Critical Thinking

REFLECTION​

​

In his 2009 book Letters to a Young Contrarian, Christopher Hitchens states, “The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks” (p. 3). His words encapsulate one of the great challenges presented in the MPS in Organizational Leadership program. While much of my time in undergraduate coursework was spent ingesting information, memorizing terms, or recalling facts, the graduate coursework in this program has continually asked me to examine complex real-world situations, discover the existing research affecting those situations, and assess how organizational and individual improvement may be achieved. This type of critical thinking is a thread that runs through every course in the program, but these assignments in particular forced me to grow in specific ways.

 

I dreaded Advanced Sociological Research (SOC 621) more than any course in the program and I was pleased the fact that it was the penultimate course in the suggested program sequence scratched my procrastination itch. The word “research” was foreboding in my mind, having little experience in detailed research through my undergraduate work. To say that I was intimidated to complete the research paper would be an understatement. Yet the challenges of this assignment did not come from the sources I expected. Although I was nervous about interacting with quantitative data, the professor broke down the steps in digestible ways that made producing data easily achievable. The greatest challenge of the assignment came when I was asked to apply social theory to the research questions and develop suitable hypotheses, a process that requires one to think critically about the world, society, and oneself. It requires courage to posit an answer to a complex question. It takes even more courage to admit when you might be lacking information or need to reassess your presuppositions, both of which were the results of my research.

​

The process of writing the quantitative research paper taught me that good research — and indeed good leadership — requires courage. For someone like me who tends to be cautious and avoid risks, it was an important lesson to absorb. Thinking critically requires a level of curiosity and a willingness to pursue the possible answers even if it exposes your own ignorance or shortcomings. Antonacopoulou and Bento (2018) describe good leaders as constant learners, those that “learn that [these] challenges are to be expected, and become progressively able to extract learning from them as they navigate the unknown with the 4C – virtues of courage, commitment, confidence, and curiosity” (p. 625). This is the type of lifelong learner I desire to be.

 

The qualitative research paper in Qualitative Research Methods (LDRS 810) stretched me in a different way. I chose a research subject that was familiar territory, having worked in churches for several decades. Although my familiarity was beneficial in many ways, such as developing quality research questions, I was confronted with my preconceived expectations when conducting and analyzing the interviews. I was forced to confront the fact that effective critical thinking includes an honest evaluation of oneself and how personal bias may affect the research. Maynes (2015) states, “We are subject to a wide-array of cognitive biases which impede critical thinking, undermining both its durability and portability” (p. 184). I believe that the “Researcher Bias” portion of this project displays my ability to perform this task of critical thinking well in a way that informs the research and admits the impact of the researcher upon the research.

 

Most of my professional life has been spent in religious and now nonprofit work, both of which require a large investment of passion and self into the job. I currently work with a diverse clientele, many of whom have vastly different lived experiences from my own. I have discovered how vital it is to become aware of my own blind spots, to identify pre-existing beliefs that need to be challenged, and to discover areas where I need to learn more about the people I serve. I often need to be more curious, listen more actively, and be more vulnerable about my own biases. I am unsure if one ever completes the work of overcoming bias, but I am determined to continue to improve. This project reminded me that a person cannot critically evaluate complex situations without understanding how they are affecting the process and identifying what they need to learn.

 

Finally, the art argument paper was an assignment with no real “right” answer. As someone who enjoys solving a problem and finding the correct solution, I cannot adequately describe how frustrating that is. I recall interacting with a few classmates and being persuaded by their opinions that were different from mine. What this assignment unveiled so effectively is that critical thinking, especially in organizations, is rarely an individual pursuit. Loes et al. (2012) argue that the development of critical thinking skills is greatly affected by exposure to novel situations and relationships with others who introduce unfamiliar perspectives and ideas (p. 1). If one is to work on a team, the process of critical thinking involves actively listening to diverse perspectives and working together to come to a reasonable solution. In an increasingly complex global marketplace, this type of critical thinking is not a luxury, but a necessity.

 

It’s a fact I’m confronted with on a daily basis. My work team is diverse in many ways; we work in different geographic locations, have different family histories, and are diverse in gender, race, and socioeconomic background. The process of critical thinking on our team often looks like this paper – people arguing persuasively from varying perspectives to solve a complex issue with no real “right” answer. This process is not nearly as efficient as my independent projects, but I must admit that the outcomes are often better, and more unique solutions are found when multiple perspectives are allowed into the process.

 

A recent situation in my organization has required me to put all of these lessons about critical thinking into practice. I work at a 106-year-old nonprofit organization whose main funding sources are deeply rooted within the Christian denomination in which it was founded. The denomination, like many in America, is aging rapidly, so the amount of money available to be donated from church sources will decrease in the future. Additionally, the denominational conference is experiencing an acrimonious split, which strains relationships with partner churches that have contributed to the organization for decades. I work on the development team that has been forced to think critically about the shape of our future fundraising.

 

I have had to confront my personal biases about churches and listen intently to pastors at our partner churches to deepen old relationships and build new ones. The reality is that although the denominational environment is precarious, there are exciting opportunities available in the midst of change. The development team has had to be collectively courageous to explore new funding opportunities outside of our historic revenue streams. We made the choice to become an independent 501c3 organization, coming out from the denominational umbrella. That decision has opened doors with grant providers who would not work with church-affiliated organizations. In a situation with no real “right” answer, the development team has had to listen to diverse opinions, both inside and outside our team, and work to develop a plan that will sustain our organization’s funding for the next 10 years. We are still in the middle of that process but are excited about the future.

 

I believe that the skills I have developed through this program have helped me be a leader in this process as I help us evaluate our present and dream about our future. My biggest growth area for professional development continues to be courage in critical thinking. Almost every personality or leadership assessment tool I use reinforces the fact that I have a personality that is governed by fear. This means that I can be reticent to share my opinion or speak out because I am afraid to make mistakes or expose a lack of understanding. As I move forward in my career, I plan to seek opportunities to participate in processes like the one I describe above which require creative thinking, careful analysis, and courageous decision-making. I believe that will help me grow as a leader and as a teammate.