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Mega Success Requires Meta Thinking

How many times have you stopped to think about how you think about something? I know what you're thinking ... "huh?"

Enter the world of social psychology and a favorite topic of mine: metacognition. I was first introduced to this concept while working on my doctorate and found the notion of thinking about one's thinking to be utterly fascinating (frankly, I hadn't given it much thought until then). However, once I started to hone my awareness of my own thought processes, I found I was able to learn faster, perform better, generate more creative ideas, make quicker decisions and, most importantly, take my company to a whole new level.

The most basic dictionary definition of metacognition is "thinking about one's thinking." However, metacognition is enormously complex and also includes an awareness of our own knowledge, assumptions, skills, and intellectual resources. According to the Web site, Learning to Learn (http://snow.utoronto.ca/Learn2/introll.html), "Metacognition is quickly becoming recognized as a central feature of intelligence; those who are better managers of their thinking are judged to be more intelligent. It is relatively clear that metacognitive processes play a major role in acquiring new knowledge."

Here's an exercise to get you thinking about how you think:

2 + 2 = _____

How do you arrive at the answer?

Purely from memory?
Analysis of the numbers?
Counting?
A visual process?
Did you catch yourself saying, "Well, I just know that!"? Okay, so how do you know?

When I use this exercise with executives, it's always amazing to hear how each person arrives at "4." Some recall their kindergarten class and the visual picture of four apples on the blackboard. Others (the kinesthetic types) still count on their fingers. Some recite the problem out loud, and others recall arithmetic games they played as kids.

As each person becomes aware of how they think and address problems, they are then able to monitor and adjust their cognitive processes to enhance performance, productivity, and learning ability.

The ability to learn rapidly is becoming increasingly important in business. The more we learn, the better able we are to stay ahead of the competition, process complex problems, develop solutions, interact with others, innovate, and understand the world around us. And those who are able to develop these skills to a high level of acuity will have a significant advantage over those who are not clearly aware of their cognitive processes.

From a career development perspective, metacognition is fundamental to choosing the right livelihood or making a successful career change. I frequently work with clients who have not given thought to how they think about themselves, their true potential, or their success plan. Mired in stale belief systems that have been implanted by parents, teachers, employers and family members, these individuals are neither aware nor in control of their cognitive processes when it comes to making smart career choices. However, once they turn off their internal autopilot, acknowledge and accept the fear of making changes, and begin to realize that their thought processes have been hindrances, these individuals are able to quickly propel themselves to levels of success they never thought possible.

Even writing a resume can be a difficult process for someone who thinks inside his or her own box. Frequently, clients share with me that writing their own resume is one of the most challenging and distasteful things they've ever tried to do. Why? Because they cannot think about themselves and their accomplishments from a metacognitive perspective. They might not feel worthy of promoting their successes and may not even see the value in the goals they have achieved. However, once they step back and analyze their own cognitive processes, they are able to shift their thinking in a positive, self-affirming direction.

For the executive and entrepreneur, metacognitive ability is a critical success factor. Decisions based on fear rather than logic and self-awareness often result in unpleasant consequences. For example, Executive Jane interviews Jim, a stellar candidate for her team, but doesn't hire him out of fear that he will outshine her and steal her limelight. Instead, she hires someone with far less experience and polish - someone she will ultimately have to let go because of his poor performance.

This is a classic example of an intelligent professional being unaware of her own knowledge, assumptions, skills, and intellectual resources. If Jane had stopped to process how she was thinking about the candidates and interviews, she would have recognized that she had some insecurities about her own performance and how others perceive her. In addition, she might have also realized that hiring a superior candidate would be a benefit both to her and her department. Ultimately, she made herself look foolish by hiring (and then having to fire) an under qualified applicant.

A self-assessment: When you encounter a dissatisfied customer and don't understand their point of view, do you try to comprehend them from different perspectives? Do you try to listen differently? When employees come to you with what you perceive to be harebrained ideas, do you dismiss them or engage your thought processes to see the possibilities? When you encounter "super stars", are you intimidated, or do you ask questions and try to learn from them? And, when faced with continuing woes about the "bad economy", do you succumb to fear or do you start thinking differently about how your business can innovate and become more profitable?

If you're interested in developing your metacognitive prowess, you should first be aware of your thoughts, your thought patterns, and the processes you go through to make decisions and solve problems. Next, try looking at things from as many different vantage points, even if they seem completely unrealistic. Start an idea journal and give yourself permission to write down every brilliant and quirky idea you have. Finally, when you're in the learning mode, pay close attention to how you're learning. As you're analyzing your thought processes, you'll be in true metacognitive form. Something to think about.

Debra Davenport, PhD, is a Master Professional Mentor and the president of DavenportFolio, a licensed firm with offices in Los Angeles and Phoenix that mentors entrepreneurs and professionals. She is the creator of the Certified Professional Mentor® designation and certification program and the author of The Ten Commitments of Highly Successful People. debra@davenportfolio.com or (866) 232-6492.

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