Junfeng Liang Learning Log
Junfeng Liang learning log
I learned lot from this course. Especially, now I know an important tools (or weapon) to improve my battle effectiveness in business, in my study, and in my own future. One actual use of the scenario thinking in daily life is to make the personal career decision.
Most important of all，I learned a new philosophy: We can scientifically look into the future from the current. It’s not a kind of augur-the scenario makers are not wizards; but it is a kind of magic technique by which you can find out what may (or let’s say, will) happen after several years. In my opinion, the key idea of scenario planning is to find out the inner logic or inner relationships behind the current and historic events. It is a kind of work to eliminate the false and retain the true. The learning of scenario thinking & planning inspired me to think more deeply with what I saw, to find what are the key driven forces beyond the facts, to explore the inner relations between them, and finally to build some rational outcome in the coming period.
This technique is too useful to deserve any praise. Beside the business scope, we can also use the way of scenario thinking to make decision in our daily life. For example, every student will face the problem of choosing the right career after graduation. Usually it is a quite troublesome question. But with the scenario thinking & planning technique, it will be very easier and more efficient to do the correct decision. We use several steps to make it clear. First, we should ask ourselves any questions with relation to the career decision. For example, what is my real interest? Which factors will affect the future of ICT consulting industry? etc. The research on those questions can lead us to the relevant uncertainties. Of course, we can’t sleep on the results. A further research on the driving forces will inspire us to identify the key uncertainties and build causal relationships. During this step, we need to draw the system diagram to illustrate those relations visibly. With the system diagram, we can develop the scenarios and the timeline tables. The wonderful thing is that maybe you find some quaint scenarios but actually they are rational. For example, maybe we will find some scenarios such as “If the U.S troops withdraw from Iraq before 2006, then we’d better not to apply for the ICT consulting positions in Exxon Mobil in Washington”
The second thing I learned is that when we give presentation to our customers, we should try to give them something unusual and make the presentation vivid. Then there will be a much higher possibility to get the contract. I learned this from the way of teaching in this course, which is very flexible and effective. The way the lecture taught knowledge was interesting but impressive. The story-telling style attracted our attention and the games in the course seemed as some kinds of sweetener. From those I learned that there are more than one ways to spread knowledge and we should use some interesting means to get the audient’s attention. Especially when we give presentation to our customers, we should try to give them something unusual and make the presentation vivid. Then there will be a much higher possibility to get the contract.
Thirdly, I think the workshop is a kind of useful and efficient way to cooperation. We can use it in the future career. In the workshop, everyone is discussing or debating with each other. Every one is trying to rationalize his/her viewpoints. After painful hard time, we come to some novel and exciting results. During the process, we do the research and we share the success together. Every one learned lot from others. The workshop not only leads us to some scenarios, but also builds up the teamwork spirit as well as the friendship among us.
Also the course is short, it gave me much impression. I wish I can have the opportunity to learn more.