18 Feb The Foundation for Critical Thinking

According to The Foundation for Critical Thinking (n.d.), “[c]ritical thinking is that mode of thinking—

about any subject, content, or problem—in which the thinker improves the quality of [their] thinking by

skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it.” As a manager, much of your work requires

analyzing complex situations, which, in turn, requires critical thinking skills. For example, you may be

presented with information, but you may need to decide if that information is relevant, if it is accurate,

Ioana, B. R. (2018). TOC, lean, six sigma are complementary? Ovidius University Annals,

Economic Sciences Series, 18(2), 389–394.

Piraseth, R.M., Kannappan, S. (2013). The synergy of continuous process

improvement. Industrial Engineer, 45(6), 41–45.

Goldratt, E. & Cox, J. (2014). The goal: A process of ongoing improvement (4th ed., pp. 1–123).

North River Press.

Note: This resource will be used for this week’s Discussion.

Time Estimate: 156 minutes

Document: Module 3 Assignment Template (Word document)

or if the sources it cites are credible. If a company leader forwards an article to you and asks you if

the claims are valid, you may take steps such as identifying any biases or incorrect assumptions

found within it.

This week, and continuing into Weeks 7 and 8, you will be using your critical thinking skills to analyze

business issues from the business novel The Goal. You will analyze the relevance of systems thinking

concepts described in the book to effective business practices.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Read pages 1–123 (Chapters 1–16) of The Goal.

As you read this part of the book, consider passages that contain ideas that you find compelling

and particularly relevant to effective business management. You will select at least three passages

to discuss this week.

In addition, consider how understanding these concepts might have influenced your past decision

making.

By Day 3

Post your analysis of The Goal to include the following:

Identify three or more short passages from this week’s assigned reading in The Goal that contain

one or two essential ideas that you found compelling, and explain why each passage you chose is

relevant to and important in effective business management. Be sure to include the citation for each

passage in your explanation.

(Note: This section of The Goal outlines the various performance problems that the Bearington

plant is having, so feel free to practice your systems thinking skills to explain why the plant is

having such difficulties.)

Then, reflect on and complete this statement based on your own experience: “If I had only known

this back when…”

Refer to the Week 6 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will

use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Provide an insight you gained from the passages your colleague found compelling or from another

example from the book.

Ask a clarifying question about your colleague’s analysis, either of the concept from the book or of

their reflection on past experiences.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you

have learned or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.