Causal vs. Effectual Reasoning
Defining the differences in causal and effectual reasoning.
I’ll start today’s story by talking about Alex’s story.
Alex is a leading Project Manager at a startup company. The business specializes in the healthcare sector and Alex is given the task of designing a mobile and web platform that would allow users to book consultations with medical professionals. When Alex was hired, the company had a vision about the platforms but the design objectives were vague. Now that Alex has been fully integrated into the team as a Project Manager, he feels uncertain about what the guidelines and even the project scopes are.
Compared to his previous position as a Project Manager at an established healthcare company, his responsibilities were clear. He was able to direct projects according to the directions of the company vision. When he was onboarded to the team, not only was he given a specific department to head, but he was also allocated a specific amount of company budget. He was also directed to learn the design system that has been integrated as part of the company branding.
In each of these two scenarios, Alex is faced with both an effectual and causal reasoning in the approach of his work and responsibilities.
Let’s dive into talking about their differences in more detail.
