Critical thinking is described as “the art of thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better” (Paul & Elder, 2006, p. WI). Critical thinking in a workplace is a necessary tool for an employee to grow with the company. Critical thinking can help an employee find his or her voice in the organization, understand the importance of critical thinking and decision making, and the potential benefits of decision making. Critical thinking allows an employee to analyze, evaluate, and improve his or her everyday thinking.
After an incident at work, I made my voice known within my office. I used to work for a tribal welfare program, but specifically I was reception in the youth department. One day I was monitoring children play outside when a young girl (girl number one) came running to me and told me another girl (girl number two) and a boy was trying to push her into the bathroom and pull her pants down. At that moment, I knew I had to call in the other children back inside and talk with my supervisor. My supervisor was dramatic about the situation she had the other children sent home, except he three children involved.
She wanted to ask the three children what actually happened. At first I did not want to question the children without a parent present or parent notification, but I did what my supervisor said and sat in the meeting where she questioned each child what happened. Girl one stuck to her story of being pushed into the bathroom by girl number two and the boy, and they tried to pull her pants down. I felt bad for the little boy because my supervisor was talking to him as he was guilty. My supervisor started talking to him about rape, jail, and consequences. At that moment, I new this “meeting” was taken too far.
I stepped in and asked him what he remembers. He stated they were playing the game bloody Mary. He said they were to look into the mirror and say bloody Mary three times and Mary will appear in the mirror. That is when girl one ran out of the bathroom, but fell before she was fully out. Girl number two and the boy tried to get her back in to see the mirror but her pants started to fall down. He and girl number two started to laugh because they saw her underwear. After he was done with his story I told my supervisor we should take him home NOW. I was not happy owe my supervisor handled the situation.
At that point I did not care if I was going to be fired. I knew she was wrong. My supervisor told me and two other youth workers to write an incident report and make sure we write what we heard when speaking to the children. The other two employees took the little girls side and bashed the little boy. They wanted to kick him out of the program. They claim he has a history’ of inappropriate speaking and actions. My report stated that I thought kicking him out of the program was taking it too far because after hearing what really happened I viewed it as innocent hill’s play.
I also put in a separate incident report on my supervisor and how she handled the situation. My higher management admired my ability to step in and take control when my supervisor lost control. Did not know it at the time, but believe this is when I used my critical thinking skills. I remained neutral, wanted to hear all sides of the story, and I evaluated what may have happened. After this incident, understand the importance of decision- making and how my decisions can affect others. What if I let my supervisor keeping talking to this little boy that way?
What if the little boy was kicked out for something so innocent? How would the three children’s lives be if this incident was viewed inappropriate resulting in a police or Child Protection Service call? These are the questions that go through my mind now, but know the children were not affected negatively; they were allowed to stay in the program. One of the benefits I had taken from this experience is my self- concept is higher than usual. According to Kirby and Godparent (2007), self- concept can shape our emotions, defend our thoughts, and the Way we view ourselves (p. 4). Live I have a positive attitude towards others as well as my thoughts. The benefit I learned “requires that we face ourselves honestly and completely, so that we can discover the personal factors that inhibit our thinking” (Kirby ; Godparent, 2007, p. 14). Did not make this decision for the glorifying benefits it bought, such as the praise I got, or their admiration for doing the right thing. According to Paul and Elder (2006) “the best thinkers are highly purposeful. They do not simply act. They know why they act. They know what they are about” (p. Xiv).
I simply thought of the onus boy who was being blamed for something that may have been innocent as playing. Critical thinking is thinking while thinking to make the thinking process better. This thinking can affect others as well as your self- concept. Critical thinking in the workplace can help an employee thrive in a company and also motivate our decision making. Our decision making is important because it can allow a person to stay unbiased and goal oriented toward the outcome during the decision-making process. There can be benefits to our decision such as admiration from others or just doing the right hind.
