What do you do if logical reasoning fails in technical support decision-making?

2 Seek multiple perspectives

Another way to overcome logical reasoning challenges is to seek multiple perspectives from other sources, such as colleagues, experts, customers, or documentation. Different perspectives can help you gain new insights, discover alternative solutions, or identify gaps or errors in your reasoning. Seeking multiple perspectives can also help you avoid confirmation bias, which is the tendency to favor information that supports your existing beliefs or hypotheses. To seek multiple perspectives effectively, you should be open-minded, curious, and respectful of other views, and avoid dismissing or ignoring feedback that contradicts your logic.

3 Use heuristics and rules of thumb

Heuristics are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that help you simplify complex problems and make quick decisions. For example, you may use heuristics such as "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", "try the simplest solution first", or "when in doubt, reboot". Heuristics can be useful in technical support, as they can help you save time, reduce cognitive load, or eliminate irrelevant factors. However, heuristics are not always accurate or reliable, and they can lead to errors or oversights if you rely on them too much. Therefore, you should use heuristics with caution, and check them against logic, evidence, and outcomes.

4 Apply critical thinking and creativity

Critical thinking and creativity are two essential skills for overcoming logical reasoning challenges in technical support. Critical thinking involves analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information, as well as questioning assumptions, arguments, and evidence. Creativity is the ability to generate novel, original, and useful ideas by combining existing knowledge in new ways. Using critical thinking and creativity can help you improve your logical reasoning by allowing you to identify and avoid logical fallacies, fill gaps in your knowledge, challenge and test your hypotheses, explore and compare different options, and generate and implement innovative solutions. For instance, you could use experiments, simulations, or scenarios to challenge your hypotheses; use pros and cons or cost-benefit analysis to compare different options; or use brainstorming, prototyping, or iteration to generate innovative solutions.

5 Learn from mistakes and feedback

Finally, one of the best ways to overcome logical reasoning challenges in technical support is to learn from your mistakes and feedback. Mistakes and feedback are essential for growth, as they can help you recognize and amend your errors, sharpen your skills, and prevent future issues. To use mistakes and feedback to your advantage, it's important to accept and acknowledge them without blaming others or making excuses. Analyze and understand your mistakes, identify the root causes, consequences, and lessons learned. Request suggestions, advice, or guidance from others. Make and track changes, implement actions, plans, or strategies to improve your performance. Review and reflect on your progress, evaluate the results, outcomes, and impacts of your changes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?