At Pearson’s Critical Thinking Boot Camp last month, I learned a valuable lesson for problem solving and decision making. When trying to solve a current problem or anticipating a future issue, the first thing you should assess is what factors you can and cannot control. We often waste time trying to figure out how to change something that we have no power to change instead of working on the aspects that we can control and influence.
Let’s imagine your department is using an ineffective/outdated software to track customer information. You may not be able to control whether or not you purchase a new problem because of budget, technology, politics, etc. What you can control is how you handle information. Is there a back-up technique you could employ? Perhaps the issue is training. Can you train your employees to get more out of the cumbersome program? Can you meet with the software salesperson to see if they have a solution for your problems? Can you work with decision makers to plan for a future software upgrade?
Instead of focusing on the things you cannot change, work with the things you can influence or control.
To see more tips from the Critical Thinking Boot Camp, watch this video:
Did you know critical thinking was rated the NEW #1 workplace skill? Download our paper: 