By: Lou Quinto, Leadership Speaker & Executive Coach, Executive Development Associates, Inc.
When you have a problem to solve or decision to make do you take the time to Stop and Think?
As simple as it sounds, most people don’t take the time to reflect on the problem they are trying to tackle or the decision they are trying to make and end up wasting a lot of time. The excuses people frequently make include:
“I already know what the cause of the problem is, or I have a good Idea which choice I should make.”
“I don’t have time! If I stopped to think about every problem or decision I have I would never solve any of them.”
“I never consciously thought about it!”
The Stop and Think approach will help make you more efficient in both your problem solving and your decision making. You will realize many benefits, including:
- It will clear your head from the cacophony of daily business noise to focus on the specific situation needing to be addressed.
- It allows your brain to question what your “gut” may be telling you is the best course of action and prevent you from making a snap decision – getting you to use facts over your opinions.
- It is a wise investment of your time. People associate Ben Franklin with the quote, “Haste, makes waste.” 4-5 minutes taken on the front end will save you hours of rework repairing a snap decision that was bad or the incorrect solution to a problem.
- It minimizes your chances of falling into the time-wasting syndrome of “analysis paralysis” because you will take the time to define a list of the data you determine is necessary to arrive at the best outcome and identify the specific sources from which that data will be gathered.
- Finally, when working with others, consider the purpose of Stop and Think like a huddle in football before a play. When the huddle breaks the players go to the line knowing what their individual responsibilities are to successfully execute the play called by the coach.
Stop and Think is a critical thinking process. Characteristic of all critical thinking processes there is a list of logical tasks defined by a series of questions you should ask yourself. The answers to those questions help you to formulate your game-plan for tackling your situation. Here is a look at some of the questions you must answer and tasks you must accomplish before running out onto the problem solving and decision-making field.
- Have you created a clear description of your problem, decision or goal? John Dewey, an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform, said, “A problem well-defined, is a problem half solved.” What he was referring to is that when you take the time up-front to develop a concise problem or decision statement it helps you to eliminate areas you should avoid because those areas have nothing to do with your current challenge. I.T. professionals consider this as avoiding “scope creep.” That’s where your workload expands into doing work not directly associated with your primary task or wasting time to gather information which – in the end – proves to be irrelevant.
- How does this relate to my goal, objective or mission? Answering this question will allow you and your team to tie the successful resolve directly to your overall purpose. When you do this, you will recognize the level of importance that this decision of solution has to the overall progress of your project or job.
- What is the urgency and risk associated with this dilemma? Prioritizing tasks is an important concept in managing one’s time and project plan. By identifying the issue’s urgency and risk you will be able to balance this problem or decision among the many other things you need to accomplish.
- How much time do you believe will be needed to solve this problem or make this decision? Everyone works well when deadlines are established and known by all. Create that deadline. If not, you will find yourself viewing procrastination as an option. It shouldn’t be!
- Define your criteria in advance? Establishing criteria in advance allows you to pinpoint the specific information you will need to gather which prevents you from drowning in a sea of information and wasting time in that dreadful time waste known as analysis paralysis. Your criteria will also help you frame up your problem or decision and identify the source where that information can be obtained.
So, with your next problem or decision resist the urge to jump in with both feet. Stand at the edge – Stop and Think – and carefully map-out the game plan you will follow with an accurate and concise assessment. You will save a lot of time and frustration.
About the Author:
Lou Quinto has over 20 years of experience in employee development, management training, executive coaching, and consulting with expertise in teaching managerial skills, critical thinking skills, professional presentation skills, and motivational speaking. His style of training and consulting is described by clients as engaging, motivating, and productive, making him a popular choice for conducting seminars, management retreats, and executive coaching sessions. Lou is a graduate of Purdue University and resides in Indianapolis, IN.
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