Quick & Dirty Comparison Tool

The Goggle Frame is simple, yet has many uses. We discussed its use in assessing or evaluating a situation before it happens. This can yield insights  that reveal key actions to be taken, gaping holes in the knowledge base, potential value conflicts or conflicts of interest, and more, all of which can be dealt with ahead of taking further action.

You can also use the Goggle Frame after an event for a quick or in-depth evaluation- what worked well, what didn’t go so well, what interesting or cool things emerged. Again, you then put this information to use as you need it.

Another powerful use of the Goggle Frame is to compare people, or alternative items or choices on anything. For example, you can use Goggles in comparing and then choosing from candidates who are interviewing for a position. If you use the Positive points (what qualities, skills or criteria suit the appointment), Negative points (any downsides, disqualifiers, or outright negatives), and Interesting points (noting relevant value-added points, additional supporting details, etc.). This can simplify the process as you are comparing apples to apples, so to speak. 

My daughter used this tool in comparing universities in order to initially select where she would apply, without getting bogged down in too much detail. It was what showed up on the Interesting list that ultimately helped her make her choices.

You can use it in comparing prospects for relationships – one colleague ended up rejecting an otherwise decent fellow because he was a smoker, which showed up on her Negative list.

You can take the analytical and comparative uses of this tool further, for example, in comparing works of poetry or literature for an exam essay or case studies in legal or medical situations. In this case, you use the underlying framework of Positive, Negative, Interesting and alter the vocabulary to be along the lines of Similarities, Differences, and Your Studied View or Recommendation. You adopt the vocabulary that meshes with the context and purpose of the thinking situation.  Both professionals and students who know this use of the tool love it for its simplicity and ability to keep them on track and on task in relatively short amounts of time.

When I worked with the Iraqi government Ministers, once they had several action plan models  about how to move forward, we used a simple Goggle Frame on each set of plans to say what they liked, didn’t like or found more widely interesting, useful, impactful or detrimental about each option. Each person was allowed about 2 minutes total to give their overview. When everyone had had their say, the Minister himself made the final decision about moving forward, taking into account all their inputs. Without this tool and some facilitation through the thinking process you can be sure the outcomes, as well as the group dynamics, would have been hugely different.

Go ahead. Why not try it (again) your self! Be bold and concise to gain real insight on your thinking issue.