Learn how to enhance your logical reasoning skills as an engineering manager with tips on overcoming biases, practicing with puzzles and games, learning from experts and peers, and applying to your work.

I’d highly recommend Will Larson’s book “An Elegant Puzzle” or Claire Hugh’s book “Scaling people” they both contain excellent frameworks for logical unbiased management.

What do you do if your logical reasoning skills as an engineering manager need improvement?

Logical reasoning is the ability to analyze problems, evaluate evidence, and draw valid conclusions based on facts and data. As an engineering manager, you need this skill to make sound decisions, solve complex challenges, and communicate effectively with your team and stakeholders. However, logical reasoning is not a fixed trait that you either have or don't have. It is a skill that you can improve with practice, feedback, and reflection. Here are some tips on how to enhance your logical reasoning skills as an engineering manager.

1 Identify your biases

One of the biggest obstacles to logical reasoning is cognitive bias, which is the tendency to favor or reject information based on your preferences, beliefs, or emotions. Cognitive biases can distort your perception of reality, impair your judgment, and lead to errors or fallacies. To overcome them, you need to identify them and challenge them with evidence and logic. Some common cognitive biases that affect engineering managers are confirmation bias, anchoring bias, sunk cost fallacy, and halo effect. You can use tools like the Cognitive Bias Codex or the Ladder of Inference to help you recognize and avoid them.

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Amos Gideon

Biomedical Engineer || Biomedical Calibration Expert || Medical Devices Technical Sales Representative || MD/IVD & CSSD Sales & || ISO 13485:2016 || AI Tutor
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To enhance local reasoning skills as an engineering manager, start by identifying areas for improvement through self-assessment and feedback from colleagues. Engage in continuous learning through workshops, courses, and reading relevant literature. Practice problem-solving exercises, case studies, and simulations to develop analytical thinking and decision-making abilities. Collaborate with peers and seek diverse perspectives to broaden your understanding and approach to complex problems. Set aside dedicated time for reflection and critical thinking, focusing on identifying assumptions, evaluating evidence, and drawing logical conclusions. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and remain open to feedback and constructive criticism.

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Adam Haney

Technology Leader, Investor, 2x Founder
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Sometimes it’s challenging to identify all of your biases. I find that it’s more important to be clear about your goals and ensure that you’re evaluating your team’s progress towards those goals in an unbiased way.

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Kim Hatcher Mansour

Technology consultant, engineering leadership coach, lover of entrepreneurship. I love helping people get started.
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It can be helpful to remember that your brain cannot process all of reality, it HAS to filter - just as you would filter a massive data stream to only what your company cares about. This is not a flaw to admit we have bias, there is no need to feel bad for identifying it. When you hit a problem you struggle with, begin writing what you truly, authentically believe and think about that problem, and you will find your "filters" (bias). TRY to ask yourself on each one - is this really true? Could there be another explanation? This IS difficult. It's very hard to read the label from inside the bottle. Get a coach if you need an outside perspective.

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2 Practice with puzzles and games

Another way to sharpen your logical reasoning skills is to practice with puzzles and games that require you to use logic, deduction, and inference. For example, you can try solving Sudoku, crossword, or logic grid puzzles, or playing chess, bridge, or Minesweeper. These activities can help you improve your mental agility, pattern recognition, and strategic thinking. They can also make you more aware of the rules, assumptions, and implications of different scenarios. You can find many online resources or apps to access these puzzles and games, or you can join a club or a community to share and compare your solutions.

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Vignesh Rajagopal

Bringing hardware/software product ideas to life
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Go download the NYTimes app on your phone right now. It's got a bunch of fun word and logic puzzles. I spend 5 mins/day playing games on it and it gets my brain doing gymnastics, thinking in ways that I don't get to think often. At work, we actually started a "Puzzle of the Week" to help our team members develop problem-solving skills as well as thinking of innovative approaches to age old problems. Games are good!

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Adam Haney

Technology Leader, Investor, 2x Founder
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Leet code and the logical process of evaluating coding challenges is also an excellent way to improve your logical reasoning skills.

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3 Learn from experts and peers

You can also learn from experts and peers who have strong logical reasoning skills and can offer you insights, feedback, and guidance. You can read books, articles, or blogs that explain logical concepts, methods, and techniques, such as critical thinking, argumentation, or problem-solving. You can also watch videos, podcasts, or webinars that demonstrate how to apply logical reasoning to real-world situations, such as engineering projects, case studies, or debates. Additionally, you can participate in discussions, forums, or workshops where you can exchange ideas, opinions, and perspectives with others who share your interest or field.

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Adam Haney

Technology Leader, Investor, 2x Founder
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I’d highly recommend Will Larson’s book “An Elegant Puzzle” or Claire Hugh’s book “Scaling people” they both contain excellent frameworks for logical unbiased management.

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4 Apply to your work

Finally, you can apply your logical reasoning skills to your work as an engineering manager by using them in various tasks and situations. For example, you can use logical reasoning to define and analyze problems, generate and evaluate solutions, design and test systems, and monitor and improve processes. You can also use logical reasoning to communicate and collaborate with your team and stakeholders, such as by presenting and supporting your arguments, listening and responding to feedback, and resolving conflicts and disputes. To enhance your learning, you can also reflect on your outcomes, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and seek feedback from others.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What do you do if your logical reasoning skills as an engineering manager need improvement?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Identify your biases

2 Practice with puzzles and games

3 Learn from experts and peers

4 Apply to your work

5 Here’s what else to consider

Engineering Management

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What do you do if your logical reasoning skills as an engineering manager need improvement?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Identify your biases

2 Practice with puzzles and games

3 Learn from experts and peers

4 Apply to your work

5 Here’s what else to consider

Engineering Management

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