Key Traits of a Practical Thinker

Live in the now

Practical thinkers don’t have their heads in the cloud somewhere. There’s business that needs tending to right now. Living in the present does not mean you don’t have the ability to dream or think about the future. You simply realize the importance of what’s in front of you along with the urgency to act.

Work at a comfortable pace

If you think you are going to rush a practical thinker into a quick decision then you need to think again. Time will be taken to properly research and analyze all options before offering up an opinion so hold your horses as winging it is not always best.

Back it up with research

One thing analytical people love to do is back up what they say with facts. Have you ever met someone who just knows everything there is to know about a certain subject? Annoying but commendable. Research is a necessary component when it comes to practical thinking as knowledge is key.

Adapts to situations

Ever wonder why someone with this ability can appear calm as a cucumber when things get crazy? Chances are they have contingencies set in place that allow them to still do their job navigating through any expected (and unexpected) situation. Flexibility will get you everywhere and can make you a great asset on the job.

Are always in pursuit of a goal

If time is money and the mind is a terrible thing to waste it’s more than likely safe to assume that these thinkers aren’t sitting somewhere twiddling their thumbs. Most practical thinkers are about the bottom line and are always striving to reach a goal.

Practices efficiency 

The name of the game is being effective as you should want to take less time to get the bulk of your tasks done. There is simply no room for slacking off or putting off things for “someday.” Child, “someday” is not a part of the work week!

Read How to Get More Done in Less Time

Self-reliance

This is both a good and bad trait to have. Being independent forces you to rely on your skills to achieve the things you want. Not only does it require great focus but a certain amount of trust in your abilities. On the flip side, being too self-reliant can isolate you from others even causing wedges in the workplace. You don’t want to be known as that awkward co-worker who doesn’t socialize. Try not to spend all of your time in your bubble.

Seeks to understand

It’s one thing to gather information solely for the purposes of regurgitating it in an assignment or during a meeting. It’s another to actually want to understand what you are researching. As a professional you should want to become an expert in your industry always looking for more ways to learn about new things. Anyone can be mediocre and skirt by but this hopefully doesn’t describe you.

Uses common sense

Ding ding! You kinda can’t be a practical thinker without having some common sense. Practical thinkers use good judgment and generally keep a level head when it comes to professional endeavors. This helps to keep them balanced and insightful.