Logical Reasoning, Professional Performance and How You Can Improve It

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Ahh, logic. Seems logical, right? Okay, we might have already lost you. Bear with us, this article contains a bit of history, some context, and a few ways in which you can improve your professional performance, with the power of logical reasoning.

The term "logical reasoning" refers to an ability to organise data through valid premises to reach a conclusion. It is essential, for people to be prepared for more complex situations.

Logical reasoning is most associated with calculations; however, its origins are philosophical. Often people associate logical reasoning only with mathematics and do not give due importance. It is in fact one of the skills of the future. It applies to different situations in our life and is of fundamental importance in all sciences and professions. Over time, as areas of knowledge have developed, logic began to be used to resolve conflicts in human existence. Aristotle was the first to carry out work in this area.

One might think that logical reasoning is not used in everyday life situation, but the reality is that everyone uses logical reasoning; scientists, engineers, psychologists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, architects, locksmiths and (most probably) you.

To form a coherent and cohesive sentence, we carry out logical reasoning. It is what we use to order the letters, syllables, and words, so that, whoever is being addressed, can understand us. So, we really do use logical reasoning every single day. Be it speaking, writing, or reading, we are using it. Therefore, the importance of Logic is perceived in practice because we all have a desire to think, speak, write, and act correctly. Now that we have laid the context of logical reasoning, let’s explore how it helps us with professional importance and – most interestingly – how we can improve it!

Logical reasoning is a skill that directly interferes with the performance of professional activities. Regardless of the profession and the area in which the individual operates, thinking and reasoning critically are skills of great differentiation. In the exercise of the profession, whatever it may be, it will be important to develop strategies to attract customers, improve power of argument and persuasion, calculate outcomes, estimate performance and a whole host of additional skills which are seen as ‘business critical’.

The ability to reason logically is an ability which allows individuals to come up with valid and convincing arguments, important for convincing customers, teams, bosses, managers, and so on. So, developing it provides better performance and strengthens mental health.

In a world with frequent technological advances and in which people are increasingly replaced by artificial intelligence, it is particularly important that we are prepared for the skills of the future. Regardless of the profession and the area you are working in, reasoning in a logical way will be essential for you to be able to differentiate yourself from the others.

In this context, certain activities, which can be performed at leisure, have been shown to be beneficial in stimulating and improving logical reasoning. These are typically activities which increase the attention capacity of individuals and stimulate abductive reasoning (reasoning which allows individuals to predict and explain situations). They can also improve inferential reasoning (the ability to draw conclusions based on present situations), in addition to stimulating the search for hypotheses and memory.

Here are just six suggested activities which you might like to try:

Board games - Board games, like chess, are highly stimulating for logic and strategy. They stimulate strategic thinking and the ability to predict what the opponent can do.

Movies - Films can be great stimulants, but you need to look for films which really make you think. This is the type of art known as ‘intelligent cinema’, in which viewers encounter dense plots which subsequently stimulate thinking. These are films without obvious stories and, in the end, cause doubts, questions and spark debate.

Books - The benefits of reading are numerous, such as concentration, attention, and memory. Literature assists in the construction of deductive reasoning, as it encourages the reader to draw conclusions, in addition to encouraging the search for hypotheses. For those interested in reading more focused on the subject, there are puzzle books, accessible to anyone, since they are not of extreme complexity, which contain problems that force the logical reasoning of those who try to solve them, such as the books by Raymond Smullyan.

Sport Fighting (yes, really!) - In sports, certain fights are great stimulants. Jiu Jitsu, for example, a martial art of Asian origin, besides being interesting for self-defence, works with concentration and ability to predict the opponent's movements. Karate is also a good option.

Cards - In these hobbies, such as poker and bridge, strategy is a particularly important factor and, therefore, when dealing with strategy and calculating probabilities, there is a stimulus to logical reasoning.

Sudoku and Video Games - These games stimulate the memory of individuals. In addition, they require logical connections to complete the challenges.

So, there you have it, an overview of logical reasoning, the key benefits to it for professional performance and how you can improve yours! Remember, if you are looking to go further in your career, PushFar’s open and free mentoring platform can help you. Click here to register today.