Know yourself

- We see it all the time on social media these days. One person will make a comment, and then another will chime in. And all of a sudden an argument is underway. The end result of this is almost always that neither side makes any real headway. And more importantly, neither side takes the time to even attempt to understand the person they're arguing with. This phenomenon highlights a deterioration in our ability to think critically and to have civil discussions with one another. The key part often missing in these and many other conversations is a real attempt to put aside our biases and to make sure we understand what we're hearing. There are a few things to consider that can improve your ability to think critically and to help make sure you're engaging with others honestly. Let's first look at biases. I have them, you have them. They're why my brother-in-law and I can get such drastically different meanings from the same political speech. We literally hear different things. Biases affect your ability to critically engage in more ways than politics, though. They also affect your ability to hear what your employees are saying, or what you might hear in personal conversations. Biases come from a variety of sources. Some stem from how you were raised. Others are based on your experiences in the world. And others come from our personalities. We interpret others' actions and statements based on these biases, whether we mean to or not. There are three steps you can take to identify and eliminate biases from affecting your interpretations. First, do some self-analysis. This should always start with self-reflection, where you honestly look at those times where you misinterpreted someone and try to understand why. It should involve having open and honest conversations with trusted people around you. And it can involve taking assessments to identify biases and other perspectives. Next, take time before any important conversations to consciously attempt to put aside your biases. Next time an employee comes in, don't assume anything about what they're saying. Stay neutral until you have all the facts. The third step here is to force yourself to take other perspectives. You can do this by literally saying to yourself if I thought the opposite of what I do now, how would I argue for that? Anytime you try putting yourself into different mindsets, you're more likely to gain a better understanding of the issue and to be better at avoiding biases. Another important piece of this picture is to check your understanding. This goes hand-in-hand with avoiding biases, but the emphasis here is more on ensuring you have a really thorough understanding of the topic. This step is about actively engaging with the person or the content. To clarify your thinking about the topic, use some of these tricks. Try restating another position in your own words, or asking for or giving examples. Or try to summarize the main points of the conversation, or offer your perspective to a trusted friend and ask for feedback. You can also do these things when offering your thoughts, or to clarify your thoughts before engaging. Can you state your main point in a clear and concise sentence? Can you offer other examples to support your main point? Or can you give an analogy that illustrates your main point? Having a thorough understanding of yourself and of the topic at hand is an essential foundation for thinking critically and for engaging well with others. So next time you find yourself typing a witty reply in that comment box, take a moment to ask yourself some of the questions you learned in this lesson.