The Importance of Critical Thinking to the Decision Making Process

This paper will introduce critical thinking and creative problem solving with an emphasis on the latter. In doing so, it will attempt to describe any similarities and differences between the two.

Critical thinking is one of the most important traits that a person can have in their day to day lives. It involves the person to have the ability to ascertain claims and make judgments based on well-support evidence or logic rather than anecdote or emotion. There are 8 protocols that critical thinkers’ exhibit in their day to day lives in order to become better at their craft.

Critical thinking is described as unbiased, clear and factual thought process that helps any student with any decision-making process. Critical thinking is an essential tool that every student will need to master to continue academic success. There are multiple phases of critical thinking as described by Benjamin Bloom which include remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. The critical thinking process starts by remembering. If we can remember what we read and apply key facts we will be able to move forward to understand what decisions we need to make. From there we can then apply the facts to the decision we have to make and innovate, or create, as needed.

Simpson and Courtney (2002) state "an important step in problem solving and decision-making is the need to utilize critical-thinking abilities to reframe a problem or situation." Critical thinking involves questioning all the features of a situation and analyzing solutions.

Critical thinking is essential in business and in every aspect of life. The more time spent thinking critically about an issue or problem allows the thinker time to generate a response and a course of action. A person that thinks critically about a decision before acting has the best chance of getting optimal results. Team-A has completed the Thinking Critically simulation and has reviewed the results as a group determining that in business, thinking critically can make the difference between success and failure. In the following critique, we will discuss the problem evaluation tools and techniques from the simulation and compare those to the tools and techniques that we would have used in this scenario. Team-A will describe the

Critical thinking is something I don’t do very often, sometimes I just judge from looking or listening to what I see or hear but this is something I will learn with time. To learn critical thinking I will follow the steps that are required because critical thinking is something we have to learn because we are not born critical thinking. One is identifying what we are talking about. Then we have to gather information about the theme that we are talking about. The next step is to look for evidence and consider alternatives or other people points of view. Sometimes we do not want to accept what other peoples opinion is about something and that is wrong because we might learn from them. Finally we choose the best possible alternative after we have gone thru all this. Using critical thinking will allow you to make better decisions not only in the work place but also in our day to day lives. Maybe one day you will have to make a life changing decision in your job.

In order to master critical thinking, the ability to question information and solve problems must be present. The crucial steps that lead to successful decision-making is not based solely on our skills and abilities, but on the strategies that help us get there. All these steps combined allow us to make solid and intelligent decisions. Research on understanding how the mind works is a continuing project at best, but the progress we have made is substantial in the areas of understanding problem-solving and decision-making.

Many different meanings come to mind when I think of critical thinking. Coming from a family full of educators, principals, and attorneys, I often would hear debates between my family members discussing ways to educate and motivate their students. Many different views and positions were established. I began to develop ideas from my family members and understood the possible relationships and differences that emerged between them. The critical thinking process has amplified my problem-solving skills as well as increasing my growth in continued learning and developing skills. In this unit, I've learned that decision-making is a process that is generally based on your attitude at that given time. Bethel University(2013). However, when I began to problem solve, I refer back to brainstorming, analyzing, evaluating, illustrating, and being persistent. Engaging in

The main concepts presented in the article are the varying definitions of each author on the concept of critical thinking. The information the author uses are definitions which are the opinions of varied authors and are similar in foundation in that to apply critical thinking one must be able to identify a problem, pose a question(s), provide valid supporting evidence, and come to a conclusion. Although the author’s definitions do not identify a problem, questions, evidence, or conclusions, the relationship Petress (2004) shows is that the reader must apply this process themselves as it is not always given. The information used does appear to be relevant, significant, and valid. The references the author listed does provide enough information for me to come to this conclusion. Since this work is a literature review and not a case study, numerical data are not necessary to determine validity of the information.

Bassham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H., & Wallace, J. (2002). Critical Thinking. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies Publishing. Retrieved August 25, 2004 from University of Phoenix, Resource, MGT/350–Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making Web site: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp

Critical thinking is the questioning of ideas. It is the process in which you take an argument and analyze it in order to conclude whether that argument is valid. Thinking critically is a good skill that can help others make intelligent decisions and helps them understand what to believe or not believe. Critical thinking is involved in our daily life. For example, every day we make decisions and before every decision we think critically if that is the right decision. We take into consideration the possible consequences of such decision and from that we reach a conclusion. Critical thinking involves disciplined thinking and it teaches you to think for yourself. It is personal growth and confidence that results from learning to exercise your mind to its fullest potential.

I agree with the authors on the definition and use of critical thinking and decision making skills. The benefits of being a critical thinker are enormous, they include being able to make effective decisions and learning to ask the important show-stopping questions. By using these skills you will be able to probe deeper and get to the heart of the issue. As stated in an earlier paper, the use of critical thinking when making crucial business decisions quite simply makes good business sense. Critical thinking skills are crucial in today's fast paced business world. Once these skills become

Critical thinking also helps in decision-making. Both problem solving and decision-making abilities are vital to a prosperous business.

Critical thinking means accurate thinking in the search of appropriate and dependable knowledge about the world. Another way to describe it is sensible, insightful, responsible, and skillful thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do. Critical thinking is not being able to process information well enough to know to stop for red lights or whether you established the right change at the supermarket.

Thinking critically and making decisions are important parts of today’s business environment. It is important to understand how the decision making process works and the steps involved. The nine steps of the decision making process are: identifying the problem, defining criteria, setting goals and objectives, evaluating the effect of the problem, identifying the causes of the problem, framing alternatives, evaluating impacts of the alternatives, making the decision, implementing the decision, and measuring the impacts. (Decision, 2007.) By using various methods and tools to assist in making important business decisions an individual can ensure the decisions they make will be as successful as possible. In this paper it