Module #2 - Leslie R. Reid - Barriers

[Leslie]

The factors that could get in the way of thinking critically include a sense of familiarity; a misplaced sense of solidarity; being emotionally tied to a decision; making decisions without all the facts or no investigation; thinking linearly – looking straight ahead and not taking the time to see and investigate the tangents found in any situation.

Early in my career as an educator, I was promoted into a leadership position within an organization where I had made significant contributions. I had a reputation as a team player and hard worker among my colleagues and I enjoyed friendly and respectful relationships with the group of professionals I would now supervise. My promotion came at the expense of a colleague who was also vying for the same opportunity. As, I moved into my new role, I used the transition period to roll out a project that I was excited about. When the new project was not met with the enthusiasm I anticipated, I did not understand my colleague's reactions. I had not anticipated the resistance to my leadership or my new ideas. I did not have a plan of action to respond to the downright defiance within the ranks.

My first couple of months in the new role was difficult. I felt isolated and lost without the allegiances I thought I could depend on. I changed my strategy and began to intentionally develop opportunities to strengthen allegiances by identifying service enhancements that were borne out of investigation and team planning that incorporated the viewpoints of the stakeholders within the community. Had I initially applied the critical thinking techniques of gathering facts; taking the time to thoughtfully consider information provided by others and using logic and reason to instigate change, I would have learned the value of shared leadership and practiced the art of developing and managing teams that share common goals. Critical thinking would have helped me to demonstrate the fact that I valued the viewpoints of my team mates whose work I respected.

[John Uliano]

Hi Leslie - Thank you for sharing your experience. I, too, have experienced in prior roles the challenge of transitioning from colleague to supervisor, and, as you eloquently noted, it certainly can feel isolative. While you note that you initially did not apply a critical thinking perspective when assuming your new role, it does seem that you were able to "recover" and effectively utilize and apply some of the techniques we have been introduced to, which can be challenging when a assuming a new leadership role. Well done!

[jennfriesen]

I see an interesting link between your Barriers post and your questions for Christine. For example, here you talk about barriers including a sense of familiarity, misplaced solidarity, and being emotionally tied to a decision and two of your questions for Christine focus on asking how she maintains openness and what assumptions towards mankind she has. Also, here you point out a barrier in making a decision without all the facts/not investigating enough and you ask Christine how she tempers her need to act with the need to make a strategic decision. I appreciate that you link the factors you see as being a barrier for your own critical thinking to the questions you posed to her. Thanks for sharing!