This article has value for almost every animal health pro because of the levels of decisions we make daily. An intense focus on information processing, reaction and execution causes the quality of our thoughts to suffer, even though it may feel productive.
In reflective thought, a person examines underlying assumptions, core beliefs and knowledge, while drawing connections between apparently disparate pieces of information. Reflective thinking (slow and deliberative) and reactive thinking (fast and instinctual) effectively exist at opposite ends of a switch. When one is “on,” the other is “off.”
Source: Harvard Business Review, September 25, 2017.
Reviving the art of reflection, allows us to reclaim time, deploy fully cognitive powers to the increasingly complex challenges we face and, by inspiring the same behavior in others, liberates employees from the corrosive effects of information overload and incessant reactivity. The authors suggest some simple principles to rediscover and unlock the art of reflective thought:
- Schedule unstructured thinking time
- Get a coach
- Cultivate a list of questions which prompt reflective thought
- Protect yourself and your organization from information overload
- Reimagine yourself as a meta-problem solver
- Be a role model among the employees