Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

5 power tips to refine your critical thinking skills

Priti Golechha, MD
Physician
August 19, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

One thing, which is constant in health care, is that it is continuously evolving. The challenges health care leaders are facing are not simple. They are often multifaceted, which require strategic, creative, and inclusive solutions. There are competing priorities and goals. Critical thinking has become an essential skill for all healthcare leaders.

Here are five simple tips to help you practice your critical thinking skills.

1. Ponder on the challenge. Spend as much or more time on the problem as you would on the solution. Put on your divergent thinking hat and consider these questions. What exactly are we trying to solve? Is it the issue in itself or symptoms of a much deeper, bigger problem? Why does it matter? Why now? Who are the players involved? What would happen if we did not solve it? If we are saying yes to this, what are we saying no to? And what else?

2. Use what you already know. Look into what has been done on this issue already. What infrastructure do you already have? Have you or someone else in the industry faced a similar issue before? What can you learn from those experiences? Pay attention to what has worked and what did not and why. Don’t forget to question common assumptions on causation vs. association.

3. Do process mapping. Once you have done the research, start with multiple possible solutions, and consider the pros and cons of each. As you settle on the desired solution, simply walk through the process step by step. The easiest way of doing this is by using sticky or post-it notes to arrange and rearrange the workflow. “Creativity is just connecting things,” I think the magic lies in how well you connect things.

4. Pre-mortem your plan. Here you imagine that your solution has failed and then work backward to determine what potentially could lead to failure. Consider these questions: What will happen if we do this? What are my risk areas? What could possibly go wrong? How are people going to feel and react? What data do I have to defend my theory? What data and people do I have to see potential obstacles and blind spots? How would I respond if I fail?

5. Get perspective. It is crucial to get out of the personal bubble and put the collective intelligence to work. Be curious, focus on deep listening, listen to understand what others are saying and why. Don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know. Seek input from others, especially in the areas you generally struggle with. Strengthen your direct connection to frontline staff. They would bring the most valuable information for the implementation on the ground. Ask yourself, “Am I maintaining two-way communication throughout the process?”

It is better to solve a problem in five different ways than to solve five problems one way.

Priti Golechha is a pediatrician. 

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

COVID-19, medical education, and the role of medical students around the world

August 19, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

A COVID-19 vaccine: 5 things that could go wrong

August 19, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Pediatrics, Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
COVID-19, medical education, and the role of medical students around the world
Next Post >
A COVID-19 vaccine: 5 things that could go wrong

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Priti Golechha, MD

  • Lifelong learning through skillful self-reflection

    Priti Golechha, MD

Related Posts

  • Essential health messaging tips for physicians [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • Understanding critical care in the ICU: then and now [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • Parallel thinking won’t solve problems in health care

    Paul Pender, MD
  • Tips for fellowship applicants from a program administrator

    Geri Herling, MHA
  • Hospital administrators thinking about no-cost treatment which really helps patients

    John Corsino, DPT
  • 8 scholarship tips for medical school

    Trisha Chau

More in Physician

  • The dying man who gave me flowers changed how I see care

    Augusta Uwah, MD
  • How market forces fracture millennial physicians’ careers

    Shannon Meron, MD
  • Unity in primary care: Why I believe physicians and NPs/PAs must work together toward the same goal

    Jerina Gani, MD, MPH
  • Guilty until proven innocent? My experience with a state medical board.

    Jeffrey Hatef, Jr., MD
  • How to balance clinical duties with building a startup

    Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
  • When life makes you depend on Depends

    Francisco M. Torres, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support

      Dr. Vishal Parackal | Conditions
    • When life makes you depend on Depends

      Francisco M. Torres, MD | Physician
    • Guilty until proven innocent? My experience with a state medical board.

      Jeffrey Hatef, Jr., MD | Physician
    • Why medical notes have become billing scripts instead of patient stories

      Sriman Swarup, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How denial of hypertension endangers lives and what doctors can do

      Dr. Aminat O. Akintola | Conditions
    • A powerful story of addiction, strength, and redemption

      Ryan McCarthy, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Conditions
    • Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives

      John Wei, MD | Physician
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • Confessions of a lipidologist in recovery: the infection we’ve ignored for 40 years

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Why doctors should rethink investing compared to the average U.S. investor [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How chronic stress harms the heart in minority communities

      Monzur Morshed, MD and Kaysan Morshed | Conditions
    • Could antibiotics beat heart disease where statins failed?

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • The dying man who gave me flowers changed how I see care

      Augusta Uwah, MD | Physician
    • Universities must tap endowments to sustain biomedical research

      Adeel Khan, MD | Conditions
    • Exploring the science behind burnout [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support

      Dr. Vishal Parackal | Conditions
    • When life makes you depend on Depends

      Francisco M. Torres, MD | Physician
    • Guilty until proven innocent? My experience with a state medical board.

      Jeffrey Hatef, Jr., MD | Physician
    • Why medical notes have become billing scripts instead of patient stories

      Sriman Swarup, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How denial of hypertension endangers lives and what doctors can do

      Dr. Aminat O. Akintola | Conditions
    • A powerful story of addiction, strength, and redemption

      Ryan McCarthy, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why transgender health care needs urgent reform and inclusive practices

      Angela Rodriguez, MD | Conditions
    • COVID-19 was real: a doctor’s frontline account

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Conditions
    • Why primary care doctors are drowning in debt despite saving lives

      John Wei, MD | Physician
    • New student loan caps could shut low-income students out of medicine

      Tom Phan, MD | Physician
    • Confessions of a lipidologist in recovery: the infection we’ve ignored for 40 years

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?

      Harry Oken, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Why doctors should rethink investing compared to the average U.S. investor [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How chronic stress harms the heart in minority communities

      Monzur Morshed, MD and Kaysan Morshed | Conditions
    • Could antibiotics beat heart disease where statins failed?

      Larry Kaskel, MD | Conditions
    • The dying man who gave me flowers changed how I see care

      Augusta Uwah, MD | Physician
    • Universities must tap endowments to sustain biomedical research

      Adeel Khan, MD | Conditions
    • Exploring the science behind burnout [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...