Manager as a Critical Thinker

Introduction
With the rapid change of technological advances experienced in today’s society, we are constantly challenged to evaluate systems and their efficacy.   In order to be successful, one is required to develop these decisions based on logic and their knowledge base. The process of scrutiny in determining the validity of someone’s work and whether the hypothesis is supported well and can be accepted or dropped is referred to as critical thinking. Critical thinkers are often identified by the way in which they approach situations in everyday life. Facione (2006) in his definition of critical thinking pointed out that a critical thinker needs to be inquisitive, open-minded, analytical, judicious, truth seeking, confident in reasoning and systematic. According to experts, the character of a person as a critical thinker can be judged by the way they approaches specific issues and problems. These individuals strategically takes their time to ponder the clarity and reasonableness presented in situations before making calculated and precise decisions as it relates to the subject matter and circumstance. (pg. 9)
Critical thinking is not something that is inherent but rather a skill acquired over time. Sampson, Moore and Jackson (2007) identify a combination of eight elements in their definition of critical thinking. These elements includes, “understanding, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, reflective thinking, communication and evaluation.”   The process of critical thinking is an ongoing one in which an individual benefits tremendously by taking their time to gather information before making an informed decision. Whether this decision will be life altering or just give a person a better understanding of something presented to them, certain questions needs to be asked. Facione (2006) outlines a six step process in his work which includes, identifying the problem, defining the context, enumerating choices, analyzing options, listing reasons explicitly, and self...