Inertial Behaviors
Lack of Disposition to Think: How Instructional Designers can Address this Behavior
Frequently, we encounter professionals who seem to lack the willingness to think and prefer that their leader organize everything they must do. They dislike working independently, designing, discussing, or conducting research. These individuals are accustomed to following performance standards and believe that their leader should be responsible for the thinking process while they merely provide the right answers found in manuals.
One of the most common behaviors observed in professionals who exhibit a lack of disposition to think is the belief that their boss or leader should be responsible for the thinking process. These professionals expect their leader to organize everything they must do, and only then will they perform their tasks. They dislike working independently, designing, discussing, or conducting research, believing that their leader should provide the right answers found in manuals.
This behavior can be detrimental to the team as it prevents the development of critical thinking and the ability to solve problems independently. Furthermore, when professionals do not think for themselves, they become less engaged and productive, as they are not connected with the work they are performing.
Unfortunately, this type of behavior can lead to resistance to change and difficulties working in environments that require critical thinking. So, how can an instructional designer work with this behavior?
The first step is to offer several opportunities for these professionals to experience different types of thinking operations. They need to be put in a position where thinking is expected of them and encouraged to participate in activities such as interpretation, independent work, hypothesis, data acquisition, classification, imagination, coding, summarization, and comparison.
By providing these opportunities and informing and rewarding them appropriately, these professionals can be guided towards a behavior change. If they are encouraged to participate in daily thinking activities for six months, there is a good chance they will start changing the way they think and work.
The role of the instructional designer is crucial in this process. They can create activities that promote critical thinking and enable these professionals to experience different forms of thinking. Additionally, it is important to offer constant feedback and positive encouragement to motivate them to continue experimenting and learning.
Another effective strategy is to involve these professionals in challenging projects that require critical thinking and independence. By doing so, they will have the opportunity to apply the skills they are learning in real situations and see the importance of critical thinking in a project’s success.
It is important to remember that behavior change does not happen overnight. It requires time and dedication to change one’s mentality and behavior. However, with the right guidance, proper encouragement, and appropriate opportunities, it is possible to help these professionals become more autonomous and capable of critical thinking.
In summary, the lack of disposition to think is a behavior that can harm professionals’ performance and resistance to change. Instructional designers can work with these professionals by creating opportunities to experience different forms of thinking and challenging projects that require critical thinking and independence. With the right guidance, proper encouragement, and appropriate opportunities, it is possible to help these professionals become more autonomous and capable of critical thinking.
Designing for Thinking
- Design for Thinking: A Strategy for Effective Decision-Making in Instructional Design
- Reflections on D4T and its Implications: A Comprehensive Overview
- Terminology of Design for Thinking: A Glossary of Key Concepts
- Analyzing the Environment: A Crucial Phase in Design for Thinking
- ➡️ Inertial Behaviors: Recognizing and Establishing Goals, Directions, and Priorities
- Thinking Operations: Making Decisions and Choices for Effective Learning Solutions
- Central Problem: Identifying the Core Issue for Effective Instructional Design
- Collaborating with SMEs: Conducting Effective Meetings to Identify Challenges and Solutions
- Content Coding: Structuring Information in a Logical and Consistent Manner
- Learning Arc: Guiding the Design of Learning Solutions
- Case Study: Designing an Effective Credit Real Estate Course Using D4T
- Step-by-Step Guide to D4T: A Comprehensive Guide for Applying the Strategy in Your Projects