Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills

12 Vision

What Is Your Vision?

The last tool I'll introduce for clarity might actually end up being the first you use. It's a description of your vision about your headscratcher solution. You simply answer the question “What does the world look like after you solve this problem?” Describe the end state; then ask whether, given your vision, is this headscratcher the only thing you have to solve? If the answer is no, then what other headscratchers might you need to solve to make the world look like the one you envisioned?

Having a vision conversation can be both enlightening and depressing. On the plus side, you articulate what you're trying to accomplish—the big picture, the main goal. However, you generally end up with a list of headscratchers to solve after having this conversation. Sometimes, you'll have started the process with one problem only to realize you have a whole bunch of problems—a list of issues you need to solve to reach your vision. It's deflating, but with that always-a-way attitude, you will pick one to start with. You should reexamine your list at this point and make sure the headscratcher you've chosen to tackle first will have the most impact on your vision. If not, switch to another.

For example, let's say your headscratcher is “How do we improve our productivity?” You use the common tools—inspection, why, and so what—and at one point, you ask what the world will look like when productivity improves. You surmise that you'll create more functional and higher ...