Empower the Team

…point out the importance of critical thinking

The Problem
Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated.

A Definition
Critical thinking is that mode of thinking – about any subject, content, or problem – in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them.

The Result
A well cultivated critical thinker:

• raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
• gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
• thinks openmindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and
• communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use.
It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.

(source: http://www.criticalthinking.org)

It is becoming more and more clear to me that the next significant step in software development evolution will not be a new technology or a new tool,

but an approach that successfully incorporates our hardwired human nature in the way we develop.

In InfoQ Interview: Linda Rising on Collaboration, Bonobos and The Brain Linda Rising points out that scientists initially believed the conscious mind

is like the tip of an iceberg, while the subconscious is the remaining 90%.  However, later studies suggest that our subconscious is the whole iceberg,

while our conscious is actually just… a snowball on top of it.

If only we could learn how to drive this iceberg…

Today’s news on guardian.co.uk:

Bank shares finished dramatically lower, with RBS – almost 70% owned by the taxpayer after yesterday’s announcement – down by 65%

and Lloyds HBOS suffering a 33% loss. Barclays, which lost a quarter of its value on Friday, fell a further 10%.

One century-old lessons still unlearned:

A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain. (Mark Twain)

The Broken Bridge and The Dream – Salvador Dali

Precise measurements reloaded: God is to yardstick as Faith is to …

religion?

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert Kennedy

“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars…

and they pass by themselves without wondering.” – Saint Augustine

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

What are you talking about ?