Thinking Fast, and Slow.

How fast are you thinking right now?

When we’re busy at work, it can be easy to jump from one thought to the next, in a quest to get everything done.

Do you find yourself having to make lots of similar decisions each day without having to think too much about them? The reason we can do this is because our brain is wired to learn how to do things automatically, so we don’t have to consciously think about every little thing we do. 

The challenge though is that we’re not very present in this state, and as a leader it can be an issue if you spend your entire day jumping from one thing to the next. As Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman talked about in his bestseller ‘Thinking fast and slow’, when we think ‘fast’, we don’t give consideration to decisions in the same way we would if we were thinking ‘slow’.

Kahneman discovered that we have two different ways of thinking - System 1 (fast) and System 2 (slow) - and each has their advantages and disadvantages. When we think slow, it takes more time, but it enables us to engage more fully with the situation, and the people in it. This is so important as a leader, and while not every decision or discussion needs to be treated this way, if you need to connect with people you’re better off ‘thinking slow’ and being more present. 

The challenge is that we spend 95% of our time thinking fast, which has its advantages, but also creates the risk that we spend very little time being present and thinking slow.

So next time you find yourself in an important situation where you want to connect with people, or make an informed and considered decision - make sure you pay attention to whether you’re thinking fast or slow. 

To think more slowly, try taking a few deep breaths, or intentionally shifting your focus to what’s happening right in front of you.