Critical Thinking Application Paper - Essay Example

Critical thinking According to the Critical thinking co. Critical thinking is “"Critical thinking is the identification and evaluation of evidence to guide decision making.” A critical thinker is one who uses rigorous evidence to facilitate not only the decision making process but also to effectively communicate his views clearly. Robert H. Ennis, the author of ‘The Cornell Critical Thinking Tests’, further facilitates our understanding of the concept by defining critical thinking as ‘reasonable, reflective and focused on deciding what to believe and do.

’ So we can define critical thinking as the process of vigorously conceptualizing and evaluating information that we have gathered through observing, experiences, reflection or communication. The ability of each individual to think critically varies. Critical thinking hinges on a few critical elements, these being precision, significance, vigor, fairness and rationality. Today in our rapidly evolving and changing business environment where there is a constant pressure to innovate products and services, an organization cannot remain competitive without the incorporation of critical thinking in its decision making processes.

This being only possible if the employees of an organization are equipped to undertake a process of decision making that is purposeful and directed and hence in line with critical thinking. According to Process Management for a business to succeed it is essential that employees are taught to become more conscious of the thought process of an organization and that of the customers. They should be proficient in ‘language precision, being able to examine hidden assumptions, identify effective inferential reasoning and evaluate claims and reasons’ in order to think critically.

There are many examples of critical thinking in a work environment. Decisions based on meeting expenses with a limited budget or how, due to the recession, pay expenses, retain employees and keep the business afloat are two examples of problems in a workplace that would require the use of critical thinking in order to reach a beneficial solution. What might we ask ourselves is the importance of critical thinking? For a manager, a key player in the decision making process, having numerous alternative options to chose from could be a complicated task, one on which the profitability of the business hinges.

By critically analyzing the situation the manager equips himself with the knowledge to do a cost benefit analysis of each alternative and pick the one that benefits the organization most. The importance of critical thinking is further highlighted by Judy Chartrand and her associates in ‘Critical thinking means business’ as an increasingly important requirement the higher the rank of an employee. Their research concludes that employees with a higher level of success are those that learn quickly, process information precisely and then use the acquired knowledge into aspects of decision making.

Numerous benefits of employees in an organization thinking critically and using productive practices can aid in the development of more ideas, lesser mistakes and reaching better decisions. This in terms will lead to a higher profitability for the business which it will lose out on if critical decisions are based on faulty assumptions, a narrow vision and improper formulation of plans. These are often the key factors for business failures and losses. Aside from relieving the constant pressure of a work place critical thinking provides several benefits such as fertility of mind as the employees stay sharp and focused.

Also it results in an increased level of commitment due to higher motivation of the workforce. It facilitates teamwork as the goal towards which each employee is working is aligned. It enhances effective communication that keeps the staff well informed and serves as a tool towards efficient problem identification leading to better solutions. It is all these elements combined that contribute to the facilitation of the decision making processes in a workplace. After all the success of a decision lies not only by top managers narrowing critical thinking to the formulation of the decision but also its effective implementation by the work force.

(Tim Bryce, The need for critical thinking) . References The Critical Thinking Co. September, 2005. ‘What is Critical Thinking?’ Retrieved from . Process Management. ‘Critical Thinking’. Web. Retrieved from: < http://www.processes- management.com/critical-thinking.html> Judy Chartrand, Ph.D., Heather Ishikawa, MA, & Scott Flander. (2009). ‘Critical thinking means business’. Retrieved from: . Tim Bryce. ‘The need for critical thinking’. Web. Retrieved from: .