Metacognitive Journeys Into Mindfulness That Sidestep The Neurotic And Empower Critical Thinking
Greetings *|FNAME|*,
I first started playing tennis when I was in eleventh grade, and quickly found that I was good at it. Certainly not Wimbledon-level, but I loved the beautiful simplicity of getting the ball over the net, hustling back and forth to answer line shots, and even taking to racquetball courts to play against myself when I didn't have an opponent available.
Metacognitive abilities are like being an observer of a tennis match. You watch the ball go to and fro. You observe whether or not the ball is hit well in return and if it stays inside the lines. Sports fans and players who understand tennis physics also consider different types of swings, and preemptively evaluate how effective they will be in responding to a volley, based on how the ball spins. Even deeper than the physics is the inner game of tennis, where success resides in identifying and overcoming any thoughts of self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration.
Metacognitive abilities are an observation skill people develop over time. But instead of a tennis match, an employee observes their own thought processes. They observe, make conclusions about the thoughts, and then make decisions on how effective their thinking processes are. It's deep perceptiveness that aligns thoughts with evidence. When a thought arises, the team member notices it and asks questions like:
- Where did this thought come from?
- What happened that led to this thought?
- Why did I have this thought?
- What is accurate about this thought?
- Has this thought come from my emotions?
- Do I agree with this thought or do I need to change it?
- What evidence exists that this thought is helpful?
- Do I want to take action on this thought?
- Do I want to explore my thoughts more?
Frequently, emotional maturity helps enable masterful metacognition. Being fully aware of the values, emotions, and attitudes that reside underneath an employee's thinking processes helps them accurately attribute cause and effect in their thinking. Developing that metacognition helps lead to effective critical thinking. Fortunately, many of these techniques can actually be taught through the right instruction.
When I attended Davidson College, I was forced at every turn to think critically about humanities, calculus, economics, and things completely unrelated to my degree program. Sometimes it felt like trial by fire, because I no longer had the emotional safety net of going home to my parents each night after school. My experience harkens a past when many thought that going to a higher education institution was a clear path to developing adult critical thinkers. Today, 72% of employers think critical thinking is key to organizational success, but about only 36% say their employees demonstrate this skill.
In "The State of Critical Thinking Today," Paul Hurd finds that most college faculty don't realize that they themselves lack a substantive concept of critical thinking. They believe that they sufficiently understand it, and assume they are already teaching students it. For that reason, they don't, and can't, use it as a central structure in designing their instruction.
There is currently an adult education tidal shift to a focus on job-centered education. This involves encouraging up-and-comers to forgo college and take up the trades, where there is steady demand for work, but a shortfall of available job incumbents. Learners gain knowledge, then competency, through concrete, practical applications, rather than a universally-used skillset.
Another touted route to lifelong success has seen organizations take up the mantle of entrepreneurship, aiming to equip self-motivated people to build a business around their interests. They learn business concepts and practical application, then pursue potential customers or clients. For someone who is willing to accept risk and motivated to succeed, it is a win-win.
But whether someone is white collar or blue collar, and working for themselves or for someone else, the same challenges hold:
- how do you actually learn critical thinking?
- when your business grows, how do you ensure new hires can think critically?
The good news is that effective metacognition and honed critical thinking skills often transfer over to other parts of life. Employees are equipped to make better choices in terms of their relationships, their personal finance, and their physical and mental health. That also benefits you. Because when you have a hand in developing strong employees, or even shaping good hires into great staff, they show their appreciation through loyalty, creativity, and going the extra mile. They also demonstrate improved decision-making, enhanced adaptability and innovation, and more effective communication and collaboration. These are positive repercussions on the bottom line of your business, as well as on you as their leader.
So, how can you get started with this? Pilot a course like this one on critical thinking amongst a small group of your team to set a baseline for more broad implementation. Then, consider where you could start implementing a remediation solution for current staff whose performance has fallen short of expectations. When they notice, reflect, then act, they will be on the right track. But be prepared to help them if they stumble along the way.
Thoughtfully yours,
Sue
Email | LinkedIn | V-Card
