Why thinking is important
Thinking is extremely important. Yet we do not spend enough time on this important activity. I this blog, I try to explain how thinking can help us. At the most basic level, thinking prevents hasty decisions and rash actions. Recall the old saying,” Look before you leap.” In an organization, what this means is that if we think through the possible implications before doing something, the outcome is likely to be more desirable.That is why there is so much emphasis on planning. Often, planning is equated with targets and budgets. But the real value in planning comes from the associated thinking process. During planning, we are forced to think of various possibilities, understand what the department /organization needs to do to cope effectively in different scenarios and then frame a suitable course of action.
Thinking is also a very effective way of learning from our past mistakes. This especially applies to project managers. Toyota, one of the greatest learning organizations around, emphasizes hansei (reflection) after each key milestone and the completion of a project. Toyota believes that without hansei, kaizen (continuous improvement) is not possible. Hansei is all about becoming aware of our weaknesses and working on them.
At a higher level, thinking helps us to bring more clarity into our thought processes and help improve our personal effectiveness. This applies especially to managers and leaders. Why are things happening the way they are? Is there something I can do to improve the state of affairs? Is my evaluation of different team members right? Or am I getting carried away by my prejudices and biases? Are associates enjoying their work? Are they feeling frustrated for some reason?
Finally, thinking is a powerful tool for innovation. Even if innovation is 99% perspiration, it still involves 1% inspiration. And that inspiration cannot come without thinking. Many people saw the apple falling from the tree. Only one person asked why and he went on to develop the theory of gravity. Bill Gates has developed some of his greatest ideas in recent times during his thinkweeks. Peter Drucker developed some of the most fundamental principles of management and became the greatest management guru of our time, by carefully reflecting on what he saw around him.
To conclude, there is nothing intellectual or esoteric about thinking. It is a powerful tool in the hands of managers in their quest to become more effective.
Thinking is extremely important. Yet we do not spend enough time on this important activity. I this blog, I try to explain how thinking can help us. At the most basic level, thinking prevents hasty decisions and rash actions. Recall the old saying,” Look before you leap.” In an organization, what this means is that if we think through the possible implications before doing something, the outcome is likely to be more desirable.That is why there is so much emphasis on planning. Often, planning is equated with targets and budgets. But the real value in planning comes from the associated thinking process. During planning, we are forced to think of various possibilities, understand what the department /organization needs to do to cope effectively in different scenarios and then frame a suitable course of action.
Thinking is also a very effective way of learning from our past mistakes. This especially applies to project managers. Toyota, one of the greatest learning organizations around, emphasizes hansei (reflection) after each key milestone and the completion of a project. Toyota believes that without hansei, kaizen (continuous improvement) is not possible. Hansei is all about becoming aware of our weaknesses and working on them.
At a higher level, thinking helps us to bring more clarity into our thought processes and help improve our personal effectiveness. This applies especially to managers and leaders. Why are things happening the way they are? Is there something I can do to improve the state of affairs? Is my evaluation of different team members right? Or am I getting carried away by my prejudices and biases? Are associates enjoying their work? Are they feeling frustrated for some reason?
Finally, thinking is a powerful tool for innovation. Even if innovation is 99% perspiration, it still involves 1% inspiration. And that inspiration cannot come without thinking. Many people saw the apple falling from the tree. Only one person asked why and he went on to develop the theory of gravity. Bill Gates has developed some of his greatest ideas in recent times during his thinkweeks. Peter Drucker developed some of the most fundamental principles of management and became the greatest management guru of our time, by carefully reflecting on what he saw around him.
To conclude, there is nothing intellectual or esoteric about thinking. It is a powerful tool in the hands of managers in their quest to become more effective.
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