Gilbert's Law

When Bill Belichick was running the New England Patriots, a sign was placed at the front door with a simple reminder of what was expected upon entrance into the building:

1.Do your job
2.Put the team first
3.Speak for yourself
4.Be attentive

Four simple reminders that were the essence of Patriot culture under Belichick.

“Do your job” became the famous tag line as often television cameras would capture Belichick saying this to the team on the sidelines.

“Do your job” is a wonderful slogan if you completely understand what the job requires.

Gilbert Lafayette Laws was an American politician, newspaper publisher and businessman who served as the Nebraska Secretary of State and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1800s.

He’s credited with a law that states: “The biggest problem with a job is that no one tells you what to do.”

People are often hired for a job that carries a description; yet, there’s no explanation of how to function in the job.No one provides information on how to handle a task in the best manner that fits the company’s values and practices.

Essentially you’re left on an island, relying on prior skills and a sense of hope to be performing correctly.No one is willing to spend time teaching critical thinking that enables you to do your job.

A statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul, presented at the eighth annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education Reform, Summer 1987 defines critical thinking as: “The intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. It is based on universal intellectual values such as clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.”

All those qualities never appear on the job description, yet are essential to “doing your job.”

At every team and staff meeting, Belichick would teach football 101, analyzing synthesizing and evaluating the opponent. This then allowed those on the field and in the coaching box to become better prepared.A leader must teach critical thinking, and as individuals, we must find ways independently to improve our thought processes.

The following are some strategies that could help you start thinking critically before you start doing your job:

1. Play games that require critical thinking skills.

2. Ask more questions, even basic ones.

3. Question your assumptions.

4. Develop your technical skills so that you can identify problems more easily.

5. Find creative ways to solve more problems (at work and at home).

6. Become aware of your mental processes.

7. Think for yourself. Reflect on people’s perspectives.

8. Seek out diversity of thought.

9. Practice active listening.

10. Weigh the consequences of different actions before you act.

11. Seek a mentor who can help you develop these skills.

When we begin to do our jobs, we need an open mind. We must respect the data we collect and display cognitive flexibility to solve the issues.

Most importantly, we must develop critical thinking skills with those we lead.

Or else, we, too, will fall prey to the Gilbert Law trap.

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