How do we train ourselves to be more imaginative?

B-SCHOOL! You think? If you read Ask Annie in Fortune or the Vault’s News Groups the common theme is… need a career “Make Over”, go to a Business School.

Then why do B-Schools admit only a select few? How about they admit a cat, dog, horse, cow and make it more imaginative to prepare for a career make over? I guess they need some one who is already imaginative and creative to hone those skills. That does not sound like the place then does it?

Are we going for an endorsed brand here? If I attended a Wharton, Harvard or Stanford would I be more imaginative than some one who went to ABC College? Certainly seems like considering BAIN, BCG, McKinsey would not hire at ABC.

Am I beginning to sound like a Business School hater? Oh no! I am not, trust me I am not! Is that guilt kicking in? Whoa… I don’t wish to ruin my chances with my current bosses or future ones. Change of topic!

Growing up my dad who is an Engineer by trade told me math helps one to develop her/his skills to imagine. I did not take that seriously, but I believe that now. What is a number, it is truly an abstract concept. Can you see it or do we just have to count a collection? Same with shapes and objects like squares, triangles, trapeziums and so on. But not all math majors, engineers or scientists are imaginative either. So what is the elixir for imagination?

An unbiased lucid mind, with reality and market checkpoints.