Cognitive Behavior Management through K, B and I Model: A Framework to filter information
Today we are inundated with information from everywhere. From news media, Podcast, online chat, social media, ……. The mass of information we have access to seems limitless. A recent Podcast addresses this torrential downpour of information each of us face. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-not-so-smart/id521594713?i=1000662940936
This podcast also addresses how to organize and synthesize all that information and how AI tools and Large Language Models (LLM) could be of great advantage here.
But how do you sort all this information and categorize it towards useful end results?
This is where our K, B, I model – adapted from Vedic Philosophy – could be very helpful, I believe.
What is the K, B, I model?
According to Vedic Philosophy all that we know – by ourselves and/or from anyone else or any other source – falls into one of three categories. It can be what we Know and useful (Knowledge), What we do not know and hence not useful (Ignorance) and what we think we know and hence prejudice or shade our knowledge (Bias) and subsequent action!
Vedic Philosophy also states that
our information pool is always an aggregate of our K, B and I!
“Knowledge” is that information content, that clarifies five elements relevant to any information: the purpose, people or resources related to the information, means or tools to be engaged relative to this information, situation or circumstances governing the information and above all the forces of nature behind all these!
“Bias” is that information which we assume to be true and move ahead with a rush to action or judgement. Remember when we “assume” we make a “ass of u and me” is very pertinent; it relates to the bias in our information.
“Ignorance” is that which we do not know! While Knowledge and bias may be somewhat obvious, one should always be wary of ignorance. “Keeping your eyes always open” or “always keep your antenna up” are some common phrases which allude to this cautionary approach to avoid the pitfalls of ignorance.
Tools like AI may be powerful in handling large amounts of data. But the meaning and significance of information can be scrubbed quickly using the K, B, I model, using our brain or human centered Cognitive Skills. It is Cognitive Information Management (CIM)!
Let us investigate an example for better understanding and potential use of the K, B and I model:
An employee receives the annual performance appraisal and review (PAR) from his/her boss. As is well known, this is common at every workplace. After quickly browsing through the PAR, this employee has acquired some new information. How does one process this information?
One could set aside a time and place to go through the PAR thoroughly. This preparation by itself sets the tone, the mood to read the PAR carefully and critically. This employee is also prepared with a check list of accomplishments and areas of improvements. This check list serves as a guide, as a gage to assess the contents of the PAR! Whatever the result, the employee is better prepared and ready to engage in a meaningful, objective and non-judgmental conversation with the boss! If necessary such discussion or consultation includes well-wishers such as peers with suitable knowledge on this matter. The outcome and alternatives may not be preconceived, but necessary action steps that follow the conversations, will be whatever it is and as required. This is the method of handling information where “Knowledge” is dominant, and Tranquility is the prevailing mood!
Without preparation whatsoever, the employee could rush through the PAR. With overwhelming waves of emotion, several key sections are skipped, but one critical comment grabs the attention. All the preconceived notion rush to elevate this comment as the most egregious affront on the employee and his/her work! Anger, frustration, disappointment engulf the employee. Unable to vent all these at workplace, these pent-up feelings show up in unexpected places leading to further anger and frustration with people outside the work place! This is the method of handling information, where bias driven by self-driven needs and wants to overwhelm a person. Turbulence or agitation is the prevailing mood!
It is also possible that the employee did not see the significance, role or relevance of PAR as part of the job and career management. Suggestions in the PAR as follow-up actions are ignored, since the document was not taken seriously and read through carefully! Months later, promotion or career change for a fellow employee is noted. This employee is disappointed and frustrated since those opportunities should have been a reasonable expectation as accomplishments for this employee! Indeed, that would have been the case if this employee had followed through the action items indicated in the PAR! How else can we characterize this kind of management of information, other than due to “Ignorance”? Despair and grief are the result of such information management dominated by ignorance!
While the above are examples to illustrate the distinct role of K, B and I, real life is never clear with distinct separation across these three categories. In fact, in real life, we deal with a spectrum of all three, with the peak shifting constantly across one or the other! Observation and meticulous mapping of the role of these “Connectors” between the “I” the person and the information I am surrounded with, requires “Objectivity” – where we look at everything with open eyes, and in a nonjudgemental manner. In other words, each of us is a judge of the K, B and I all the time, but we are not judgmental (pre-disposed)!
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