The Power of Consequential Thinking

I was sitting in a meeting with a group of leaders recently. The question was asked, "Why do our people get stuck all the time?" I asked them if that was true. They admitted it was not all the time, but it was more often than they would like. Through a series of questions, we finally determined it was a lack of viable options. But it was more nuanced than that.

 What if?

One of the skills of EQ (emotional intelligence) is consequential thinking. I want you to take a few seconds and think about where consequential thinking is taught. In school? At work? At home? The answer may be yes to any of these, but the reality is, that would be out of the norm. Yes, college is supposed to teach skills like consequential thinking...but it is the rare college that does this anymore.

Just a side note...consequences can be positive, neutral, or negative. Many think of the word "consequences" as being automatically negative. That is not the case in this context.

Maybe we should step back a moment and define what consequential thinking is. It is a process of thinking about a situation, then creating possible options for approaching the situation, and then attempting to predict the most likely consequences of a specific option/choice. In the Six Seconds model of emotional intelligence competencies, here is their definition of Applying Consequential Thinking: Evaluating the costs and benefits of your choices. Nice simple definition, right? Easy to do...WRONG! It is not that it is so difficult to "apply consequential thinking", it is that most people will not invest the time and effort to do it. Why? Like most things in life that are difficult, they just don't know how.

The how of consequential thinking

If you look at consequential thinking as running "what if" scenarios in your head and considering the consequences each scenario may have, that is a workable process. Here are some factors that may present challenges in trying to do this:

• Allowing your brain to run on autopilot
• Not thinking it is worth the effort
• Personal bias
• A comfort with the way you have always done something
• Fear of loss of control
• Resistance to change
• Uncertainty
• Being overwhelmed or too busy

These are all possible roadblocks to consequential thinking. So, how do we get past these? Make this a practice and a priority. The priority is simply placing enough value on it that you intentionally do it. What about the practice?

Practicing consequential thinking

This is one of those things where different people may approach it differently but still get good results. For me, here is the process I use:

1. Determine how important the choice is that I need to make? If it rises to a certain level, I invest in consequential thinking. That level may be different for different people. You are the best person to determine what that is for you.
2. I then look at who and what will be impacted by my choice. These are really two different questions that are both important. When I have this in mind, I move to the next step.
3. I start to create options. Options provide flexibility and divergent thinking. This keeps me from simply relying on what I have done in the past, which may or may not be a good choice.
4. I set a minimum of coming up with at least 3 options. This ensures that I am truly practicing consequential thinking, not just checking a box to say I have done it.
5. Now I consider the potential consequences of each option if I would choose it. This is where I consider who and what it will impact, and finding the right balance.
6. After I have reflected on each option and the potential consequences, I make the best choice based on this process.

This may seem like it is a lot of work. In reality, it only takes a little bit of time to work through this process. The benefits are worth it.

This is a great practice for more than just coming up with options and their potential consequences. Putting a practice like this in place ensures that you take a thoughtful approach. This reduces the possibility that you will make a rash decision or react in a way that you regret later.

This is the way I practice consequential thinking. You may find something different works better for you. The point is to find a practice that does work for you.

EQ skill

Consequential thinking is a foundational EQ skill. Many of the other EQ skills would not be nearly as effective without the ability to consider how our choices impact ourselves and other people. In many ways, consequential thinking is an important element in practicing and growing our emotional intelligence. It is a critical component of being intentional. Making intentional choices instead of simply reacting. It facilitates changing patterns, practicing empathy, and staying true to our purpose and values.

This is one of those skills that improves more as we practice it more. It is also what I would call a "perishable" skill. If we do not practice it for a period of time, we lose competency in this skill.

If you could make better decisions more often, what would that do for you? I know this skill has helped me. It is important to me to ensure that my decisions impact others in as positive a way as possible. That makes me take the time to be more thoughtful, be more intentional, and  continue to practice consequential thinking.

Let me leave you with a challenge. Think of an important decision you have to make in the near future. Using the process I have shared with you in the way I practice consequential thinking, apply that process to the decision you need to make. After you do that, did anything change for you? Did you come up with an option you had not previously considered? Did the process bring additional clarity?

This EQ skill, like the others, is something that will benefit you for the rest of your life. I encourage you to try it out. Find a process that works for you. Enjoy making better decisions more often.

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 Copyright © 2023 EQFIT® - Author: Steven Goodner. All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [email protected]