How to make the right decisions, and what it means to have the information?

And similar requirement applies not only to managers, to make serious decisions, but also to applicants applying for the starting position - the trainees (from the HR department to the commercial department).

What kind of quality of what they need and how to get it - these three issues, covering the issue of effective thinking, I have devoted this article.

The answer to the second question - What does the ability to work with information? - on the surface, although at first glance may seem that it is not. Often people believe that awareness (as a simple knowledge of the facts) is a sufficient condition for successful activity, whereas the truly valuable information hidden behind the facts face, and to find it, you have to be proficient in such "techniques" of thinking as analysis, synthesis, systematization and creativity.

Even working at launch sites, employee constantly have to make decisions that affect it, how successful will it work in the future. For example, among the functions of the trainee of department on work with the personnel - regularly reviewing resumes received by e-mail, as well as finding the right resume on the Internet. The number of resumes that arrive daily view and evaluate, can reach several tens or even hundreds. Experienced recruiters spend on each resume an average of 10 seconds - this time enough for you to make a decision: whether to conduct an interview with the candidate. It is clear that for such work the employee must be the ability to rapidly analyze information.

In the selection for the vacant position, to assess the cognitive abilities of candidates, often used this form of group work as a case study. Often, the situation needs to be addressed is described on pages 30-50, and more so in a limited time (usually in the case is given about an hour), willy-nilly, to cut the text obviously irrelevant information, to identify priority - one that really belongs to the conditions of the problem .

The ability to work competently with the details - very bright light the ability to think analytically. If you're telling the HR manager about your experience and setting out the decision of the case, feel that go into specifics, stop and ask the question: "How important is this information right now?".

Based on the analysis carried out classification, in other words - the ordering of perceived information and their own experience. For example, any employee involved in the sale of goods or services of the firm, it is desirable to have at least a rough classification of the possible types of customers, in time to know with whom talks should continue or begin to work, and to whom - it is better not to waste time.

To demonstrate an example of "bad" customer, you can describe the following situation from the practice of the employment agency. The agency handles the company that wants to find a specialist in Lotus system. At a meeting with a representative of the recruiter asks in detail about whether engaged in agency jobs associated with the Lotus, for some companies, how successful have been searching for, this system is used in some companies. The client waives any form of payment. This behavior is typical "marketing", the true purpose of which is to clarify the situation on the market in order to successfully sell your product (in this case - Lotus). He does not need new employees, it is under the pretext of recruitment agency uses as a source of information.

Analysis and ordering his own experience will save you from many mistakes in the future.

In addition to the analytical skills employers expect from the young specialist manifestations of systemic thinking. What is the system? This kind of integrity, part of which, interacting with each other define its properties. And the properties of the system can not be reduced to the properties of the individual parts. Each system as an element included in other, larger system. Market - the same system, which as its elements include various sectors or segments (ferrous metallurgy, oil and gas, IT, FMCG, insurance and so on). At the same time, each segment is a system whose elements are companies operating in the industry. Each of them has their own goals, values, and its role in this system, each part performs its function. Knowledge of the situation in its market, and the ability to properly assess the events, taking place in the company in the context of this situation and its changes - the most important competence, without which it is impossible to become a professional manager. Therefore the question of a recruiter or HR manager - "Tell me how you see the situation in the industry, country and so on" - is aimed at identifying the skills of the candidate to think big, to link different facts in a single picture. And erudition, knowledge of the facts, this is not so important, as a demonstration of the ability to synthesize and organize information. to link different facts in a single picture. And erudition, knowledge of the facts, this is not so important, as a demonstration of the ability to synthesize and organize information. to link different facts in a single picture. And erudition, knowledge of the facts, this is not so important, as a demonstration of the ability to synthesize and organize information.

Creativity, the ability to think outside the box - yet another competence are the key to future success. Contrary to popular belief that the ability to create either laid in a person from birth or not, psychologists have long proven that creative potential lies in almost every one of us, and we must be able to reveal it. There are special training sessions on the development of creative thinking, are very popular and really help people open to new opportunities. In the words of E. De Bono, the famous psychologist who developed a theory of lateral (non-standard, creative) thinking, "if IQ compared with the" horsepower "of the car, thinking it is equivalent to the art of driving." Written quotations meant by 'thinking' is the ability to think outside the box. What is lateral thinking? First of all - the ability to see the opportunities that are not apparent at the moment, the ability to go beyond the most familiar solutions and reasoning given channel.

Here is an example. Draw on a sheet of squared paper, divide it into 4 equal parts, and then remove (delete or shade) its one-quarter. A figure which is obtained by ( "corner") share another 4 parts, so that they were all the same. The correct solution in this case will be a division into four corner - the same as the original figure. Typically, the first all trying to solve this problem in a standard way, that is to divide the resulting figure to the right shape shapes (rectangles). When these attempts fail, someone gives up, and someone finds an alternative way to solve. This is the ability to think outside the box. How to demonstrate creative thinking in an interview or assessmente? In many companies, the selection of candidates using tasks aimed at identifying candidates ability to think creatively. For example, in one of the oil companies, the candidates were asked to collect from an improvised material (paper, pencils, glue, cardboard and so on) any moving model. Also, you can not even offer practical exercises, and simply ask to tell the real-life situation in which you have expressed yourself creatively.

I'll tell you a little about the basic techniques that help to work and information and solve the problem in front of you more effectively.

There are several strategies for the systematization of textual material. These include such techniques as the alignment of the linear sequence of events, the construction of hierarchies, classifications, networks, showing different kinds of relationships between concepts, designing block diagrams for the purpose of clearly describe the situation described in the text (what action should be taken in relation to the situation which actions are carried out, what are the conditions of the situation), and so on.

Synectics - one of the techniques that can help find the right solution in various situations. This method has more to do with the development of creative thinking. Synectics - conscious search for analogies in science, artistic creation and other areas with a view to finding solutions to specific problems. There are different types of analogies:

 Direct analogy is invited to review the methods used in other areas (for example, science and technology).

 Personal analogy, offering to get used to the image of the object, to feel his condition and on the basis of their own experiences to find and offer the most optimal solution.

 Symbolic analogy - finding a brief description of the problem of symbolic or object, usually a combination of an adjective and a noun, which characterizes the shape of the object substance paradox.

 Fantastic analogy - the search for solutions in science fiction, as well as the statement of objectives in the form of fairy tales, myths, legends.