Critical Thinking Application Paper

Critical Thinking Application Paper

MGT/350

Critical Thinking Application

Critical thinking is an important skill used in everyday life. Critical thinking for the processing of information in a manner that will help us to make the most informed decisions without the influence of personal opinions. There are many definitions of critical thinking. Paul and Elder (2006) define critical thinking as “the art of thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better” (para 2). Thinking critically involves analyzing, evaluating, and improving thinking by examining the way people think to make thinking better (Paul & Edler, 2006).

Critical thinking skills are valuable and beneficial to everyone. These skills are used in everyday activities and help thinkers to improve vital skills. Paul and Elder (2006) state that well-cultivated thinkers “raise vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely; gathers and assess relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively; come to well reasoned solutions and conclusions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards; think open-mindedly within alternative system of thoughts, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and communicate effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems” (para. 28).

These skills are also very valuable in the workplace, especially concerning decision making. Decision making is an everyday occurrence in the business world. For managers and leaders in businesses to make the best decisions quickly, they must have good critical thinking skills. Poor critically thinking skills can lead to managers identifying the wrong problem, making a decision too late, or coming up with a poor decision for the right problem (Pascarella, 1997). Many of the decisions that managers are forced to make in the business world are not easy to do with limited time. Organizations...