Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Critical Thinking: Getting to the Right Decision CIL2010 Session

Critical Thinking: Getting to the Right Decision
Rebecca Jones, Partner, Dysart & Jones Associates
Deb Wallace, Managing Director, Knowledge & Library Services, Harvard Business School

If you are not prepared to change, don't even bother doing a strategic plan. - Rebecca Jones
So true!

slideshare.net/beckyjojojones

Critical Thinking is really about
-Decision-making & problem-solving
-Open-mindedness
-Productive dialogue

We can't make decisions alone or in a vacuum, the decisions & problems we face are increasingly complex. The decisions we make end up impacting someone else.

Good Critical Thinking
-Raises the right questions
-Focuses on the real problem or decision to be taken
-Gathers & assesses relevant information
-Uses abstract ideas to interpret info effectively
-Develops well-reasoned conclusions & solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards
-Relies on recognizing & assessing assumptions, implications, & consequences
-Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems

Why?
-For our users
-For our organizations
-For ourselves, and our professional credibility

"Set in our ways" won't move us forward

"Naming" the process at first makes it legitimate to:
-Challenge usual practices
-Rethink what has been thought
-Expand the emphasis from short-term fixes to long-term fusion

Common Decision Traps
-Framing
-Status quo
-Anchoring
-Sunk Cost

Critical thinking is not about being critical.

KLS Enduring Goals (Do not change goals every year or two years)
-Deliver the greatest possible value to KLS's customers by integrating our expertise and resources in support of their teaching, learning, and research.
-Build and enrich a knowledge of information ecosystem that delivers what the customer needs when they need it, seamlessly.
-Be the "trusted advisor" for Harvard Business School in knowledge, information and learning practices

Free people up to think in different ways. Think critically about how best to meet our missions, to meet our user needs.

The libraries at Harvard constantly rank the lowest among employee satisfaction among Harvard departments. Need to realize that it is not a top down, but administrators/managers need to listen to all employees.

If you are not happy in your work or your position, will not be able to think critically and contribute to your organization.

Critical Characteristics
-Communication skills; listen
-Self-awareness & self-acceptance
-Curious, interested, & questioning
-Admits lack of valid information & understanding
-Assess & evaluates information & propositions for their value at the issue on hand

What's Critical?
-Awareness
-Discipline your decision making to uncover thinking errors & prevent judgment errors
-Trying it

***Wonderful presentation, lots to think about and process.***

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