Thinking Analytically

See the original post here. The post describes an interview with a birder and a doctor. They discuss similarities between pattern recognition in bird identification, medical diagnosis and business. Here’s an insightful quote:

HBR:  What’s the most common mistake a beginner makes in trying to identify a pattern – or, in this case, a bird?

Sibley:

Beginners usually latch on to common characteristics; they focus on similarities rather than differences…Once you’ve mastered common patterns, the real trick is to educate yourself about where discrepancies are most likely to appear — and to concentrate your attention on those areas.

ThinkingAnalytically discussion starters:

• What similarities can through you off-track when examining a pattern?
• How have you focused on areas that are most likely to show discrepancies?

Use the comments to contribute.

Purchase full the HBR article here.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 20th, 2008 at 8:23 pm and is filed under Articles, Birds and Business, Lighter Side, Patterns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.