ASSIGNMENT

Assignment



Assignment

Answer of Question No.1

Many people think the goal of critical thinking is to come up with one right answer. But where there are complex problems, especially in the business world, the purpose of thinking critically is to get to the heart of a problem and reason through situations and issues that are, by their nature, ambiguous. Critical thinking then is not about coming up with a right or wrong answer. A good definition is, "Critical thinking is best understood as the ability of thinkers to take charge of their own thinking. This requires that they develop sound criteria and standards for analyzing and assessing their own thinking and routinely use those criteria and standards to improve its quality" (Elder & Paul, 1994, p.34)

The foundation of critical thinking dates back to Socrates, the Greek philosopher who lived from approximately 469 to 399 B.C. The heart of critical thinking which the Socratic Method is is a process of using open-ended questions that helps elicit and clarify reasoning (American Management Association [AMA], 2001). Its power resides in the ability to help people slow down their thinking so that they can observe, evaluate and improve it. The Socratic Method rests on the assumption that everything has a logic that can be uncovered through questioning and thinking (AMA, 2001). It also explores the values domain of thinking by making us aware that we need to respect others' ideas and to see their point of view. The emphasis on core values and respectful communication makes critical thinking more than a mere exercise in logic. The core of Socratic principles holds that, to be an excellent thinker, we need qualities like truth, integrity, courage, humility, and empathy (AMA, 2001). Without these values in the search for knowledge, our thinking becomes rigid, limited, and mechanical. To cultivate an inner Socratic spirit means having genuine curiosity about and respect for other's ideas, and developing questions aimed at understanding each others thinking process with a view toward continual improvement (AMA, 2001).

Answer of Question No.2

Employees will always react to change...positive or negative reactions. It doesn't matter if the change is major or if it's a minor change to a process. People react! So how do you as a manager handle your team's reaction to a change?

Before you can evaluate your team's reactions, you first need to become aware of your own reactions.

==>How Are You Reacting to Change?

-Do you support the change 100%?

-If not, why? You may have no choice but to implement a change. How do you motivate your staff when you are not entirely behind it? It's important to understand your own reactions, as they will permeate all your efforts to get your team on board.

-If the change is company wide, never express to your staff that "the senior management" wants this done now. Why? You are sending several messages to your team....you are not behind it and you don't take full responsibility for your role as their manager. The latter is a habit your staff will quickly pick ...