The Strategy Toolkit - Climb high, sleep low
Happy Lunar New Year! We hope your new year has begun fast and furious, like a rabbit :) Interested in more than this introduction? Become a paid subscriber to The Strategy Toolkit for exclusive, first-reader access to insights on strategy from the most diverse, wide-ranging source out there. Plus provocative commentary for the strategist community. Plus behind-the-scenes case studies from the field. Only available here, from The Strategy Toolkit. Excerpt: Strategy and Science / Technology, part two In part one, we explored the idea of science, that is, how science came to be what it is today, and what strategists can learn from that development. We now pivot (as Silicon Valley types like to say) to the practice of science, with a focus on education and innovation. We begin with a few questions, such as: How exactly does one become a scientist (beyond the typical steps of undergraduate and graduate degree programs)? What strategies should a prospective science major use to be successful in their chosen field? Stanford University’s Carl Wieman recently shared findings from his research in physics education, findings generalisable across the sciences. His work is built upon others’ cognitive science studies into how expertise is achieved in any field, exploring specific aspects of expertise in science and how it is learned. In particular, Wieman is interested in the physicist as problem-solver, where “solving is defined as everything a physicist does in their research, from selecting a suitable problem, to carrying out the lengthy process of obtaining results, to finally presenting those results and their implications to the community.”* * Wieman, C., “How to become a successful physicist,” Physics Today (September 2022): 46-52 Starting from the position that, according to cognitive science research, people gain proficiency by practising tasks repeatedly over time, Wieman builds a model similar to master-apprentice approaches in craftsmanship. Skills are learnt and the learner advances to higher levels of skills with guidance from those already skilled. From his own research, Wieman constructed a series of problem-solving decisions, nearly 30 in total, found to be necessary for all physicists. These decisions are, as one would expect, choices between options, characterised as much as possible by the information available and the judgement of the individual. “With limited information, the decisions can never be certain; rather, they are educated guesses or judgements, albeit highly informed ones. The problem-solving skill was in the quality of the judgements. The experts often noted that research breakthroughs came from recognising the significance of some additional information that other researchers had overlooked.” * Ibid Straightforward enough. What stood out, for Wieman and his team of researchers, was the importance of domain knowledge and cross-disciplinary expertise in making good decisions. Therefore, just as we see in critical thinking theory, becoming a good scientist requires learning both the knowledge and how to use the knowledge in decision-making tasks. This includes how to organise information, the design and application of mental models and algorithms, and intense practice over an extended period of time, coupled with frequent feedback. Wieman goes on to emphasise general professional and interpersonal skills that serve to reinforce decision-making abilities. He also translates his findings into specific tradecraft suggestions for science educators at all levels, including course design, instruction, and related activities, as well as more advanced programs. He notes, for instance, how post-doctoral advisors may inadvertently restrict the range of decisions to be undertaken by a student out of habit or necessity and thus constrain the potential for growth and learning. “For example, many of the problem-definition and planning decisions occur when the adviser develops proposals to fund the work and hire students and postdocs. To address that weakness, the student (or postdoc) and adviser should seek out opportunities to review those previous decisions and how they were made. Whenever possible, the adviser should challenge the student to think of alternatives and then discuss why those alternatives would usually not be as good. Of course, if the student comes up with an improvement, so much the better. Additionally, the student could apply for graduate fellowships, such as from NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, that require them to write a research proposal, which should include making and justifying those first decisions.”* * Ibid Lastly, Wieman highlights the challenges of self-awareness, confirmation bias, and reflection aspects of several of the decisions, skills that are difficult to learn and are not usually taught explicitly within the context of scientific education. So, say we follow Wieman et al’s advice and create an extraordinary cohort of skilled scientists. To what end? You may recall our earlier observation regarding the power derived from science and technology, a resource much in demand by business and government alike. As Voltaire is reputed to have said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Thought must be given, therefore, to the strategies related to the relationship between science, technology, and society. This topic is so wide-ranging it could warrant its own separate book. Let’s look at just three aspects, namely access to information, surveillance, and geopolitical rivalry... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to The Strategy Toolkit to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. A subscription gets you:
|
Key phrases
Older messages
All's fair
Tuesday, December 20, 2022
The Strategy Toolkit - December 2022 edition
How to be human - why anthropology matters
Friday, December 16, 2022
Guest post from Sharon - St. Louis, author of Brain Food - Books are Food for Your Brain
Reminder to vote for Strategist of the Year 2022!
Friday, December 16, 2022
Poll closes Monday December 19th
Strategist of the Year 2022
Monday, December 12, 2022
A quick "end-of-year" poll - get in your vote before Monday December 19th!
Leadership strategy "on the fly"
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Guest post from Michael Kole, author of The Kole Hard Facts
You Might Also Like
🎙️ Find That Pod #259
Friday, April 26, 2024
Check out these 5 great podcasts...and bring some awesomeness to your ears. Let's take a look at this week's recommendations. ADVERTISEMENT 5 great podcasts to discover… Welcome to the 259th
On Rewatching TV Shows
Friday, April 26, 2024
It's the Now I Know weekender
🎤 SWIPES Email (Friday April 26th, 2024)
Friday, April 26, 2024
The SWIPES Email Edition: Friday, April 26th, 2024 An educational (and fun) email by Copywriting Course. Enjoy! 🎤 Listen to this email here: Swipe: On one hand, this seems like a bad billboard
Forget a Pedestal; Put Your Audience on a Ladder
Friday, April 26, 2024
Say no to customers and yes to members in your business strategy.
🚿 A story as satisfying as those power washing videos…
Thursday, April 25, 2024
He's building THE biggest power washing business (from Hollywood to washing wood) Can he build the world's biggest power washing business? Hey Contrarians, Whatever preconceived notions you may
One-Day Facebook Groups Promo • Posts Book to 250K+ FB group readers
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Group Posts to 250K Facebook Readers Facebook Reader Group Promos for Authors & Publishers Promote Your Book & Yourself to HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF READERS! If you're looking to have your
[Now I Know Offers] Learn a New Language with Babbel!
Thursday, April 25, 2024
It's a great day to start something new!
3-2-1: How to connect with others, what causes old age, and the recipe for success
Thursday, April 25, 2024
3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week.
Ahrefs’ Digest #180: Content marketing conferences, how to be an SEO lead, and more
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Our meme of the week: 📰 News & updates Google confirms links are not that important: No one believes them. Google delays third-party cookie demise yet again: This is the third time Google has
🧙♂️ NEW Partnerships: Phillips 66, La Mexicana, Blue Ribbon, Clicked, and many more [Apr 25]
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Plus secret research on Farm Boy, Upside, and Mack Weldon