I’m a Gutenberg person. What do I mean? Well, I process information; in this case the written word, in a left-to-right, linear narrative. Each sentence has a thought that builds into the next sentence, paragraph, section, and chapter. The process builds on itself leading to insights, conclusions and recommendations. Most of our communications and decision-making are based on this linear model.
More of us are evolving into digital people. Let me explain. The people growing up today, including many in their twenties, seem to process information in almost a non-linear fashion. Several examples may clarify this. Have you ever seen a music video? Powerful, kinetic images and language are flashed to us every several seconds. The Gutenbergs among us say ‘say what?’ The younger folks say ‘cool.’ Digital information is conveyed and processed differently almost experientially. The Gutenbergs sometimes miss the video experience because the images and lyrics don’t seem to be connected and make little sense.