Start ups
ecosystem and how we evolve depends on how we evaluate.
The problem is as rightly said is due to ecosystem.
We cannot deny or defy the importance of anything because
sometimes the best things happen from unplanned and unexpected sources. However,
this cannot be taken as a rule to be followed.
But at the same time let us be also open to take suggestions
which come from any source.
A serious entrepreneur cannot afford to ignore the advice by
a non profession uncle/aunt with serious and sincere intention, interest and in
some case intuition too.
Accessibility to information is assumed as knowledge, experience,
expertise, and worse still, sometimes even construed or confused as specialization.
The problem of the ecosystem is because everyone is feeling compelled to mimic media
reporters and TV anchors and try to act as know all or judge all experts on every issue
or individual even without doing necessary
ground work or reference.
At the same time it is also true that professionalism need
not necessarily happen due to mere academic qualification or long time
occupation or association with any particular activity.
It also must be accepted and acknowledged that human beings
in greater number have evolved intellectually to a very great extent,
particularly in recent times with more emphatic awareness on many issues and
this coupled with hugely available and easily accessible material on many domains
has enabled many people to know something about everything though there may be
only a few who may bother to know or really know everything about something. In
short there are many Jacks Of All Trades in the world now than at earlier
generations.
Incidentally today’s [30th November 2015] tweet by
@scientifact is, “The
"Original Thought Theory" states that anything anyone can ever say, has
already been said by someone else.”
So, having got some idea about and acknowledged that the
ecosystem harbors lot of unsolicited and unreliable advises it is upon the individual/promoter/entrepreneur
to have more clarity on what he/she wants to do and make appropriate choices and
decisions based on correct evaluation relevant to the requirement and context
without letting too many extraneous considerations to confuse the decision making.
These words choice,
decision, evaluation etc are indeed difficult to describe exactly
because they have multiple meanings and
are impregnated with immense sense and extraordinary significance capable of
delivering great results when actually applied to the context.
Therefore the ecosystem also offers a positive element, like
information overload, lot of data, various suggestions, many facts, myriads of
documented records of experiences etc.
So most importantly we can avoid these usual traps while exploring the facts we must desist
getting distracted by:-
Mutilating the facts,
Analyzing them with preconceived notions or prejudices,
Generalizing the particular and particularizing the general,
Approaching facts with unloving criticism or uncritical love,
Evaluating facts with our pet isms or philosophies,
Resorting to
statistical justifications,
Unleashing unworkable utopia,
Mask them with logical fallacies,
Mute them in pleasant jargons, and
Give historical justifications
Comprehend with
confirmation bias or pre conceived conclusions
Trying to over
simplify the complicated and over complicate the simple factors/aspects.
On matters of evaluation I have studied, written a lot and experienced
through bitter experiences in many spheres that life’s churning process [which
includes all areas of business as well] is not that easy to decipher nor can we be
assured what it throws up but that does not mean that we have to be passive
spectators or pusillanimous persons relying on conjectures and gamble without
rules, plans, perspectives, methods, measures etc
On evaluation even great research works like the bulky ‘Evaluation: A Systematic Approach‘ by Peter H. Rossi, Mark W. Lipsey, and Howard E.
Freeman first published get
such reviews like ‘There is never any clear instruction about how one should
begin an evaluation or how one should proceed’.
The most comprehensive book on evaluations ‘ Making Evaluation Matter-a practical guide for
evaluators’ by Cecile Kusters with Simone van Vugt, Seerp Wigboldus, Bob
Williams and Jim Woodhill also emphasizes
certain factors repeatedly and predominantly they are context/situation,
situational responsiveness, stake holders, inherent qualities of the project
/program/person being evaluated ,multiple roles, consequence awareness etc
Even this material also throws lot of light on evaluation
‘American Journal of Evaluation-2011-Smith-565-99.pdf
Here I am tempted
to quote, “Friend to Groucho Marx: “Life is hard…” Grouch Marx to Friend: “Compared to what?”
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