Bright Idea Deck

Yellow Doing INVESTIGATION

Associations

Encourages:

checking things out for yourself, conducting good research, leading interviews, asking someone what he or she thinks, asking difficult questions others avoid, trying things on for size.

Cautions against:

snooping, busybodies, wearing rose-colored glasses, avoiding tough facts, refusing to do due diligence, conducting witch-hunts.

Exploration

1. How do you go about finding the cause when something's wrong? What steps do you take? How successful have your past investigations been? How might a past investigation suggest methods you should adopt (or avoid) today?
2. How "hands-on" are you? To what degree is your amount of hands-on involvement appropriate for the current situation? How might your knowledge of the situation change if you became more involved in day-to-day progress?
3. Why does the young man in the illustration need an additional source of light? What resources are needed in order to shed light on the current situation?
4. The young man in this illustration has, through practice, acquired the skills that allow him to investigate issues, make his own diagnosis, and complete repairs. What skills should you practice (or seek out in others) that might help you investigate, diagnose, and bring the current situation to resolution?
5. How might it be significant that the individual in this illustration is a mechanic? What does the work of a mechanic suggest to you? What qualities would you expect in a good mechanic? How might those qualities be useful to you today?

Commentary

The age of the shade-tree mechanic is long gone; diagnosis of that thump or this rattle now depends entirely on technology. These days, we're empowered to do little more than kick the tires, and that's a shame, for there's little that's more satisfying than tracking down trouble and putting things to rights. How long has it been since you’ve had e hands-on encounter with the spark plugs of life? Consider this an invitation to investigation - an opportunity for some applied analysis. Lift the hood, take a peek, get some grease on your hands. Get back in touch with your natural need to discover how things work.