Open-mindedness improves collective decision-making

Open-mindedness improves collective decision-making

Being open to differing opinions can make collaboration and shared decision-making easier. Find out how to use critical thinking in everyday interactions.

In conversations with colleagues, people close to us, and collaborators, we often encounter different experiences and perspectives. Rather than dismissing them outright, it can help to ask a follow-up question or check what the other person means. This doesn’t mean agreeing with everything, but it can help you better understand their arguments and explain your own more clearly. Here you’ll find tools and games that encourage thoughtful exchanges of ideas.

Interested in this topic? Read more: Maintain openness and flexibility: The key to personal effectiveness and growth when evaluating new information Want to find out where you stand personally? Take a short test at the end of the page and gain a better understanding.

How does this apply to you? Choose the answers that describe you best:

How do you react when you come across information that differs from what you have previously considered to be true?

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When is it hardest for you to change your mind?

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How do you behave when someone expresses a completely opposite opinion than you on a topic that matters to you?

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When you come across something new that you've never heard before, what is your first reaction?

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When faced with a conflict between two very strong opinions, what is your approach to decision-making?

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What are your feelings when it is revealed that the information you considered true was incorrect?

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If you had to doubt something you have always taken for granted, what would it be?

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How do you maintain openness to new ideas in situations where there is strong pressure to stick to your opinion?

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How do you treat information that seems unusual or unknown?

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If you had to assess what the key to effective critical thinking is, what would it be?

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Openness in Critical Thinking – How to Maintain Flexibility and Openness When Evaluating New Information

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