Critical Thinking

A few years ago a respected motorcycle company almost had to shut its doors because its big motorcycles had lost their high quality. Customers were dissatisfied with performance and service, and sales went down, down, down.

     In a move of desperation, the managers of the company called in consultants to help correct the problem. One recommendation made by the consultants sounded strange at first. They said to the managers, "Teach your employees to think critically. Critical thinking leads to product improvement."

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking means breaking a question or a problem into small parts. If you change the phrase "think critically" to the words "break it down," you'll get the idea. By breaking down the parts, each question or problem can be worked on separately.

     This kind of logical, organized thinking is actually a process. So when a teacher or an employer says, "Think this through until you come up with the right answer," you are being told to use a process of critical thinking.