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| Summarize and Research |
Summarize and Research
Summarizing the available data helps to clarify the scope and magnitude of a problem, and helps you to focus your attention on specific aspects. You need to become familiar with all the relevant information, and to present that information to yourself as clearly as possible.
After the standard techniques of sorting and classifying information have been applied, decisions can be made regarding what is significant and what is extraneous.
The quality of the data and the reliability of the sources should also be considered.
You can take better advantage of your sophisticated neural pathways for processing visual images by summarizing key information in a table or a labelled sketch. Background research should be regarded as an essential step in your efforts to solve significant problems. Few problems are unique. There is a high probability that someone else has already worked on a problem similar to yours. With a bit of research on the Internet or in a library you can often obtain an overview of such efforts. Published results often include descriptions of what worked, what did not work, the most promising avenues for follow-up studies, and the characteristics of major impediments to success.
When appropriate, consult one or more experts in your problem area. Expert advice at the beginning of a major problem-solving project can save you much time and anguish.
Consider stakeholders
If your problem, or its solution, will affect others it is highly recommended that those people be consulted on a regular basis. The ‘stakeholders’ can often provide valuable insights that will help you find a better solution and avoid future problems.
A solution is only of use if it is successfully implemented. Implementation that affects people normally requires their co-operation, and their co-operation is more likely when they feel that they have been involved in the process. A solution that is imposed on an unsuspecting population is often resisted or rejected.
Summarizing the available data helps to clarify the scope and magnitude of a problem, and helps you to focus your attention on specific aspects. You need to become familiar with all the relevant information, and to present that information to yourself as clearly as possible.
After the standard techniques of sorting and classifying information have been applied, decisions can be made regarding what is significant and what is extraneous.
The quality of the data and the reliability of the sources should also be considered.
You can take better advantage of your sophisticated neural pathways for processing visual images by summarizing key information in a table or a labelled sketch. Background research should be regarded as an essential step in your efforts to solve significant problems. Few problems are unique. There is a high probability that someone else has already worked on a problem similar to yours. With a bit of research on the Internet or in a library you can often obtain an overview of such efforts. Published results often include descriptions of what worked, what did not work, the most promising avenues for follow-up studies, and the characteristics of major impediments to success.
When appropriate, consult one or more experts in your problem area. Expert advice at the beginning of a major problem-solving project can save you much time and anguish.
Consider stakeholders
If your problem, or its solution, will affect others it is highly recommended that those people be consulted on a regular basis. The ‘stakeholders’ can often provide valuable insights that will help you find a better solution and avoid future problems.
A solution is only of use if it is successfully implemented. Implementation that affects people normally requires their co-operation, and their co-operation is more likely when they feel that they have been involved in the process. A solution that is imposed on an unsuspecting population is often resisted or rejected.
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