Rob Jenkins is a Higher Education Fellow with Campus Reform and a tenured associate professor of English at Georgia State University – Perimeter College. The opinions expressed here are his own and not those of his employer.
Never has society been in greater need of people who can think—yet rarely have they been in such short supply, especially among the “educated” class. That college graduates voted overwhelmingly for Vice President Word Salad is evidence of that.
But it’s not the only evidence. A recent survey of more than 1,000 corporate professionals, conducted by the online learning platform Springboard, found that “critical/strategic thinking is the most sorely needed soft skill at companies today. Problem-solving and decision-making came in second, while communication, both written and verbal, nabbed third.”
(Note: Problem-solving and decision-making are aspects of critical thinking, while communication skills are closely related, as I argue in my book, Think Better, Write Better.)
According to Fortune magazine, the survey’s authors reported that, while “critical thinking and problem-solving skills are essential….nearly 40% of leaders say the gap between the skills they need at their organization and the skills they have is only getting deeper.” They conclude that “a severe lack of critical business skills is preventing growth at America’s largest companies.”
This is just the latest in a long line of such surveys going back more than a decade. All identify the same problem: graduates from U.S. colleges and universities struggle to think critically. That may seem strange, since all institutions claim to teach critical thinking. But clearly, according to employers, they don’t—or at least it’s not sticking. By and large, students are not entering the workforce with that skill.
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I’ve explored the reasons for this disconnect elsewhere and don’t have space to rehash them here. Instead, for any soon-to-be college graduates who might be reading, I’d like to focus on what you can do about it. If your institution is not equipping you with the critical thinking skills employers demand, can you be proactive and develop them on your own.
Yes, you can. Human beings were learning to think critically, to problem-solve and make good decisions, long before modern universities came along. The fact that we’re all here is evidence of that. There are several things you can do of your own volition that will ultimately help set you apart, regardless of your career path, as a clear and independent thinker.
The first is to read, broadly and voraciously. You might not think you have time, with your course load and other commitments, but you almost certainly have free moments. What are you doing with them? Playing video games? Hanging out with friends? There’s nothing inherently wrong with those activities, but I would encourage you to redirect at least a few hours a week toward reading to improve your mind.
Don’t just read things you’re interested in. Read everything you can get your hands on. Read fiction and non-fiction. Read articles from various sites, including some that might offer a different perspective. Read to learn about things you don’t know and to find out what others are thinking, even if you disagree. Absorbing all that information will help you lay a foundation for your own intellectual edifice.
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Second, question everything. Everything you read, everything you hear. Everything your friends and professors and favorite celebrities say. Everything people like me say. Question it all. Take nothing at face value.
I don’t mean you have to question out loud, although that might be appropriate. I’m just suggesting you develop the habit of asking yourself, when you read or hear something, “Is that true? How do I know? What’s the evidence? How does it jibe with what I already know? What might contradict it?”
Finally, strive to become more introspective. Ultimately, the person you most need to question is yourself—your own motives, biases, and assumptions. Why do you believe something is true (or false)? What might be influencing your perception? What do you assume that might be inaccurate? As Socrates taught, the path to true wisdom is to “know thyself.”
By asking such questions, you may occasionally discover you were wrong. But you may also decide you have good reasons to believe as you do. Both are good outcomes—and both are vital to becoming a better, clearer thinker, someone your employer won’t complain about in five years because you “lack critical thinking skills.”
Editorials and op-eds reflect the opinion of the authors and not necessarily that of Campus Reform or the Leadership Institute.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
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