An Aside - Everyone's Version of the Scientific Method

The previous blog post focused on the Design Process, which I interpreted as adapting the scientific method into a logical process that could be used for everyday challenges. How fitting it is for such processes to come my way during a time when I feel constantly overwhelmed with problems.

Today Seth Godin blogged about his hierarchy of success.

1. Attitude
2. Approach
3. Goals
4. Strategy
5. Tactics
6. Execution

Godin basically argues that most people are too focused on the execution, when in reality the reasoning behind execution only makes sense because of the tactics behind it, and there is a strategy behind all tactics, and if you don't have reasonable goals your strategy is not sound and so on and so forth. All in all, Godin says that the attitude you have when approaching something is most important, followed by the way you approach it.

In my opinion, I think one could never go wrong with the scientific method we all learned in grade school. You begin with curiosity and a question, and then go forth to find the right answer, whether it involved research or experimentation. This yet again encourages the idea of curiosity and learning. During a training session at work, (I work at the Long Island Children's Museum), one of my supervisors said that the instinct to be curious and search for answers is dying out, now that we are in an instant-info age.

Godin also said these are important questions to ask yourself:

• How do you deal with failure?
• When will you quit?
• How do you treat competitors?
• What personality are you looking for in the people you hire?
• What's it like to work for you? Why? Is that a deliberate choice?
• What sort of decisions do you make when no one is looking?

Yet again, this has proven to be another course that requires a great deal of self questioning.