Mastering Critical Thinking for Project Success

I loved puzzles as a kid, and even now a good puzzle can be a lot of fun. Imagine you’re handed a complex puzzle or tasked with navigating a challenging maze. Each piece of the puzzle or turn in the maze represents a decision, an assumption, or a problem that needs solving.

As project leaders, our role is to not just fit the pieces together or find our way out, but to do so in the most efficient and innovative way possible. This requires "unboxed" thinking—an ability to see beyond the obvious, challenge the norm, and create new pathways to success. Critical thinking is the key to this. It’s about looking at the bigger picture, questioning every step, and continuously refining our approach.

This week, I wanted to share seven creative and sustainable strategies to elevate and unbox your critical thinking skills as a project leader.

1. Embrace Diverse Perspectives

Encourage a culture where diverse opinions are valued. Diverse teams bring a wealth of different experiences and viewpoints, which can challenge your own assumptions and broaden your thinking.

• Unboxed Strategy: Implement regular brainstorming sessions where every team member is encouraged to share ideas, no matter how unconventional. Use tools like mind mapping to visualize these ideas and explore their connections.

2. Foster a Curious Mindset

Cultivate a sense of curiosity and a love for learning within your team. Curiosity drives exploration, leading to new insights and innovative solutions.

• Unboxed Strategy: Allocate time for learning and experimentation. Encourage your team to take online courses, attend workshops, or simply read widely. Set up a knowledge-sharing platform where team members can share interesting articles, videos, or insights.

3. Question Assumptions

Challenge the status quo by questioning existing assumptions and beliefs. Critical thinking often involves looking beyond the obvious and questioning the why and how.

• Unboxed Strategy: Conduct regular "assumption audits" during project meetings. Ask questions like "Why are we doing it this way?" or "What if we tried a different approach?" Encourage team members to play devil’s advocate to surface hidden assumptions.

4. Use Analytical Frameworks

Employ analytical frameworks and tools to structure your thinking and ensure a comprehensive analysis of problems and solutions.

• Unboxed Strategy: Introduce frameworks like SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), the Five Whys, or the Six Thinking Hats. These tools can help break down complex issues into manageable parts and stimulate different ways of thinking.

5. Reflect and Iterate

Critical thinking is a continuous process. Reflect on past projects to identify what worked, what didn’t, and why. Use these insights to improve future decision-making.

• Unboxed Strategy: Implement a post-mortem process for all projects, regardless of their outcome. Create a safe space for open and honest feedback, and document lessons learned. Use these reflections to refine your strategies and approaches.

6. Balance Creativity with Feasibility

While it’s important to think outside the box, it’s equally crucial to ensure that your ideas are practical and feasible. Striking this balance can lead to sustainable innovation.

• Unboxed Strategy: Combine creative brainstorming sessions with feasibility analysis. After generating ideas, assess them for practicality, resources required, and potential impact. Prioritize ideas that offer a good balance of innovation and viability.

7. Encourage Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

Collaborate with teams from different disciplines to gain new perspectives and insights. Cross-disciplinary collaboration can lead to breakthrough innovations and solutions.

• Unboxed Strategy: Create opportunities for cross-functional teams to work together on projects. Host regular inter-departmental meetings and encourage knowledge sharing across different fields.

Elevating and unboxing your critical thinking skills as a project leader is not just about adopting new strategies; it’s about fostering a mindset that embraces curiosity, diversity, and continuous learning. By implementing these creative and sustainable unboxed strategies, I believe you can lead your team to new heights of innovation and success.

Stay curious, stay unboxed. You got this!

About The Author: Tareka Wheeler

Tareka Wheeler is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with more than 20 years of project and program management experience in the public and private sectors. She is a wife, mom, Senior Project Management Executive, Career & Work-life Strategist, and Podcast Host.

She often lends her voice and expertise to various podcasts and conferences, and Tareka serves as a mentor for professionals seeking to advance in project management.

As founder of the career development and consultancy, T. Wheeler Strategic Solutions, her team specializes in empowering professionals and organizations to accelerate their growth and strategically achieve their goals through project management, personal branding, and strategic planning.

Tareka is also the founder of The Unboxed PM, a movement and community designed to reshape the narrative for women in project leadership and empower them to boldly take up space, obliterate gender disparities in project leadership, and secure project leader and executive roles.

When she's not busy serving, leading, and strategizing, you'll find her at home with husband, spending time with her three children, or hanging out with her family's two fur babies.