There are 3 components of critical thinking an effective senior manager has to master: What do we know? How do we know what we think we know? What do we do with what we know? Exploring the answers to these three questions is a worthy way to spend your time. To help you think through these questions, it helps to have a framework to begin the critical thinking process.
An effective roadrunner principle to achieve this knowledge trio is working our way up the ladder of consciousness (awareness) so we can focus on what is important and making sure the important gets done.
The first rung on the ladder is: unconsciously incompetent – not knowing what you do not know – ignorant bliss. With the rapid change in markets and the constant pressure from economic uncertainty, it is difficult to stay, at the least, on top of the changing dynamics affecting your area of responsibility. Impacts to the bottom line (or the threat impending of the probable threat) will move you to the second rung: consciously incompetent – knowing you do not know.
It is obvious that any one person, regardless of their role in the organization, can stay on top of the rapid changes in the current business climate. Even if one could stay current, understanding how these changes impact your business and how to respond in an efficient way can almost be overwhelming. Separating fact from theory and theory from fantasy is something we all have to learn as critical thinkers. Having the awareness to open yourself to the realization you don’t always have the solution to the myriad of issues at hand can be the driving force to advance to the next rung: consciously competent – taking action to discover the appropriate knowledge of new methods, new markets, and new ways of delivering value added service to your customers before you allocate resources. When you really know that you know, then you can focus the necessary resources on the critical success factors that achieve results.
The last rung on the consciousness ladder is unconscious competence. The best example of being in this awareness state is sometimes defined as ‘going through the motions’. Have you ever got in your car after work and once home realized not remembering the drive. Many senior managers with years of experience are often on ‘auto-pilot’- doing the same things in the same way because this is way we have always done it that way. Of course, this used to work: customers were loyal; competitors were ‘fair’; access to capital was available and affordable; and the pace of change was manageable. Oh, the good old days. By now, you know the ‘rest of the story’, operating as an unconscious competent with antiquated business practices quickly takes a person to the first rung on the ladder – not knowing you don’t know.
The solution to actively staying in a conscious competent state of mind is repetitive attention to learning and then making decisive changes to act on critical business processes that deliver results. Implementing a series of fact-finding projects to explore the best way to proceed will clarify and define the trio of knowledge components to continue your success. Your customers and competitors are responding faster and faster to their business climates. The need to keep pace can be stressful. Getting ahead of the curve and staying ahead is the goal. GM Outsource is dedicated to sharing the ideas and helping hands to achieve this goal. Enjoy the road. GMO