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Transcript

Soft Skill: Critical Thinking

Introduction

Critical thinking is a vital soft skill that involves the ability to analyse information, evaluate evidence, and make well-reasoned decisions. For undergraduates, developing strong critical thinking skills is essential not only for academic success but also for making informed choices in daily life and future careers. This skill allows you to approach problems systematically, consider multiple perspectives, and avoid common pitfalls in reasoning.

What is Critical Thinking ?

Conclusion

Types of Critical Thinking

Why Critical Thinking is Crucial for Your Career

Developing Your Critical Thinking Skills

Learning Objectives

Using Bloom's Taxonomy, the learning objectives for this critical thinking activity, applicable for a Process Improvement Specialist, can be categorised as follows:

By following these learning objectives, you will understand and be able to apply critical thinking to improve a common business process such as email checking, which is a key efficient skill, applicable in a role such as Process Improvement Specialist.

Creating

Evaluating

Understanding

Analysing

Applying

Remembering

Soft Skill: Efficient Process Investigation

We all know that sending, receiving and checking emails is a vital part of any job, particularly those that are office and/or computer based.This activity will improve your critical thinking skills by critically analysing and identifying areas for improvement in a common process.

Preparation Task (5 min):

Select a common process that you interact with regularly - in this case we are going to focus on checking emails. It should be complex enough to have at least 5–10 steps.

1

Research Task (6 min):

2

Write down step-by-step the actions taken in completing this task in a typical scenario. This should be relatively quick as you're familiar with the process. Be as detailed as possible—include even seemingly small or trivial steps.

Analysis Task (8 min):

Now, critically analyse each step:

  • Is this step necessary? Can it be skipped without affecting the outcome?
  • Can two steps be combined into one more efficient step?
  • Can the order be rearranged to make the process quicker or smoother?
  • Are there external factors affecting the speed or success of this step? What are they, and can they be reduced or eliminated?

3

Create Task (5 min):

Develop a new step-by-step guide for the process, maximising efficiency based on your analysis.

4

Document and Present (3 min):

Now, write it down in a formal process flow document. This new guide should be clear, concise, and easy to follow for someone unfamiliar with the process.

5

Reflection Task (2 min):

Reflect on the changes you've made to the process.

  1. How much efficiency do you think could be gained with this new process?
  2. What challenges might arise in implementing it?

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Expected Outcome

This activity improves critical thinking by requiring you to analyse, critique, and redesign a process. It also provides insight into the role of a Process Improvement Specialist, who constantly looks at existing processes and thinks critically about how they can be improved.

Model answers

Preparation Task (5 min):

I interact daily with the process of receiving, checking, and responding to emails. As an example, I will critically think on this topic and find ways to improve efficiency.

1

Research Task (6 min):

Steps in the process of checking email:

  • Login into the email account.
  • Check the 'new email' notification.
  • Open unread emails separately.
  • Read the email and decide the action: reply immediately, flag it for later, delete, or archive if no action needed.
  • Execute the action decided in step 4.
  • If the email is flagged for later, return to it and decide the action to be taken again.
  • Finally, log out.

2

Analysis Task (8 min):

  • Login and logging out is necessary for personal data security.
  • Checking 'new email' notifications can’t be skipped.
  • Opening unread emails can be done all at once by opening in new tabs, saving time.
  • The decision making in step4 could be streamlined if we categorise emails with labels/filters.
  • The action of reply or archive/delete can't be avoided but can be done faster with the use of templates for frequently received emails.
  • Returning to flagged emails could be reduced by deciding immediate action on some emails.
  • The steps can't be rearranged as it follows a systematic flow.
  • External factors can be a slow internet connection, in which case, improving the speed of the internet would help.

3

Create Task (5 min):

New step-by-step process:

4

  • Log in to the email account.
  • Check the 'new email' notification.
  • Open all unread emails in different tabs.
  • Use labels/filters to categorise emails.
  • Read each mails and take immediate action - reply with pre-decided templates, archive, or delete them. Decide minor emails later.
  • Do not log out if the environment is secure.

Document and Present (3 min):

I would rewrite my new email-checking process flow and present it to my peers for feedback on its clarity and efficiency.

5

Well done!

You have completed this soft skills activity. We hope you have enjoyed the programe and picked up some new skills and information!

Reflection

Considering the modifications made to the email checking process, it seems that the process could be around 40% more efficient. Challenges in implementing this could be spending initial time learning to use labels/filters and creating templates, but, in the long run, it will only increase efficiency. The analysis emphasises the importance and relevance of different steps in the task noting scope for improved productivity. This activity helped me improve my critical thinking skills and gives an insight into the role of a process improvement specialist.

Finally, self-reflection is a key part of critical thinking. This involves regularly assessing your own thought processes, identifying areas where you may have made errors in reasoning, and being willing to adjust your views based on new evidence or insights. Reflecting on your own thinking helps you avoid cognitive biases, improve your problem-solving abilities, and grow as a learner. To build this habit, take time after completing a project or making a decision to review the steps you took, consider what worked well, and identify areas for improvement.

Identify key terms and steps involved in the process of checking and responding to emails (e.g., "log-in", "open email", "respond", "flag or delete", "log-out").

  • Differentiate between various actions undertaken in the email checking process.
  • Analyse the process flow to understand bottlenecks and time-consuming activities.

  • Create a more efficient, logical process flow for checking and responding to emails that would reduce the process time and also improve the quality of responses.
  • Formulate a strategy to adapt the new process across different email scenarios and wider organisational contexts.

Another important component of critical thinking is the ability to analyse and synthesise information. This involves breaking down complex ideas into manageable parts, identifying patterns, and integrating different pieces of information to form a coherent whole. For example, when tackling a research project, a critical thinker will not only gather relevant data but also look for connections between different studies, weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each, and draw conclusions based on the overall evidence. To practise this skill, engage in exercises that require you to compare and contrast different viewpoints, summarise key findings, and develop your own interpretations based on the information available.

  • Explain the importance of each step in the email checking process and how it contributes to the overall efficiency or inefficiency of the process.
  • Summarise the main steps or actions in the process.

In summary, critical thinking is an essential soft skill that empowers undergraduates to navigate complex information, make informed decisions, and approach problems with a logical and open mind. By questioning assumptions, analysing and synthesising information, making reasoned decisions, embracing open-mindedness, and engaging in self-reflection, you can significantly enhance your critical thinking abilities. Developing this skill will not only improve your academic performance but also prepare you for the challenges and opportunities you will encounter in your future career and personal life.

  • Define the process flow for checking and responding to emails, demarcating each step involved and actions undertaken. Demonstrate the ability to execute each step in the process promptly and accurately.

  • Assess the effectiveness of the process and how alterations in actions or addition of efficiency tools can help improve the quality of process completion or shorten the time taken.
  • Critique the existing process to identify areas for improvement and suggest changes.

Critical thinking also requires the ability to make logical and well-reasoned decisions. This means considering the potential consequences of different actions, weighing the pros and cons, and choosing the option that best aligns with your goals and values. In academic settings, this might involve selecting a research methodology that best suits your study, while in everyday life, it could mean making a decision about how to allocate your time or resources effectively. To enhance your decision-making skills, practice outlining the possible outcomes of various options and thinking through the implications of each choice before acting.Additionally, critical thinking involves open-mindedness and the willingness to consider alternative perspectives. This means being able to put aside personal biases and preconceived notions to fairly evaluate the merits of different arguments. In a diverse and complex world, being open to different viewpoints is crucial for understanding and solving problems effectively. To develop this aspect of critical thinking, engage in discussions with people who have different opinions, read widely across different disciplines, and challenge yourself to see issues from multiple angles.

At the core of critical thinking is the ability to question assumptions and evaluate arguments. Rather than accepting information at face value, critical thinkers ask probing questions to uncover deeper insights and challenge the validity of claims. To improve this aspect of critical thinking, start by questioning the sources of information you encounter, whether in textbooks, news articles, or conversations. Ask yourself: Who is the author? What is their perspective? Are there any biases that might affect the information? This habit of questioning helps you develop a more nuanced understanding of complex issues and prevents you from being easily swayed by superficial arguments.