The Student EQ Edge by Steven J. Stein & Howard E. Book & Korrel Kanoy

Author:Steven J. Stein & Howard E. Book & Korrel Kanoy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2013-01-21T00:00:00+00:00

Externalize, Visualize, and Simplify

Taking a slightly different approach, let’s look at externalization, visualization, and simplification, the three rules of problem solving formulated by Marvin Levine, author of Effective Problem Solving (Levine, 1993).

Externalization involves displaying the information you’re working with. Write things down or draw a graph to define more complex relationships. That way, you’ll have all the elements in front of you.

Visualization might include imagining yourself going through the various steps involved in dealing with a problem before you carry them out or picturing the outcome of a possible solution. A variation on this technique has proved very successful in helping professional and Olympic-caliber athletes. We have them rehearse in their minds the most challenging and typically encountered aspects of their sport and conjure up a clear mental image of themselves performing at peak, eluding opposition players and scoring points. They can do this anywhere, anytime—on the team bus en route to an arena or as they go to sleep the evening before a game. And you can too. By preparing to meet obstacles as they arise, you’ll be much better prepared for the real thing when it comes along.

Finally, simplification involves breaking the problem down to its simplest common denominators. If you focus on the most relevant information, keeping things as specific and concrete as possible, it becomes easier to get a grip on even the most seemingly convoluted difficulty.

How does this work in practice? Let’s consider Darlene, a sophomore student who had many different interests and had difficulty picking a major. The online course descriptions were of little help, so she went through the externalization, visualization, and simplification process. First, starting to externalize, she wrote down in as much detail as possible the sort of work she’d eventually like to do, knowing that her choice of major could affect her ability to get hired in certain jobs. Then she came at the problem from different angles, thinking about the part-time jobs she’d had in the past and what she’d liked or disliked about them. This exercise helped her identify what had given her the most satisfaction in the working world and in life.

Next, continuing with her externalization, she began to think about all her current and previous fellow students, as well as her friends and acquaintances. Some were obviously happier with their courses than others, and she tried to analyze why this was so. Then she thought about what others had (or might have) said about her in her previous courses. Were her memories and perceptions in tune with their probable readings? Did she strike them as happy and fulfilled?

Then Darlene tried to visualize herself in all sorts of different jobs that in some way caught her interest. She ran through the entire gamut: jobs that involved a high degree of interaction with others, solitary jobs, jobs that involved technical skills that she had or could perhaps acquire, jobs that required artistic flair, jobs that took place indoors and out, and even jobs that she could perform at home.

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