Critical Thinking: Why You Can’t Be Too Critical When Evaluating Employees

By Admin | November 24, 2008

by Paula Santonocito

What exactly is critical thinking, and why is it so important in the workplace?

More than factual analysis

People tend to mistakenly define critical thinking as the ability to make decisions by analyzing facts. In actuality, there is a lot more to it.

Critical thinking requires taking a subject or problem and stepping outside the situation to examine it in a variety of contexts. It involves using concrete data and conclusions, as well as abstract reasoning to weigh and challenge assumptions and possible consequences. An open-minded approach is required, but so is a foundation of facts. In other words, critical thinking isn’t concerned with esoteric ideals; it seeks pragmatic solutions. But it does so using the full range of intellectual capability.

Critical thinking is as much a process as it is a skill. And, as a skill, it requires development and honing.

The Foundation for Critical Thinking, a non-profit organization that conducts research and disseminates information on critical thinking to support government, high school, and college and university education efforts, finds it is not a skill that gets a lot of attention. Indeed, the organization’s research finds that critical thinking in not presently effectively taught at the high school and college level, even though it is possible to do so.

This results in otherwise intelligent, capable people entering the workforce ill-prepared in the area of critical thinking. For employers, the situation presents challenges, namely because every job requires some degree of critical thinking.

The Foundation for Critical Thinking explains it this way: “What we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life.”

Not viewed as critical

Yet most employers don’t realize the importance of critical thinking until there’s a problem. At least that’s been the experience of Michael Kublin, founder and president of PeopleTek, a coaching and leadership development firm.

Kublin tells HRWire how PeopleTek became involved with critical thinking as it relates to leadership development. One of the company’s clients, a tech firm, asked PeopleTek to help it solve some major problems; it kept hitting the same issues, regardless of approach. In researching and analyzing the situation, PeopleTek found critical thinking, or lack of, was the obstacle.

PeopleTek took a critical thinking model developed by Rosalinda Alfaro-LeFevre for the nursing profession and adapted it for its client’s environment.

The company also developed a secondary planning process to help people get from where they are to where they want to be.

Kublin finds a lot of companies hit walls similar to the one PeopleTek’s client faced, and the reason is that few people in an organization utilize critical thinking. “I think it’s a total issue. It’s not just employees on the floor doing the work,” he says. “I find it’s at all levels.”

One reason for lack of critical thinking, according to Kublin, is that “everybody does a knee-jerk reaction.”

The fast-paced, multitasking nature of today’s work environment is partly to blame, he says.

“I think people inherently know it’s better to slow down, that it’s best to go through these things,” he tells HRWire.

PeopleTek’s process involves slowing down and probing for deeper understanding. Among the questions the firm recommends asking are, what results do you want to achieve; what are the circumstances; what knowledge is required; and whose perspectives must be considered.

It takes time to answer these and other questions the firm recommends posing, and people don’t feel as though they have the time because today’s workplace generally places the emphasis on accomplished tasks, on quantity rather quality.

Yet, as Kublin points out, quality circles on which companies focused in previous eras were really about critical thinking. In other words, this isn’t a new issue.

All aspects of employment

So how does an employer address critical thinking?

From an HR and management standpoint, evaluating critical thinking should begin as part of the hiring process.

Kublin tells HRWire pre-employment tests aimed at evaluating critical thinking do work. He also advocates asking behavioral questions during interviews.

In addition, it’s important to understand how critical thinking relates to the company’s vision, he says, and to evaluate candidates based on their ability to contribute in this way.

After a candidate becomes an employee, critical thinking should continue to be evaluated. Kublin recommends this evaluation be part of the performance appraisal process, and part of a rewards program.

If an employee falls short in his or ability to apply critical thinking, training should be provided.

HR’s role

Obviously, these areas all require HR involvement. But Kublin views human resource professionals as having an even larger role.

“I see HR as the heartbeat to be connected to the business. They really need to be embedded in the business to understand what the business is trying to achieve,” he says.

That is, HR professionals themselves have to apply critical thinking. They almost have to know the problems they’re going to hit so that the behaviors and the momentums shift to where the business goes, Kublin explains.

From an HR standpoint, the process of building an organization that focuses on critical thinking requires attention to better candidate screening, along with greater attention to performance and rewards management. “Performance appraisals should be tied to visions, missions, goals, and behaviors,” says Kublin.

However, attention to these so-called HR issues results in more than a workforce that engages in critical thinking. By taking this approach, HR promotes critical thinking.

In addition, communication, change, conflict resolution, and trust-building, can and should further critical thinking.

“HR could be the internal coaches to all of this,” he tells HRWire. “I really believe that the HR group should be the one that drives all this.”

Why now

In today’s environment, where companies struggle to maintain or do more with fewer resources, critical thinking arguably becomes more important.

When a company makes snap decisions, it risks several possible scenarios, according to PeopleTek. A seemingly small problem could snowball into a major disaster.

By not identifying the source of a problem, a company could be destined to face the same situation again and again, as the firm’s tech client did.

Finally, because departments are interrelated, what happens in IT, for example, doesn’t stay in IT. If a company implements changes without considering the big picture, it could impede operations.

In any business climate, particularly the tough economic environment companies currently face, critical thinking is critical.

Contact: Michael Kublin, president and founder, PeopleTek, mkublin@peopletekcoaching.com.

Online: The Critical Thinking Community, a website of the Foundation for Critical Thinking, http://www.criticalthinking.org/; PeopleTek, resources for leadership development, including critical thinking, http://www.peopletekcoaching.com/; “Applying Nursing Process: A Tool for Critical Thinking” by Rosalinda Alfaro-LeFevre, available at Amazon.com .
© 2008 Thomson/West

Topics: General | No Comments »