This document summarizes two TED talks about problem solving skills. The first talk discusses how collaborative visualization through drawing systems in groups leads to more comprehensive models compared to individual drawings. The second talk summarizes the classic "trolley problem" ethical dilemma and discusses the results of a massive online survey on the ethics of self-driving cars. The document also provides background on problem solving skills and outlines the WHO's definition of life skills, including problem solving as an important life skill.

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Picture credit - ​TED-Tell me how you make toast
Day 32 - Problem-Solving Skill
11 May 2020
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Prabodh Sirur
sirurp@gmail.com
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My learning for the day
Today I want to summarise two TED talks on this topic.
Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast
Speaker - ​Tom Wujec
Summary -
This talk is about Tom’s insight on ​collaborative visualisation​ in problem
solving.
As a part of his study, he asked people to draw on paper - ‘how to make
toast’; no words, only drawings.
Most of them drew a sliced loaf of bread, a toaster, and a popped up slice.
These were the drawings consisting of ​nodes​ (bread, toaster, slice…) and
links​ (arrows showing the connections between nodes). This collection of
nodes and links is nothing but a ​system design​.
The complexity of the system depends on the numbers of nodes and links.
So if you want to ​communicate something visually​, you should have
between 5 and 13 nodes in your diagram. Beyond 13, the drawing becomes
complex to understand.
The next part of the study was to ​use sticky notes​ to represent ‘how to
make toast’. What he found was, because the sticky notes could be moved,
unlike drawing the system on a paper, the drawings (systems) became more
fluid and produced way more nodes than static drawings.
In the third part of the exercise, ​he made groups​ and asked them, as a team,
to draw ‘how to make toast’. It started out messy, and then it got really
messy; but as the team refined the models, with each iteration, the model
became clearer because people built on top of each other's ideas.
So even when these drawings contained 20 or more nodes, the participants
didn't feel a ​map shock​ because they participated in the exercise.
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In essence, ​drawing helps us understand​ better, ​movable cards ​produce
better systems models and ​group thinking​ produces the most
comprehensive models. What's really important to know is that it's ​the
conversations that are the important aspects​, not just the models
themselves.
In summary, ​Collaborative visualisation​ brings out dramatic results.
Would you sacrifice one person to save five?
Educator - Eleanor Nelsen
Summary -
This educational video is about the famous ​trolley problem​ (an ethical
dilemma) introduced by ​Philippa Foot​ (1920-2010), in 1967. Her study of
‘virtue ethics’ was inspired by the ​ethics of Aristotle​.
The trolley problem is - Imagine you're watching a runaway trolley travelling
down the tracks straight towards five workers who can't escape. You happen
to be standing next to a switch that will divert the trolley onto a second track
and save the lives of these five workers. But here's another problem. The
second track has one worker on it.
What do you do? ​Do you sacrifice one person to save five?
In one survey, about ​90% said that it's okay​ to let one worker die to save
five.
In the next survey, people were asked - instead of diverting the trolley to the
second track, you are asked to push someone on the track to stop the trolley.
Do you sacrifice one person to save five?
Strangely, most people ​voted against this​ (deliberately causing someone's
death is different than allowing them to die as collateral damage. It just feels
wrong for reasons that are hard to explain).
Who Decides the Ethics of Self-Driving Cars?​ - if similar problem is faced by a
driverless car​, what should the car do? ​Thomas Hornigold,​ a young student
from Oxford, gives great details of one of the largest ​moral survey​s ever
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conducted. This survey, launched in 2014, received over 40 million responses
from 233 countries.
The most important insight from the study is that when designing ‘artificial
conscience’, input from people should be part of the design process.
Definition of Problem-Solving Skill
Problem-Solving Skill is the ability to determine the source of a problem and find an
effective solution.
My learning so far about this topic
Day 2 post​ - ‘5 Whys Analysis’ to find the root of a problem
Day 12 post​ - Design thinking. Two stories about design thinking in action
Day 22 post​ - Fishbone diagram to find root cause to a problem
How to improve this skill?
Set a goal to ​become a go-to person​ by mastering the art and science of
Problem-Solving​.
Follow the ​LAST model​ to build your personal brand as a Guru of
Problem-Solving​.
Learn​ - Invest time in learning different frameworks/ models/ techniques of
Problem-Solving
Apply​ -
Identify a model suitable to you
Create a template to document the flow of the process
Find opportunities to use the selected method/ template
Maintain record/ process flow of every important activities you did with
respect to ​Problem-Solving
Maintain notes of your thoughts/ insights/ failures/ challenges…. to be used
for sharing/ training others
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Share​ - Share the insights captured in step 2 above in a planned manner (social
media posts, blogs, videos, study notes…)
Train​ - Generate opportunities to train your peers and team members so that, over
time, your organization benefits from your efforts
Purpose of this document
I took a 66 day challenge​ to study Life Skills last year (10 April 2019). To my
astonishment, I succeeded in studying for 66 days one skill a day.
My objectives of learning these skills were - To strengthen my mind to face life’s
challenges with ease, To use these skills in my worklife for a better performance, To
use these skills in my personal life for enriching my relationships, To open new
possibilities to surprise myself.
This is my next 66 day challenge​ (from 10 April 2020) - To share my Life Skills
learning with my social media friends.
I pray that my toil helps you in your success journey.
What are Life Skills?
UNICEF​ defines Life skills as - ​psychosocial abilities​ for adaptive and positive
behaviour that enable individuals ​to deal effectively with the demands and
challenges of everyday life​. They are loosely grouped into three broad categories
of skills
- cognitive skills​ for analyzing and using information,
- personal skills​ for developing personal agency and managing oneself,
- inter-personal skills​ for communicating and interacting effectively with others.
Which LifeSkills are covered?
The ​World Health Organisation​ identified these basic areas of life skills that are
relevant across cultures:
1. Decision-making
2. Problem-solving
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3. Creative thinking
4. Critical thinking
5. Communication
6. Interpersonal skills
7. Self-awareness
8. Empathy
9. Coping with emotions
10. Coping with stress.
Some trivia
‘Life skills’ was never part of the school curriculum. WHO/ UNESCO mandated
academia to teach these skills in all schools across the globe in 1993.
Different countries educate their children in these skills with different objectives
- Zimbabwe and Thailand - prevention of HIV/AIDS
- Mexico - prevention of adolescent pregnancy
- United Kingdom - child abuse prevention
- USA - prevention of substance abuse and violence
- South Africa and Colombia - positive socialization of children.
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