A500.5.1.RB_MenesesAlexandria
I
view critical thinking as both intentional and unintentional, one isn’t
necessarily better than the other but I do believe that both are very necessary
to being an effective leader. Prior to conducting the good amount of critical
thinking research for this course, I can definitely say that I relied on my
unintentional critical thinking. Now I see that an intentional critical
thinking is crucial. Critical thinking forces you to stop and focus, it places
you in a position where you should use all the resources and knowledge inside
of your head to solve one particular problem. Being a self-proclaimed
scatterbrain, forcing myself to focus on one issue without any interruptions is
challenging. What’s fantastic about the research I’ve done on critical thinking
thus far is that I see that there is immense value in taking the time to think
through something.
I began
the semester by agreeing with Robert Ennis’s classic definition of critical
thinking “critical
thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to
believe or do” (Nosich, 2012). I still very much agree with this definition of
critical thinking, critical thinking is much more about making a choice and
exploring a topic then it is about confirming your prior beliefs. Being a
leader you not only have to think critically but you also have to communicate
your thoughts with your team as well as act as a sort of facilitator for critical
thinking. Through research I found that critical thinking is not necessarily a natural
process, so it takes hard conscious work to do so properly, and to guide others
to do so as well is challenging (van Gelder, 2005).
Today I try to slow down my thought process at
work, rather then just “doing” I try to force myself to think about “doing”. At
times where work is hectic and crazy, I critically think about what work I
should be prioritizing, with this critical thinking exercise I’m able to come
up with a list that will maximize my productivity. Additionally, I have been
pushing myself to speak in premeditated manner, prior to this course I was an
individual who didn’t necessarily think much about how to communicate something,
this definitely posed as a challenge for me in the workplace. This isn’t
something I’ve already overcome but it is something that I’m aware of and
attempting to overcome. Critical thinking is, and should be, applicable in
almost all aspects of not only work but also life, and I am actively making the
effort to apply critical thinking to as much of my life as possible.
References:
Nosich, G.
(2012). Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across
the curriculum (4th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.
van Gelder (2005)
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