As a leader or self-leader, it’s important to make sound decisions based on all the information available to you. But what’s the best way to go about it? The truth is, there isn’t one “best” way. Instead, a combination of inductive, abductive, and deductive thinking can develop your ability to stretch your thinking.
Take the guesswork out of decision-making and develop a framework for more efficient problem-solving. Expand your mind to consider all the possibilities by practicing inductive, abductive, and deductive thinking.
What's The Difference Between Inductive, Abductive & Deductive Thinking?
Inductive thinking allows you to draw conclusions based on specific observations and evidence, which can be especially helpful when identifying patterns or making predictions. We move from specific to abstract levels.
Abductive (lateral) thinking involves considering multiple possibilities and forming hypotheses. We then test those theories and refine them through further observations and feedback. We move sideways in our thought patterns.
Deductive thinking, on the other hand, involves using logical reasoning to draw a more general conclusion or theory based on specific observations and facts. We move from abstract to specific in thought direction.
The stories below illustrate the 3 different approaches.
Problem-solving With Inductive Thinking
A scientist named Dr. Jane studied animal behavior. She was particularly interested in the behaviour of chimpanzees in the wild. She spent years observing a group of chimpanzees in the jungle and carefully recording their behaviours.
One day, Dr. Jane noticed that a group of chimpanzees always gathered around one specific tree at a particular time of day. She observed this behaviour for several days, noticing that the chimpanzees were not eating anything from the tree but were simply hanging out around it.
Dr. Jane began to wonder why the chimpanzees were gathering around the tree. She hypothesized that the tree might have some significance for the chimpanzees. She decided to observe the group of chimpanzees more closely and record their behaviours around the tree.
After several more days of observation, Dr. Jane noticed that the chimpanzees were not just gathering around the tree, but also using the branches to communicate with each other. They would pull on the branches to signal to other chimpanzees in the group.
Dr. Jane realized that the tree had become a communication hub for the chimpanzees. She used her inductive reasoning skills to gather evidence from her observations and draw a conclusion about the significance of the tree.
This story illustrates the concept of inductive thinking, which involves using specific observations and evidence to draw a more general conclusion. Dr. Jane used her observations of the chimpanzees gathering around the tree to develop a hypothesis about its significance and then used further observations to test and refine her hypothesis. Through this process, she was able to conclude the tree’s role as a communication hub for the chimpanzees.
Finding Solutions With Abductive or Lateral Thinking
There was a farmer who had a problem. He needed to transport a fox, a chicken, and a bag of corn across a river, but his boat was only big enough to carry himself and one of the items at a time. If he left the fox alone with the chicken, the fox would eat it. If he left the chicken alone with the bag of corn, the chicken would eat the corn. How could he transport all three items across the river without harm coming to any of them?
The farmer pondered the problem for a long time but couldn’t think of a solution. He decided to ask his friend, renowned for his lateral thinking skills. The friend listened to the problem and thought for a moment. Then, he suggested that the farmer take the chicken across the river first and leave it on the other side. Next, he should return to the other side and transport the fox across the river, bringing the chicken back to the original side. He should leave the chicken there and take the bag of corn across. Finally, he could go back and get the chicken and bring it to the other side of the river.
The farmer was amazed by his friend’s solution. It hadn’t occurred to him to make multiple trips and leave one item behind each time. He was so focused on crossing with all three at once that he didn’t consider this solution.
This story illustrates the concept of lateral thinking, which involves looking at a problem from a new and different perspective to find an innovative solution. In this case, the friend used lateral thinking to solve the problem by suggesting an unconventional approach that the farmer hadn’t considered before.
Finding Answers With Deductive Thinking
A detective named John was asked to investigate a robbery at a jewellery store. The thief had stolen a valuable diamond necklace, and there were no witnesses.
John arrived at the crime scene and examined the store for any clues. He found a broken window and a set of footprints leading away from the store. He also noticed that the security system had been deactivated.
John carefully examined the footprints and deduced that they belonged to a person with a particular shoe size and weight. He also concluded that the thief must have known how to disable the security system, indicating the person was likely an experienced criminal.
Using this information, John was able to narrow down his list of suspects to individuals who fit the description of someone with that specific shoe size and weight and who had a criminal record. He then conducted further investigations and interviews to determine which suspects had a motive for the crime.
Through his deductive thinking skills, John was able to gather evidence and narrow down his list of suspects based on specific observations and facts. He used this information to draw logical conclusions and develop a theory about the identity of the thief. Ultimately, his investigation led to the arrest and conviction of the culprit.
This story demonstrates the concept of deductive thinking, which involves using specific observations and evidence to draw a more general conclusion or theory. John used his observations regarding the footprints and the deactivated security system to develop a hypothesis about the identity of the thief. He then used further observations and interviews to test and refine his hypothesis until he could make a logical deduction about the culprit’s identity.
NLP Language Techniques: Hierarchy of Ideas
The Hierarchy of Ideas Linguistic Technique is a language tool used in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) to help individuals better understand and organise their thoughts.
The Hierarchy of Ideas Linguistic Technique involves identifying and organising ideas into a hierarchy or structure. This structure can be used to understand how different ideas are related to each other and to identify the most important or influential ideas within the belief system.
To use this technique, the coach and client first identify the different ideas or concepts that they want to organise. These ideas can be related to a specific problem or situation that they are trying to address. The coach uses a combination of inductive, abductive and deductive questions to guide the client to clarity. Once the hierarchy is established, we can use this structure to better understand how the ideas are related to each other and how they can be used to address the problem or situation at hand. We can also use the hierarchy to identify any gaps or inconsistencies and to develop strategies for bridging those gaps.
The Hierarchy of Ideas Linguistic Technique is a powerful tool for improving clarity and developing effective problem-solving strategies. If you’d like to learn more about the Hierarchy of Ideas or other NLP techniques, click this link to find out more.
By practicing all three types of thinking, you can approach problems with a well-rounded perspective and increase your chances of arriving at the best solution. So, don’t limit yourself to just one approach. Try incorporating all three into your problem-solving toolkit and see how it can benefit you as a leader.
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