Tools to Accelerate Reasoning and Judgment Skills

What is the basis of sound reasoning and good judgment for wildlife professionals? How can development of these skills be accelerated? A team of collaborators from Cornell University, Michigan State University, Wildlife Management Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and New York Department of Environmental Conservation set out to answer these two fundamental questions as part of a 2019 Multi-State Conservation Grant. The group began this effort by identifying a broad-based sample of professionals who are recognized by their peers as “high-performing” and identifying their habits and practices related to sound reasoning and good judgment. The team then created and tested several diagnostic tools that can be used to identify habits and practices needing improvement, as well as a tool for creating an individual professional development plan.