President's
Tip of the Week
Critical
Thinking Techniques, Part 4
(8/19/09)
Here
is this week’s installment in our series on critical thinking techniques.
If you’d like to read the complete article, visit the author’s
site . As I mentioned last week, I encourage you to add in your own questions.
11.
“Think through implications. Consider the consequences of your viewpoint.
“
This is probably one of the most difficult techniques for the average
citizen when it comes to analyzing controversial issues. Since we are to focus
more on the delivery and the use of logic as support for ideas in speeches, does
this apply to preparing for an evaluation? In my opinion, it matters more for
your own suggestions for improvement than for the speech you are evaluating. For
example, a mistake I’ve made is suggesting a speaker sit while delivering
a speech. Possible results of the speaker taking that suggestion are that members
of the audience wouldn’t be able to see the speaker very well, limited use
of floor space, etc. Will your suggestion, if taken, cause a different set of
problems for the speaker?
12. “Know your own biases.
Your biases muddle your thinking. Notice how they might be pushing your thought
toward a particular end, regardless of the logical steps it took to get there.”
I have noticed in the past that I have had a difficult time evaluating a speech
when I disagree with the ideas presented, but that really should not be an issue.
If you find yourself disagreeing with the speaker focus on more basic questions
as you prepare your evaluation. Were the ideas clear and the transitions smooth?
Did the speaker meet the project objectives? Was the speech well-organized? Etc.
If you are having a difficult time finding things to praise the speaker for, check
your biases by asking yourself if the speech content conflicted with your biases,
and focus your attention on these more basic questions.
13.
“Suspend judgment. Critical thinking should produce judgments, not
the other way around. Don’t make a decision and then use critical thinking
to back it up.”
I would submit that judgments of this type should be saved
for a private discussion with the speaker after the meeting, not for your evaluation.
If you are tempted to render such a judgment of speech ideas, resort instead to
analyzing the basics, as mentioned in the previous technique.
Continue
trying to apply these techniques to your evaluations. Be prepared to add the final
three techniques next week.
