A big part of getting something accomplished is working through the little problems en route to the goal. Getting through the times when you’re stuck for an idea, or a solution doesn’t present itself, or when it appears like your only alternatives are dead ends. There always seems to be those moments when you’ve put all the pieces together, but it’s still not running.
The best way to get yourself through this is to pull someone else into the mix – someone with fresh eyes and insights that can show you what you’re blind to. But that’s not always going to be available to you.
“Rubberducking” is a great technique to call into play. It’s just the act of talking to yourself, out loud. The picture is of a guy having a conversation with his rubber duck; but the mechanism of the problem solver is getting you to vocalize things. You might want to talk to a reflection in the mirror, your pet, a toy or whatever you feel most comfortable anthomorphizing. It really doesn’t matter, just as long as you express yourself in audible, spoken dialog.
The reason for this is that forcing your thoughts to align enough to sensibly state yourself forces those thoughts to congeal and become something more easily criticized. The silly will sound more silly, the brilliant more brilliant. Either the thoughts come together more solidly or show their cracks.
One situation where rubberducking is very handing is when you have to brainstorm alone. Forcing yourself to phrase everything conversationally will add just enough structure to the mix to make your results wothwhile.
Talked you your rubber duck lately?
