Critical Thinking Gaps

Critical Thinking is the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion. There are very few real critical thinkers because it is a complex type of thinking with the multitude of thought process, at the deeper level, critical thinking has creativity embedded in it. Critical Thinking technique can be taught, but Critical Thinking skills can only be developed via practicing independent thinking, insightful observation, and conscious and even superconscious reasoning. There are critical thinking gaps existing which cause leadership blind spots and poor decision making, how to identify and fill them to improve the leadership maturity and digital professionalism?
The gap between proactive thinking and passive thinking: Passive thinking is taking things as they come and not really asking questions or analyzing the information presented for its value. Critical thinking is analyzing, looking beyond the surface, not just accepting things at face value but asking questions and being active in your thought processes. We all have a cognitive bias, whether individually or collectively, it is no surprise to create the thinking gaps by imperfect people using imperfect processes via the narrow lenses. By practicing critical thinking, it implies some systematic methodology, employing and applying the criteria deemed appropriate by the thinkers involved, to arrive at the tangible and reproducible truth for minding the gaps and enforce understanding.
The gaps between impoverished thinking and resourceful/ imaginable thinking: Critical thinking doesn't always cross over to include imaginative or resourceful thinking. Because the opposite of critical thinking would be unimaginative, evidence-driven, limited, and impoverished thinking often leads to the same old expected solutions. The real critical thinking far outweighs than the conventional critical thinking techniques, such as reason, logic, calculation, and conscious weighing of expected outcomes, etc. It has to ability to catch the trends and discovery of hidden connections. It involves significant critical thinking elements relying heavily on the judgment in evaluating ideas, and planning implementations and evaluating results. Also, when the environment is "fast," we have to employ good thinking fast. It is the employment a Critical Thinking "Trigger," before deciding on a course of action.
The gaps between convenience thinking and mindful thinking: Many people still get stuck in the “think less” mentality - thinker of convenience, or avoid thinking deeply, just believe what being told blindly. In this age of information overload, it's hard to find the truth, to filter all the noises and get the real signals.  While the form of science-based mindful thinking incorporates being mindful; being present, noticing new things; with critical thinking. Hence, education needs to fill the critical thinking gaps, and organizations today are tasked with making information and knowledge more accessible and convenient. On the other, they need to find and develop people for whom convenience is no motivation. They should look for and promote mental agility and curiosity, thinkers of consequence, not thinkers of convenience. They want intellectually engaged people motivated by hard problems and common challenges. They should recognize and appreciate the critical thinkers who can fill the management blind spots or fill the cognitive gaps in order to drive changes more confidently.
Due to the hyperconnected and over-complex nature of Digital era, it is time to fill the critical thinking gaps, and think more profoundly. The real critical thinking is a multi-dimensional and integral thought processes to keep the mind flow and understand things in profundity.

Follow us at: @Pearl_Zhu