Business Is Just “Logical”

Every semester, I have the same conversation with my Intro to Management students: the difference between logic and common sense. And more importantly—why neither one means what people think it does.

Because here’s the deal: when a manager tells you, “It’s just logical,” what they usually mean is, “It’s obvious… to me.” But what’s obvious to one person might be totally foreign to someone else.

Logic isn’t some universal language—it’s shaped by your experience.

When I was growing up, my family worked in the carnival business. My grandparents were traveling photographers. Back before everyone carried a digital camera in their pocket, you could stop by their trailer, pose with your friends, and get a little souvenir set of black and white pictures. In the early days, my grandmother could also “colorize” it with a set of water paints (for another 10 cents).

But, when I wasn’t helping take or sell pictures, I wasn’t working somewhere else. I sold popcorn, I ran games, I operated rides—and I put those rides up and down and then ran them every single week. Ferris wheels, tilt-a-whirls, scramblers… you name it.

So if you asked me how to set up a Ferris wheel, I could walk you through the process in my sleep. It’s “just logical” to me.

But if I asked someone who’s never done it before? They’d look at me like I was nuts.

That’s the point.

Logic isn’t common sense. It’s personal sense. It’s the result of what you’ve seen, done, broken, and fixed. And in the workplace, that difference matters.

Because when someone on your team asks a question—or doesn’t “get it” right away—it doesn’t mean they’re careless or clueless. It just means they haven’t lived your version of logical yet.

So before you assume something is obvious, take a beat. Ask yourself:

• Have they actually done this before?

• Have I only explained the “why,” and not the “how”?

• Am I judging based on my experience instead of theirs?

And if you’re on the receiving end of one of those “it’s just logical” moments—don’t hesitate to ask questions. You’re not behind. You’re just building your version of logic, one experience at a time.