Focusing on your strengths as a designer

Our strength in one context can be perceived as a weakness in another. For instance, being talkative can be a strength when it comes to public speaking or networking events. However, in a meeting, talking too much can be seen as a weakness because it may prevent other people from contributing their ideas or making them feel unheard.

During World War II, fighter planes would return from battle with bullet holes. The Allies analyzed the bullet holes to determine the areas that were most commonly hit by enemy fire. They sought to strengthen these areas of the planes to reduce the number of planes being shot down. However, mathematician Abraham Wald pointed out that perhaps there was another way to look at the data. Perhaps the reason certain areas of the planes were not covered in bullet holes was that the planes that were shot in those areas did not return. This insight led to the armour being reinforced on the parts of the plane where there were no bullet holes.

The story of the fighter planes is an example of survivorship bias, where the focus is on those who survived a process while overlooking those who did not. In the case of the fighter planes, the Allies were only looking at the planes that returned and were analyzing the bullet holes in those planes. They were missing the planes that didn't make it back and were not looking at where those planes were shot. Abraham Wald realized that by only looking at the planes that returned, they were missing important information that could help them better protect the planes. He suggested that they needed to focus on the areas where the planes that didn't make it back were shot, and this insight ultimately led to the reinforcement of those areas.

This story also highlights the importance of understanding the context and underlying causes of the data we are analyzing. Simply looking at the data without understanding the context can lead to incorrect conclusions and actions. By understanding the context and the reasons why certain data is missing, we can gain a deeper understanding of the problem and make more informed decisions.

Furthermore, this story can be applied to the idea that people should focus on their strengths rather than their weaknesses. Just as the Allies were focusing on the areas of the planes that were being hit by enemy fire and not on the areas where the planes were not being hit, people tend to focus on their weaknesses and try to improve them, rather than capitalizing on their strengths.

Abraham Wald's insight suggests that instead of focusing on our weaknesses, we should look at our strengths and strengthen those even further. By doing so, we can leverage our strengths to achieve greater success and minimize the impact of our weaknesses. When we focus on our weaknesses, we can become disheartened and frustrated, leading to a decrease in motivation and productivity. However, when we focus on our strengths, we become more confident and motivated, which can lead to greater success and fulfillment.

In conclusion, the story of the fighter planes provides a valuable lesson on the importance of understanding the context and underlying causes of the data we are analyzing. Additionally, it highlights the importance of focusing on our strengths rather than our weaknesses, as doing so can lead to greater success and fulfillment. By taking the lessons learned from this story and applying them to our personal and professional lives, we can achieve our goals and reach our full potential.