We Asked, You Answered

In this post, we start an exploration of critical thinking in the workplace. But first, a little background . . . 

A few weeks ago, we sent a special request to the readers of our monthly newsletter, and through LinkedIn, and asked if they’d be willing to answer a few questions on a survey we created. We wanted to learn more about our readers and what their most pressing business concerns are.

We asked one central question and then a series of what I’ll call demographic questions. The central question is what we’ll focus on here:

What is the single biggest challenge that you’re struggling within your business right now?

This was the single most important question for us, so we put it right upfront. Being in the business of helping other businesses grow, it’s important for us to know what issues our readers are facing in their businesses right now.

There were many different answers, but the one that was repeated more than once was recognizing a lack of what respondents called “critical thinking” in the workplace among employees. One example,

“. . . people are losing problem-solving skills.  If technology can’t solve it for them, they don’t have the critical thinking to figure it out.”

And,

“. . . hiring professionals with the capacity for critical thought and solid work ethic.”

A brief search of the internet shows that, over the last 3 or 4 years, businesses across the country share the same concern as those of our respondents.

The Status of Critical Thinking in the Workplace (From peasoned.com 9/9/2016)

Is Your Team Missing This Important Business Skill? (From businessnewsdaily.com 12/3/2014)

Bosses Seek ‘Critical Thinking,’ But What is That? (From wsj.com 10/21/14)

Over the next couple of weeks, we will explore what it means to be a critical thinker in the workplace and how to foster that quality in your employees.

In meantime, think about what the term critical thinking means for you, your people, and your bottom line. We can help you coach others in critical thinking and foster an environment that develops and encourages it. Leave a comment, below, or reach out to us directly.

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Original photo by Daniel Jensen on Unsplash