Write the journal on the following questions.
1. Why do you believe that it is important that you develop critical thinking skills? Why do they matter – in work and in life?
2. How would you rate your critical thinking skills at the moment?
3. What might you do to improve your critical thinking skills?
4. Why are critical thinking skills so important for HR professionals working in the field?
You might want to do a bit of research here – how are critical thinking skills defined? How are they measured?
Other than this write the journal using “I” statements because this is self-reflective journal.
Why do you believe that it is important that you develop critical thinking skills? Why do they matter – in work and in life?
Critical thinking skills refer to the abilities to use information to reach an objective conclusion or form a valid judgment. How to measure critical thinking skills includes IQ tests and validation tests. An individual can measure their critical thinking skills by taking IQ tests online that allows them to utilize available information to choose given answers and determine how many of them they get right. High score means that they have high level of critical thinking skills.
Critical thinking skills help individuals to solve problems and make effective decisions by analyzing and evaluating information objectively. Another benefit of critical thinking skills is that it enables an individual to understand himself or herself and develop self-discipline. A critical thinker also understands their environments and the feelings of others, leading to positive personal relationship with other people.
How would you rate your critical thinking skills at the moment?
You can rate your critical thinking skills by evaluating yourself in actual and/or simulated situations that require critical thinking. For me I think I score about 6/10 on critical thinking. Above average, but not really convincing. I sometimes fail to make informed decisions due to being too quick to make conclusions.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the balanced scorecard. Do you use this type of monitoring tool in your organization? In your opinion, what are key elements or pieces of information you would include in your balanced scorecard?
What might you do to improve your critical thinking skills?
Here are some of the steps that someone can take to improve their critical thinking skills:
- Develop self-awareness by examining oneself and reflecting on personal experiences as well individual weaknesses and strengths.
- Understanding one’s own mental process: know about how you think and why you think the way you do.
- Develop foresight and be open to new ideas
- Practice active listening to get the wisdom of others
- Ask questions or be more inquisitive in life.
- Evaluate information objectively and base your arguments on evidence
- Keep learning and seeking the views of experts
- Participate in group discussions and team building activities
Why are critical thinking skills so important for HR professionals working in the field?
Critical thinking skills are significantly important for HR professionals because it helps them to make good judgments when hiring, training, monitoring, rewarding and motivating employees.
To manage employees effectively, HR professionals must understand job applicants and employees clearly. Critical thinking skills helps them to determine the right kind of employees who have the skills needed to perform at a high level within the organization.
