Okay, let’s come back to this one.
If you haven’t read this thread and want to play along, read that first before reading further in this one…
Ok, let’s go.
So, you’re in a boat with a leak and can neither go all out without sinking or just sit there without moving.
1/
If you haven’t read this thread and want to play along, read that first before reading further in this one…
Ok, let’s go.
So, you’re in a boat with a leak and can neither go all out without sinking or just sit there without moving.
1/
https://twitter.com/therealhoarse/status/1479238587455520768
This was a strategic challenge, not a riddle. It was a question to see how people would attack a problem.
It’s the kind of annoying question management consultancies ask interviewees to see how they think.
That’s kinda why I asked too.
2/
It’s the kind of annoying question management consultancies ask interviewees to see how they think.
That’s kinda why I asked too.
2/
I wanted to see how people would approach a metaphorical challenge with a set of known parameters.
Most people answered it in that spirit.
A minority treated it like a riddle and offered answers that were extraneous. eg use your phone.
Reasonable thoughts but not inbounds.
3/
Most people answered it in that spirit.
A minority treated it like a riddle and offered answers that were extraneous. eg use your phone.
Reasonable thoughts but not inbounds.
3/
Of the answers that were inbounds, the two most popular approaches were some version of:
1) Go only as fast as you can. Bail as you go.
2) Alternate: Go, Stop, Bail. Repeat. Go a little ways; stop; bail out the water; repeat
These were the overwhelming winners.
4/
1) Go only as fast as you can. Bail as you go.
2) Alternate: Go, Stop, Bail. Repeat. Go a little ways; stop; bail out the water; repeat
These were the overwhelming winners.
4/
Further back was some version of:
3) Find a way to repair, minimize or contain the leak.
Those were a little extraneous but the thought was common and sound:
Try to minimize the problem itself.
Makes sense.
5/
3) Find a way to repair, minimize or contain the leak.
Those were a little extraneous but the thought was common and sound:
Try to minimize the problem itself.
Makes sense.
5/
And further back but mentioned enough to mention:
4) Go hard until you sink and then swim the rest of the way.
That one is a bit presumptive without more information. (eg water temp, distance, hazards (sharks?)).
Might work. Might be a death sentence.
6/
4) Go hard until you sink and then swim the rest of the way.
That one is a bit presumptive without more information. (eg water temp, distance, hazards (sharks?)).
Might work. Might be a death sentence.
6/
This was fun and interesting. Thank you for playing along if you did.
There was a reason for the question.
This scenario is a pretty good metaphor for the position New Jersey schools are in right now.
7/
There was a reason for the question.
This scenario is a pretty good metaphor for the position New Jersey schools are in right now.
7/
The boat is a school.
The motor is school operations (classes, meals, activities, etc.).
The leak is COVID.
The shore is the end point: the school year.
8/
The motor is school operations (classes, meals, activities, etc.).
The leak is COVID.
The shore is the end point: the school year.
8/
Right now, New Jersey schools are in a position where if they open the throttle wide open and just go full-speed ahead, they will get swamped with COVID cases and “sink” before “shore”.
Forced to close at some point because they’re overwhelmed by cases.
9/
Forced to close at some point because they’re overwhelmed by cases.
9/
They can keep out COVID entirely by shutting down… but there is no appetite for shuttering schools altogether for the rest of the year.
They can’t just turn off the motor and wait.
10/
They can’t just turn off the motor and wait.
10/
Multiple NJ schools learned the first of those the hard way.
The state’s fourth largest district went fully open until they had so many teachers and staff out, they were forced to shut down altogether (no school at all) and then no in-person operations from there.
11/
The state’s fourth largest district went fully open until they had so many teachers and staff out, they were forced to shut down altogether (no school at all) and then no in-person operations from there.
11/
When you frame the challenge as just a strategic issue, people do a great job of problem-solving.
They think of work-arounds balancing the capabilities, obstacles, and objective.
They figure it out.
12/
They think of work-arounds balancing the capabilities, obstacles, and objective.
They figure it out.
12/
And the solutions, metaphorically were “cut back somewhat” or “alternate between open and closed”.
Both are pretty pragmatic answers.
Each carries the reality of some leakage (some COVID cases in schools) but not so much that they can’t bail (eg identify and quarantine).
13/
Both are pretty pragmatic answers.
Each carries the reality of some leakage (some COVID cases in schools) but not so much that they can’t bail (eg identify and quarantine).
13/
Cutting back could mean anything that reduces total on-site time, movement. interactions among the school population.
Keep schools open but pull back in some ways; test and quarantine.
14/
Keep schools open but pull back in some ways; test and quarantine.
14/
Go, Stop, Bail could mean alternating between in-person and virtual to prevent the leakage from swamping the boat.
The alternation keeps cases from snowballing. The stop-start wouldn’t every teacher from getting.COVID but it would keep them from all being sick at one time.
15/
The alternation keeps cases from snowballing. The stop-start wouldn’t every teacher from getting.COVID but it would keep them from all being sick at one time.
15/
The interesting thing is that people readily came up with workable *potential approaches* when stripped of the emotion and politics of COVID.
Nobody said “Just open the motor up fully because the boat needs to do its job. Period.”
16/
Nobody said “Just open the motor up fully because the boat needs to do its job. Period.”
16/
And this really is the scenario in New Jersey.
We all want the boat to move at some speed all the way back to shore if at all possible.
We can’t go full speed or we likely sink before shore.
17/
We all want the boat to move at some speed all the way back to shore if at all possible.
We can’t go full speed or we likely sink before shore.
17/
And if the public could process those parameters, it could move on to figuring how to best go a bit slower but keep moving or alternate between going/stopping.
Stay open but cut back on school functions… or alternate in-person/remote.
Those are the main choices right now.
18/
Stay open but cut back on school functions… or alternate in-person/remote.
Those are the main choices right now.
18/
I’ve been thinking about the underlying issue here a lot:
The public isn’t understanding the parameters; and as a result, it is demanding an approach that won’t get them where they want to go.
Fully open equals fully closed at some point.
19/
The public isn’t understanding the parameters; and as a result, it is demanding an approach that won’t get them where they want to go.
Fully open equals fully closed at some point.
19/
They’re demanding schools go fast until they sink the boat.
Maybe if we used more approachable proxies like this one, we could put parents in the rowboat
Right now, they’re on shore yelling at the people up to their ankles in water trying not to drown.
20/
Maybe if we used more approachable proxies like this one, we could put parents in the rowboat
Right now, they’re on shore yelling at the people up to their ankles in water trying not to drown.
20/
There is something to this.
Simplify the problem. Establish the parameters. Engage parents. Get them thinking about approaches to solve it.
Put them in the boat.
For real, I think there’s something to this.
//
Simplify the problem. Establish the parameters. Engage parents. Get them thinking about approaches to solve it.
Put them in the boat.
For real, I think there’s something to this.
//
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
