Blink
I just finished reading “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell on the plane last week. It was really an enjoyable read. He talks about “thin-slicing” in the book. It is basically the process of taking a small amount of information, that is immediately available to you, and using that information to make a decision or form an opinion. He further explains that the opinion or decision made using the “thin-slice” will usually be correct.
I found the concept and stories in the book to be fascinating. I use the approach often in my life. I would call it “first impressions from experience”, but “thin-slicing” works too. I can often determine, with relative accuracy, what improvements a client can make by asking a few questions and spending just a few minutes with their data. I think it becomes second-nature after working with clients large and small in numerous industries for ten years.
