Learning to Think

It has been said that everyone must possess three transferable skills – the ability to speak, the ability to write, and the ability to think. The most elusive of these three is probably the ability to think. Unfortunately, many organizations prevent people from thinking. For example, a lack of consistent standards throughout the entire organization may contribute to wide variations in results, making it difficult for people to make the right decisions. Many companies are plagued with compliance type thinking; i.e. people “go along” with decisions to avoid retribution, not challenging the bad decisions that are about to be launched. Instead, we need a simple and consistent framework for decision-making that allows everyone to think the way they need to think. In their landmark book BusinessThink, Dave Marcum, Steve Smith, and Mahan Khalsa have outlined eight standards that define a common framework for organizational thinking. Here are some quick excerpts:

1. Stop rushing to implement solution after solution. Instead, focus on the real sources of the problem so that results, not some solution unfolds. For example, make sure you define the problem accurately before launching some major project.

2. Make sure you have hard evidence that a problem really exists. For example, you may want to measure the issue just to substantiate the problem and determine the extent of the problem.

3. Don't forget to quantify your solution through some form of analysis such as a business case that considers all the angles. The true costs of launching a solution may exceed the costs of simply ignoring the problem.

4. Get to the root cause of the problem. Many companies put out fires or plug leaks in the organization without drilling down to the source. Eliminate the source and stop treating the symptoms.

5. Allow people to explore and let them be “nosey” into things that may not be their business. By giving people this opportunity to make inquiries into new things, change becomes easier to implement for the organization. In fact, by letting people penetrate new territories, you open up more possibilities, leading to change.