Option Solving Blog

Now this writer is challenged to decide the optimum time invited participants should be given to respond and complete his online survey. He is challenged to figure out how much time they should be given to act upon doing the survey. There are probably arguments both ways: for giving people a short window to respond or giving them more room to maneuver relative to their circumstances. Ultimately it was interesting to test our intuition on this topic.

So he created an appropriate rational question as follows to begin the process of finding an optimal solution. It became: “What is the optimum window of time for participants to respond to a survey request; considering 1) not to feel too much under pressure, 2) minimize postponing to the last minute, 3) allow too much time for building anxiety, and 4) not to encourage resistance to build?” Other considerations were apparent, but these were the key ones to reflect upon.

From there he moved on to draft two unlikely “bookends”, the yin and yang, to focus his intuitive capabilities and stimulate his creative thinking toward producing a range of viable options. His bookends proved to be: “12 hrs.” and “Leave it open ended,” both untenable in the circumstances. His reasons for not using these outliers are given in our worked example. Using option-framers like these help to focus participants’ brilliant intuitive minds, which can so easily be distracted, before figuring out their most likely and realistic options – again, see our Latest Worked Example.

It’s vital to come up with at least five realistic options to stretch ones thinking. You will see this writer produced six. Look at our Latest Example and you will see those six options and one of them is: “Option D- 72 hrs.”

With his “pictogram” in place, indicating his range of six time options, this writer set it aside to allow for some emotional distancing. Emotional distancing would allow his intuitive mind to sub-consciously ponder those six options, while doing other things, and enable him to be more objective when he returned to it.

Since one’s intuition enjoys pictures, a pictogram aids fast intuitive absorption. After sleeping on it, he allowed his intuition, first thing in the morning, to help him to make an optimum choice relative to all the considerations. Which option would you have chosen, if you were in his shoes? As his morning got underway he moved ahead with any related working principles while all the factors were fresh in his mind

If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the

COMMENTS area.  Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting will be in two weeks time: “What might be the optimum ploy to motivate people to participate in the survey as soon as possible (PEACAM factors)?” Let’s have your COMMENTS or go to peter@ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger. Also consider buying the book: “Smart Decisions: Goodbye Problems, Hello Options” through amazon.com)

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