Six Wise Ways To Logical Thinking
Question about logical thinking
I’m moving into a leadership position that requires me to think and plan at a higher level. That’s my weakness. How can I learn about logical thinking?
Answers about logical thinking
Hmn. That’s a big question, involving so many factors. Here are a few tricks I can suggest about logical thinking.
Do all your brainstorming in writing first. Even if a question is sprung on you at a meeting, you can usually predict the topics they’re likely to ask you about, so you can prepare information you could take with you to the meeting, just in case.
In any case, these suggestions will help you with logical thinking as well as think on your feet.
- Move logically along a time line Always begin your planning with where you want to end up. With that end point in mind, work backwards in time to the steps that need to be accomplished one by one, to get you to where you want to end up. You’ll soon see if you’ve allowed enough time, realistically, to accomplish each step, with everything that’s involved to make it happen.
Think logically about the factors at play.
Analyse the Force-Field with Logical Thinking
Force-Field analysis basically involves looking at what factors could improve a situation, and what factors would make it worse: the pros and cons.
Consider which is more likely to happen—which is the stronger force.For every option, consider:
- Potential cost (not only in monetary terms; but in terms of such factors as loss of key employees, or loss of reputation)
- Potential risks
- Possible benefits or rewards
- Plan for contingencies Take into account as many WHAT IFs as you can think of. For example:
- what if it takes longer than we envisaged
- what if equipment breaks downs
- key staff member/subcontractor availability issues
- what if we encounter cost overruns
- Take into account the 5 W’sWho: Who will be responsible for which task? Who will be affected? What: Consider different tasks/approaches/strategies/processes and what data you need to collect and analyse to predict opportunities.
When: Does this plan involve rescheduling/changing of priorities or sequence? Do you need to allow more/less time for certain stages?
Where: Is a change of location necessary? Which is the best location for each step?
Why: Negotiate the values or priorities of all stakeholders. It’s also important to explain your reasons for your perspective and to explore the reasons for the positions of other stakeholders.
Think logically about the factors:
- Analyse the methods you will use for this project HOW questions take into account methods, strategies or standards and how you might address potential problems.How will we do this and how could we prevent or address potential problems?
- Keep your focus on your reader, customer or stakeholder Assess what would be most useful to them, what questions they might have that you could answer in advance, what would make it easier for them, and in what way could you provide a better service or meet their needs
If you’d like to discover more about logical thinking, contact me directly to arrange a convenient appointment time.
I’d love to know what you think of what I’ve said here. You can give me your feedback, ask a question by email or post a comment below.
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