat opinions simply as hypotheses to be tested as either true or not true. Scientific thinking wards against cognitive biases getting in the way of the truth. For workers, adopting a scientific approach to thinking is about being willing to test ideas and let them go when they don't work out. The smart people at Google X have designed a whole innovation factory around scientific thinking. They are the team behind self-driving cars, self-flying delivery vehicles, smart glasses, smart contact lenses and balloon-powered internet. They see failure as a positive because in the words of one of their employees, 'killing a good idea, makes room for truly great ones'. Design thinking Design thinking was a concept introduced by Hasso Plattner and David Kelly in 2004 as a revolutionary way to transform problem-solving. This approach encourages individuals to identify and tackle problems through three unconventional ways: Empathise – understand the problems and challenges from the perspective of the 'user' or customer Work together – recognise that creativity sparks from collaboration – that working together can and does produce a better result than individuals working alone Fail effectively – work fast to build a minimum viable product (MVP) and test it. Adopt a 'fail fast' mentality, seeing continuous improvement, or iterative improvement over perfection. Applying design thinking, in just about any context, quickly evolves their thinking. It also helps people better respond to feedback and improve.
