Make time for critical thinking
Anybody can think. But critical thinking is the most fun part of a communicators' job. We've just got to make time for it. (Image credit: robertjrgraham.com)
I got too busy this past month. That ever happen to you? 50 weeks a year, huh? Because I’m assume you take two weeks off for vacay. At least I hope you do.
Being busy is a good thing. It’s better than the alternative, right? Well, it is better than one alternative, which is not having a job at all. But being too busy can be a negative for a lot of different reasons. Of course, there are the obvious ones like lack of sleep, not getting to spend as much time with your family, stress.
But I want to talk about one I think is less obvious and has only become clear to me in the past few weeks — less time to think critically.
See, I got into PR because I like to think. We sell ideas after all. Lots of people can be given a task, do some thinking and execute. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about strategic thinking. Hearing about a problem and figuring out a way to solve it. Getting into the mind of customers and trying to see things they way they do…and more importantly, the way they will.
Very few people can do that kind of thinking on the run. And by on the run, I mean while juggling 17 other projects. We like multitasking. We brag about how well we can do it. But they call it critical thinking because it’s just that…critical to the project we’re working on. When you talk about something having to do with your family that’s critical, do you multitask? My guess is no. You give it your full attention. Don’t you?
So what’s the danger in not making the time to for critical thinking? Well, back to my story. I recently found myself in a position where I was trying to knock out three new business presentations and normal client work that were all due on the same day. Now, I’d like to think I can handle that scenario no problem. And I could handle it. But about the middle of the week what I realized was that I couldn’t handle it well. Because my head was spinning and I had no time for critical thinking. And that’s when mistakes get made.
Short-term risk
The short-term risk in this situation is to your prospects and clients. Think about a scale of 1-10. If you churn out three presentations and three other client assignments in one week, does it really matter if you did them all at about a 5 or less? I think we’d all agree that the answer is not really. So then the next question becomes, how do you make time for critical thinking when every project is hot and it has to get done now?
Well, I asked a colleague that question this past week and she said something I think makes a lot of sense. First, analyze your projects and prioritize them by which ones deserve the most critical thinking. Your prioritization scale is up to you, but t may be easier to make your list if you have a brief conversation with your supervisor or a colleague about each project, just to get someone else’s opinion. The key learning here is that not every project is the same and not all assignments require the same amount of time or thought.
Second, don’t be afraid to push back on deadlines. Often times deadlines are just set because they provide an end date to a project. It’s not that the assignment has to be done Friday at 5 p.m. Who the hell is going to look at it then anyway? Think about how you would react if a vendor or colleague came to you and said: “I can get this to you by the end of the week, but I haven’t had the time to give it my best thinking. If I could have until Monday, that will give me the time I need to provide you a better solution.”
I think most of us would respond well to that request and provide an extension. We’re so focused on meeting deadlines and getting things out the door sometimes, that we forget about what’s really important — why we got into this business — and that’s to make sure we’re solving the problem the best way we know how and providing a solution that we’ve really had a chance to think through.
Long-term risk
And that’s the long-term risk — your happiness and reputation. Because if you go, go, go for long enough without any end in site, there’s always the potential you’ll wake up one morning and ask yourself: “Why I am I doing this again?”
If you ever start to feel that way, find a project you can wrap your mind around and then ask for some help with your other work. Then spend some time thinking about that one particular issue and how you can solve it. I promise you, you’ll feel rejuvenated after you do it and you’ll remember why you got into this business. I’m speaking from experience, because I just went through this exact situation in the last month.
But you have to make the time to think. It’s critical to your clients, your colleagues and to be honest, your peace of mind.
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Who am I?
I'm a business communications consultant at Fleishman-Hillard. I used to call myself a PR professional, but I don't use that term anymore because people hear PR and they think only media relations.We do a lot more than that at Fleishman-Hillard Kansas City (FHKC). I specialize in social media, but am trying hard to brush up on my measurement and analytics. Every strategic consulting conversation should start with your business goals and how communications can help you reach them. My motto: "Your brand is what your customers say it is." 
Justin, when you say scale of 1-10, is that a quality scale (i.e. 1 is worst quality, 10 is best quality, and 5 is somewhere in the middle)?
Justin, when you say scale of 1-10, is that a quality scale (i.e. 1 is worst quality, 10 is best quality, and 5 is somewhere in the middle)?
Justin, when you say scale of 1-10, is that a quality scale (i.e. 1 is worst quality, 10 is best quality, and 5 is somewhere in the middle)?
@Shonali Hey there. Yes, that’s what I was thinking. Sort of the idea that I’m realizing I’d rather do 2-3 things really well at the 10 level and take the time to think about them versus doing 15 things at the same time at about a five because I can’t possibly give them all the time they need. Make sense?
@JGoldsborough Yes, exactly. That is why I’ve been reevaluating how I spend my time, because my mind space has been feeling very crowded lately. And everything I do hinges on quality, in order to move my business, as well as personal growth, forward.
@JGoldsborough Yes, exactly. That is why I’ve been reevaluating how I spend my time, because my mind space has been feeling very crowded lately. And everything I do hinges on quality, in order to move my business, as well as personal growth, forward.
Couldn’t agree more… probably the most high-value overlooked part of everyone’s day.
Justin,
great perspective. See, I was THINKING this without realizing it when I went to a cafe over the weekend with a moleskine and pen and no gadgets. Similar idea; remove all the distraction to make time for critical thinking. Understandably, sometimes we need the internet for it, but sometimes the break is good too.
and I love the idea of pushing back on deadlines. I bet most of us hate to do that, simply because we want to be reliable. But you are spot on about the creation of deadlines. we all work on deadlines so we all create them for each other.
@TomMartin Yep, I think so. We tell our clients that quantity does not necessarily equal value in the work we do (see impressions). We need to take our own advice sometimes
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@Lisa Gerber Last week, I was swimming — sorry, drowning — in so much to do that I literally had to go home one night, take my computer in my bedroom and just have some quiet thinking time for two hours. It was the best work I did all week. We are not machines, we are people. And we can be run into the ground. The biggest thing for me is the critical thinking is why I chose this industry. Get so busy I lose that, and I’m no longer having fun anymore.
Deadlines can often be extended. I don’t think we should ever worry about asking for an initial extension. Just don’t let extensions pile up, you know?
I so know the feeling! The work that we do for our clients requires constant critical thinking, and I’m finding that it’s not realistic thinking that I can balance client work, business development and my regular marketing responsibilities all really well. My husband always teases me when I say I’m a good multitasker with “oh, so Jack of all trades, master of none, huh?” I make a conscious effort of dedicating time on the calendar for these things and carry around a small notebook with the date and “To Do’s” that include things like “review & finalize project ABC” with a personal deadline (usually couple days before client deadline). It doesn’t get crossed off until it’s done. I find doing tiny things like that really helps me to pull back and really think about things because I’m dedicating the time. Good luck with your critical thinking! Awareness is the first step.
@abarcelos You make a lot of really good points, AB. And the “jack of all trades, master of none” quote is extremely applicable here. Very scary how applicable, to tell you the truth. And it’s not just critical thinking. It’s research to spawn that thinking too. If all we’re doing is executing tactics, where is the time for that?
@EricaRS Thanks, appreciate the kind words. Did you ever work with @saradavidson at BL by chance?
@JGoldsborough @ericars small world! She and @sjhalestorm both started right after I left
Quite interesting.Eradicate all the diversion to compose instance for critical thinking.Thank you sharing your great perspective in life.