Basic Critcal Thinking - Essay Example

Basic Critical Thinking al Affiliation Basic Critical Thinking What steps does your textbook’s recommend for achieving yourshort-term goals? According to Chaffee (2012), the steps recommended for achieving one’s short-term goals are: (1) identifying the goals through ranking them in order of importance and selecting which one should be focused on; and (2) devising plans or strategies to accomplish the goals that were identified through: (a) listing the steps to provide clear direction for outlining the appropriate order; (b) estimating the time frame to undertake them; and (c) planning the steps by incorporating them in one’s daily or weekly schedule (pp. 12-13).2.

What steps does your textbook’s author recommend for achieving your long-term goals? To achieve long-term goals, Chaffee (2012), the following steps were recommended: (1) to develop a more in-depth understanding of oneself; (2) to discover the possibilities given that the goals are current and updated; (3) be able to envision a reported three-dimensional picture of the future that incorporates goals and aspirations; (4) construct a mental plan for details strategies to achieve defined goals in specific time frame and in overcoming potential barriers or obstacles; (5) modify the goals or plans according to new inputs but retain a consistent framework of goals, as needed (p. 13).3.

Describe an important decision in your academic or personal life that you will have to make in the near future. An important decision in one’s life that would have to be made in the near future is finding the appropriate employment where one’s educational pursuit would be put into effective use. As such, one’s professional short-term goal is to find a good job with competitive pay and where one’s knowledge, skills and abilities would be appropriately honed and developed through work experience and through interaction and relationship with others.4. Explain the reasons for your decision and conclude with your best possible choice (reference the five-step decision making approach described in Chapter 1, pages 21-24).

The decision to find a good employer using the five-step decision making approach is hereby explained below:Step 1: Define the Decision Clearly (Chaffee, 2012, p. 21) Find a good employer right after graduation where the employer would provide competitive pay and benefits; and where one’s knowledge, skills and abilities would be appropriately honed and developed through the work experience and through interaction and relationship with others.Step 2: Consider all the Possible Choices (Chaffee, 2012, p. 22) From one’s educational background, the possible courses would be locating organizations that belong to the top 100 organizations in the U.S. in terms of providing good benefits, according training, and being socially responsible.

Another choice would be to streamline options to areas which are close to one’s residence. Likewise, selection process could also ensue after all applications have been sent and organizations that respond positively would be selected according to the exemplary image reported and accessed through research.Step 3: Gather all Relevant Information and Evaluate the Possible Pros and Cons of Each Possible Choice (Chaffee, 2012, p. 22) From itemizing each alternative, a pros and cons analysis would illuminate one on the best option to select.

For example, if two organizations respond to one’s application, cost-benefit analysis could be developed through research on the advantages and disadvantages of potentially working on each. Determining the costs of transportation and daily expenses and comparing these to the pay that each organization is willing to give.Step 4: Select the Choice That Seems to Best Meet the Needs of the Situation (Chaffee, 2012, p. 23) If one organization offers a salary of $25,000 per annum and the other organization offers $27,000 per annum and all other working conditions are the same; then, the choice, of course, is the organization that meets one’s goal to find the employer that provides good compensation and benefits (which is the organization that would pay $27,000 per annum).

Step 5: Implement a Plan of Action and Then Monitor the Results, Making Necessary Adjustment (Chaffee, 2012, p. 24) The plan of action would be to confirm to the organization one’s intent to work for them and monitoring the results would be the actual work immersion and determining, in the process, if the experience is actually achieving the defined goal within a stipulated time frame, say, within the first six months. Otherwise, one could find other employers who are deemed more effective in meeting the defined goals.

ReferenceChaffee, J. (2012). Thinking Critically. Houghton Mifflin.