MGT 312 Assignment 2: Decision Making and Problem Solving

This report analyzes the article "3 Simple Habits to Improve Your Critical Thinking" by Helen Lee Bouygues. It summarizes the article's key points, which emphasize the importance of critical thinking for organizational success, especially in today's rapidly changing technological landscape. The report discusses the relationship between the article's content and learning, highlighting how critical thinking can be improved by analyzing facts, information, and different perspectives. It then explores the concept of groupthink and how the article's recommendations can help mitigate its negative effects. The report also examines the connection between critical and creative thinking, arguing that critical thinking serves as a foundation for creative problem-solving. The report draws on the article's suggestions to question assumptions, use logical reasoning, and seek diverse perspectives to improve critical thinking skills, ultimately enhancing decision-making and leadership capabilities.

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CRITICAL THINKING

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Introduction
In this report, “3 Simple habits to improve your critical thinking”by Helen Lee
Bouygues” article is selected. The discussion is made on describing the summary of the article,
relationship of the article with learning and groupthink. Further, the association of creative
thinking and critical thinking is also discussed.
Article summary
The author describes that there are various organization which are struggling because of
mismanaging of the work and not adopting the advanced technologies. Therefore, various
problems also arise from the root cause of the organizational problems (Bouygues, 2019).
Through, which lack of critical thinking is becomes the major issue but still companies used
several initiatives which includes that it results in evaluating the topic and subject matter from all
the areas. The other leaders also focus on jumping into the conclusion so that problem being
identified and analyzed. Researchers also describes that critical thinking is the major area which
leaders has to focus on by which various issues can be solved and confidence in the organization
will be accomplished (Bouygues, 2019).
The authors demonstrate that critical thinking is the strategy through which individual
abilities is developed to fight against the challenging task; it is the learning skills which increase
knowledge, abilities and capabilities of the leaders (Bouygues, 2019). It support the organization
to achieve the objectives and can also support in accomplishing efficiency in the company and
also gain the capability of the company to get competitive advantage and can improve decision
making skills, innovative skills and creative skills. The authors provide three simple steps in

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improving the critical skills which includes question assumptions, in this leaders can develop
alternatives and questions which leaders has to assume and answer which includes “What will
we do when client changed?”. The other questions includes “What we have to do when suppliers
move out of the business?”, these questions allow us to think in more deeply and in-depth
thinking give raise to critical thinking (Bouygues, 2019).
The other things which authors wants organizations leaders to be focused for improving
critical thinking is the “reason through logic”, in which leaders can to collect various evidence to
make judgment and to move to the conclusion (Bouygues, 2019). It is because through
investigation author investigated that different customer has different perception towards the
particular product. This supports the leaders to focus on the chain of logic for the particular
argument and allow individual to test and think logically. The third thing which author want
leaders to do for improving critical thinking is “seeking out the different thoughts and
collaboration”, in this we have to remain with the people and things which provide leaders more
knowledge and information about the subject matter. Through this leader has to think more
people, share more views and belief so that more thinking is developed among the individual to
solve the problem in efficient manner.
The author also describes some problem which does not give rise to the critical thinking
is the tendency of the individual to remain with the person who think and act similar to them
which make their thinking rigid. The other problem is that leaders of the organization make
decision by collecting insufficient evidence or the results which is not justified and does not
provide adequate information about subject matter. The one of the problem which author
described is the lack of belief on particular matter (Bouygues, 2019).

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Article relation with learning
The learning and author opinion in improving the critical thinking is similar, it is because
I also learned that critical thinking will be improved by focusing and analysis various facts,
information and research. This is done to make logical judgment by thinking in more critical
manner (Fook, 2015). In my learning I also described that critical thinking is improved by
adjusting individual perspective to the other different perspective of others. It is because of
gaining more information about the subject matter and to take opinions from different persons
(Benade, 2015). This is also discussed in the article for improving the critical thinking of the
leaders.
Groupthink
Groupthink is considered the practice of thinking and decision making in the group, this
is unchallenged and can sometimes make inefficient decisions (Novakovich, 2016). It is because
in this opinions of the group person are similar and it is the central tendency of the person to
make similar decision and to go with the group members. Therefore, to overcome this problem
and to prevent the people to engage in group author in article provide the one way which include
“seek out diversity of thought” in which person does not have to be the person of similar thought
and seek the new thoughts to get more information. In this all become independent to make
decisions and does not get affected with the group decisions (Demir, 2015).
Critical thinking and creative thinking
I disagreed with the statement that “critical thinking is the opposite of creative thinking”
it is because critical thinking is the first step of creative thinking in which person focuses on
gathering the facts, important information and research to think and make decision in more

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creative manner. For example, critical thinking and creative thinking move hand in hand for
making decision regarding adopting of the technology for gaining competitive advantage. For
this the both used at same time to accomplish different objective in most efficient and effective
manner (Novakovich, 2016).

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References
Benade, L. (2015). Teachers’ critical reflective practice in the context of twenty-first century
learning. Open Review of Educational Research , 2 (1), 42-54.
Bouygues, H. L. (2019). 3 Simple Habits to Improve Your Critical Thinking. Harvard Business
Review .
Demir, S. (2015). Evaluation of Critical Thinking and Reflective Thinking Skills . Journal of
Education and Practice , 6 (18), 17-21.
Fook, J. (2015). Reflective practice and critical reflection. Handbook for practice learning in
social work and social care , 440-454.
Kim, Y., & Silver, R. E. (2016). Provoking reflective thinking in post observation conversations.
Journal of Teacher Education , 67 (3), 203-219.
Novakovich, J. (2016). Fostering critical thinking and reflection. Journal of Computer Assisted
Learning , 32 (1), 16-30.