Founder and Head of the international IT recruitment company Lucky Hunter.
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Today, we're exposed to vast amounts of various information—and it is vital to be able to understand and discern information presented online. Why does it matter so much? Without these skills, you run the risk of easily drowning in information flows, forming incorrect conclusions and not having an objective idea of a particular situation.
For a top manager, it is especially important to be able to identify the reliability and validity of various sources of information, process them competently and make forecasts. This is necessary not only for efficient work but also for building effective communication with employees without misleading them with false information.
So, how can you work effectively with information?
Identify reliable sources.
One of the biggest problems in the modern information space is the huge number of different media, channels and other resources. For this reason, it can be difficult to determine which platforms can be trusted and which distribute not entirely reliable information.
Carefully study each site, learn more and determine how reliable the information presented on it is. Give preference to time-tested major channels and publications in which you are confident.
Be critical of any content you consume.
I've written previously about the importance of critical thinking. The ability to treat any information critically really plays a primary role in surviving in the current digital age. Analyze and study a given issue from different sides and look for additional sources to form a more objective picture.
Develop your analysis skills.
Instead of mindless consumption of content, try to work through it, take it apart, draw conclusions and form judgments. Analytical skills, by the way, can be useful not only in various life situations but also in work, because they help you more correctly process the information received and build various forecasts based on it.
I have been working in recruiting for more than 15 years, and I can say with confidence that the development of the ability to analyze is especially important for a recruiter. This is because most of our work takes place in very rapidly changing conditions where you need to make decisions quickly and be able to predict—and this requires strong analytical abilities.
Don't limit yourself to just one specific channel of information.
I have already mentioned it in the sections above, but I would like to focus on this point and put it in a separate paragraph. Whatever question you are studying, do not tie yourself to a single source of information. Look for materials on the topic from different channels—it is likely that in the process you will find important insights that you missed before.
Study the psychology of the media.
The media today is an integral part of our lives because it is the source from which we mainly learn about world events, news and incidents. Therefore, it is important to understand the principle of their work—it doesn’t necessarily require a deep knowledge, but a basic understanding will be great. This will also allow you to work more effectively with the information you receive and find possible psychological tricks in the form of manipulation of the reader's emotions or hidden propaganda.
Information today is a huge field of possibilities, which, however, carries certain risks. Therefore, it is especially important to be able to work with various information sources, understand the mechanisms of their work, form a base of reliable resources for yourself and analyze the material from different sides.
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