Boom! Sometimes we react without conscious thinking. That's survival impulses kicking in.
But there are not a lot of "booms!" in the PMO.
Thus, there's time to think.
And thinking is what occupies most of the time in the PMO domain.
So, if thinking is what we do, then we should be thinking of the quality of our thoughts.
And for quality in the large sense, we should "Think critically"
Critical thinking can be about a lot of things, together, independently, holistically with the environment. Common components are these:
Analysis: Breaking down complex ideas or information into smaller parts to understand their components and relationships. This is process-thinking to reduce or deconstruct complexity.
Evaluation: Assessing the credibility and quality of information, arguments, and sources by examining their strengths, weaknesses, and biases. Especially the biases, of which there seem to be an almost endless list.
Inference: Drawing logical conclusions based on available evidence, reasoning, and patterns. But don't stop with the first inference you make: Bayesian reasoning comes in here: test the hypothesis; gather more evidence; modify the hypothesis, and test again. Repeat.
Interpretation: Making sense of information and identifying underlying meanings or implications within the context of the project, the business, or the environment. Interpretations are always situationally sensitive.
Problem-solving: Identifying and defining problems, generating and evaluating potential solutions, and selecting the most effective course of action .... which may be prototyping and experimentation to ascertain risks and practicalities of the chosen course.
Reflection: Examining one's own thought processes, assumptions, and biases to enhance self-awareness and improve future decision-making. This, you might say, is another Bayesian process.
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