Divide and Conquer – one step at a time

pern — Sat, 12 May 2007 05:12:00 GMT

Mostly we learn important life lessons from experiences. Great learners also learn by observing role models.

First time I recall the experience of “divide and conquer” was as a cub scout. I wanted to pass a test as a “collector”; there were many possibilities and in my case it was a collection of stamps. The collection included thousands of stamps and the task of re-organizing them according to the guidelines was daunting. I created a smaller collection with animals as a theme and passed the test. The re-organization of the subset could have been a first step to change the organization of the collection; instead I realized that this was not something I enjoyed and stopped collecting.

I learned that sometimes you are better off focusing on a subset of a challenge and doing it well; and then take on the next challenge.

In general:

What do you want to achieve?
What would it take?
Can you split up the challenge? In time and/or among resources? (note: multiple resources may allow you to do steps in parallel)
What are your success criteria?
Then is it still worth your effort?
Do it!
Reflect on what you learned.

The success criteria was easy in the specific case. In general I wonder if we focus enough on articulating it; and do we reflect sufficiently if it is worth our resources? As an individual; in our family; in teams - do you?

PerN - stories & thoughts

Divide and Conquer – one step at a time