Option Solving Blog

Our most recent Option Solving example involved the creation of an online people-motivation survey, which included gleaning participants’ comments relative to their box-check answers. As thoughts advanced, separating checked-boxes from written comments would be important. Also important was survey security to prevent users from contravening copyright requirements.

The original question was now extended to focus on original Option C through use of Peeling the Onion (PO). This extended question came through as follows: “Peeling the Onion: What is the likely best option for requesting-gleaning participants’ comments from an online survey; Option C – Give examples of each type; Then ask participants for 2-3 more of each, plus survey security features –   considering 1) comments should be anonymous, 2) they will either be positive or enhancement  ones, 3) they are added at end of survey, and 4) they will be a range of opinions rather than given facts” Again, it’s appropriate to focus on just these four considerations to reduce complexity in their eventual conclusion, when that ultimate moment arrives – despite there being many other possible considerations out there.

Once more your author decided to create yin and yang “bookends” posed by this question, to keep his programmer’s mind focused. Bookends such as these are vital for preventing our fertile intuitive minds from wandering and losing concentration. We are mostly unaware of how powerfully valuable but foot-loose our intuition can be unless we can keep it properly focused on such occasions.   

These turned out to be: “Allow a free-flow format” – Tough to distill into comprehensive thoughts;and “Use a structured check-the-box format” – Not get real flavor of participant thinking. You will note the italicized detractors associated with these least likely options, which shows why they are not particularly good ideas for consideration. Even so, these bookends will now hopefully nudge your editor/programmer’s intuitive thinking into high gear to come-up with a range of realistic options – see ourLatest Worked Option Example.

He then set-out to produce at least five plus realistic sub-options – AA thru FF – that would enable him or his programmer to pursue Emotional Distancing (ED). EDwould allow him or his programmer to take a couple of hours or more for quiet reflection, or even sleep on it, beforecoming to any final conclusion. You can replace these proposed five-six options with any new ones of your own. (Note: ‘FF” was left as “other,” as an opportunity for his programmer to suggest his own ideas, thereby enhancing his involvement and commitment toward the exercise.)

Their final sub-options look quite interesting. In the circumstances, they focused on 5-6 steps AA-FF required to make Option C workable. From there they then decided which of these five sub-option-steps were the most crucial for success, which in their view was Option CC: Participant then confirms thru check-out-box: survey answers complete, then hidden from view. Once this occurs, it will prompt participants to proceed with their comments section, which will also then be hidden from view once participant has completed his/her answers – coupled with a Thank You note to encourage participants to check-out from the survey site.

If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area or contact him at peter@ileadershipsolutions.com. Next time we will focus on “Optimum option for sustaining book co-authors’ commitment to book completion despite summer vacations.” Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Our next posting will be in two week’s time)Consider buying the book: “Smart Decisions: Goodbye Problems, Hello Options” through amazon.com)

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