A500.5.3.RB_MalvoisinLeon

When I first started the course or even prior to starting the course I had a low critical thinking competency.  I had the habit of reading just for reading and not fully understanding the content of what I was reading.  In other words, as I have been getting busier in my career and life I had started to stop paying attention to details, which had an effect on my thinking process.  Taking this course is well worth it in many ways; it’s beneficial to my career and personal life.  Since, I’ve been taking this course (MSLD 500) my thinking process has changed.  It has helped me do more critical thinking and ask the right questions to help me come to a better conclusion.  Furthermore, it has allowed me to become a more active listener rather than a passive recipient of information.  It has helped me become aware of my assumptions about the subject so that I can assess them more accurately in light of what I will later read and hear. 

 I have been able to internalize some of the techniques and concepts I’ve learned in this course.  For example, I was recently asked to host a meeting at work within two hours of notice on a subject that I had little information about, but since it was my manager that asked me to host the meeting it was a bit hard reject the offer.  I accept the offer, and immediately started asking myself and my manager questions about the meeting such as, what is the purpose behind the meeting? Is there an agenda? What is a good way to start off the meeting?  Who are the key attendees? Do I have all the information I need to start hosting the meeting? Should there be a Q and A session?  Should I host the meeting in such short notice? Does it even make sense to have that meeting today?  With these questions and the answers I obtained, I was able to become knowledgeable about the meeting and hosted it successfully.  

                Practice makes everything better.  To make a lasting positive change in the way I think, I just have to constantly think ahead by doing critical thinking and reasoning on the subject or matter at hand before coming to a conclusion.