Ideas about definion of mindset
• Author: Yuriy Polyulya •Building definition of “Engineering Mindset” is mine long term project, and this is first post what has intention to set the basemant for discussion.
Given the opportunity to compare my engineering education and its scientific extension in the same specialization about the difference between to be an engineer and to be a scientist in engineering specialization. The simplest differences that come to mind are role goals and objectives. And if for scientists goals are known enough: “to describe …”, for engineers it is not so clear, since typically it is more about specific problem definition and generalization is not always a simple task. The best definition of engineering goal that I can find sounds like: “to change reality”. And if to consider problem from a goal definition perspective: “to describe reality” for scientists vs “to change reality” for engineers, it is possible to see that exists whole spectrum of roles which contains a lot of gradations between pure engineer and pure scientist - engineers who solving invention problems, and scientists who build applied theories. And a simplified view can be like a pic. 1.
Any point in the pic. 1 is possible specialization profile, like R&D Engineers or Applied Scientists, and it represents some specialization needed to solve a defined problem, and most likely it is possible to use a same or similar processes to reach a goal with defined objectives. To make picture complete need to enrich goals with objectives:
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To describe reality - to made it as compact as possible.
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To change reality - to made it from a first time.
#Mindset it is a set of properties which allows us to find the right process to reach the goal and evaluate the quality of the process and results. Important properties of #mindset (personal opinion):
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Simulation - ability to model the “world” in the mind with option to change it rules with concentration on the main details. Highly important to understand that simulation is not reflection of the reality, but its abstract model of it.
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Abstraction - one of main property of the mindset, which allows to ignore non-important details and concentrate on the main problem. Highly important to understand that abstraction is not simplification, but generalization of the problem. It highly requires rational validation and typically dependent from results of the simulation.
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Rationality - ability to make decisions based on the facts and according to logical rules. Rationality is not the same as logic, but it is a logical way of thinking. It allows to validate results of the simulation and abstraction for the absence of contradictions and violations of the rules.
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Awareness - ability to understand the limits of the simulation and abstraction, and to be aware of the consequences of the decisions made. Awareness is not the same as knowledge, it is a position of the mind that allows to understand the limits of the knowledge and take to account personal of #mindset side effects. It is not possible to find mistake in the simulation and abstraction and improve it without awareness.
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Optimization - ability to find the best solution for the problem with the shortest path. Since humans by its nature are satisficer[1] and in this scope optimization is not the same as the best solution, it is a process to find the best solution (ideally with the shortest path).
I have personal feeling that other properties of the #mindset are derived from these properties, except knowledge of Domain. The main idea is that the #mindset is something that exists and can be defined and possible to be trained. As result, it enables to find the right process to reach the goal with the right objectives and evaluate the quality of the process.
If to generalize what is mindset is - it’s set of properties which allows to find the right process to reach the goal and there are no border between engineer and scientist mindset even if it is possible that process to reach the goal can be different. The main difference is in the goal definition and objective. And the main question is how to define the mindset and how to train it will be the subject of the next posts.