Logical thinking is a critical skill in the workplace. It goes a long way to affecting employee performance and productivity. Hence, engaging in logical thinking exercises will not only improve performance but also enhance healthy relationships in the workplace. Let’s see examples of how to improve logical thinking in the workplace.
What Is Logical Thinking?
An individual’s logical thinking abilities refer to their ability to think in a disciplined manner or to base their opinions on facts and evidence. Simply put, logical thinking abilities are the ability to incorporate logic into one’s thinking process when studying an issue in order to come up with a solution.
Logical thinking abilities necessitate and entail progressive analysis, such as analyzing all available options, using facts and statistics, and making critical decisions based on the pros and disadvantages. They do not consider the factors of feelings and emotions.
Examples Of Logical Thinking In The Workplace
The following are some workplace examples of logical thinking. Examine this list and consider moments at work where you used logic and facts, rather than feelings, to reach a decision or chart a path of action.
- Before developing an advertising plan, conduct market research studies to measure consumer reactions to a new product.
- Creating a new sales representative recruiting profile based on an assessment of the traits of the company’s most productive sales representatives.
- Recommending a smoking cessation approach after analyzing the most recent smoking cessation overview research.
- Before developing training techniques, analyze restaurant customer reviews.
- Asking employees about their preferences for employee benefits before concluding contracts with vendors.
- Soliciting user feedback on their software experience before developing the next generation.
- Choosing a team leader based on historical evidence of leadership behaviors demonstrated by prospective candidates.
- Interviewing leaving employees in order to identify trends of unwelcome turnover.
- Before establishing a strategy for the next cycle, reach out to colleagues at other organizations to learn about high-impact approaches.
- Developing campaign slogans based on an assessment of likely voters’ hot-button concerns.
- A contractor advising a customer who wants the most energy-efficient home possible on more insulation, high-efficiency heating, cooling, and appliances, and a passive solar design.
Why Logical Thinking Is Important
Logical thinking skills are critical to the health of any workplace. People at any level can be called upon and expected to handle challenges related to their area of competence. As a result, the more logical thinking abilities are used in the job, the better the decision-making process will be with fewer mistakes.
Logical thinking skills assist us in numerous ways, including forcing intellectual self-improvement because you evaluate objective facts even when evaluating your own performance. They also help you become a better team player since your emotions, such as your ego, are less likely to obscure your judgment.
They also tend to boost your creativity by encouraging you to make as many logical connections across subjects as possible. All of these individual improvements eventually translate to organizational success.
Exercises To Improve Logical Thinking
There are numerous exercises you can implement to improve your logical thinking in your regular work. Here are a few of them:
#1. Form the habit of inquiring.
Improve your questioning abilities and apply them everywhere. Verify all of the information you’ve gathered, whether it’s facts and statistics or just assumptions. Examine your sources of information and look into any information that seems even somewhat suspect. Before you begin to assess the value of any such material you have obtained, you must first verify its legitimacy.
#2. Work on your perspective.
Understand your biases as a human being by determining what they are and how they affect how you cope with the information. Be willing to consider alternative viewpoints on a topic, especially if they contradict your long-held convictions. Accept fresh knowledge with an open mind and without any personal biases, you may have.
#3. Learn how to efficiently put everything together.
First, try to arrange your thoughts by writing them down or utilizing mind-mapping to help you explain them. Examine all of the information you have, figure out the linkages between the bits of information you have gathered, and decide which ones are the most valuable. Weigh all of your alternatives after you’ve presented them to yourself, and then make a decision or devise a solution.
#4. Invest in creative hobbies.
Drawing, painting, writing, and performing music are all creative pursuits that can excite the brain and encourage logical thinking. Creative thinking naturally improves problem-solving skills, which can help you become a better worker.
Learning a new instrument, for example, necessitates careful consideration and concentration. This practice will improve your logical thinking skills, allowing you to approach your task more intensively and tackle more difficulties with flexibility and ease.
Furthermore, creative hobbies aid in stress reduction. When your stress levels are under control, you will be able to focus better and make more logical decisions. You can deal with stress in a variety of ways, but expanding your creative mind is very beneficial and can benefit both your personal and professional life.
#5. Experiment with questions
One of the finest methods to improve your logical thinking skills is to ask questions about things you take for granted. Regularly asking questions broadens your perspective, allowing you to approach difficulties at work more logically and imaginatively.
In addition, asking questions can often lead to discoveries about areas you had not previously considered, which may drive you to investigate further. This strategy can be used everywhere, especially at work. Consider an unfamiliar department at your job and make a list of questions to assist you to grasp its function.
For example, if you work in sales and want to learn more about search engine optimization, consider doing a brief informative interview with someone in that department to learn more about their current projects and methods. This can help you consider your role at work in relation to that team more critically.
#6. Interact with others
Building relationships with others can extend your perspective and provide you with more opportunities to practice logical thinking. When you get to know someone and understand his point of view, you may be able to address difficulties at work in a fresh and different way.
There are numerous methods to invest time in relationship building, ranging from participating in an activity you both enjoy to just eating lunch or meeting over coffee on a regular basis. The more logically you can deal with challenges at work, the easier it will be to grow in your career.
#7. Acquire a new skill
Learning a new talent can also help you improve your reasoning abilities. When you take advantage of every opportunity to learn, you can apply the same level of thinking to your profession.
For example, you may decide to begin learning a new coding language, which involves significant thought and planning. Not only will daily practice assist to put you in the mentality of handling difficulties at work attentively, but it will also help you build a new talent that will help you grow your career.
#8. Make an attempt to predict the outcome of your selections.
When attempting to improve your logical thinking abilities, examine the long-term consequences of your judgments. The more you pay attention to the outcomes of your decisions, the simpler the process will be.
When you come up with a solution to an issue at work, consider the possible outcomes. You will eventually find it simpler to consider the immediate and long-term consequences of your decisions, which is a crucial component of logical thinking.
Logical Thinking And Critical Thinking
Many people confuse logical thinking and critical thinking; yet, there are subtle differences between the two.
On the one hand, logical reasoning is rather simple.
It is a way of thinking that uses logic or information analysis to evaluate a problem.
Critical thinking, on the other hand, is a process that builds on logical reasoning but goes a step further.
Thinking critically means questioning the obvious, connecting the dots, and seeking the truth.
Consider the case of a job opportunity in another state.
It may appear to be an excellent professional move, but exercising caution before making the leap can be the difference between a successful ending and one that you will regret. These are things logical thinking will consider:
- How much will it cost you to relocate?
- Is the cost of living in the new city higher than in your current city?
- How bad is the crime rate?
- Is the city well-governed?
- What about a larger time commitment? What is the workload?
Observing and understanding all of the facts and scenarios can help you reach a well-reasoned conclusion—in a word, that is logical thinking.
What Is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking and logical reasoning are closely related. It entails challenging evidence, beliefs, and knowledge in order to reach a reasoned conclusion or choice.
It is the ability to take disparate thoughts or pieces of information and connect them.
Using the prior example, if you were offered a terrific employment opportunity in another city, you would still examine all of the previously mentioned considerations.
Critical thinking, on the other hand, goes beyond hard facts and asks questions like,
- How do your kids feel about transferring schools?
- Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
- Why would the new job be preferable to your current one?
The Relationship Between Logical Thinking and Critical Thinking
As previously stated, logical thinking entails evaluating facts in order to reach a valid conclusion.
When no assumptions are made and emotions are removed from the equation, the rules of logic can be applied to solve a problem in the same way that a math formula would.
There is a sharp line between what is right and what is wrong.
Given the same scenario and the same information, two separate persons should reach the same conclusion.
Critical thinking, on the other hand, is challenging the answers and information you get.
For example, you could look into whether the person supplying the information has a vested interest in a specific conclusion and how that influences the information presented.
You should also consider whether you are missing any information and how trustworthy your source is.
There is a clear distinction between logical reasoning and critical thinking, however, the link is this:
Logical thought processes require critical thinking, and critical thinking skills require logic.
As a Candidate, How Do You Show Logical Thinking?
You are unlikely to hear a job interview question that directly addresses logical reasoning. That is, interviewers will not ask, “Tell me about a time when you employed logic at work.” An interviewer can instead respond, “Tell me about the processes you took to decide the next phases in the project you described.” Alternatively, they may inquire, “How would you react if a freshly introduced product received bad feedback?”
In your responses to questions like these, you should detail the measures you would take in the given circumstance.
Walk through the decision-making process you’d use—or give an example of how you’ve set a strategy in the past.
You can discuss the questions you asked, the data you gathered, or the research you conducted to reach your conclusions. This will help you demonstrate your logical thinking abilities.
You might also highlight your logical thinking skills in your CV or cover letter. Again, you’ll only want to sketch out your procedure. Instead of simply saying, “I created a new training program,” you may include extra information.
What is a logical person like?
Those who think logically observe and evaluate phenomena, reactions, and feedback and then draw conclusions. They can use the information they collect to back up their plans, moves, and conclusions.
What affects logical thinking?
It appears that an individual’s emotional state influences reasoning performance in a way that is not task-specific. Specifically, people in a negative emotional state had a lower falsification index, indicating that they were more likely to deviate from logical norms when under stress.
How do you talk logically?
Just apply common sense and basic rules of reasoning to arrive at the correct conclusion. Construct reasonable arguments based on true statements. But that’s oversimplifying things. Specifically, you want to know how to improve your communication skills by increasing the proportion of logical words you use.
What part of the brain is logical thinking?
The cerebrum, the largest part of the brain, controls body temperature and initiates and coordinates movement. The ability to communicate, make decisions, solve problems, feel emotions, learn, and so on is enabled by other parts of the brain.
Can logical thinkers be creative?
In a word, yes. Most people have a bias toward either analytical or creative thinking, but both are necessary for problem-solving. People tend to overestimate the degree to which their innate abilities shape their success.
Is logical thinking genetic?
Similar to how physical traits are passed down, we also inherit the capacity to think from our parents. Researchers have found that, unlike eye color, cognitive ability is influenced by a large number of genes.
Does reading improve logical thinking?
In order to better evaluate, comprehend, and present well-reasoned arguments, constant reading is essential. Reading has a significant impact on how one thinks critically because it fosters the gradual inculcation of all of these traits within us.
In Conclusion,
Daily exercise can effectively increase logic skills. When you do the exercises outlined in this chapter on a regular basis, you will improve your logical thinking abilities.
Logical Thinking FAQs
Is logical thinking a soft skill?
Yes, logical thinking is a soft skill.
Is it better to be logical or emotional?
In many instances, it is better to employ logical reasoning than emotional reasoning.
Can logical thinking be learned?
Logical thinking is not an inborn talent. It is learned with time.
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