Critical Thinker Issue 5.2009 - Clarity

The Critical Thinker

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PURE & SIMPLESM Critical Thinking Tips Used By Winners

Issue 5/09

Clarity. The First Step To Success Clear thinking is like travelling: you have to know your destination, only then can you plan your route. Unfortunately, while most people seem to know where to go for their vacation, the same cannot be said of the array of issues and concerns they have to contend with in their daily lives. Most of us lump all the issues which confront us as “problems”. What’s wrong with that? Well, two things: 1.

Not all “problems” are problems after all

2.

Problem is an inherently negative phrase, which doesn’t always engender the right mindset

Let’s explore the first point. Consider the following scenarios: a)

When I was a Sales Director, one of my team came to me and said: “Boss, I’ve got a problem. The client wants to buy – it’s a done deal – but they need the proposal by tomorrow”

b)

My wife comes to me and says: “We’ve got a problem. It’s Mum’s birthday on Saturday and we need to decide the restaurant for dinner”

c)

My boss comes to me and says: “There’s a problem. Sales are below target. Find out why”

All three are different categories of issues, but each makes use of the word problem. As each requires a different “way of thinking” it’s not helpful to lump all of them as a “problem”. More on this later. Returning to the second issue of the use of the word “problem”, ask yourself: when you hear the word “problem” what does it conjure up in your psyche? Positive waves or negatives waves? For most, it would be the latter. And yet, we know that some of these “problems” are clearcut opportunities. Unfortunately, the typical human condition is such that the presence of a “problem” makes us address the issue as we perceive it. Which is — a problem! Here’s an old but still highly relevant marketing story to illustrate the point: Two shoe salesmen were sent to assess the market potential in two different parts of Africa. Shortly after the first one arrived, he sent a cable to the office with the following message: “No potential here whatsoever. Nobody wears shoes”. His colleague also sent a cable but with a very different message. It read: "Tremendous potential. Nobody wears shoes."

The first step to clear thinking, and therefore clarity, is to recognize that all issues and concerns can be categorized into three types — problems, decisions and planning issues: •

Problem issues are those where things have not gone the way they should, and you must know why. Scenario “c” falls into this category and, by the book, is the only “problem” issue

•

Decision issues are those where you have a choice to make, and you have to choose from the options available. E.g. the restaurant decision in Scenario “b”

•

Planning issues are those in which a decision has already been taken and you have to make sure that it turns out right, say, to submit the proposal on time in Scenario “a”

In a fast-paced, action-oriented society, the tendency is to move it, move it, move it. However, frenzied motion is not necessarily getting you anywhere and may make things worse. Gaining clarity on the issue(s) prevailing in a given situation is half the answer. A case of being able to see the woods from the trees. Take, for example, the generic "sales problem". Upon closer inspection it may involve the following sub-issues: 1.

A new competitor has entered your marketplace

2.

Sales have gone down in territory A since the last quarter

3.

The sales representative in territory B has resigned

Examine each of the three issues critically. You would realize that a different thought process is required to resolve each one. •

The first issue may well impact on your strategic plans for that marketplace and you probably want to examine the possible impact of that new entrant on your plans

•

In the second issue, you must find the cause in order to take corrective action. In the meantime an interim measure might have to be taken, while you find the cause of the problem

•

Finally, the third issue would be a clear decision issue, if you know the cause of the resignation

The first step to clear or clearer thinking does not entail complex spreadsheets or glitzy presentations. It merely requires to you to ask a few insightful questions such as • • •

What specifically is happening? What are the sub-issues? What specific item, thing, person is involved?

If you don’t know where you are, or where you want to go, then one thing is certain. You will

end up nowhere!

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