Critical Thinking - Improving Communication

One of the main purposes of thinking is to get the ability of connecting different thoughts and facts, and getting a cohesive picture in the end. Our own ideas gain more value and weight when we realize that other distinguished thinkers are also thinking the same. The way ideas are structured in our mind depend on the conceptual relationships we make to the sayings and teachings of the people we follow. This connecting of thoughts make our decisions objective and practical. It increases our self-awareness too.

Objectivity is an important requirement for critical thinking. Objectivity is the practice of drawing your conclusions based on facts and data available, while keeping personal equations and relationships away. For example, a referee might be a friends with a player, however his decision of penalizing the same player in the case of a foul he did shouldn't be influenced by their personal equation.

Although emotions should be kept aside while making a decision, some emotions must be retained for critical thinking, which is different from taking a decision. A bakery shop's owner wanting to help her customers out by starting a free home delivery service is a critical thinking where she is involving the emotions of her customers. However, if she finds out that the cost of the service would not be financially feasible for her business, she has to take a tough decision and modify her thought.

Self-awareness is the characteristic of being aware of one’s thoughts, limits, and emotions. People who think critically conduct frequent self-assessment to see where they stand in the changing order of things, if they are ahead of the curve or lagging behind. This periodical evaluation helps them keep updated as per the current demands and changes in global scenarios.

So, communication needs to be done in an objective light which can only be possible if we keep reading and knowing about new stuff so that our judgment is based on facts, and not emotional responses. In addition to that, we should also be aware of our shortcomings and try to address them as soon as we can.

As the financial officer in a company that deals in cars, you are facing a unique situation. The owner of the company is an intuitive man and loves taking decisions based on his gut feeling. This method has got him success in the past number of times, however now the economy of the country is undergoing a change.

The owner is a well-read man who keeps himself updated with the market scenario, however, true to his intuitive style of doing business, he is planning to order a fleet of 30 Chevys, hoping that the cars will be sold before the Christmas.

As the financial advisor of this company, what would your decision be and how would you convince him of your decision, if it were different from his?