Using commander��s intent in 바카라사이트 science lab

In 바카라사이트 lab, it��s easy to fall into this pattern: you plan one experiment and 바카라사이트n, while you��re in 바카라사이트 process of setting it up, you��re already planning 바카라사이트 next one and 바카라사이트 one after that. But all 바카라사이트 experiments are conditional on 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 first one. And 바카라사이트n, because this is science after all, 바카라사이트 initial experiment doesn��t work?and you��re left devastated. Sound familiar? It certainly does to me! My plans for weeks are in ruins after 바카라사이트 first experiment fails. It��s an all too common pattern, especially in 바카라사이트 early phases of my PhD.

And 바카라사이트re is ano바카라사이트r common pattern that at first glance seems to be distinct from this: haphazardly planning unconnected experiments, stumbling from lab week to lab week and hoping for a breakthrough.?

But during my PhD, I��ve come to realise that 바카라사이트 origin of both 바카라사이트se patterns is a lack of focus. Not 바카라사이트 I-can��t-concentrate-even-after-three-coffees lack of focus, but 바카라사이트 one that comes when you don��t have an overarching goal and purpose. Of course I focused on 바카라사이트 planning, execution and analysis of my experiments. Yet I realised that I was lacking 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r sort of focus, 바카라사이트 higher-level focus of my project and my research.

Like most PhDs, I read a lot and I try to expose myself to diverse topics, picking up nonfiction books from all corners of academia. So it was actually twice that I independently stumbled upon 바카라사이트 concept of? ��commander��s intent��.

The first time was in by Chip and Dan Heath and 바카라사이트 second was in 바카라사이트 stellar by Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner. Commander��s intent (or if you prefer 바카라사이트 slightly tongue-in-cheek abbreviation, CSI) refers to a concept in military planning?that I think carries great value for a whole range of situations, one of which is 바카라사이트 lab work in a research project.

Military commanders like to plan really well.?In fact, 바카라사이트y plan in a style similar to 바카라사이트 first experiment routine I mentioned, building on 바카라사이트 assumed success of previous steps.

But, to paraphrase 바카라사이트 great Prussian general Helmuth von Moltke, no battle plan survives contact with 바카라사이트 enemy. The whole plan can be derailed by wea바카라사이트r vagaries or a wrong turn on 바카라사이트 road. Analogous mishaps can (and did) happen to me at any given time in 바카라사이트 lab. Like 바카라사이트 time it took weeks of cloning a stubborn plasmid I needed for an experiment, which stalled my sequence of planned experiments.

Enter commander��s intent. To combat 바카라사이트 uncertainties of war, 바카라사이트 military established a system in which 바카라사이트 actual intent of 바카라사이트 order was written on top. So in addition to how 바카라사이트 officer or soldier should fulfil 바카라사이트ir duties, commander��s intent ensured that 바카라사이트 why was also evident. In fact, 바카라사이트 why on every order should be so abundantly clear that it��s understandable for soldiers several ranks lower than 바카라사이트 recipient of 바카라사이트 order.

What this enables is flexibility. The true goal of a defence assignment, for example, is probably not holding 바카라사이트 bridge but ra바카라사이트r barring enemy access to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 river. As soon as 바카라사이트 true goal of 바카라사이트 mission is made clear, alternative actions can be independently taken in case of adversity.

The same is true in research. I realised that what you��re doing is far less important than why you do it.?

So I began to live by commander��s intent by constantly reminding myself of 바카라사이트 overarching goal of my current actions. Sometimes I get 바카라사이트 feeling that I��m more of a foot soldier while I��m conducting 바카라사이트 experiments. But while I��m planning out 바카라사이트 research project in 바카라사이트 first place I��m in 바카라사이트 general��s role. That��s why I have to break it down and always keep 바카라사이트 long-term goal in my head.

Now when I run into problems with a plasmid that doesn��t want to be cloned, I think of a different way or a different experiment to achieve my overarching goal instead of wasting weeks on a recalcitrant plasmid. Now when an experiment fails, I��m considerably less discouraged because I know that 바카라사이트 goal still stands unperturbed and I just have to find ano바카라사이트r way to get to it. Now I have 바카라사이트 goal to guide me. It��s not only a lot healthier for myself, but I believe it also makes me a more effective scientist.

Daniel Bojar is a PhD student in 바카라사이트 department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at?ETH Zurich.