The four basic methodologies that Sheena Iyengar suggested were as follows (Iyengar, 2011):
Cut: Less is more
Concretize: Make it vivid
Categorize: More categories, fewer choices
Condition
The two implications that I’ll be addressing are with cutting and conditioning and how they might affect me personally and how they would apply within my organization. Cutting is about reducing the number of choices to not only making decisions more likely but mentally easier as well. Conditioning is about organizing information in such a way that allows for gradual increases in commitment as opposed to expecting full commitment all at once.
With regards to cutting there are two ways that it can affect me, one with my personal life and another within my organization. Baba Shiv brings up a good point in his TED talk that sometimes it’s good to give up the drivers seat because any decision that involves an immediate negative result can lead to less mental energy and commitment to a task. (Shiv, 2012) This especially applies towards medical decisions. In Baba’s case his wife had stage 2B breast cancer and what the two had decided was to give up the drivers seat, let the doctors make all the decisions, and that way they could put all their energy towards the recovery processes as opposed to worrying about whether or not they can make a good decision. If I personally ever run into a similar situation, I am more likely to put faith in my doctors and allow them to make the best decisions that they think is best for me.
The way cutting decisions is currently being used in my organization is with software design and user interaction. I create custom packages with a big, large, programmable multimeter that allows for quicker and more accurate troubleshooting of aircraft components. I had a debate recently with my peer that the less we ask of the user, the fewer choices they have to make, the better the user experience will be. They were on the mindset that more choices are better because it gives the user the control to do things how they want, so perhaps it’s time to show them an educational TED video to change their mind!
The next thing to discuss is with the idea of conditioning data so that it is easier to deal with and allows for more commitment on my part. A little embarrassing to admit, but I signed up for the dating website eHarmony. One of the quick things I realized was that unlike other dating services, eHarmony will only give you a limited number of matches as opposed to all at once. They say, “There's a reason for that-if you received all of your potential matches at once, you might miss someone special. Just as we wouldn't want one of your matches to overlook your name and profile, we want you to have the time to read and review every match you receive.” (eHarmony, Inc., 2014) What I personally noticed was that when on other dating website and when presented with a lot of information, my commitment towards any one individual was far less as I was constantly focused on searching through all the profiles. On eHarmony, I was more likely to dive in and find out more information about someone and to start that communication processes.
Finally, I believe that conditioning can be a great idea when it comes to being a Victim Advocate within my organization. A Victim Advocate within my organization is someone who “provides essential support, liaison services, and care to [victims of sexual assault.” (PDG, 2013) One of the biggest difficulties that I’ve noticed with most victims is that initial decision to come forward. When they do, so much is going through their minds already that information overload isn’t likely what’s best for them. So instead it’s best to do it in small chunks, let them make small decisions first with what they think is best for them and then to slowly reveal more and more information and services that are available. I believe it not only gets them more involved with the process but also gives them back that control that was taken away from them without being overwhelmed.
References
eHarmony, Inc. (2014). Do you limit the number of matches I receive each day? . Retrieved 2015, from eHarmony: http://help-singles.eharmony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1394/~/do-you-limit-the-number-of-matches-i-receive-each-day%3F
Iyengar, S. (2011). Sheena Iyengar: How to make choosing easier. Retrieved 2015, from TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_choosing_what_to_choose/transcript?language=en#t-917027
Professional Development Guide (Vols. AFPAM36-2241). (2013). Department of the Air Force.
Shiv, B. (2012). Baba Shiv: Sometimes it's good to give up the driver's seat. Retrieved 2015, from TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/baba_shiv_sometimes_it_s_good_to_give_up_the_driver_s_seat#t-567206
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