ASSUMPTION: People that are strong Critical Thinkers are more valuable employees and more informed and engaged citizens. The primary purpose of a leader is to prepare themselves, the team, and the organization for the future. If employees and citizens are not effective Critical Thinkers they will not be prepared to compete in an ever more competitive global environment.
WHAT BEHAVIORS might people in authority (leaders) demonstrate to send the subtle or direct message to you, as an employee, that you are NOT expected to, or are even discouraged to, Think Critically, which is … "to think about an issue and reach an objective, informed conclusion … based on facts and evidence … without being unduly influenced by personal biases and interests, unsubstantiated assumptions, or … the unproven opinions of others.” Schuster, Steven. The Critical Thinker: The Path to Better Problem Solving, Accurate Decision Making, and Self-Disciplined Thinking (p. 125). Kindle Edition.
Here are some example leader behaviors that sends a subtle message that they DO NOT want you to engage in CRITICAL THINKING (CTS’s):
(1) The leaders tell you about a decision they've made and when it will take effect, but they do NOT ask you for your input, nor do they provide you with an explanation of the supporting logic they used to make their decision. A derivative of not asking you for your input is when leaders ask you to turn in questions ahead of time so they do not have to address the tough questions that may challenge their position and their supporting logic.
(2) The leaders do NOT provide you with an explanation of the other potential solutions they considered.
(3) The leaders do NOT explain what they (leaders) needed to learn before they assessed various alternative solutions. Nor do they show and review the analysis they used to evaluate the other alternatives and the solution selected.
*Overall, the above approach where you are told what to do and are expected to do it - the leaders are not interested in what they perceive is your uniformed opinion.
But, fortunately there are leaders that have a high-degree of respect for their employees and they avoid the behaviors explained above. Here are some leader behaviors that send a clear message that they NEED and EXPECT their employees to utilize their CTS’s at WORK and in their PERSONAL LIFE:
1. They provide a series of CTS's training courses to their employees to increase their awareness on the six basic (CTS's) – they help them assess their (CTS's) to identify their strengths and to identify opportunities for improvement, and they help their employees develop action plans to apply what they learned at work and in their personal life.
2. They help their employees establish Accountability Teams to help one another follow through on their (CTS’s) improvement plans and to help them learn from and encourage one another.
3. They offer a (CTS's) training course to members of their employee’s family and other members of the community – they encourage and prepare their employees to participate in leading the (CTS’s) training courses.
*Overall, this approach builds brand equity and may be leveraged to attract, retain, and create growth in your employees, customers, and investors..
THREE REALITIES TO CONSIDER ABOUT CRITICAL THINKING:
1. Many seek meaning in their life and want to make a difference in the world. The approach outlined above is actionable and manageable, and will make a difference in the lives of your employees, their families, and members of the community.
2. Schools – including many university’s claim to teach students how to be Critical Thinkers, but the reality is the curriculums for many of their courses are structured and focused on testing and maintaining accreditations. Also, many of the tests administered are focused on “right” and “wrong” answers based on content provided in text books – not on teaching the students how to deal with complex and rapidly changing global environments that do not lend themselves well to “right” and “wrong” answers – today’s world requires a focus on teaching people how to acquire and develop their Critical Thinking abilities because there are few situations that require right and wrong answers.
(3) If the schools and universities won’t, or are unable to react quickly enough to teach the students how to be more effective Critical Thinkers, who will do it?
If you are interested in learning more about how we at Incline Insights, LLC can help your team tailor a focused approach that is centered on improving your organization’s Critical Thinking abilities, contact us at Incline Insights, LLC Tailored. Focused. Solutions.
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