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Why Leaders Need to Think Like Journalists
Data Analytics Fundamentals for Business Leaders
March 25, 2022
In business and workplace decision-making activities, a leader should always be one step ahead. Thinking like journalists would allow leaders to see the big picture, follow the trail, and analyze the issue in a more comprehensive and efficient manner.
Overall, thinking like journalists would allow them to grasp the potential problems early on and act upon them accordingly.
It also trains leaders to evaluate, analyze, and conclude the most important aspects of a phenomenon so that it can be explained to their team members in a logical and clear manner. The usefulness is tremendous, and it heightens your critical thinking skills
First things first, what does "thinking like journalists" mean? There are two important critical thinking methods that journalists have been using for more than one century. They're taught at journalism schools and workshops, which are pretty simple to follow.
First, they use the 5W+1H method.
By asking questions beginning with what, who, where, when, why, and how, a leader would be able to collect the basic information needed for further analysis. Since there are more than six questions that can be asked of varying degree of depth, a leader can customize the questions as necessary.
For the preliminary analysis, these questions can be asked:- What is the issue?
- Who causes the issue?
- Where did it occur?
- When did it happen?
- Why did it occur?
- How did it occur?
- What is the cause of this issue?
- Who is responsible for this to occur in the first place?
- Where is the center of this phenomenon?
- When did it occur the first and the last time?
- How was it triggered to occur in the first? How about the last time?
Most news articles follow this structure. In this style, the most important information, which sounds like the conclusion, is placed at the top of the article. The following sentences are the important supporting information.
The first paragraph contains the "conclusion" and the most important information that answers the 5W+1H questions. It's designed that way so the readers can quickly grasp the main idea and overall content.
The overall article is structured based on importance. The following paragraphs support the introductory paragraph and the lower the location of the sentences, the less important they are. The subsequent sentences are included to provide the background information and credibility to the narrative.
Now, the next question is: How do you train yourself to think like journalists?First, whenever you read a news piece, recognize the structure early on. Answer the 5W+1H and acknowledge the importance of the first or introductory paragraph. Think through what makes the statement important.
Second, whenever you encounter an issue or a problem, quickly scan it with 5W+1H questions. Answer each question as quickly as possible so that you can see the big picture.
Third, create a mental image of the "report" that you'll be delivering to your team members on the issue. Write them down if needed, so you'll be more prepared for deliverance.
At last, thinking like journalists is a leader's mental asset. Practice more for better results.
