[POV] 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.

 Reference:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hernglee_one-thing-i-notice-about-googlers-with-accelerated-activity-7206982328487714816-Ooe1

An excerpt from above link also from day-to-day working with my super talented co-workers @Google.

tl;dr

• It doesn't entail false confidence. 
• It also doesn't require manufactured contrarian-ness.
• It just means that you're cutting out noise for people.

Level 1: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗣𝗢𝗩

If you don't have a POV (yet) – just say it.

Level 2: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

Dig as deep as you can.

Having a strong POV does not mean you always have the answers right off the bat. 

Even just having a view of what information is relevant is a great first step.

Doing so at least helps others focus.

Level 3: 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘀.

Identifying (potentially) relevant information is good. Even better? 

Generating relevant hypotheses in pursuit of a potential solution. 

You might not always be right, of course. But if your hypothesis is good? 

Then validating (or disproving) it gets the group closer to answers. 

Either way, there is value. Even if you didn't offer any immediate solutions.

Level 4: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀.

While generating hypotheses is a great way to deliver your point of view, you need to be careful. Because chasing down hypotheses takes time and effort.

And if you're not disciplined with your ideation process? 

Your hypotheses risk becoming distractions. 

So instead: People with a strong POVs tend to think in frameworks. 

They try to think rigorously and structurally. Their goal is not to give you the answer, but rather a viable path towards the answer.

Level 5: 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗤𝗕𝗤."

Having a strong POV does not mean you default to giving perfect answers to every question. 

Instead, the most rigorous thinkers focus on the "QBQ" (Question Behind the Question) first. 

In other words, before delivering their POV, they ask questions like: 

- "Is this even the right question to ask?" 

- "What are we actually trying to solve for?" 

- "What's the underlying question behind this?"

People with strong POVs are trained to find the QBQ before trying to problem-solve. Because sometimes? Even the people asking aren't aware that they're asking the wrong questions.