OPINION
Critical thinking in management SHOULD BE TAUGHT FROM A YOUNG AGE
If we want our young people to be effective problem solvers and enjoy successful careers in the business world of tomorrow, we need to equip them with the skills and tools they need today, says Paul Oginsky
T he British anthropologist and science writer, Roger Lewin, once said: ‘Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.’ And he was right. For all the talk about the need to create a more flexible education system that caters for all young people, and not just those who are more gifted academically, the fact is we still have a traditional system that follows a set curriculum and adheres to set tasks, rewarding those pupils who have an aptitude for this way of learning. But not everyone does. The US developmental psychologist, Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences states that people are not born with all the intelligence they will ever have, and outlines the different types of intelligence we may possess. However, our education system has such a narrow view of what ‘intelligence’ is that many young people are not being encouraged to reach their full potential. Not only that, but also now that we all carry a mobile phone or computer in our pockets, enabling us to have instant access to information, this definition is also totally outdated. I once sat at the back of a classroom observing a teacher prepare his pupils for an upcoming exam. The teacher said: ‘Read pages one to 12 and all of chapter seven and with any
luck there will be no shocks or surprises in the exam’. I thought: ‘That may be excellent preparation for the exam, but the real world is full of nothing but shock and surprises.’ It also made me question what the education system is preparing young people to do. When it comes to learning, one size certainly does not fit all. Business leaders and organisations have been clamouring for decades for more skills-based learning to sit alongside traditional qualifications, so that young people – our future business leaders - can hit the ground running when they enter the workplace. ‘Critical thinking’ is at the heart of this. However, critical thinking has long been perceived in certain quarters as a ‘soft’ topic chosen by students who aren’t very good at traditional subjects. It’s a lazy assumption and it’s not borne out in the business world. From team management, strategy and planning to dealing with customers and clients, the ability to assess situations wholly and make key decisions is an important skill and one that needs to be harnessed from an early age if it is to become second nature later in life – in business management. Critical thinking is all about questioning and analysing, rather than simply accepting
Paul Obinsky is CEO at youth services group, Vibe, which promotes the benefits of critical thinking to people under the age of 30.
40 |
Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online