Book Review: HBR Guide to Critical Thinking
In today’s ever-changing world, it’s important to approach problems differently to find the best solutions. Practicing critical thinking is key to navigating life. It involves having the right mindset, observing, asking the right questions, seeking diverse perspectives, and analyzing information.
This book covers every aspect of critical thinking, and each chapter can be turned into a separate post.
Here are a few key takeaways:
1) To change how you think, change how you see things.
2) Leaders should welcome inputs, not just solutions.
3) Question the objective; a well-defined problem is halfway solved.
4) Ask yourself if you’re stuck in a perspective that’s too narrow or too broad.
5) Listen more than you talk; it’s a simple but underused skill, especially in team calls.
6) Think critically about your data: how it’s sourced, analyzed, and what it might not tell us.
7) While some say to stop asking “why” and start asking “how,” there’s disagreement on this point.
8) Think probabilistically and grasp basic probability; be an integrative thinker considering multiple relationships.
9) Don’t be fooled by experience; sometimes, we overvalue our own.
10) Recognize your cognitive biases and triggers.
11) Expand your horizons by interacting with people outside your department.
12) Effective experiments start with a testable hypothesis.
Lastly, make critical thinking a part of your life.
