Book excerpt: Critical thinking is essentially a method of thinking that encourages individuals to think for themselves in the pursuit of the reasoned and logical truth about any subject.Elements of critical thinking guide the reasoning process. They include the purpose of your thinking, the information gathered, any predispositions you might have, relevant framing concepts, and the inferences and implications of what's learned.Learning to think critically at work will help you be a better problem solver and judge of information, and a more dynamic contributor and effective communicator.The elements of critical thinking guide your reasoning through the problems or issues you face at work.The elements are identifying your purpose, defining the question you need to answer, challenging your predispositions, applying framing concepts, checking inferences, and considering implications.Applying four strategies can help you continuously improve the quality of your thinking.Be alert to vague thinking by clarifying the meaning of both your own thinking and the thinking of others. Make sure your thinking is focused on what's relevant - the question you're trying to answer. Formulate effective questions by making sure all your questions are designed to improve your understanding of the main question or issue. Be willing to explore alternative views, and be open to the possibility that you may learn something worth changing your mind for, because it improves your thinking.