When I first started my career in IT, I worked as an intern doing software development.
I enjoyed my work, but still had a lot to learn in the professional world.
My first project included migrating an application to a new platform. My assignment was to design, develop and test all the reports using the new software.
My team was the first in the organization to blaze the trail using this new technology.
Backups and recovery practices were not fully implemented, leaving the project at high risk.
I ran into a major issue one day and consulted a colleague. He suggested a way to mitigate it.
I followed his instructions without hesitation and BAM! My reports vanished—deleted with no backup!
I had blindly accepted my colleague’s advice. A HUGE mistake!
Let’s explore growing your critical thinking skills to succeed as a woman leader in IT.
Unlock Critical Thinking Skills for Women Leaders in IT
I’m sure you’re all thinking, I can’t believe she did that. I can’t believe it either after all these years, but it really did happen.
I learned so much from that mistake and I can honestly tell you it’s never happened again.
My colleague felt terrible when he learned what had happened and I was absolutely devastated.
We did not have a backup of the reports anywhere, so I spent many nights and weekends redeveloping every report. It was agonizing.
Despite this challenging situation, the silver lining was that I was able to develop the reports much faster the second time around!
This example illustrates how blindly accepting someone else’s advice without doing your own research can have severe impacts in your career and reputation over time.
From that point forward, I learned to do research.
I contacted technical support when I couldn’t figure things out on my own, did all my work in a development environment, and ensured the backup and recovery processes were tested.
Becoming a critical thinker as a woman leader in IT is vital for gaining respect and credibility.
Everyone in your organization has unconscious biases without even realizing it.
The way to navigate this is by asking lots of questions. This will help you determine why one option or technical solution was proposed over another.
You may find that it is simply the easiest solution to implement. There may also be legitimate technical reasons justifying it as the better choice. You won’t know until you ask questions.
In addition to having a questioning mindset, you also need to be open to hearing input and feedback from others, especially when it is different from your own.
As a woman leader in IT, you need to be engaged with your customers to know if your team is meeting their needs.
Are they satisfied with the service your team is providing? What is working well? What needs to be improved?
I promise if you’ll sincerely ask your customers, they will be honest and share important details with you. They will feel heard, respected, and honored that you made the time to meet with them.
If critical thinking is something that does not come naturally to you, don’t be discouraged. It can be learned.
Here are 5 steps to become a critical thinker:
- Stay engaged in continuous learning. Know the latest trends and technologies in the IT areas you lead and manage.
- Question assumptions and seek evidence before accepting any information as true.
- Seek diverse viewpoints by collaborating with teammates and colleagues from different backgrounds and expertise.
- Never make an important decision when you’re emotional. Give yourself 24-48 hours to weigh the pros and cons.
- Connect with other leaders and mentors to gain insights and advice on complex issues.
I taught the last team I managed how to become critical thinkers and apply these skills in their work.
I developed a framework that was consistently followed to ensure proposed decisions were based on input from customers and subject-matter experts, research performed, industry standards and best practices.
Our CIO loved it and highlighted the relevance of this process to other organizations in IT.
My critical thinking skills grew with each leadership and management position I had throughout my career.
I know this can happen for you too if you make it a priority and continually apply what you’re learning.
Stay empowered and lead assertively!