How to Think Like a Detective

The majority of us have witnessed a detective in action on television or in a film. Part of what keeps the audience interested in “Who Dunnit?” is watching the detective find each clue as he solves the case. In real life, we can also use detective thinking to solve problems.

Strategic thinking is the capacity to comprehend a problem and its relationship to small and significant objectives. We can develop solutions that provide the best outcomes for the majority of stakeholders and the other people or groups involved—both now and in the future if we learn to look for clues about how the problem and our decisions affect other people. People who can lead and those who need to be guided by others are frequently distinguished by their capacity to identify a problem and consider potential solutions. Are you familiar with the detective novels about Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes? Because he was always looking for clues and feeling all of his options to help solve the crime, Holmes was always the leader and thought ahead of Dr. Watson, his sidekick.

You can bring a little Sherlock Holmes into your life to help you solve more problems or lead a group project. You’ll have more options and better ones if you apply some straightforward strategies to your thinking process.

Take the time to observe, research, and learn as much as you can about a situation or problem. Consider all of the available information by asking, “Who? What? When? Why? How else?”

Gather every possible solution as a starting point, even if it seems unlikely. Collect a group of people who are neutral or at least willing to represent various points of view and not make any judgments. Talk to these people to come up with even more ideas for solutions. At this point, more is preferable. You can narrow the views down to the best ones as you proceed.

Take some quiet time to reflect on what you’ve learned. To broaden your perspective on the issues, ask questions and discuss the situation with various people. Consider what others have to say by listening to them. Make use of this data to determine the issue that requires resolution.

Consider the outcomes—what will transpire next—of each choice option you’ve discovered. What would happen to the other people involved in the situation due to each option?

Make an action plan that breaks the goal into smaller steps and choose the best solution. Be sure to delegate the steps to someone, even if that person is YOU, and be aware of the resources and time required for each step.

When solving the next complex puzzle, keep in mind these five steps. You’ll be able to solve problems more effectively if you learn to think like a detective. With practice, you’ll also come up with better and new solutions. You might even pose a threat to Sherlock Holmes.

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Read more about Top 10 detective agencies in the world.

How to Think Like a Detective

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