Rescue Government

Could barriers to successful critical thinking be preventing you from making more effective and innovative decisions, especially as a manager? All too often we fall prey to patterns of thought that are comfortable to us without analyzing their effectiveness. When this happens we may not get the desired results because we haven?t asked the right questions or asked enough of them to arrive at the best response to a problem.Researchers and management specialists have identified more than 100 different barriers that prevent effective critical thinking, but there are eight roadblocks that all executives should burn into their memory. To help remember these eight, here is an acronym for them ? CAT MAGIC. 1. Confirmation bias ? bending evidence to fit one?s beliefs. How many times do executives look for information that supports their point of view as opposed to seeking evidence that is individually or work at home group ?neutral?? The best way to fight this natural temptation of confirmation bias is to actively seek information that disproves your beliefs. 2. Attribution (or self-serving) bias ? the belief that good things happen to us because of internal factors and bad things happen to us because of external factors, while the reverse is true with others. This bias causes us to pigeonhole the actions of others, especially bad behavior, as strictly the fault of the individual and not circumstances. 3. Trusting testimonial evidence ? the fallacy of believing information from someone else, even if there is no evidence to support their statements. Studies have consistently shown individuals are more likely to buy something on the recommendation of others than the strength of advertising or some other marketing effort, yet how many of those same people actually know the veracity of those recommendations? 4.