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When faced with a crisis or problem it may be attractive to seek a solution that is clever, but a relevant one is better. Relevance and ingenuity are not mutually exclusive and an ideal solution might include both, but in reality ‘perfect’ solutions are rare. It is therefore important to recognize that when judging the suitability of a proposed solution greater emphasis must be given to usefulness than ingenuity.
A brilliant solution which arrives too late to be implemented is irrelevant. So is one that cannot be understood by those who are supposed to put it into effect, or one that disregards the constraints of the art of the possible. Relevance is about being fit for purpose. It therefore encompasses timeliness, applicability and reality.
Relevance is intrinsically ‘clever’ when faced with complexity. For the ability to look at a mass of data, circumstances or multiple inputs and identify what is important or critical to an issue is a key skill that focuses attention on what is relevant. Without such insight nugatory effort can be exerted in pursuit of the irrelevant, however industrious it may appear.
Relevance demands understanding. For example, a thorough appreciation of the context within which a problem or issue sits is key to its resolution. Some consultants may move swiftly into forming a solution to a problem. This may appear like rapid progress, but a wrong path prematurely taken remains an error unless it is corrected in due course. Alternatively, R3I Consulting believes that an understanding of what needs doing and why is essential before embarking on a planned solution. In this way relevance is established and can shape all that follows.
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