Big picture thinking includes a process of understanding the impact that decision making will have on different aspects of the organization and community at large, whether directly or indirectly through ripple effects. One of the main system clusters within the FoRSE™ Matrix System is the Form or Design of the objective in question. In order to make an informed decision, you need to understand how the Form or Design will impact the individual. In order to gain a better understanding, you have to ask the right questions:
What is the Form or Design?
Form or Design within the FoRSE™ Matrix System is the vision or image of the objective in question. You have to ask yourself how it will appear, where will it appear, and how its appearance will not only support the main Purposes of the organization but also how it will cast ripple effects throughout your organization and broader community. Will it be something virtual, blended virtual and physical, or physical in nature – perhaps an advertisement, article of clothing, or even set of company values? The Form or Design is essential to its presentation to the world, so understanding how it will affect those within it will help you gain a big picture understanding.
What will the positive and negative effects on the individual be?
Although it could be hard to gauge the positive and negative effects, you can usually predict how certain individuals will react to the Form or Design. Will it offend individuals? Is it overly explicit or suggestive? Will it have an adverse effect on certain members of the community at large, or is it something that some might consider frightening? You might even need to ask yourself if it is something that will make people feel bad about themselves. On the other hand, you might want to figure out if it will be a sense of pride for people, if it will spur people into action, or if it will be something that a community wants to uplift people’s spirits.
What desires does the Form or Design fulfill for the individual?
This includes you. What are you attempting to achieve with the Form or the Design, and does the current appearance achieve those goals? Are you trying to sell something, convince people of something, or state an opinion? Are you trying to give off a positive vibe to the public or change the spirit of your company (such as with a new uniform)? If so, how does the appearance fulfill that desire? If it’s a product tailored toward the individual, how does it fulfill it for them? If it’s an article of clothing, you should ask how does it fulfill an individual’s desire in clothing – is it professional, casual, political, or perhaps something meant to help the individual identify with a trend? These are just some of the questions that will help you determine if the objective will succeed.
Gaining a big picture understanding involves processing multiple and sometimes different bits of data, and asking deep questions to help predict the ripple effects of your products and decisions. None are more important than the impact on the individual, especially in terms of the Form and Design. The FoRSE™ Matrix System is designed to provide answers – you just need to ask the right questions.