I never thought of myself as biased, prejudiced or bigoted. That was until I subjected myself to a training on critical thinking.
Critical thinking skill is usually tested in an examination given by a private subcontractor hired by the agency where I work.
All those aiming for managerial positions have to pass this psychometric test before they can be eligible for any third level position.
Critical thinking is simply the ability to think clearly and rationally about what to do or what to believe, according to Open Okstate. Critical thinkers are thought to have the capacity to deduce consequences from what they know, make use of information to solve problems.
It’s the kind of examination that looks straightforward and easy enough to pass; but many fairly intelligent and quick witted individuals have failed this test. This is the reason why my office decided to request for training of employees from a professional psychologist.
In the training via Zoom, the psychologist narrates case after case. He then calls out randomly the names of trainees to solve each case. The trainees are given less than 3 minutes to figure out the answers. Each trainee has to answer and explain his/her decision orally so everyone can hear. This training allows the employees to think correctly despite distractions, time constraint and social pressure. Our psychologist joked that all employees who have undergone the training now know how a beauty contestant feels during a Q and A.
STORY OF FACUNDO
I can not forget the story of Facundo because this showed me that my decisions have always somehow been influenced by family and society.
His story ran something like this: Facundo’s family hacienda had a bountiful harvest that year. To celebrate, people in the town were invited to a sumptous dinner at the sprawling garden of the family mansion. Facundo wanted to sleep early so he was carried to his bedroom while guests stayed up late for the dancing and entertainment. Alone in his bedroom, Facundo noticed the presence of an intruder standing beside an open window. For a few seconds their eyes were locked together before the intruder proceeded to open the drawers of a cabinet. The next day, one of the family members discovered that a box full of precious jewelry was stolen and several family heirlooms were missing.
The police headed by a female inspector arrived a few hours later to do an investigation. Several guests were interrogated. Also questioned were several househelpers, cooks, gardeners, family members except Facundo.
Can anyone summarize the story ? The psychologist queried everyone present. I volunteered, thinking this was the easy part of the training. The psychologist was actually looking at how I viewed the whole situation and what to me were important details.
Do you think the investigators did a good job, the psychologist proceeded to ask me. I wondered why Facundo was not investigated and thought that he might be in connivance with the intruder/robber since it appeared to me that they know each other. Most of my officemates agreed with me. Is Facundo hiding something or are the investigators protecting Facundo?, I asked.
One officemate believed that Facundo could be a disabled person since he was carried to his bedroom. Another thought the investigation was sloppy since a female is heading the team.
Another exasperated colleague asked why Facundo invited everyone in the town and risk getting robbed?
The answer given by the psychologist was unexpected — he showed a photo of a smiling 3 month old baby. This is Facundo, he said. I gasped in astonishment. I and my officemates presumed that the lead character in the story was a geriatic, head of the family!
You have just accused a baby of a crime, the psychologist concluded. “That’s because you are asking the wrong questions. Never presume to know anything about anyone in every situation because that would affect your decision”, the psychologist underscored. He pointed out that just because a majority of people believe something to be so doesn’t make it true or correct.
A VALUABLE SKILL
Mind science states that critical thinking is an important skill not just in the workplace, but also in our everyday life. After all, critical thinking helps solve problems and build strategies that make us smarter workers and better people. For this reason, the DTI office prefers to hire employees who have strong critical thinking skills. It also explains why training employees on this skill is important to the department.
Studies reveal that people who can engage in critical thinking logically connect ideas, scrutinize and evaluate arguments, find inconsistencies and errors in their work and the work of others, solve complex problems and engage in personal reflection.
A critical thinker does not only accumulate information well, but they also know how to use the information to deduce important facts and outcomes.
It is believed that critical thinkers are better at problem-solving than people who simply memorize information. Because of this, employers put critical thinkers in roles where the goal is to deduce information objectively without bias, analyze the context of the problem and come up with viable solutions.
It has been said by many psychologists that this life skill is worth developing because it makes people not only more competent in their work, but also happier.
BETTER PERSONAL DECISIONS
Overall, the day long training on critical thinking made me realize that it is one valuable skill that I still need to improve in myself.
Our psychologist said that applying critical thinking will help me make better life-changing decisions, like whether or not to make a career move, enter into a relationship or business partnership. This skill encourages me to research and favor objective logic over my initial emotional response.
Also, critical thinking will help me better understand myself, my motivations and goals. When I can deduce information to find the most important parts I need and apply those to my life, I can improve my present situation and bolster personal growth and overall happiness.
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