Five sharp thinking standards to continuously monitor and improve the quality of your thinking.
HAVE YOU EVER looked back on a project or decision that hasn't gone quite as you expected, but in the clarity of hindsight, it's obvious where your thinking went wrong? Wouldn't it be nice if you could avoid this type of situation in the future? You can by becoming a sharp thinker.
In his book, Why Didn't I Think of That, Charles McCoy suggests using Socrates as a model to ask questions. These questions will challenge you to clarify your thoughts, eliminate inaccuracies, think more comprehensively, make better sense and achieve intellectually honest results. Run-of-the-mill thinking fails to apply these vigorous standards that lead to the question, "Why didn't I catch that?" or "Why didn't I pay attention to the quality of my thinking?"
Use the following five sharp thinking standards to continuously monitor and improve the quality of your thinking.
Is it clear?
Without clarity, thinking turns into confusion. Unclear language leads to miscommunication. Unclear thoughts lead to misjudgment. Next time you are struggling with a crucial decision or are trying to solve a problem that has got you stumped, apply some of the following questions to test for clarity:
Is it accurate?
Clarity promotes plain thinking, but it does not guarantee accuracy. Accuracy aligns thinking with reality and entails more than just attention to detail. Adding up numbers correctly does not always guarantee accurate results if the significance of the numbers has not been determined. For example, instead of just adding apples, you may be inaccurately adding apples and oranges. To be precise, you must apply standards and measures to your thinking. Check for accuracy in your thinking by answering the following questions:
Is it comprehensive?
Clarity and accuracy paint a correct picture. Comprehensive thinking looks beyond the first "right" answer to find the best solution. You can achieve the deepest and widest perspectives by asking the following comprehensive questions:
Does it make sense?
The first three standards are building blocks of sound thinking. Pulling them together requires good sense. A decision can seem right, but still not be right. Sharp thinkers test their thinking to make sure it makes sense. Writing can help. What seems logical in your mind might make no sense once you've written it down. Illogical thinking results in awkward sentences and paragraphs. You can further test your thinking for sensibility by asking the following questions:
Is it intellectually honest?
Even if your thoughts are clear, accurate, comprehensive and sensible, it is possible that they are still wrong because of a lack of intellectual integrity. Honesty is what holds sound thinking together by making it well-constructed and wise. Intellectual honesty values truth and distinguishes between right and wrong, fact and opinion. It is especially important when you might be tempted to adopt a more popular, but wrong-headed, decision. Test the intellectual integrity of your thinking by answering the following questions:
