Keeping the Puzzle Pieces in the Box

Throughout my DoD career, we were trained not to "talk around classified," usually meaning don't allude to things outside a prescribed space and think only the other person will know what you're talking about. I did hear it, though, because people always think they can be cleverer than the rules.

Sometimes I knew what they were talking about and sometimes...I figured it out easily. How?

Well, this won't surprise some of you, but my brain is wired a little differently. First, I can perceive flickering light (critical flicker frequency), usually in cheap lights. You know, like in Federal buildings. Your conference room may look like a 1970's disco to me, but without the fun. Eye strain, ugh.

Second, I have an eidetic memory. Not the same as a photographic memory and sadly not as good as 20 years ago, but still pretty wild at times. As a Contracting Officer, I could remember the dates of meetings I attended, who was there, where they sat around the table, what they said, what they were wearing. So when someone came back later and told me "what actually happened" at a meeting and the instructions I should have followed, I could quickly remind them that they weren't even present--which the attendee list proved correct. Ha!

But the relevant way here that my eidetic memory is important is for what it's still really, really good at: forming a big picture based on seemingly irrelevant puzzle pieces over a long time. It’s like seeing a single puzzle piece with no idea what the big picture is while seeing 30,000 puzzle pieces from 10 ?puzzles.

The best way to explain how I experience this weird memory trick is by example.

You're starting a new business and want to keep it a secret so you're very careful what you say. You go to great lengths to hide your plans. We meet at a conference in January and you mention you're staying with a college friend. Nothing else. You talk about lots of people, though. Your comment barely stands out.

In April, I run into you in an online Zoom class where you’re teaching, and in 3 hours of constant talking, you make a throw-away comment about something that happened to a friend of yours at their work place. There's something about your body language and micro-expressions I've seen before.

In October, you call me to get a template bc you're planning to start a business and your potential unnamed partner needs it. Something in your voice is familiar. Your plans are hush-hush for now, but I already know who your business partner will be and why based on those 3 5-second interactions out of six hours of conversation spread over 10 months.

I'm kinda an anomaly that I can do that. If you didn’t know this about me, you’re probably scared now!?BUT…

?I’m not the one you need to worry about.?Think about AI technology and what that means for seemingly innocuous tidbits of information out there--online, in meeting transcriptions, in documentation, everywhere information is captured. Don’t worry about me putting together 3 puzzle pieces out of a gazillion you’re carrying around with you.?Worry instead about technology being able to sift through your puzzle pieces that aren’t in the box.

#acquisition #Contracting #Procurement #govcon