It’s so important to be able to think on your feet, especially in a Managers role and it’s critical in a Leadership role. People need answers now and your business cannot wait indefinitely for an answer to a question, we must look to act quickly. Time is no one’s friend and we cannot always wait for statistics to support our response to an immediate challenge or issue. We have outlined four areas of focus to concentrate the mind and develop our Thinking Skills for the benefit of all concerned.

Here are a few tips:

Thinking skills is analysing and handling information, issues and problems in a logical, structured way, generating practical solutions.

Tackles basic problems:

• Thinks through basic, familiar problems in a structured way.
• Breaks problems down into manageable chunks.
• Uses previous experiences to make sense of a problem.
• Seeks assistance from the right people to solve problems.
• Sets order of importance.
  

Makes smart decisions quickly:

• Considers all potential causes and underlying causes of a problem.
• Gathers all the necessary information to solve the problem.
• Quickly identifies the nub of a problem.
• Utilises all available skills and resources to fix a problem.
• Takes full ownership for resolving problems and implementing actions.
  

Thinks bigger picture:

• Steps back from a complex situation in order to gain a better understanding.
• Systematically breaks a problem down into tasks, activities and plans.
• Anticipates obstacles to solving the problem and to implementing solutions.
• Uses other people’s experiences and input to make sense of a problem and create solutions.
• Understands the impact of problems and solutions on self and others.
  

Thinks conceptually:

• Navigates through multiple issues to define a way forward.
• Thinks through the bigger picture, trends and connections beyond the immediate problem.
• Recognises and takes into account interdependencies between variables.
• Generates a range of different, innovative solutions and chooses the one with the greatest probability of success.
• Thinks outside the box – proposing new ideas and insights which lead to significant business improvement.
  

Making quick and accurate decisions will keep the business on the right track and your people motivated, confident that challenges will be faced head on. As leaders we must know our industry by listening, asking the right questions, talking and engaging with our industry, using our eyes to see what is taking place. Mastering these skills will make you a better leader, thinking on your feet and using your experience and knowledge to make the right choices without reams of stats. Ensure then that you communicate and engage with your audience to present the solutions in a manner that will be easily understood – know what makes them tick.

We do not have years to gather statistics before we can make a decision, we will have lost by then, we must use our knowledge and experience to keep ahead. Keep it simple and clear, develop your thinking skills and it will become second nature to you; your team will be inspired and you will all be stronger together.