When I was a kid, I relished the rare day when the typical prairie wind was reduced to a gentle breeze and the water in a nearby pond stood stock still. My adrenaline would surge as I raced to the edge of the shore, heaving the largest rock I could find out in the middle of the pond and listening to its land with a satisfying KER-PLOP! This experience was not limited to my auditory senses as I gleefully watched rings upon rings form and drift out to the boundary of the pond before finally dissipating.
Ripples.
You see, that one action of casting a large stone into the water yielded multiple ripples. The same is true when we make decisions.
Every decision has a ripple effect, often both intentional and unintentional. Our goal as decision-makers is to accurately weigh the costs and benefits of a proposed solution. If we think about the potential side effects up-front, we can save time by preventing unintentional ripple effects – before they happen.
Here’s an example:
Decision: I eat a large bowl of ice cream before bed
Intentional ripple effect: My sweet tooth is satisfied…ice cream is delicious!
Unintentional ripple effect: My stomach aches and I am unable to sleep. I’m grumpy the next morning.
I have a colleague who is quite adept at thinking about ripple effects and the consequences of his decisions. He has a guiding statement that I’ve adopted as my own: What potential problems might my solution introduce? Chris is on to something! When a decision is required, he automatically thinks about the pros and cons of the decision.
Situation Expert provides a thinking tool designed to guide you through the process of considering the pros and cons of any decision you need to make. From broken backflow valves to bungled Bunsen burners, from engine failures to extruding machine mishaps – this is a tool you can apply in the flow of your work to recognize the unintentional ripple effects, leading you to better decisions.
Author
Ray Jimenez, PhD
Vignettes Learning
“Helping Learners Learn Their Way”
Vignettes Learning Workshops
1. Developing Critical Thinking for Modern Learners
2. Microlearning for Disruptive Results
3. Instructional and Experience Design for Workflow Learning
4. The Masterful Virtual Trainer Online Workshop
5. Hyper Story-Based eLearning Design Workshop
6. Training Frontline Leaders as Learning Accelerators
7. HYBRID Remote and Hands-on Training
8. Advanced Skills in Webinars