Making time to think: government culture values getting things done. But thinking--proactive thinking--is crucial.

• Author: Armajani, Babak
• Position: Commentary

Do you think? Do you have time to think about your work? Not to fret but to think? Do you think strategically? Do you think about those critical details? Do you think by yourself? Do you reflect on the lessons of each success and each failure? Do you think with others? Do you think with people who think differently from you? Do you think about possibilities as well as problems? Do you create (in your mind)? Do you invite others to think? Do you make time to think?

This might sound self evident, but I'm writing to encourage you to make the time to think. You were educated to think. And, you were hired and promoted, at least in part, because you are good at thinking. Yet in government you work in a culture that values activity over thinking.

Some jobs give you time to think. Not so with being a public manager. So often, my clients tell me they value our time together because they "don't have time to think" Your day presents you with so many opportunities to do, to decide, to control, to motivate, to problem-solve, to assess, and to communicate that you are often left with no time to think. I'm not suggesting that you are doing these important tasks thoughtlessly, but rather that most of your thought is necessarily reactive rather than proactive.

This column deals with proactive thought.

THE 5 PERCENT RULE

What's the big deal? Ours is a culture that values activity--doing. It is important at work to be seen as being busy This is a good thing. "She gets things done" is a wonderful complement. Except for a few jobs, such as being a scholar or an R&D person, most work necessitates a lot of doing. Certainly doing is the overwhelming expectation for public managers.

Think of the polarities of thinking, on the one hand, and activity, on the other hand, as being like riding a bicycle. If you just steer the bike and don't pedal, you are going nowhere. If you just pedal without steering you are going anywhere. Pedaling guided by steering takes you somewhere.

My hypothesis is that proactively guided action is more valuable than reactive action. So, while it's mostly about action, taking just 5 percent of your day to guide your actions with proactive thinking can make a huge difference. Below I give you a little formula for making 27 minutes to proactively think each day But first, consider some various types of proactive thinking:

* Reflective thought involves making the time to reflect on recent past action. What worked? What didn't? Why? What lessons...