Have you noticed the ability to be objective and critically think through topics and issues is rapidly disappearing from society, especially in the U.S.? Screaming heads on TV. All or nothing politics. The work being done to trigger emotion, segment people into all-or-nothing groups does not help leaders make better decisions and organizations to reach full potential. In this episode, Eric and Dale tackle the challenge and provide game changing approaches to make critical thinking your most powerful psychological tool. Break through the cultural noise to seriously evaluate the present and prepare for the future.
Have you noticed the ability to be objective and critically think through topics and issues is rapidly disappearing from society, especially in the U.S.? Screaming heads on TV. All or nothing politics. The work being done to trigger emotion, segment people into all-or-nothing groups does not help leaders make better decisions and organizations to reach full potential. In this episode, Eric and Dale tackle the challenge and provide game changing approaches to make critical thinking your most powerful psychological tool. Break through the cultural noise to seriously evaluate the present and prepare for the future.
[1:07] Eric when we talk about this idea of most powerful psychological tool that we have I'm going to just share the quick back story on how we arrived at this topic for today during a recent recording and.
Off when we were off camera so to speak off microphone just chatting you shared a story about a client who will remain nameless but who's who basically took.
He was a US citizen to task for not you specifically but you and the US do something different that we don't see in other places in the world tell that story.
[1:44] Okay so I this particular client of mine lives International client so there I think back in Switzerland and Zerg area and it was interesting to listen to her because she's somebody not only I coach but I'll be honest every time we come out of our conversation I grow even more like she's unbelievable right but it was interesting how she, posed this point she said that one of the things that sometimes his tough working with, because she didn't want to generalize but she was talking about from her experience sometimes working with her you was a u.s. callings.
Is the tendency to.
[2:36] Live in extremes the event from a narrative standpoint either is all this or is all that and if and if it's this we have to have an eloquent unbelievable story surrounding it or if it's this is that so you there's always these extremes that go along with it and what she was saying was I understand the story I understand the emotion understanding all that but she goes when you're going through the process of decision making.
The ability to be somewhat objective or critical can sometimes get lost because how the narrative is.
Who wants to be on the opposite end of pushing the other side especially when it happens and.
Finding what's interesting to listen to her say it and you know in and I was sitting there going thinking you know.
[3:25] Maybe it's true all over the world but still you you really know this because of your experience in the media like you know this super well.
There is a real competition for people's attention right so there's a competition for attention and at people's attention spans are long and what the problem is it creeps into how we do business is creeping into Howard making decisions is creeping in you nowhere, people are seeing some and they see it with enough energy we just blindly just jump on and just go with that which is hey it can be a good idea but that idea should be vetted it should be vetted and we shouldn't have a negative response when we challenge it you know and take it even deeper nail and then I want you to speak on that.
I mean if a Coach comes up with a really great play and they swear the play is phenomenal.
[4:20] Been running in practice over and over again it gets dumped the most stiffest competition for it to go you know for it to qualify.
But you know what usually happens unfortunately there's a lot of games deal well it didn't really work well in practice and the coach is still call it during the game, it expected to be executed wise and then we want to claim or complain about an execution problem or the team they work well enough together, no we never vetted it never went through the process of really being challenged and needs to go through a critical stage right and we call it a critical stage because every idea needs to have a critical stage we're seeing critical condition and if it can get through that then it's going to get be able to be implemented but often that conversation.
Doesn't happen especially when the person in charge is the one with the idea, right so it never goes to a critical challenging stage and when she was saying that she was like it when it comes in with these Grand narrative sometimes like so the media aspect and the reason that I have spent a lot of time since we had this conversation initially thinking through this.
[5:41] We as human beings are being constantly bombarded with information with.
[5:51] Other people who are trying to get our attention.
And what's the reason for that other person trying to get our attention and it's not necessarily one to one but we're part of an audience and they want to get audience attention.
Because of what's happening with this our attention spans as human beings are shrinking and I just held up a phone for those listening but because of what the smartphone is doing to us and the rapidity that we have access to information and.
[6:24] We are being conditioned to ignore everything around us the people trying to get our attention realize that and realize that they need to employ heavy-duty psychological Tools in order.
To do what they want which is to ultimately get our attention, that's why I believe that we have we're losing civility we're in a costaq society and it's because we're not tuned in to my attention span.
[6:58] Personally I'm trying to fight to keep my attention span longer and, who's trying to get my attention why are they trying to get my attention and I'm like critically thinking through all of that so we are being conditioned and I don't I don't think a lot of us even realize it but we're being conditioned to stop on the interstate and look at the car crash.
You that's what's going to finally get you to slow down is something dramatic.
It's not you're noticing the car that's like yours on the other side of the interstate as it goes by it 70 miles an hour you have to be stopped in your tracks in the way to do that is to trigger you emotionally and that's why I think it's such an important leadership.
[7:46] Concept to work through with you because of your level of experience in seeing this play out and how do we.
Arm ourselves to be critical thinkers yeah in a really employer that is a psychological tool.
You know one of the things you just said they always your song Crow.
[8:06] There's all kinds of there's many different little things with two major points on when every leader, hearing every person listening to hear right now we are not diminishing at all the importance of influence especially with using in Emotion to do so in moving people and having that ability.
Without question but as leaders.
Want something does get your attention once an idea does get to you and your team and you look through it wants to learn it has to go through.
[8:38] Filter system it should go through whatever it is they should go through a critical thinking analysis where we're going to vet this thing if it fits.
[8:48] If it's worthy if it qualifies then he should be able to hold up against us challenging and giving ourselves as a leadership permission to do that.
[8:59] There is nothing like I any time I'm with a leadership team and you know I'm a naturally moved by emotion and passion and storytelling and I love the Arc of of you know starting here and ending up there and all that stuff.
At some point in this journey whatever the story objective goal whatever is going to have to be tested.
[9:22] In the test shouldn't just come out on the field to test you happen in practice and in practice for leaders that's your meetings.
This is why I some mind-boggling to me that leaders have boring meetings because you got enough critical things to talk about that should create some discomfort in those meetings if you show me a boring meeting I show you meeting who's having way too many comfortable conversations right bike for a meeting you energized have some challenge in there and bring some stuff in vetted and give permission like hey guys let's poke holes in all this let's look at this closely lets me I want to make sure that I'm not leaning in a certain direction and I tell and it we're all human with this as human beings were far more rationalizing that we are rational we gather information to support what we already believe, so we have to have that challenge and when you give permission for people to do that or you do it to yourself that's what we call, actual thinking.
[10:21] Now when we say critical thinking I want everybody to understand this when I say critical thinking that's just not please don't view it as just as just being pessimistic right you just trying to be a pessimist not at all.
No we're trying to make sure that there's a Biblical scripture that says the best as iron sharpens iron that means Sparks have to fly, so for this thing to be a sharp and as effective as possible we got to challenge it so it gets stronger as a result and critical thinking we're not when I use the word thinking.
I'm not talking about recycled thoughts we are when it comes to thinking I like to say you know we were like a lot of I'm not a conservationist I say you are we all are when it comes to thinking right because we just keep.
[11:09] Recycling the same thoughts over and over again and we keep reusing them critical thinking allow for fresh thinking new thinking, new thoughts in leaders I'm telling you the idea the initial idea you want to be critical of it but the ultimate goal is to make sure if this is the idea is that it it went through the process and if it's if it's not we created something even better, right like it great because we are either go through but leaders you have to fight against.
When you're having these conversations allowing emotion to make you a prisoner of the.
Because emotion elevates the let me break it down this way people know this already but I'm just the critical fundamentals of how we think matter.
The way our brains works is so powerful that in our subconscious mind our subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real experience.
Or vividly imagine experience accompanied by enough emotion if there's strong emotion, connected to that vivid imagination or what we're talking about.
Is as if is already true unconvinced this is going to happen if we do this I'm convinced this is the right thing because of this I'm committed and if the greater the emotion the more convinced you are.
If there's somebody sometimes he was a most emotional about something and it's based on their role in organization.
[12:36] They can all of a sudden cause the whole room to go with them.
And that's fine but unfortunately sometimes it doesn't go through the vetting process that that idea needs to go through.
In order to get to the next place, and this is what's happening so often with there are people who will walk away from that meeting have questions but didn't ask him in the room and the reason they didn't ask him in the room is the emotion was so great, that they feel like man I will it's now it sounds like I'm not a team player now it's something no actually you're the most important team player.
Because you're able to keep your eyes open to help us all see something that some of us might not have been able to see because we're blinded by emotion.
I mean I always say emotion makes you a prisoner in the moment.
[13:22] Any rational person knows there are people right now who are the most rational understanding people in the world.
Who have gotten mad enough on a car in it on the freeway too if the right situation showed up they would have gotten out of their car.
In literally got into a physical altercation this is somebody with great sense this is somebody when they're not but the the emotion of the moment is so powerful, that it can cause you to be pretty where the future consequence plays no role.
[13:56] Now I need people to hear this the primary objective of a leader is not just a developed talent development but the purpose of all that.
Is for the long-term benefit of the organization leaders job is to see further than who's what that what's going on right now.
Too much emotion about what's going on right now will cause you to be a prisoner with what's going on right now there are some things going on right now that if you could step back object you look you wouldn't even engage yourself because you know it could be part of what helps us be better later on but you're so caught up in it but you not seeing it properly of how it can actually help you even if it's a problem so critical thinking objective thinking for leader is so important I know there's some leaders I'm talking to you right now you completely live in this area you're like I'm basically a cyborg or I work was and I get it but I will tell you all human beings are emotional, right I heard a mentor my say so but actually it was so good when he said he goes Eric we're all emotion.
[15:04] Beagles and most of our decisions are somewhat, we just use logic to justify them but anyhow in this emphasis on critical thinking one of the things that I think is a very subtle action I is.
Leaders give context for the conversation of critical thinking, to be set up so it is sometimes you just need to frame it so okay love this I we're all feeling good okay great.
Let's let's be critical of it now.
Let's attack this let's make it let's let's that it let's see what it goes through and I want us to all use our critical object of thoughts going through it, is so powerful because it allows even the individuals who were personally invested in the idea to understand why that is happening.
In realizing that this is actually raising it up there and we're going to discover some things we didn't know but too often those critical conversations happen or they don't happen because somebody doesn't want her feeling or it matters who brought the idea so when the leaders themselves, view this as really aggressive practice to ensure we're going to really be ready for game time man that makes all the difference in the world.
[16:26] I was going to go back and have you.
Dive deeper into that statement you made that ideas must go through a filter process and you just gave us one very tactical way to do that for a leader in a meeting to say okay hey we're going, set some time aside and let's really dive in and think through this what could go wrong yep what are we not saying.
So what are some what are some other things that you've seen work well in that area to grow our skill set in getting a team of people to filter.
Yes so sometimes it's as simple as the price as the process so somebody can come up with a great idea great thing or and we do it all the time right but.
[17:12] But it's also important to contextualize it so what's the current situation I mean I literally walk through it like this here's what we're going after here's the idea but what's the current situation we're trying to implement this in okay didn't I ask questions like this okay here's the idea here's what we think but before we do that what.
What has this problem or what has this challenge or have this what are the benefits opportunity and bring but more importantly if it's a problem what has it cost us so far.
[17:43] What's the price that we've already paid from it and what's the possible price we're going to pay if we don't do something about it.
Now when I talk about critical thinking like this is big because this has an influence on urgency.
A significant influence.
On urgency because if there's a price we're paying right now that's one urgency but if there's a price we may not pay yet but it might come in the future.
[18:13] That's not as urgent whether we like it or not future consequences do not have the same impact as, present consequences L Dash your challenge like what I just got to describing is at L ability, to see far enough ahead see a future consequence help those around you see that future consequence and see it enough, do you want to prevent it or what or take advantage of an opportunity and that's the work this is why critical thinking is what we like to call critical because it may cause us to either focus on what's going on right now a little more or.
Not allow what's going on right now to trap us and prevent us from seeing what's going on in the future critical thinking just opens our eyes it allows us to see more, and once we get to the critical thinking part or that you know measuring is impacting looking at that the next step which is I think it really good is okay now we're seeing this is this the.
[19:17] Most efficient way of getting this done is this the fact is there a faster way we can do it.
Or more because after you start evaluating the the consequences long term short term what impact it has what impact if we didn't do anything at all.
The reason that is so so important.
It does what you were saying earlier Dale it helps dictate how much attention this thing is going to get from us.
Because I tell leaders your greatest currency is your attention so if you're not using critical thinking.
Your attention is going to get used all over the place but I always say this is is because of you know we're all being forced into shorter attention spans and I already have ADD personally I you know and so none of these things have made it better and but what people have to also understand is our brain spend a lot of time figuring out what not to pay attention to.
Protection it's a protection that's exactly right and usually what it does pay attention to are things that are comforting.
[20:30] Things that resettle us are in those are usually things inside of our comfort zone is goal is to create some kind of, equilibrium which is status quo the brains designed to do that so every time we're chasing it venture, and every time we're doing it's pulling us outside using anxiety there's a tension there this is why the whole process of critical thing is important because sometimes there's an adrenaline rush to do something new, and then there's also Adrenaline Rush not to go after something new if I see it Phil is dangerous and so we have to have critical thinking to offset.
What we Majors emotionally jump into it again I love emotion.
I think a motion closes the Gap it it it moves us it's like that the fuel that drives us but you want to make sure whatever that fuel is the motion being attached to, that thing has been vetted, critically right and then we say okay this is worthy of all all of our attention all of our emotion all the energy that this company is going to pour into that.
Now we're going somewhere and so that's that's that's the piece.
[21:43] As a leader and I'm going back to that example that you set we're sitting in a meeting.
[21:51] And the level of emotion is coming up in the room and we can see that it's not the emotion that will benefit us as an organization so how does how does what are some ways that that leader can identify that number one and then number two, step in and help those in the room manage emotion yes to stay focused on logic yeah the first thing I will tell and it's and I've learned this not only of.
[22:17] And I hate to generalize but it's the only man in my house all right at the father of daughters right the one thing I've learned that is not a good thing is it tell people how they should be feeling hey don't be so emotional about that ain't no passions real you want that authenticity on your team you want that level up because on that team that's where you get it so one of the things I tell leaders do is don't run from it and acknowledge it are you saying man I'm I see I'm glad you guys her passion for there's a motion here at means you care so what we're going to do is we're going to I don't change it we just want to make sure.
What were emotional about is we're on the same page around, right like we end up at a good place because here's the thing many times people want to challenge the way people feel about stuff but fillings follow they don't lead, the real area that we usually have a disconnect on is how we're looking at the one the thing we have a feeling about in the first place so critical thinking helps us align clinical critical thinking kind of gives us a little greater Clarity have you ever been in a meeting where people got really emotional but the longer you talk, they realized it was just how we were all looking at the same thing in the first place that we weren't seen at the same way.
[23:36] What happens too often what leaders do is when the emotion kicks in instead of going through that they cut it off instead of going through that experience they quit before they got there so everybody leaves.
[23:50] And it hasn't been solved now I'm going to go really deep on this part deal I'm go really deep on this book.
[23:58] The majority of emotional problems a lot of us have and the ones I have in my life the ones you would have in your life otherwise usually our result.
Of an emotional wound we got at some point in our lives and never move past it it doesn't matter our age, but that's why there's certain things in certain situation you find yourself in and it triggers you differently like, man all he said was this or all she said was this are all they did was this but why did you react so emotionally because it touched something in me may not touch you the same way but it touched something me that caused me to react because I was reacting not to what's going on in the moment.
[24:38] I'm still reacting to something that hasn't been so long time ago.
This is my so weird now this get really deep I said I get it but our minds the way our brains work especially from an emotional standpoint it doesn't see in time.
So if I say here right now and ask you tell me about some of the happiest days of like and you got in detail the emotion of that will come over you, tell me about some of the saddest days you will feel the same emotion that you felt at the time today you talk about well there's things that can trigger that this is why I tell leaders often you don't run from that.
But create space and make sure you keep going through just don't let the meeting quit I don't even care what you got to do after that maybe don't let especially when you got two leadership team go through that process don't quit the process don't let, stop you from getting where you want to go is actually going that's part of the process you got to go through that to get through the other side so when a leader sees that now I'm not talking about out of control disrespectful emotion but most people aren't what I am saying is as a leader, don't squash that don't diminish that just say hey it is true clear we are passionate about this but we're not going to quit this conversation because B you've already invested care into this, we're going to get it return for this right we've already gone through enough discomfort pain let's get a return for this paint right I was like my father was a make sure you get some game for this pain so leaders keep going.
[26:03] In as they keep going and talking through and getting through it, would you where you end up on the other side around the idea being vetted and in the goal or whatever the problem you know with a plan.
That pales in comparison to the value you just get got as a team going through the process.
Because when the team has experienced real conversation and real difficulty in a real and they did it in a short amount of time.
They are now better.
[26:33] Then they were before that conversation it doesn't always feel like it in the moment but I promise you if you don't quit it and you keep going.
I'm so you're passionate in every podcast I'm sensing that the the dial on this one's turned up just a little bit more.
Because of this you are you're right you're right.
You're right and they'll the reason is so many leadership teams I work with so many leaders on man.
It gets so close to what real breakthrough looks like in the discomfort.
The the the the conditioning of belief this is not how it's supposed to be you know I'm saying is it people get a little too emotional people into what ends up happening is that you don't finish.
No here's the thing.
[27:32] They do have the conversations just not with each other so they leave the room and they start talking about it with people who have nothing to do with it.
In the problem is they come back into the next meeting into the Nick planning sessions in the next thing and now they're hesitant so now in and I do everything is built or Sports, it is impossible to make big plays people who are scared to make mistakes it is impossible to make big plays when people are it's it's a is I wouldn't even say it's a fear of failure it's not even a fear of failure is to comfort a conformity, we're just going to just kind of go along instead of really leaning in and making it happen in these moments.
I've seen these these kind of conversations and critical thinking sessions and it can be a plan to but just just be honest and open with it, with a kick to the other side and that's a team that body wants to play.
[28:32] But that's also a leadership team there people will love the follow because we're now more open with feedback more honesty back than we've ever had before which filters down to them in organization and win the war.
Vulnerable information more open information guess what happens to the decision-making it speeds up time gets collapsed.
All of a sudden we have questions with each other like okay why are we doing this again does that even make sense.
I'm not sure can let's look at even close it all of a sudden just because I personally care about a project I don't put my personal preference over West Bedford organization because we've had real conversation and I have peer two valves had to make similar sacrifice.
Man that team that's a game-changer like this but.
[29:16] Tipping Point to get there people get close and they bail they get close to it and they back off.
[29:25] That is so powerful don't be lulled into the comfort of Conformity well thank you for that normally.
Thank you Eric this has been a fantastic conversation and folks can find you at the game changers inc.com Eric bowls coaches trains and inspires leaders to unleash their potential and the potential of those around them while you're online would you do us a huge favor, go to where your, consuming this podcast listening or watching and give us a rating hopefully we've earned five stars from you today and a review just a sentence or two on, how you're implementing this into your leadership in your organization and grab a link and share it with somebody you think would benefit by listening.
Those those are the simple asks it helps us get in front of more people and share this fantastic content so.
Eric you have yourself a great week you as our lister's thank you so much for investing your time with us today and you have a fantastic week as well.
[30:33] The game changers unleashing your best in life and work with Eric Bowles and Dale Dixon.
Eric is an executive coach leadership expert change consultant and keynote speaker.
Read his book Moving to great and find him at Eric bulbs.com connect with Dale at Dale Dixon media.com.
[30:52] Music.