Reflection, Reason and Ownership, Instead of Blame, Solves Problems and Earns Trust and Respected Reputation
Namrata J. Thakkar, CEO at Digital-PR.ai, briefly talks about how it works
There are times where you feel you have fully fleshed out a topic of discussion and then, someone continues to communicate and to your surprise, their words reignite your brain’s interest.
That happened recently with someone whose passion is human behavior, psychology and strategic perception. A bit more listening, attention and endurance can pay off.
I thought you might like to know what she had to say.
Namrata J. Thakkar is the CEO at Digital-PR.ai and author of “Behavioural Philosophy: Inside the Labyrinth of Life,” where she focuses on technology, behavior and the ethical evolution of the modern workplace.
We can benefit directly and impress and earn trust as well, she asserts, when we are introspective about our possible contribution to problems at work and consider how the challenge may be our thinking and actions instead of it having to emotionally always be some variable outside of ourselves.
Doing this makes sense, because when we proceed this way more often than not, we “shift from a reactive posture to a reflective one,” Thakkar says. That’s clearer thinking and elevated reasoning.
We’re being thoughtful and responsive. We’re operating within a more advanced, sophisticated, cognitive brain-processing system. It stands to reason then that our outcomes will have a higher probability of being successful.
This habit also provides additional rewards.
“Honest self-assessment is one of the most powerful tools for reputation protection,” Thakkar adds, explaining that, “It prevents the ‘ostrich effect,’ where leaders ignore their role in a situation until it escalates into a public liability.”
A person will become respected and trusted, even on autopilot at times, and construct a sturdier foundation for receiving the benefit of the doubt more commonly. This increasing influence makes work and life far less arduous and aggravating.
We also make ourselves into more agentic, skilled and persuasive problem solvers.
“By identifying their contribution (to a troublesome concern) early, leaders move from being victims of circumstances to architects of solutions,” Thakkar says.
“This approach also strengthens psychological safety within teams,” she says, because, “When leaders openly acknowledge their role in a challenge, they give others permission to do the same, creating a culture focused on resolution rather than defensiveness.”
The more extensively we first examine how we, not others and outside variables, are impacting a situation or preventing the stated outcome and goal, the better.
“Applying a ‘rule of three (questions’ to self-accountability forces deeper reflection,” Thakkar says.
This is likely to move someone through the difficulty instead of remaining off track and stuck and as a byproduct, aid in how positively others experience and judge us.
“The primary benefit is reputational resilience,” Thakkar argues. “When leaders pinpoint specific, enabling factors, such as unclear expectations, delayed feedback or ineffective communication, the remedy becomes structural rather than symbolic.”
On the front end, there is clear value as well.
“This practice (of looking inward first and most) also functions as a preventative mechanism,” Thakkar stresses.
“Once leaders recognize how their actions contributed to a problem, they develop an internal early-warning system, enabling them to detect and correct similar patterns before they escalate.”
This provides ongoing value.
“Properly applied, this process not only resolves current issues but strengthens long-term decision-making,” Thakkar concludes.
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