Observation Skills Matter

“You have seen but not observed” Who said this quote? What do you think is the difference between seeing and observing? Much emphasis placed computer research, etc., but not always practical, cannot do the observing for us. Observing is instinctive. Sherlock Holmes admonished Dr. Watson with this classic quote. He recognized observation as a primary investigative skill. Observing should awaken the hunter in us, so we can taste little clues that may easily be missed. Hard to intimately know the environment when it changes as quickly as it does in modern times, transient society, etc.

Process of observation Ask yourself the following questions as you approach an observational problem: What is the issue? What are you observing – document, person, place, thing If the subject is familiar, how can you look at it in a new way? If the subject is new, can you find something familiar in it? Will broadening the search aid in the solution? We will get in to each of these questions as we go through the discussion.

What is the issue? Careful observation of something that doesn’t resolve the problem at hand is a waste of time. Before you can start focusing, have a clear view of what you are trying to accomplish. Case of doing surveillance on wrong man b/c client misidentified him

New Look at the familiar Realize that everything in the world is unique in some way. Uniformity can dull our senses, but each individual product has unique characteristics Looking for qualities that separate the familiar from the unfamiliar is a skill worth developing. When reading a familiar scene, you can spot details that will break the case. … i.e. go into a store and look at boxes of the same brand of cereal.

Find Familiar in the New When confronted with something totally new, try associate it with existing knowledge… can you think of some examples? This is most frequently what you will encounter b/c of fluidity of society. Public parks in different community, common aspects, similar training for designers. Studying your neighborhood, etc. will give you the key to others.

Observing Documents, People, Places, & Things General principles for observing the real world rest on creativity… “Make the familiar strange and the strange familiar” Asking yourselves seemingly unusual questions will generate new insights. Need to adapt by perceiving the world through many eyes to survive intellectually. You will broaden your search capabilities and acquire a knack for seeing things where / how they are not supposed to be. What is it like to be the person under suspicion? Can I think like this person does today? Imagine yourself as the engineer of a defective product (or as the product itself), examine 360 degrees Imagine yourself put in a completely unfamiliar environment, need to adapt to survive, need to adapt All have hesitancy to stay out of disciplines in which we lack expertise, remember Shakespeare wrote about Verona and venice without ever visiting italy. To be a better observer, try doing or attending some activity you are not familiar with, nothing big. Next time at, look at (visible) tattoos people have… different styles, different techniques, associated with the people’s general style certain types common, who wears them? No limit to questions… Look at traits and see if there is a correlation with personality, style, age, etc.

Observing People Always do a mental inventory first – how does the person’s behavior appear? Take note of dress, style, tattoos, etc… can tell you a great deal about their attitudes concerning themselves and others, but… Be careful not to steroetype, though don’t be afraid to characterize through observation – basis of profiling Behavior – nervous, jittery, calm, obsessive quirks, aggressive or passive, - can give you a hint to what they may do in the future

Observing a Place Determine the underlying motivation behind what you see For example, if a person’s yard and home appear chaotic, think about why that could be. Look for signs of what is going on (or what went on) Yard chaotic b/c: Person may be mentally ill, unable to care for self Place could be abandoned by actual owner and squatters have taken over Drug dealers may be using the premises to manufacture and distribute drugs Family turmoil may have created conditions- product of poverty, ignorance, or both Spent needles and drug paraphernalia, legal notices, containers of chemicals, etc – carefully analyze before knocking

Observing Things Try to understand the thinking behind the creation of the object – this thinking takes into account other things the item may be used for For example, think about a pencil, what are its uses? Most important thing to do is break out of preconceived notions Writing, weapon, hairpin, hole punch, stake, etc. Do another example with a paper clip.

Observing Documents Just can’t scan for details, need to organize info to look for patterns. Organize by: By Time – create chronologies By Continuum – magnitude scale By Alphabet – basic organization provides cross reference for other types By Topic – can help recognize common incidents By Location – look for spatial relationships Chronologies – if one thing happens, then another always follows, think medical record From smallest to largest, in medicine could be doses, maybe something happened associated with a large dose. Drugs given, nurses and doctors seen, etc. Further enhances recognizing incidents with doctors with specialties, etc. Did a certain incident, reaction always occur in the same location?

Summary Try to see a scene through varied perspectives Develop as many correlations as possible Have a goal when you are observing.