Jaime Hadley

Critical Thinking and Analysis

The industrial revolution focused on the value and production of goods. Successful factories

were built on a foundation of streamlined processes and simple work performed routinely by

mostly unskilled workers. The critical thinking, or innovation of any kind, came from above,

from the CEO’s of businesses, and trickled down to the workers by way of rules and regulations.

Only in the age of technology, the second large scale business revolution, did the concepts of

intellectual property and the knowledge worker sudden appear and become valuable. When

people like Peter Drucker began to discuss how managing manual workers differed from

inspiring knowledge workers, the individuals comprising an organization suddenly had the

power to take an idea and make changes beyond their pay grade. In this new age of business,

the key to business success no longer comes solely from a training manual, but from a

purposeful company culture of learning and critical thinking. The modern day worker must feel

the freedom to constantly reevaluate systems and to construct and deconstruct ideas, the

freedom to question and to innovate, along with the reasonable pressure to perform, in order

to achieve to the highest of his or her abilities.

Which managerial traits are important in fostering this type of learning culture?

HUMILITY: Someone looking to increase critical analysis and reason in the workplace must be

willing to display humility. Critical thinking often leads to the analysis of systems or processes

which have been used for a long period of time. Though perhaps not entirely broken, these

systems often have become inefficient as the business has evolved. Also common, one person

who originally put a system into place may remain particularly attached to its assumed

relevance. Thus when hearing new ideas, or perpetuating them, the person must utilize

humility to set aside the ego and make room for innovation.

PURPOSEFUL CURIOSITY: When employees or associates feel that they cannot question, each

other or management, without offending, a culture of learning will not flourish. No one put

greater value on questions than Socrates, who found that only through questions could the

human mind truly be enlightened. Associates should possess the initiative and determination to

ask thoughtful questions and to seek logical answers. Hesitation should be replaced with

curiosity, with a strong desire to increase knowledge and understanding. Though intellect by

itself will not prove fruitful, one must possess a desire for logic and knowledge in order to think

critically. People may not come into a business with the amount of knowledge preferred, but a

culture of learning and openness will encourage them to work hard to expand their mind.

Fellow employees and management should take every opportunity to teach and to learn,

regardless of whether the concept or task at hand relates directly to the person’s day-to-day

work.

Jaime Hadley

With these traits and the understanding that a knowledgeable workforce equals greater

success, anyone can help to foster a culture of learning and critical thinking in their workplace.

What can I do to foster a learning culture in my workplace?

Within my role, I can utilize curiosity and humility to increase my critical thinking and analysis in

work. I can treat my position as ever evolving, continuously evaluating my goals and steps in

achieving those goals. I can ask questions of my peers and managers, and learn about the

history of our team and the vision for the future. I can speak up when I see an opportunity for

improvement, and listen when one is pointed out to me. I can take the advice and teachings

from those around me to improve myself daily. Most importantly, I can renew my mind daily

towards the focus of my work purpose, to support my internal and external clients to the best

of my abilities.