decision-making
Use the “APC” Method to Creatively Solve Problems
7:10AM Kevin Purdy | The Tools for Thought blog delves into a creative problem solving technique from Edward de Bono that isn’t exactly new, but might be a fresh idea for recent converts to the Getting Things Done school of thinking. When faced with a problem or task, don’t drive immediately toward a single solution, but do an “APC” on it—consider alternative causes or approaches, think up a list of possibilities for accomplishing or fixing it, and come up with a list of your choices. As poster Andre Kibbe explains: Before spending too much time building what may turn out to be the wrong strategy, it’s worth spending some time dedicated to generating alternative strategies, without elaborating on a particular one. After having a variety to choose from, focus on implementing the best elements of one or more approaches. How do you implement APC thinking into your workflow? What other de Bonot-based thinking helps you tackle your tasks? Offer up your creativity in the comments. Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices [Tools for Thought] More »
Make Decisions with the Six Thinking Hats Technique
7:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Observe the decision-making process from different perspectives to understand the complexity of the decision and to examine the decision from the periphery and from angles that you’d otherwise be blind. The process, called “six thinking hats,” allows you to put a different coloured hat on and observe the problem in different ways. For example, while wearing the white hat, you observe all data available and extrapolate from historical information. When you switch to your red hat, you look at the problem with emotion and attempt to understand people’s reactions. A black hat wearer will look at all the bad parts of the decision and will try to understand what may cause the outcome not to work in your favour. When you wear your yellow hat, you’re optimistic, and when you switch to your green hat, you’re creative. Finally, the blue hat is the leader and person behind process control. By wearing each hat before making a difficult decision, you can determine whether you’re really committed to the task—or if you’re ready to change your mind. Six Thinking Hats [Mind Tools] More »
Make Firm Decisions to Be Happier
11:00PM Kevin Purdy | The Washington Post digs into the imperfect science of happiness and finds a few common “rules” that govern how we find and value happiness, many of them related to decisions and uncertainty. For instance, a number of experiments have shown that people tend to overestimate the consequences of events and decisions, to their detriment: Torn between life choices? The experimental results suggest the worst option is usually indecision — no matter what choice people make, they are more likely to be okay with the consequences than if they stay on the fence. A study noted in the article also found that those who had to definitely choose a free item to take home with them ended up happier with their picks than those who were given the option of returning them later. Makes me think twice about some of my electronics purchasing habits. Photo by Pσrcelαΐηgΐrl°. C’mon, Get Happy? It’s Easier Said Than Done [Washington Post] More »
