I’m sure you can think back to a time (hopefully in the not-too-recent past) when you made a decision you instantly regretted. If you think harder you’ll probably find, with the added benefit of hindsight, that your decision was made because of how you FELT at the time, or in other words it was an emotional decision.
Now imagine that all the decisions in your life were made completely objectively, based on information, facts, and the probability of possible outcomes... How different might your life be now?
It’s obviously not possible to live life completely detached from our emotions (and why would we want to?), but it is possible to consciously make an effort to see emotions for what they are, to look for alternatives to the common way of thinking and to honestly analyse each possible outcome before making a decision.
This is what we call Critical Thinking, and it’s one of the most powerful intellectual tools you can possess.
Critical thinking allows you to look objectively at your problems and find creative ways of solving them. It opens your mind to alternative ways of thinking - ways of thinking that would normally be disregarded due to personal prejudice or bias - and allows you to consider all the available information before coming to a conclusion.
Critical thinking is an invaluable tool in the workplace - we find:
• Fewer problems arise in the first place
• Problems that do arise are dealt with economically
• Creative solutions are brought forward
• Emotions, perceptions and assumptions are recognised for what they are
• Employees foresee obstacles and raise vital questions
• Employees communicate more effectively with others
Think your team or department could do with a Critical Thinking boost? Contact Staff Training for a tailored solution or view the dates for our upcoming public workshops.
Staff Training is a soft skills training and coaching service provider. Call us at (021) 839 3021 or .