DON'T MISS A THING

Perhaps one of the best skills you can have, no matter the task you’re focused on, is details-oriented thinking. After all, we can all follow instructions, but understanding why and being able to manage the many variables in pursuit of those instructions will always net better results. So for example, if you’re a long-haul truck driver, you may suggest optimized routes if you know that prolonged road maintenance is going on in a given area. That’s just one example in one task, and in a career you may not think requires intensive intellectual forethought.

In the business world, an analytical mindset is your tool to keep yourself one step above the competition, to make sure you don’t miss essential updates in the field that require forward planning, and to also not be taken by false promises or bad advertising. It’s the mindset that will test a trial version of an “essential software” before committing it to your entire team, as is often helpful.

In this post, we’ll discuss how to best leverage that analytical mindset, and where its use could benefit you:

Continuously Question Assumptions

You need to challenge what you think you already know, because assumptions easily hide errors you can make and not notice. Just because a process worked last year doesn’t mean it’s still the best way to do things now, and markets change fast enough that what seemed obvious six months ago are likely to be outdated already in most fields

If you can ask yourself why things are done a certain way and whether there’s a better option you haven’t considered yet, you’ll be more effect. That’s especially true if you can talk to people who disagree with you and see if their perspective holds up under scrutiny, because sometimes they’re right and you’ve been missing something essential.

Learn To Read Data Properly

Data management is essential, but you have to know how to read it, as a graph that looks impressive might be hiding context that changes the story, and averages can easily have you ignoring problems that are sitting right there if you dig into the details a bit more.

Pursuing a master of data science to get better at this, is great, as it helps you slow down and think about what the data is showing you and what it’s leaving out. You’ll find that you ask where the numbers came from, how they were collected, and whether they’re measuring what you think they’re measuring. It’s a process that could save you an unbelievable amount of time.

Test Ideas Before Committing

Running small experiments before you go all in on something can save you a lot of money and embarrassment no matter where you work. If you’re thinking about changing a process or adding a new tool, try it with a small group first and see what happens before you roll it out to everyone and discover it doesn’t work the way you thought it would.

Testing lets you fail cheaply and learn what needs fixing before the stakes are too big to accept the failure of. An analytical mind thrives on this kind of practice, especially in the commercial sector.

WIth this advice, you’ll be putting your details-oriented approach to great use.

Feature Image by MART PRODUCTION

More to Love!

Business Trip Wellness: Tips for Staying Healthy on the Move
Best Entrepreneur Tips from Young Businesswomen