What is the exact sequence of the stop & think steps as presented?

• A. Boil down, then Relate to the issue, then Visualize
• B. Take instructions from TMs, Visualize, Relate to the issue, Boil down
• C. Visualize, Boil down, Take instructions from TMs, Relate
• D. Relate to the issue, Visualize, Take instructions from TMs, Boil down

Answer: (B)

Taking instructions from TMs first sets the framework you’ll work within. It ensures any thinking follows the approved guidance, constraints, or resources before you do anything else. Once you have that guidance, you can visualize the situation to form a concrete mental picture of how things could unfold and what actions would look like in practice. With that visualization in place, you relate it to the actual issue to confirm that your mental plan directly addresses the real problem and stakeholders’ needs. Finally, you boil down the plan to the essential, actionable steps, removing unnecessary details so you can implement clearly and efficiently. Starting with visualization or boiling down would risk pursuing an approach that isn’t aligned with the allowed methods, and relating to the issue before you’ve anchored your thinking in the instructions can lead to misalignment.