Clarity and Obfuscation.

It is easy to fall into the many cognitive biases and logical fallacies. I am basically accusing everyone of being human. That ape brain survived this long as it is that is not necessarily the way of success in the modern world or in relatively new situations (in human evolution). I am going to walk through two similar stories to set up an analogy. It is so easy to obfuscate on one’s own let alone when many cooks come together to make a broth. I am crying out of the basic step back and think approach as well as a general increase in thinking, hopefully prior to action.

So the first story is going for a long walk. A simple task really, but so easy to ruin. So the first idea is what is the walk for? Lets say to walk to the shops. Then you get a phone call can you go to the other shops instead. These shops are not in the same direction and you have all ready set off so you have to change direction and not by the path from where you started but you have to go a longer way round. This phone call intervention may happen more than once. We’ll keep it simple. So you were prepared for the first walk you wore your normal shoes rather than your walking shoes as it’s a short walk, you are wearing a light coat and have just enough cash for your small shop. Then with the change of shops and altered shopping list you just have enough money and have to walk further over rougher ground, I hope it doesn’t rain! Now it may be that the new route has a closed section that you have to go round or an obstacle you have to climb over, which if you were equipped better to start with would not be a problem at all but now is definitely more difficult. But you still need to get to the shops and back home for the work call later. You then get a call to pick up some things to take home which is basically on the way. Then you meet someone who likes to tell you stuff and how you could go to the shops better if you take another route. As you have an eye on the time you have to be a bit short so that you can get on with the walking and shopping and still get back. The passer by is a little upset with their treatment and goes to another person and tells them how rude you are and how you will not listen to them when it’s just common sense that you should walk differently and go to different shops. Now this person does not know your shopping list or about the phone calls that have changed your goal and route. Of course as you are now unprepared for the walk you have been pulled onto yes you get it it rains! You get wet, your list gets wet and your shopping gets wet. Several people drive pass but cannot stop to help some even your sure pretending not to see you. Finally you make it home tied, stressed and late. You miss the work call and a social call with later repercussions at work and no play. You did not get everything due to the ink running on your list and well you only have two arms. Your family complain you have forgotten things and that you have not made tea. Your boss rings and chastises you for making them look bad. You start to get a reputation for not being very good and having a poor attitude.

The next story is a teaching career. You want and are told that your job will be helping children learn and having a long career working with colleagues and helping children into the adult world. So you train learning about education, how to be effective and how the industry is organised including syllabuses. You get to a school and first you have to adjust to the way the school operates that is different from how your course said it will be. You have to get some children to certain places, grades etc. Then a new government plan is pushed down to the school and others to reorganise areas of school operation it includes changes to syllabuses. Don’t worry it will change again about every 4 or 5 years and other things will change in between. Later you find that there obstacles in your way. You do not have all the resources you should have in spite of your training and the school said would be different. You have to adapt even though you are not prepared for these changes. You are still expected to get the changed targets. You also need to do some extra meetings and duties to do increasing the time needed to get everything done. Then a colleague goes off sick and you keep getting interrupted with problems from the other class. You try to explain the difficulties to your boss and they make some suggestions about how you should be more prepared and have to catch up, in time for the targets that are needed to be met. In meetings you receive complaints that you are not doing things how you should and are not very helpful to others when they need help when they are behind in their work, we are a team after all.

Both stories show a simple task as going to the shops or teaching children can become caught up in a quagmire and the blame falls on the one who has been doing the work and trying under imposed difficulties. The goal posts are constantly moved. Resources are constantly absent, extra tasks are added by others. There are many interruptions and energy sapping situations, people being uncooperative and a lack of empathy to your situation. You get caught out in situations that you are not and cannot be prepared for. You will be criticised by others who overtly and covertly undermine your position.

The secret to achievement is clear goals and preparation. Then work towards the goals within a cooperative team. The good news is the shopping trip is not that realistic!