We need to make a lot of decisions any given day at work. Picking the right words to use in an email, deciding between two different ways of implementing a certain business logic, etc just to name a few examples. In order to grow in our careers, we need to get better at making decisions. The way to get better at decision making is to avoid mental traps and become more objective.

First principles thinking allows us to seek the truth and think more objectively. James Clear says that a first principle is a basic assumption that cannot be deduced any further. Rene Descartes, the French philosopher and scientist, embraced this approach with a method now called Cartesian Doubt in which he would “systematically doubt everything he could possibly doubt until he was left with what he saw as purely indubitable truths.” One way to get to the root of the matter, is to use the 5 Whys technique. Its an iterative way to reach to the bottom of a situation. Until you determine the root cause, keep repeating the question "Why". Each answer forms the basis of the next question.

Any situation, in personal life or at work, has two stories behind it. One is a story from your perspective. Another story is from the perspective of the other party involved. But there's a third story. That's the story from the perspective of someone who is an independent third party observer. When you are one of the parties keenly interested in the outcome of a situation you can tend to lack objectivity. But when thinking about the same situation from the lens of a third party observer will give you much more objectivity.

In conclusion, in order to get better at decision making we need to get better at thinking objectively. It can be hard, but three tools are useful when doing so. Thinking from first principles, using 5-whys technique, and finally third story. A good book to read more about this Super Thinking.

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