The evolutionary Origins of human goal setting and social creativity for problem solving (and my doctoral thesis)

Human history extends at least six million years back in time. Findings suggest that our ancestors, the Australopithecus afarensis, a.k.a. as Lucy, butchered and ate meat some 3.4 million years before the present. Before this finding, common knowledge in anthropology is that a shift to animal source food started a process that reduced their guts, and expanded their brains. Slowly, our ancestors turned into cognitive beings, starting with social cognition, followed by symbolic thinking, and executive functions - a battery of functions including, playing with ideas; taking the time to think before acting; meeting novel, unanticipated challenges; resisting temptations; and staying focused. In an organizational setting: the purpose of goal-setting is to form an organization, and to influence performance, learning, and creativity for problem solving. Goal assignment is the work of the leader. Evidence suggests that this application has successfully been applied since the construction and erection of Göbekli Tepe. Also, My doctoral thesis. 3 pages.

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Human history extends at least six million years back in time. One theory points to the Tugen hills between Lake Victoria (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya) and Lake Turkana (Kenya, Ethiopia) as the place where our early ancestors - the Orrorins - lived (Senut et al. 2001).

Like other animals, the Orrorin's hade no higher cognitive capacity like probabalistic logic, and inferential as well as creative thinking, implying perception and intuition was applied to direct emotions and motivation, so called PRIMES (Buck, 1985), in an instant manner. 

Findings suggest that our ancestors, the Australopithecus afarensis, a.k.a. as Lucy, butchered and ate meat some 3.4 million years before the present (McPherron et al. 2010).

Before this finding, common knowledge in anthropology is that a shift to animal source food started a process that reduced their guts, and expanded their brain (Aiello and Wheeler, 1995). If true, McPherron et al.:s finding predates that by a staggering 800 000 years.

2.8 million years before the present, our genus - Homo - emerged on the scene (Villmoare et a. 2015).

Soon after, the climate changed when Neogene (23 - 2.58 mya) is replaced by Quaternary (2.58 - ), and Pliocene (5.33 - 2.58 mya) by Pleistocene (2.58 -).

Slowly, our ancestors turned into cognitive beings, starting with social cognition, followed by symbolic thinking, and executive functions (Ardila, 2009; Coolidge and Wynn, 2009).

Executive functions are a battery of functions including, "playing with ideas; taking the time to think before acting; meeting novel, unanticipated challenges; resisting temptations; and staying focused" (Diamond, 2013).

Our species has a unique conscious ability to play with ideas and run them forward in time - prospective thinking (Gilbert and Wilson, 2007; Kaku, 2014; Locke et al. 1981; Locke and Latham, 2002; Szpunar et al. 2014).

Duncker (1945) suggest that when formulating an intentional prospect, that is, a goal, the implication is a problem - the difference between the current state and the goal state.

If a problem is familiar: current knowledge and strategies can be applied. On the other hand, if the problem is unfamiliar: new knowledge and strategies had to be formed, i.e., learning and/or creative thinking is needed.

Read: Allen Newell (1979) Duncker on Thinking: An Inquiry into Progress in Cognition.

In an organizational setting:

• the purpose of goal-setting is to form an organization, and to influence performance, learning, and creativity for problem solving.
• goal setting is the work of the leader. 

Since at least 11 600 years back in time, three manifestations of leaders goal-assignment is demonstrated thru (1) the unknown person who assigned the goal that led to the erection of Göbekli Tepe, (2) Filippo Brunelleschis (1377-1446) erection of the self-supporting dome of Florence Cathedral (the construction of the main building was the work of Arnolfo di Cambio (1240 – 1300/1310)), and (3) John F Kennedys two addresses about putting a man on the moon (1, 2).

Here is my take on Leadership, goal setting and social creativity within organizations (from Österberg, 2012).

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