Published in Upskilling·Jul 31Member-onlySmall Business Data Analysis: How data leads you to believe brand problems you identified exist.Module 6 Concept — Imagine you own and operate a small private daycare center. Recently, you’ve noticed that your enrollment has been declining, and you’re not quite sure why. You’ve asked around and done some research, but you can’t seem to pinpoint the exact reason for the decline. However, you have collected data on…Data3 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 27Member-onlyBasic data comprehension is an essential skill today and a critical skill for tomorrow.Data literacy is the ability to collect, understand, critique, analyze, and communicate various types of information, primarily numbers and often complex. Let’s look across the design field at all of the jobs were being able to comprehend and communicate data matters. Designers are often data-driven, meaning they use data to…Data5 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 26Member-onlyUnderstanding your authority type helps you become a better leader.Which do you hold? Charismatic Authority, Formal Authority, or Traditional Authority. — Imagine that you are a new manager at a company. One of your first tasks is to lead a team meeting. You’re nervous, but you’re also excited to get started and show your team what you’re made of. You start the meeting by asking everyone to introduce themselves. As you…Leadership5 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 25Member-onlyPeople commonly substitute complex ideas for simple ones to communicate and solve problems.Analogical Reasoning — Have you ever metaphorically ‘drawn a line in the sand’ or ‘leveled the playing field?’ These are examples of analogies we use in our thoughts and in communicating with others to make sense of a complex idea and bring persuasion and reasoning to decisions. Analogical thinking is a type of…Thinking5 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 23Member-only20 Ways to Stop Lying to Yourself — Just because you can’t reach a goal doesn’t mean the goal’s value is diminished.Sour Grapes — It’s called sour grapes, a term created from a story about a fox who wanted to eat some grapes but couldn’t reach them. The fox decided that the grapes must not have been that great after all, since he couldn’t have them. Even in the 6th century BC, the human…Bias5 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 18Member-onlyImprove your brain’s subconscious practical approach to thinking fast.Humans have a common method of processing mental limitations. It's called a heuristic, which is linked to thinking types like educated guesses, intuition, rule of thumb, situational intelligence, and stereotypes. The definition of a heuristic, according to dictionary.com, is "a simple, practical approach to problem-solving and decision-making that is more…Brain6 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 18Member-onlyWho at your company is tracking knowledge waste and loss?Failure to retain skills or information is knowledge loss, and failure to use skills or information is knowledge waste. — If you own a small business or work for a business operating on primarily transitional-type staff, such as the restaurant and hospitality industry, grocery, or nursing care, you’re familiar with the story of hiring a new team member, supporting them through onboarding, training them, and then starting all over again…Business Intelligence4 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 17Member-onlyDo you believe you can control life’s outcomes? — You may have a strong ‘locus of control.’Locus of control is a type of motivation. People with a strong locus of control believe they can control their own destiny and make things happen. They tend to be proactive and take initiative. …Agency4 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 17Member-onlyTrained Incapacity: Can a certain type of experience block someone from thinking beyond a set of constraints?Trained incapacity is a type of education, change management, or organizational culture. It’s defined by two key factors: first, once someone has learned how to do something a certain way, it’s very difficult for them to learn how to do it another way; and second, this “locked-in” learning can lead…Thinking4 min read
Published in Upskilling·Jul 10Member-onlyFlow is an intense state of focus and communication tools often prevent this critical state of mind.Flow is a problem-solving, decision-making, and productivity function. It’s a highly productive state of mind that’s characterized by complete absorption in what you’re doing. When you’re “in the flow,” you’re completely focused and engaged in the task at hand, to the point where you’re not even aware of your surroundings. …Flow4 min read
