How to Think On Your Feet

In today’s fast-paced world, it is extremely important that busy professionals have perfected the art of thinking on their feet. If you want to find success in a competitive market, you need to be able to think fast, make decisions on-the-fly and adapt to changes and obstacles whenever they come your way. There are some people who struggle with thinking on their feet and just don’t naturally adapt to situations in this way. However, this doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. In fact, there are things that you can do in order to challenge yourself and train yourself to think on your feet. Keep these tips in mind each and every day in order to improve your ability to think on your feet. Here are some easy tips to start trying every day.

Get Clarification

Thinking on your feet is important, however, there are many people who confuse thinking on their feet with thinking fast. This causes many people to make rash decisions and to make impulsive decisions that aren’t necessarily the right decisions. Thinking on your feet isn’t just about thinking fast, you also need to be able to make well-informed and accurate decisions as well. If you truly want to perfect the art of thinking on your feet, then you need to make sure that you are getting clarification on the topics before you make a decision.

You need to get clarification on a topic or a proposal before you make a decision. Make sure that you are completely clear on the topic that you need to make a decision on. Take the time to get clarification on the topic. The more information that you have, the better off you will be. When you are well-informed and clear on the topic so you have just what you need to make a smart decision. This is thinking on your feet. If you aren’t sure on the facts, you may end up making a muddled or uninformed decision. Get clarification, and then move forward.

Rework The Question

If someone asks you a question and you want to give a great answer on-the-fly, try to rework the question before you make an answer. Rethinking on your feet is all about thriving under pressure. When someone asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, don’t just start talking. Take a moment, and collect your thoughts.

Repeat the question and then rework it in your mind. Take this moment to really think about what the person is asking you and what they want out of the question. There are so many people who are asked a question and immediately blurt out an answer. Take that extra moment in order to rework the question that you have been asked. Think about the true meaning of the question and then formulate your answer. When you deliver a well-formulated response to an answer after reworking it in your mind, you can master the art of thinking on your feet and show others you have too, even if you don’t always understand the question when it is first proposed.

Honesty is the Best Policy

There are some people who unfortunately confuse thinking on their feet with lying, manipulating or avoiding honest answers. Tricking others into thinking that you are giving them honest answers is not the same as being honest. It can be tempting to skirt the truth when you are asked a question you aren’t prepared for, as many people think that it can help them look better in the situation. However, it is important to remember that honesty is always the best policy. Even if the honest answer doesn’t look the best or may not make you look the best, never forget the importance of honesty.

If you are able to not only deliver well-formulated answers but honest answers on-the-fly, then you are really able to think on your feet.

Keep these three very important tips in mind when you are trying to improve your ability to think on your feet. If you do these things each and every time you are in a high-pressure situation, you may find you are better able to think on your feet no matter what challenges come your way.